Enter: Naruto Uzumaki!


 * Title: Enter: Naruto Uzumaki!
 * Premiere date: 3 October 2002
 * Episode Code: 001
 * Episode Length: 24.5 minutes
 * Episode Airdate:
 * Japan: October 3, 2002
 * UK, Ireland: July 22, 2006
 * US: September 10, 2005
 * Malaysia: March 16, 2004
 * Canada: September 16, 2005
 * France: January 2, 2006
 * Italy: September 5, 2006
 * Germany: September 18, 2006
 * Israel: October 16, 2006
 * Poland: February 12, 2007
 * Guests:
 * Shinichirô Miki (Mizuki)
 * Toshihiko Seki (Umino Iruka)
 * Hidekatsu Shibata (Sandaime Hokage)
 * Writer:
 * Steven Jay Blum
 * Masashi Kishimoto
 * Yuka Miyata
 * Kou Hei Mushi
 * Satoru Nishizono
 * Katsuyuki Sumizawa
 * Yasuyuki Suzuki
 * Junki Takegami
 * Akatsuki Yamatoya
 * Michiko Yokote
 * Director:
 * Marc Handler
 * Atsuho Matsumoto
 * Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
 * Jeff Nimoy
 * Manga Arc: Exposition

is episode 1 of the anime series Naruto. It is part of the exposition of the series.

In other languages

 * French: Et voici Naruto Uzumaki
 * German: Wer ist Naruto ? (Who is Naruto ?)
 * Hebrew: נארוטו אוזומאקי מגיע (Naruto Uzumaki Ma'GiYa - Naruto Uzumaki is Coming)
 * Italian: Arriva Naruto
 * Spanish: Entra en Escena: Naruto Uzumaki !
 * Polish: Wkracza Naruto Uzumaki!

Episode Synopsis
Naruto Uzumaki, the titular character, is introduced as the protagonist. After being shunned for all his life, he finally finds somebody who believes in him.

Plot
A prologue begins the show. Twelve years ago, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox appeared and attacked Konohagakure. No one could stop it because of its immense power. Only one man, the Fourth Hokage, managed to use a forbidden jutsu to seal the demon fox in a baby boy whose umbilical cord was just cut, though it cost the Yondaime his life to do so.

The show then moves to the present day and sets the stage for the rest of the episodes. The boy who had the fox sealed inside him, Naruto Uzumaki, has become a prankster. Naruto now attends school at the ninja academy, but seems incompetent at jutsus. One examiner at the Academy, Mizuki Toji, seems to be kinder than the other examiner, Iruka Umino, and tells Naruto that whoever can learn a technique from a certain scroll will pass automatically. Naruto steals the scroll, and before Iruka and Mizuki find him, Naruto learns Shadow Clone Technique.

However, it turns out that the scroll contains Konoha's forbidden techniques and Mizuki told Naruto of the scroll so that Mizuki himself could steal the scroll from Naruto and learn the techniques for his own power. In the struggle that follows, the whole truth comes out - Naruto is the Jinchuriki (container) for the Nine-Tailed Fox, and it's the reason he's been treated as an outcast his whole life. Naruto becomes so upset at this information that he runs from both Iruka and Mizuki. As ploys are played and nullified, Mizuki tells Iruka that Naruto will use the scroll's techniques to wreck revenge on the village because "that's how beasts are". Iruka seems to agree, and Naruto sadly thinks that Iruka never had any respect for him. But Iruka then says that Naruto is himself and not the fox demon inside him. Naruto finally realizes he's not completely alone and thus performs the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to defeat Mizuki.

Iruka then congratulates and thanks Naruto, and gives him a surprise: his forehead protector, which means that Naruto has graduated from the Academy.

Iruka (thinking): "Naruto, this is only the beginning. The road gets tougher now that you're a ninja. But if I told you that, I guess it would ruin the moment. So I'll tell you later, over ramen."

Trivia

 * The Japanese title of this episode literally translates to Enter! Uzumaki Naruto.
 * Despite the fact that the Shadow Clone Technique was forbidden, it was revealed that Kakashi, Ebisu, the Third Hokage, and most Jonin can use this jutsu. Later even Konohamaru manages to learn it.