When Kakashi ordered Team Seven to watch a movie starring Naruto's favorite actress, little did they know it constituted preparation for their next mission: escorting Yukie Fujikaze to the Land of Snow for her next movie. However, Yukie's personality and the presence of rogue shinobi who target her for their nefarious purposes complicate the mission...
Released on 2004, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow was the first animated Naruto movie. The film was directed by Tensai Okamura and written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa. It chronologically takes place after episode 101 of the Naruto anime.
This movie provides examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: Whereas the anime and manga up to this point treated Sakura as a Faux Action Girl whose skills were sorely lacking compared to her teammates, the film portrays her as a competent young ninja on par with her peers. She plays a vital role assisting Sasuke against Mizore and Fubuki, even unveiling a unique form of shurikenjutsu capable of generating a gigantic explosion.
- All for Nothing: Doto's plan to get Koyuki's pendant to use the weapon that her father left behind backfired when he realizes that it's a device that will change the climate of the land and temporarily, bring spring to the region.
- Are We Getting This?: The movie director keeps yelling "Keep filming, keep filming!" every time someone attacks the princess/actress Team 7 is protecting.
- Big Bad: Doto is the main antagonist of the film.
- Blow You Away: Princess Fūn, the character Koyuki plays, uses wind powers.
- This is how Doto is defeated when Naruto hits him with a rainbow Rasengan that sends him flying into one of the device's generators.
- Crippling Overspecialization: Doto and his minions wear specially designed chakra-armor that blocks or deflects most of the team's ninjutsu. However while this protects them from chakra-based attacks, it does little to protect them from actual physical attacks. Kakashi lampshades and exploits this in the finale to take out Doto's dragon.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Koyuki had to watch her home burn and her father die due to her uncle's treason. It left her more than a bit bitter.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Koyuki, quite literally as she's the princess of a snow-covered kingdom.
- Doomed Hometown: Koyuki's hometown was burned down by her uncle.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Koyuki is having a drink at a local bar at the beginning of the film. When Naruto confronts her, she laments how difficult the life of an actress is as Yukie.
- Evil Uncle: Doto, the main villain, is Koyuki's uncle.
- Fantastic Firearms: Doto's Cool Train is equipped with what is best described as a bunch of hand-cranked Gatling Gun-style (or Metal Storm-style) Kunai launchers that completely massacre The Remnant Land of Snow ninja forces loyal to Koyuki's father when they try to charge at him.
- Foreign Re-Score: While most of the Japanese music is retained in all international releases, some additional music by Jeremy Sweet and Michael Whittaker is used, most notably in the scenes where Naruto encounters Koyuki in the local bar and when Kakashi defeats Nadare.
- Hollywood Tactics: The Remnant of the Land of Snow ninja troops still loyal to Koyuki and her family attack Doto by charging straight at his Cool Train through an open field with no cover, attempt at covering fire (through Justus, arrows or thrown weapons) or even dispersing into smaller targets and are all massacred by the train's Gatling Kunai launchers as a result.
- An Ice Person: All the ninja in the Land of Snow use ice powers, and even have appropriate names to go with them.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Koyuki may be a bitch, but she does care for her citizens and, eventually, Naruto.
- Oh, Crap!: Doto at the end of the film when he realizes that his plans to unlock the weapon left behind by his brother turned out to be All for Nothing.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: For the villains, their whole plan revolved around getting Yuki's pendant, which Doto thinks is the key to a powerful weapon that her father left behind. It's not, it's a device that will change the climate of the land and temporarily, bring spring to the region. All Doto's efforts amounted to was finally activating it. Doto reacts to this as well as you might expect.
- Theme Naming: A whole lot of them, especially related to ice powers and snow.
- Nadare Rōga (狼牙雪崩) can be translated as "Wolf's Fang Avalanche", which is also the name of his special technique.
- Fubuki (吹雪) means "blizzard", and is included in the names of all her attacks.
- Mizore (霙) means "sleet".
- Koyuki Kazahana (風花小雪), Yukie's real name, is made of the words "snowflake" and "powdered snow". Fitting, as she's the princess of the Land of Snow.
- Villainous Breakdown: Doto has one after realizing that Koyuki's pendant can actually change the climate of the Land of Snow.
- Weather-Control Machine: Exagerated, Koyuki’s father didn’t build a weapon, he built a machine that can control the very climate of the Land of Snow, melting the snows in an instant upon activation. At the end of the movie, Koyuki mentions that while the country has been renamed the Land of Spring, it will turn back into the Land of Snow in the winter, but that they’ll continue to refine the technology to make the climate change permanent.
