The Demon in the Snow

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The Demon in the Snow
Premiere date:	13 February 2003
Episode Length:	24.5 minutes
Episode Code:	019
Episode Airdate:	13 February 2003 13 October 2006
Manga Arc:	Land of Waves

The Demon in the Snow (Japanese: ザブザ雪に散る…, - Zabuza yuki ni chiru...) is episode 19 of the anime series Naruto. The episode's storyline is from the Land of Waves manga arc.

[edit] Plot

Zabuza demands Gato to tell him what's going on, and Gato tells him that he brought all those hired thugs with him to kill Zabuza. Claiming he's way too expensive, Gato further mocks Zabuza by pointing out how defenseless he is now. Zabuza then tells Kakashi that they are no longer enemies because he's no longer Gato's lackey and there's no need for him to go after Tazuna. Kakashi reluctantly agrees.

Gato confidently walks over to Haku's body and fuming about his broken arm by Haku swiftly kicks his body. He then pokes at his face with a cane, sorry that Haku couldn't feel it. Naruto flies into a rage and it's Kakashi's restraint that prevents him from rushing over to Gato. He screams at Zabuza for allowing Haku to be handled like that, but Zabuza coldly tells Naruto that he doesn't care. He's sorry that Haku's power is gone but he claims to not care about Haku's death overall.

Naruto only grows more furious and Kakashi's attempts to calm him down don't work. He screams at Zabuza about how much Haku cared for him and how he sacrificed everything to make sure that Zabuza's dream came. He starts crying at the realization that Haku did not have a dream of his own and how wasted his death was since Zabuza felt nothing for his sacrifice. But, Naruto's impassioned speech is enough to reduce Zabuza himself to tears. Zabuza laments about how he knew that Haku was suffering but is upset that he's getting so emotional. But he calms down and rips the bandages over his mouth with his teeth and asks Naruto for his kunai. Naruto tosses it to him and Zabuza latches onto it with his teeth.

Gato realizes that Zabuza's still dangerous and commands the thugs to kill him. They rush at him, but even with limp arms and armed with only a kunai in his mouth Zabuza proves to be a formidable opponent. He manages to kill a few of the thugs before he gets stabbed with a weapon. But he still manages to reach Gato and stab him before more weapons are driven into his back. Gato nurses his grave wound and tells Zabuza he won't be joining Zabuza and Haku on the other side. But Zabuza works to fill Gato's last moments with sheer terror as he alludes to the notion that Haku is in Heaven while the both of them will be going to Hell and goes into graphic detail about the demons down there. He then pulls the kunai out of Gato's chest and slashes him up some more before his dead body is sent flying off the bridge. Zabuza drops the kunai and sees a vision of Haku as he walks back to his dead body. He asks the vision to forgive him as he collapses. Naruto looks away from this, but Kakashi tells him to keep watching and understand how a warrior's life ends.

Meanwhile, Sasuke slowly comes around to the sound of crying and wonders if it's Sakura. He opens his eyes to see Tazuna standing over him and Sakura crying on top of him. He says her name, followed by a complaint of how heavy she is. But Sakura's overcome with glee at the fact that he's alive and clings to him tightly despite his injuries. And despite his injuries his sits up and asks about Naruto and Haku. Sakura tells him Haku's dead and Sasuke asks if Naruto did it but Sakura says no. Sakura calls to Naruto that Sasuke is still alive and Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi realize that Haku never meant to kill Sasuke and Naruto; he only put Sasuke in a temporary death state as he had done with Zabuza.

But the fight wasn't over. The disgruntled thugs demand payment for their services now that Gato's dead and loudly proclaim they'll raid the village. The shinobi get prepped for battle yet again when an arrow lands in front of the mob...fired by Inari. The villagers had come to help defend the bridge! Tazuna is reduced to tears at the sight. Not wanting to be left out, Naruto does a Shadow Clone jutsu. Though he's weak, Kakashi does a Shadow Clone jutsu, though he produces ten times more copies than Naruto did. The thugs panic and rush off the bridge to the waiting boat and everyone celebrates their victory.

Kakashi heads over to Zabuza, who's barely alive. Zabuza asks Kakashi to take him to Haku, which Kakashi complies. After pulling the weapons out of Zabuza's back Kakashi carries him and lies him next to Haku. Snow starts to fall all around them, though it's not in season. Zabuza thinks Haku has a hand in it and comments that he should be beside Haku in death since Haku had been beside him in life. He touches Haku's face with difficulty, lamenting about how they will surely end up in different places in death and how much he wishes to be with him. A single snowflake lands on Haku's eyelid and as Zabuza dies it melts and slides down like a tear. Naruto is in tears and talks about how Haku had said his homeland had always been filled with snow. Kakashi comments that maybe Zabuza just might join Haku in death.

Later, they buried Zabuza and Haku side by side just outside of town. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are angry about their fates, wondering why there are ninja if such a thing happens. Kakashi says that he has no answers for such questions and that there's no way of telling how such things happens. Naruto then vows to go by his own way of shinobi and to live without regrets.

Soon, the bridge is finished and it's time for Team 7 to return to Konoha. The whole village is there to see them off and Naruto and Inari are in tears at the fact that they won't see each other anymore. As they depart, Tazuna proclaims that the bridge will be called the Great Naruto Bridge to signify the strength that Naruto gave Inari who in turn gave to the whole town.

[edit] Trivia

• Naruto's "Way of the Ninja" consists of three basic concepts, which remain consistent throughout the series.
  • Never go back on your word [this is the most frequently stated one].
  • Never abandon a friend/teammate/comrade.
  • Never give up or back down from a fight.

• Zabuza kills Gato by stabbing his chest in the anime, while decapitating him in the manga.

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