The Broken Seal

Synopsis
Haku realises he can't keep being soft towards Naruto and Sasuke, aiming for more vital spots instead of slicing their skin, although Naruto takes the full brunt of it. Refusing to accept an obvious defeat but running low on chakra, Naruto ends up fainting. Sasuke holds his own against Haku, protecting Naruto's unconscious body by activating his Sharingan, allowing him to track Haku's incredibly fast movements. Amazed at Sasuke also having a Kekkei Genkai that awakened itself in battle, Haku realises he would have the disadvantage in a drawn out fight, as any attacks would just be deflected. Instead he targets a vulnerable Naruto with a volley of senbon, making Sasuke instinctively move to shield his teammate.

Elsewhere, Kakashi has taken a hit from Zabuza's blade at a last second attempt to save Sakura and Tazuna. Laughing, Zabuza goes on about almost losing the bridge builder as Kakashi was too worried about his students up ahead. Naruto wakes up to see Sasuke standing in front of him, struck and barely holding onto life. Shocked, Naruto catches him as he collapses and goes completely still. Believing his friend has died, Naruto’s enraged and subconsciously taps into the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox within him. Kakashi and Zabuza sense the change, making Kakashi wonder if the seal was broken. Haku stares in disbelief as the fox’s power heals Naruto's wounds and changes his body.

Trivia

 * Although edited out of Cartoon Network's airing of Sasuke and Sakura: Friends or Foes?, the scene of Naruto accidentally kissing Sasuke was shown in the flashback sequence of this episode when it aired.

Credits
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