Shonen Jump's Naruto has a seemingly endless supply of fights and showdowns that border on levels of planetary destruction. It's all too often that Naruto finds himself in these impossibly dangerous battles, including some he should have never survived.
Despite Naruto's having one of the tailed beasts, the nine-tailed fox was more often a life-saver than a trump card. While Naruto may seem invincible at times, he has had more than just a few close calls. Here are some moments he truly shouldn’t have walked out of alive.
VS. Zabuza Momochi
While Zabuza is often seen as one of the weaker enemies to face Team 7, he was a true challenge at the time. With his incredible speed and strength, Zabuza seemingly had the match won. Kakashi stood trapped in a water prison while Naruto and Sasuke struggled to land a single hit. Naruto nearly pierced Zabuza's eye with his kunai, but the knife missed taking his life by mere inches. This triggered Zabuza into a murderous rage, leading him to charge with the Fuma Shuriken in hand. He would have easily ripped Naruto to shreds if it were not for Kakashi blocking Zabuza's attack with his fist.
VS. Gaara
Gaara was not the most unstable characters early in the series. His troubled past never helped his sanity, and certainly played against him in this fight. Naruto quickly became the only member of Team 7 able to match Gaara. Sasuke was immobilized and Sakura was trapped against a tree. Naruto struggled to gain the upper hand against another tailed beast's vessel. Until this moment he'd never had his power matched. Naruto gave it his all and miraculously summoned not only the Chief Toad but the nine-tailed fox. If Naruto wasn't able to summon these chakra monsters, it's hard to say he would have survived.
VS. Sasuke Uchiha (Original Series)
Naruto and Sasuke had always fought with each other, but all their previous arguments paled in comparison to their first true fight. Sasuke's Sharingan not only allowed him to see Naruto's attacks clearly, but it was nearly able to predict them. Early on in the fight, Sasuke managed to land some devastating hits. He pierced clean through Naruto's shoulder and drove him headfirst into the ground. The only thing that managed to save Naruto's life was the 9-tailed fox. If the tailed beast hadn't taken control, Naruto surely would have succumbed to a severely broken neck.
VS. Kimimaro
Kimimaro was one of the most dangerous opponents introduced fairly early in the series. His ability to extend and detach individual bones from his body made him a horrifyingly fast opponent with practically no blind spot. All attacks were quickly met with dozens of razor-sharp spears. This is in addition to the incredible speed, coordination, and skill required to use these various weapon styles. In an odd stroke of fate, if it weren't for a highly intoxicated Rock Lee stepping in, Naruto would have suffered his fate on one of Kimimaro's knives.
VS. Kakuzu
In the fight against Kakuzu, Naruto used his Shadow Clones recklessly. While he's always been skilled at evasion with this Jutsu, he became too eager too quickly and didn't think before he attempted to strike. Naruto lunged to finish his opponent but became trapped in the "limbs" of Kakuzu's hair. Unable to fight against the restraints, Naruto would have been stabbed clean through the chest were it not for Kakashi's intervention. By breaking through Kakuzu's tethers, Naruto was spared certain death. This rescue begs the question; how many times would Naruto have suffered an early fate if Kakashi wasn't around?
VS. Orochimaru
Orochimaru's manipulation of Sasuke was introduced fairly early in the original series. It was no secret Sasuke was unhappy with his past and determined to find a way to rectify it. Blinded with rage, Naruto recklessly attacked Orochimaru, nearly killing Sakura in the process. However, Orochimaru remained unshaken and waited for the best opportunity to strike, only moving on the defensive to further Naruto's aggravation.
When Naruto was provoked beyond reason, Orochimaru followed through with a deadly strike, lunging a snake sword straight to Naruto's gut. For a moment, all hope seemed to vanish. However, the power of the nine-tailed fox kept the blade from leaving so much as a scratch.
VS. Pain
Pain was long seen as an untouchable force in the Shippuden series, deadlier than nearly everyone Naruto had faced in his lifetime. With no weakness beyond the original puppet master, fighting the founding member of the Akatsuki was no small feat. Even though Naruto put up a good fight, he was nearly killed multiple times in this encounter. The first near-death experience occurred when Pain drove multiple stakes through Naruto's body. If he wished, he could have easily driven one through Naruto's heart. Hinata sacrificed herself to save Naruto, and this activated the nine-tails. While Naruto fought in a blind rage, Pain used a massive piece of a nearby cliff to crush him before he could attack again. Thanks to the nine-tailed fox, this attack failed miserably and allowed Naruto to continue the fight.
VS. Kaguya
Kaguya's ability to open and close the very curtains of reality and distort it to her whim made her a nearly impossible foe. Naruto was the only member of Team 7 that was able to get close to her with his shadow clones. However, once she was able to see his true location, she attacked by launching her spears directly at Naruto's heart. If he were a second late dodging these weapons, there would have been no way of saving him even with the nine-tailed fox's power.
VS. Madara
The battle against Madara is one of the most legendary fights in the Shippuden series. Never before had all the tailed beasts gathered together to defeat a common enemy. While these chakra monsters would have ended any other battle in seconds, Madara had entered his Sage Mode, making his pain tolerance incredibly high and allowing him to repel every attack. As if a powerful member of the Uchiha Clan wasn't already a difficult fight, Madara called upon his Demonic Statue to chain and trap all the tailed spirits off the battlefield.
Once a Jinchuriki, host of a tailed beast, is separated from its respective spirit, the host dies. Sakura was Naruto's only saving grace, literally reaching into his chest and pumping his heart for him till he could receive the Nine-Tail's chakra again.
VS. Sasuke Uchiha (Shippuden)
Once again, Naruto and Sasuke found themselves in the Final Valley or Valley Of The End. With their former battle still echoing from the walls, it was clear they would do whatever it took to bring the other to their knees. The Nine-Tailed Fox and the Susanoo were brought out seconds into the fight. Their power nearly ripped apart the planet, shaking the crust of the earth and sending windstorms to any unfortunate village nearby. It wasn't long before the two completely ran out of chakra energy, a dangerous place to be. They were forced to resort to hand-to-hand combat. When all was said and done, Naruto and Sasuke lay next to each other, frozen in place so neither would bleed to death. If the two had fought any longer, blood loss or the lack of energy in their bodies would have killed them.