Zabuza Momochi
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| Zabuza Momochi | |
|---|---|
| (桃地再不斬) | |
 Zabuza Momochi by Masashi Kishimoto |
|
| Debut | Manga Chapter 10 Anime Episode 6 |
| Seiyū | Unsho Ishizuka |
| Voice actor(s) | Steven Jay Blum |
| Profile | |
| Age | 26 (deceased) |
| Date of birth | August 15 |
| Height | 183 cm |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Notable relatives | Unknown |
| Information | |
| Current rank | Missing-nin |
| Previous affiliation | Kirigakure, Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Gato |
| Previous team | Zabuza Momochi, Haku |
| Signature jutsu/Kekkei genkai | |
Zabuza Momochi (桃地再不斬 Momochi Zabuza?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto.
Zabuza, when translated figuratively from the Kanji in his name means "never cuts twice", a fitting name given that he kills most of his opponents in a single strike.
[edit] Description
Zabuza is a former ANBU member and missing-nin from Kirigakure. Being from Kirigakure, most of his jutsu are water-oriented, and he is quite skilled in their use. Zabuza is depicted as a character who is hard-nosed, stubborn, and ambitious; so ambitious, in fact, that he had tried to kill the Mizukage and attempted a coup d'état on the Land of Water. Zabuza's attempt was foiled by his lack of planning, and he was forced to flee when the forces of Kirigakure overpowered his own. He had intended to finance another one by working as an assassin. He is known as the "Demon of the Hidden Mist" (霧隠れの鬼人 Kirigakure no Kijin?) since at a young age he single-handedly killed all of the students in the village's ninja academy. This event also marked the end of Kirigakure's custom of pitting students against one another in battles to the death. Zabuza is of Jonin level and, as a member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist (霧の忍刀七人衆 Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu?), he wields a large Zanbatō. Zabuza's hobby is sharpening his blades, and his favorite word is "control".
Apparently, Zabuza does not have any eyebrows. Naruto even addresses him as a "freak with no eyebrows" on at least two occasions. While this is certainly held true in the original manga, several scenes in the anime mistakenly show Zabuza with eyebrows.
[edit] Wave Country arc
Hired by Gato to assassinate Tazuna the bridge builder, Zabuza is forced to deal with Team 7 after they foil a previous assassination attempt by two of Zabuza's henchmen. During their first encounter, he manages to overpower Kakashi Hatake and trap him within his Water Prison Technique, and would have emerged victorious had it not been for a clever tactic deployed by Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. After Kakashi uses Zabuza's most powerful jutsu, Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique, against him, Zabuza's life is narrowly saved by his servant Haku. This young man poses as a hunter-nin to "kill" Zabuza and take his unconscious body away, ostensibly to assure that the secrets it held would not be uncovered by rival ninja clans.
Several years prior to his confrontation with Naruto's group, Zabuza had met the young and lonely Haku on the cold streets and taken him under his wing. In exchange, the boy gave a promise of complete loyalty. In a battle that took place on what would later be named the "Great Naruto Bridge", Haku honors his promise by sacrificing his own life to save Zabuza, jumping in between him and Kakashi's Lightning Blade attack. At first, Zabuza appears to think nothing of Haku's act, claiming that he was merely a tool, as are all shinobi. However, as an incredulous and outraged Naruto scolds him for his indifference, he finally admits to having cared for Haku. Shedding tears, he declares that even the most cold-hearted ninja is still human, and thus possesses feelings regardless of how much effort they put into suppressing and concealing them.
After being wounded in both arms, Zabuza is confronted and ridiculed by Gato, who appears along with a mob to finish off both the assassin and those he failed to eliminate. Carrying Naruto's kunai in his mouth, Zabuza literally slices his way through the rank and file and finally kills Gato, but is impaled by six different weapons in the process. The exact cause of Gato's death varies between the anime and manga, with the latter featuring a far more gruesome death. Before dying, Zabuza asks Kakashi to bury him alongside Haku, to which Kakashi complies.
