Back
Official cover art of The Second Critter
Cover art © Masashi Kishimoto / Shueisha. Not an original work of Daddy Jim Headquarters. Displayed for editorial commentary and review purposes.

The Second Critter

Manga ChapterCh. 10

An early Land of Waves chapter where Kakashi's ambushers are exposed, the true danger of the mission surfaces, and Naruto vows never to back down.

Volume: 2
Japanese Release Date: December 6, 1999
Text Size

Summary

Just as the Demon Brothers close in to finish Naruto, Sasuke cuts in and stops them cold. The attackers shift their focus to Tazuna, prompting Sakura to plant herself in front of the old man as his shield.

Text Size

Key Events

Before the brothers can strike, Kakashi resurfaces and puts them out of action, revealing that he only feigned his own death to learn who they were truly after. With guarding Tazuna shaping up to be far trickier than the C-rank job implied, Kakashi weighs the option of turning back toward Konohagakure.

Text Size

Notes

Furious at himself for having frozen in the moment, Naruto insists the team see the mission through no matter how tangled it becomes, swearing he will never retreat from a challenge. This is chapter 10, collected in volume 2 as part of the Prologue: Land of Waves arc, released in December 1999, and titled by Viz as "Target #2".

Share this resource

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in "The Second Critter"?

In "The Second Critter", Kakashi reveals he faked his own death to learn who the Demon Brothers were truly targeting, then resurfaces to put them out of action.

Why did Kakashi pretend to die during the fight?

Kakashi feigned his own death in order to learn who the Demon Brothers were truly after.

Who protects Tazuna during the Demon Brothers' attack?

When the attackers shift their focus to Tazuna, Sakura plants herself in front of the old man as his shield.

What does Kakashi consider doing after learning how dangerous the mission is?

With guarding Tazuna proving far trickier than the C-rank job implied, Kakashi weighs the option of turning back toward Konohagakure.

What does Naruto vow at the end of "The Second Critter"?

Furious at himself for having frozen in the moment, Naruto insists the team see the mission through no matter how tangled it becomes, swearing he will never retreat from a challenge.

Sources & Information

Looking for more on The Second Critter? The Naruto Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.

View on Fandom

This content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Naruto anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.

Rights holders

All rights belong to their respective owners.

Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:

  • Movie pages: theatrical posters and key visuals, credited to Studio Pierrot and Toho.
  • Game pages: official box art for the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games, credited to Bandai Namco.
  • Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.

Help Us Keep This Wiki Accurate

Daddy Jim Headquarters maintains this encyclopedia. If you spot an error, a translation issue, or something that doesn't look right, let us know.