Kakashi Hatake
is a former member of Kirigakure's Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, a group of ninja that use particularly large swords in battle. He is one of Naruto's first opponents. Zabuza possesses a sword called . After a failed coup d'état, or overthrow, wherein he tried to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage, Zabuza and his followers fled the village and began working as mercenary assassins. He also takes in a young boy, Haku, as his apprentice, mostly treating him as a tool although he ultimately does care for him. Zabuza is skilled in water-based abilities, but his area of expertise is in assassinations in areas covered by mist. His talents lead to his commission by a criminal named Gato to kill a man named Tazuna, which he is unable to perform due to interference by Tazuna's bodyguard, Kakashi Hatake. Because he takes too long to complete the task, his contract is revoked, and his employer tries to have Zabuza killed. Having been redeemed by Naruto, Zabuza kills him first, though is mortally wounded and dies soon afterwards. He is one of the shinobi resurrected by Kabuto to fight on the Akatsuki side and is defeated, being sealed during a rematch with Kakashi. In the Japanese anime, his voice actor is Unshō Ishizuka, and his English voice actor is Steven Blum.