Naruto History: Who Were Zabuza and Haku?

Along with a couple of other giants in the anime world, Naruto continues to be a hugely popular action series loved by fans everywhere. The story follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja with a difficult history, and his inspiring journey. Naruto’s unwavering determination and resilience in the face of challenges continue to motivate viewers.

Naruto’s first real mission as a young ninja took Team 7 on a journey none of them expected. Their early battles against the dangerous rogue ninja Zabuza Momochi and his apprentice, Haku, were incredibly impactful. If Team 7 hadn’t gotten lucky, the entire story of Naruto could have gone in a completely different direction.

Zabuza Momochi: The Heroes’ First True Enemy

A Legendary Ninja Known as the “Demon of the Hidden Mist”

Zabuza Momochi, famously known as the “Demon of the Hidden Mist”, remains a mysterious figure, and little is known about his early life. However, what we do know about his upbringing is closely tied to the troubled history of Kirigakure. In the past, Kirigakure—then called the “Village of the Bloody Mist”—forced young ninja to fight to the death as a graduation requirement.

A horrifying tradition ended when a young boy, before even starting at the Kirigakure Academy, shockingly killed an entire class of graduating students all by himself. This child was later known as Zabuza, and the event earned him the terrifying nickname he’s known by today. Though the deadly final exam was never repeated after that day, the memory of it still casts a dark shadow over the history of the Village Hidden in the Mist.

After disagreeing with the policies of Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage, Zabuza attempted to overthrow him, but failed. He and his remaining followers fled the Village Hidden in the Mist and Zabuza began working as a mercenary ninja, quickly gaining a reputation for being ruthless and clever. His clients were often dishonest people, like Gatō, a powerful shipping businessman who secretly dealt in drugs and smuggling. Gatō terrorized the Land of Waves, even publicly executing Inari’s stepfather, Kaiza. This act of cruelty left the people of the Land of Waves too frightened to oppose him. When Tazuna proposed building a bridge to benefit the Land of Waves, Gatō hired Zabuza to kill him.

Haku: Trained To Be the Ultimate Weapon

A Mercenary Searching for a Purpose

Long ago, the Land of Water was torn apart by a devastating war where ninja with unique, almost magical abilities – called kekkei genkai – were used as weapons. After the war ended, people with these powers became feared and mistreated. Because of this, anyone in the Land of Water who possessed a kekkei genkai tried to keep it secret. One woman, gifted with the Ice Release kekkei genkai, hid her powers for years, even from her husband.

When Haku revealed he’d inherited his mother’s powers, she scolded him severely, then quickly apologized to her frightened son. Sadly, Haku’s father saw everything and convinced the villagers to kill his own wife and son. Discovering his father was responsible for his mother’s death, Haku retaliated using his Ice Release abilities, killing his father and the villagers who helped him, and then fled his home.

Haku had to survive on his own, often scavenging for food and even fighting off stray dogs. It was during this difficult time that he met Zabuza, while feeling lost and searching for meaning in his life. Zabuza noticed Haku had similar eyes to his own and offered to take him on as an apprentice, training him to be a powerful fighter. Despite not wanting to be involved in violence or become a ninja, Haku accepted, willing to become a weapon if it meant having a purpose.

Fifteen-year-old Haku continued working as a skilled mercenary for Zabuza, mastering the Ice Release technique. He disliked killing opponents without reason, which often frustrated Zabuza. Despite Zabuza’s cold nature, Haku remained loyal, unknowingly heading towards a future that would highlight the harsh realities of life as a ninja in the world of Naruto.

How Did Zabuza and Haku Nearly Change the Anime’s Narrative?

Had Sasuke Truly Died, Naruto’s Story Would Have Been Very Different

Naruto complained to Kakashi about being stuck with simple, low-level missions. Kakashi, recognizing Naruto’s frustration, assigned Team 7 their first more challenging task: protecting a bridge builder named Tazuna as he traveled to the Land of Waves.

After their fight with the Demon Brothers, the group discovered their seemingly simple mission was actually much more dangerous – a top-level assignment. The criminal Gatō had been secretly hiring mercenaries to kill Tazuna. Tazuna’s bridge project was meant to free the people of the Land of Waves from Gatō’s control, and Gatō was determined to stop it. He was enraged by the Demon Brothers’ failed attempt on Tazuna’s life, so he turned to Zabuza, a notoriously brutal and feared mercenary ninja, for help.

As Team 7 and Tazuna enter the Land of Waves, they are immediately attacked by Zabuza, who traps Kakashi in a bubble of water. Luckily, Naruto and Sasuke team up and trick Zabuza, freeing their teacher. Shortly after, a masked ninja named Haku, claiming to be a Kirigakure Anbu tracker, appears and seemingly kills Zabuza.

Zabuza was badly injured and had to hide to recover. Later, Naruto met Haku while he was gathering herbs, but didn’t recognize him because Haku wasn’t wearing his ninja mask and was dressed in regular clothes. They talked about what they hoped to achieve and who they wanted to protect, which strengthened Haku’s dedication to Zabuza, even though it meant playing a difficult part. This peaceful encounter didn’t last, as Zabuza soon returned, determined to finish the job with Tazuna, and brought Haku with him.

Haku shows up wearing the clothes he had on after his fight with Zabuza, which Naruto and the other ninja remember. As Kakashi fights Zabuza and Sakura protects Tazuna, Naruto and Sasuke take on Haku. They quickly find themselves caught in a dangerous trap created by Haku’s special ice abilities, called Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. During the fight, Haku appears to fatally wound Sasuke.

When Naruto learned about his teammate’s death, he instinctively unleashed the immense power of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox for the first time. He almost killed Haku in his rage, but stopped when he recognized Haku as the kind boy who used to gather herbs. Haku, believing he was no longer useful to Zabuza, asked Naruto to end his life. However, before Naruto could act, Haku sensed danger and stepped in front of Kakashi’s attack, meant for Zabuza. Naruto’s words helped Zabuza understand the depth of Haku’s devotion, and in a final act of defiance, Zabuza killed Gatō, sacrificing himself in the process, as Gatō and his men mistreated Haku’s body.

After the fighting ended, the group was relieved to find Sasuke was still alive. The people of the Land of Waves thanked Team 7 for their help, and once everyone recovered, they started heading home. The battles against Zabuza and Haku, and everything the team went through, left a lasting impact on the story, even as the anime continued. For example, those experiences made Naruto determined to protect his friends, because he was afraid of losing them.

If Sasuke had died, the story of Naruto would have taken a drastically different turn. The fate of the Uchiha clan would have been tragically cut short, and it’s hard to imagine how the story would have unfolded without him. Naruto and Sakura’s journeys were so closely tied to Sasuke’s; his death would have profoundly impacted their lives. While we can only speculate, had Sasuke fallen during his fight with Haku, the Uchiha legacy and the future of Team 7 would likely have been filled with grief and uncertainty.

2026-01-28 23:07