This has made me a fan now!

What a way to end a fight! And what an interesting setup for the next arc! The Chunin Exams Tournament sounds so awesome! I'm shipping Sasuke x Gaaru :3

My only issue is that Sakura doesn't do anything, and I wish there was more story BEYOND the fights. I can get emotional easily, I don't need teenagers beating the shit out of each other to feel stuff lol. Also, no Sakura highlights? Kinda sexist. She doesn't know anything, they just SAY she knows stuff. Lame :/

Key Takeaways:
-A villain is some who pursues their dreams while treating others as disposable.
-A duel is impersonal: two oppositional groups with different goals that just gotten in each other's way. A fight is emotionally charged and based on some injustice.
-Zabuza "demon" proved himself a hero as, when all hope was loss, showed remorse for the loss of his partner. And, in his final act, charged through an army and killed his contractor. In the end, his humanity showed and the nickname "demon" seemed no longer fitting. ( )

¡¡Sasuke ha protegido a Naruto y pierde el conocimiento!! La tristeza y rabia que experimenta Naruto hacen que se produzca un cambio en su interior. ¿Podrá la furia de Naruto acabar con Haku? ¿Cuál será el resultado del enfrentamiento entre Zabuza y Kakashi?

¡¡Se acerca el fin de la saga del País de la Niebla!!

Explosion of rage!

And then the story arc takes a truly dark and disturbing turn, turning what has begun as a half-joke ninja comic with a few serious moments into a desperate gamble with truly pathos-inducing moments.

Did I cry again? Yes, I'm afraid I did, and I cried at all the precisely planned-out moments, as if I was a puppet on a string.

Kishimoto lined them all up and knocked them all down perfectly. I cried at Haku's dream of being useful, no matter what the cost. I cried at his sacrifice. I got amazingly pissed off at Zabuza, and then I watched in amazement when the amazing failure of Naruto managed to shame the demon.

And then I laughed with great bloodlust as Zabuza did his thing and redeemed himself. Just Wow. I've always loved that scene.

The rest of the volume is meh, just setting up for the chunin exams which is fine and all, but forgettable except for the introduction of all the new players I'll get to grow and love all over again. ( )

The volume that breaks my heart...

...but also introduces Gaaraaaaaaa! ( )

Pleasantly surprised with the handling of Zabuza and Haku. ( )