Naruto 's journey begins with (Japanese: Uzumaki Naruto Sanjō! ), which establishes the foundation of the Hidden Leaf Village and the lonely life of its titular protagonist. Episode Summary

: Naruto is the only student in his class to fail the graduation exam after he is unable to perform a basic Clone Jutsu —his weakest skill.

: Realizing that Iruka truly cares for him and sees him as a person, not a monster, Naruto defends his teacher. He uses the "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu"—a technique he learned from the stolen scroll—to create hundreds of solid clones and defeat Mizuki. Key Takeaways

: A sympathetic-looking instructor named Mizuki tricks Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals , claiming it contains a secret technique that will guarantee his graduation.

: This episode introduces the "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki" concept, which remains the central plot point for the rest of the series.

: Impressed by his mastery of a high-level forbidden technique, Iruka officially graduates Naruto and gives him his own Hidden Leaf headband.

: When Naruto's actual teacher, Iruka Umino , finds him, Mizuki attacks and reveals the village's darkest secret: Naruto is the vessel for the Nine-Tails Fox. Mizuki claims that Iruka actually hates Naruto because the Nine-Tails killed Iruka's parents.