A Dangerous Mission! Journey to the Land of Waves!

is the sixth episode of the original Naruto anime.

Synopsis
The episode begins with Kakashi Hakate, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno (the four of whom constitute Team 7) stealthily pursuing a "target". Though the mission appears weighty at first, it is soon revealed that the team was merely capturing a runaway cat owned by the wife of the Land of Fire's feudal lord. When the Third Hokage considers assigning them a variety of similarly pathetic missions, a frustrated and restless Naruto demands the Hokage to assign them a more challenging and perilous mission.

The Hokage then explains that civilians employ Konoha's ninja to perform certain tasks for them, ranging from capturing a cat to assassination. These tasks, or missions, are divided into several categories based on their difficulty. From highest to lowest level of difficulty, these categories are A-Rank, B-Rank, C-Rank, and D-Rank. So far, Team 7 has been assigned D-Rank missions since they are merely fresh Genin, or low ninja. However, Chūnin (middle ninja) are assigned C- or B-Rank missions, and Jōnin (elite ninja) are assigned A-Rank missions. When ninja successfully complete their mission, the employers pay Konoha a sum of money. Thus, the ninja are the foundation of Konoha's economy, and even D-Rank missions contribute to the village's welfare.

After Naruto continues sulking and badgering the Hokage, the Hokage finally relents. Team 7 is assigned to a mission escorting master bridge-builder Tazuna to the Land of Waves and protecting him while he finishes building his bridge there. However, Tazuna has no qualms about pouring contempt over Naruto and his dream to be Hokage. As Team 7 and Tazuna leave Konoha, Tazuna and Naruto continue scorning and taunting each other. As they argue heatedly, two shadowy figures spy furtively on them.

As the group ambles down the road, they walk past a small puddle alongside the path. Abruptly, two Chūnin-level ninja from Kirigakure emerge from the puddle and ambush them. The enemy ninja, later revealed to be called the Demon Brothers, apparently defeat Kakashi and then turn to the Genin and Tazuna. Though Naruto is paralyzed with terror, Sasuke, on the other hand manages to not only deter the Demon Brothers' lethal chains but also immobilize the enemy ninja by pinning the chains to a tree. Then, Sasuke snaps the chains; unfortunately, the Demon Brothers are now mobile and still can fight with their perilous claws. As they attack Tazuna, Sasuke and Sakura defend him. Just as the Demon Brothers are inches away from shredding Sasuke, Kakashi appears and effortlessly defeats the them. In fact, Kakashi had anticipated the ambush because of the puddle alongside the path when there had been no rain for a long time. He then used the Replacement technique to deliberately appear to be dead so that he could figure out whether the Demon Brothers were targeting Team 7 or Tazuna. Now, Kakashi realizes that Tazuna was the target, and since Tazuna is being targeted by enemy ninja, this mission is therefore a classified B-rank mission.

Kakashi tells Naruto, who had been practically useless during the confrontation, that he "didn't think Naruto would freeze up like that" and proceeds to compliment Sasuke and Sakura for their courage. A bitter Naruto deeply envies Sasuke, who had cooly handled the situation. Sasuke turns to Naruto and contemptuously asks, "You're not hurt, are you? Scaredy cat." This statement gives Naruto a newfound resolve to not be outperformed by Sasuke. Later in the Forest of Death in the Chūnin Exam Arc, a triumphant Naruto would say the exact same statement to a frightened Sasuke.

At this point, Kakashi notices that Naruto's hand is wounded and bleeding; Kakashi declares that the wound is poisoned because the Demon Brothers had poison on their claws and that they will have to bleed out the poison. Sakura suggests that they just give up because A) It's an A-rank mission, and, B) Naruto and his injured hand could become a liability.

Naruto, unwilling to jeopardize the mission, takes out a kunai and stabs his hand with it in order to remove the poison, severely stunning his comrades and even alcoholic Tazuna. He then makes an oath that he will never run away or back down from any mission, threat, or enemy and that he will not lose to Sasuke. This is short lived, however, as Kakashi points out that losing any more blood could be fatal, causing Naruto to panic. Kakashi observes that Naruto's wound had already begun to heal and assumes that it was due to the healing power of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.

Subsequently, Gatō, who hired the Demon Brothers to eliminate Tazuna, is shown complaining about their failure and states that there is a high-level ninja accompanying Tazuna. Zabuza, apparently the boss of the Demon Brothers, threatens Gatō with his colossal sword. He says that he is the Demon of the Hidden Mist and that this time he will personally go and eradicate Tazuna.