The Heartbreaking Naruto Scene That Gave Fans Chills

During its lengthy manga and anime run during the early aughts, "Naruto" established itself as worthy of joining the legendary pantheon of the Shonen series that preceded it. Much like iconic series such as "Dragon Ball" and "Yu Yu Hakusho," "Naruto" thrilled anime fans with its mix of eye-catching action and a host of side characters so cool that they would often steal the spotlight from the series' charming protagonists. But "Naruto" had more than just slick action and memorable characters. And realistically, it would have to in order to keep everyone hooked for over 700 episodes. Fans may already know that the series' most potent weapon was probably its ability to tug on the heartstrings.

"Naruto" was full of moments that forced us to turn on the waterworks. It wasn't uncommon for the series to throw out a seemly powerful and ruthless villain like Itachi Uchiha or Pain and then gut-punch us with their tragic backstories. And the shocking death of a beloved character like Jiraya had many of us chopping onions by the time the credits rolled. Also, whenever Toshio Masuda's "Sadness And Sorrow" song (via YouTube) started playing in an episode, it was probably time to reach for some tissues. Yet, despite the many sad moments throughout "Naruto," there's one heartbreaking scene that fans on Reddit recall giving them chills.

For one of the series' most emotional scenes, fans on Reddit highlighted a significant moment during the "Land of Waves Arc." Team 7 has to deal with the mercenary shinobi Zabuza Momochi and Haku during the story. Haku, who has wanted nothing more than to prove himself useful to Zabuza, dies in the arc by intercepting Kakashi's Chidori. The death, coupled with Haku's devastating past, is sad enough. However, as fans pinpointed, it reaches its emotional zenith during a scene in the episode "The Demon In The Snow" (via Crunchyroll). Zabuza heartlessly refers to Haku as nothing more than a weapon. But Naruto calls the assassin out on this, noting that Haku couldn't even live his own life because he was so devoted to Zabuza. This moves Zabuza to tears.

For some fans, the scene was what won them over to continue watching the series. "The moment I realized 'Naruto' is just not a cartoon," u/Opening_Ad_4712 said. "Glad my first anime was this." What helps make this scene such a fan favorite is a combination of factors that work together so effectively. The animation quality appeared more refined compared to previous episodes before the arc. The dialogue from Naruto and the slow reveal of Zabuza's tears hit so hard that it felt like the anime was doing its best to be considered for an Emmy. And, was that "Sadness And Sorrow" once again playing in the background? It's no wonder that one of the earliest moments in the series resonated with so many fans. "For real tho, When I first watched this, I was hooked, u/AggRetsuko88 said. "The atmosphere, music, and dialogue was on point."