Namikaze Minato

Namikaze Minato (波風ミナト) was the the Fourth Hokage (四代目火影) of Konohagakure. He was famous in life for his speed, giving him the nickname

Konoha's Yellow Flash (木ノ葉の黄色い閃光). He died during the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha, by sacrificing his life to seal Kurama into his infant son, Uzumaki Naruto.

Background

Minato falling in love with Kushina after he rescue her from being kidnapped by Kumo shinobi.

Minato entered Konoha's Ninja Academy with the dream of earning the villagers' respect and recognition by becoming Hokage. When Uzumaki Kushina moved to Konoha, she was placed in the same class as Minato. Minato was immediately drawn to her bright red hair, finding it beautiful. Minato was a natural prodigy as a ninja, the likes of which appears only once in a generation. When he was added to a genin team under the leadership of Jiraiya, Jiraiya took a special interest in Minato and took him on as his apprentice, teaching him many of his own signature abilities. In time, Minato's exceptional skills led Jiraiya to believe he might be the Child of the Prophecy, someone who would someday save the world.

Years later, after they graduated and became ninja, Kushina was kidnapped by Kumogakure forces. Konoha mobilized its ninja to retrieve her, but only Minato noticed the strands of red hair Kushina left behind to mark their path. Minato, acting alone, rescued her from her captors. On their way back to Konoha, Minato confessed his admiration for her hair, causing Kushina – who had previously believed Minato to be "unreliable" and "girly" – to fall in love with him.

Minato and Kushina were a couple from the time that he rescued her, and with his love, Kushina was able to keep Kurama sealed within her at bay. They eventually married. From observing a Tailed Beast Ball, Minato began a three year process of creating the Rasengan, the height of shape transformation. He would spend the rest of his life trying to combine it with his own nature.

After proving himself an accomplished and responsible ninja, Minato was placed in charge of his own team, consisting of Nohara Rin, Uchiha Obito, and Hatake Kakashi. In the anime, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Minato the special task of helping Kakashi overcome the bitterness caused by his father's death and remind him of the human element of being a ninja. Minato gave his team a bell test upon its formation in order to teach them the value of teamwork. Although they passed the test, Kakashi would remain a staunch advocate of prioritizing the mission over the team, causing conflict with Obito. Minato did his best to keep the two on good terms.

When Konoha became involved in the Third Shinobi War, Minato's obligations became split between training his students and helping with the war effort. During a mission into Kusagakure to destroy the Kannabi Bridge, Minato transferred leadership of the mission to Kakashi – who had recently become a jonin – while he headed to the front lines. He met up with the surviving and out-numbered Konoha ninja and single-handedly wiped out the opposing Iwagakure forces. In the anime, his victory in this battle against a thousand ninja convinced the Third Tsuchikage to accept a peace treaty. When he rendezvoused with his team afterwards he found Kakashi and Rin surrounded by Iwa-nin, with Obito having already been lost. He rescued them, helped them complete their original mission once they recovered, and returned to Konoha with them to mourn Obito's assumed death. Minato's competing obligations would later repeat the tragedy of Obito's death: while he was away on another mission, Rin was kidnapped by Kirigakure and died after Kakashi had rescued her.

Minato encountered A of Kumogakure a number of times during the war. During their first meeting, Minato and A compared their speed, with Minato proving the faster. He received orders to retreat before their competition could resolve, but he lingered to compliment A and his brother, Killer B, a jinchuriki like Kushina; he encouraged A to take care of B and remember he was a person. A pursued Minato, so Minato moved against B, threatening to kill him if A didn't let him and his team go. Minato was confident he and A would someday meet as Kage.

Minato as the Fourth Hokage.

For his performance during the War, Minato was chosen over Orochimaru to become Fourth Hokage. He taught the Flying Thunder God Technique to the Hokage Guard Platoon to better aid them in their duties of serving the Hokage at any given time. In the anime, he also tried to help Kakashi, now an Anbu, emerge from the darkness he'd fallen into after Obito and Rin's deaths. During the gradual transfer of responsibilities from the Third Hokage to him, the Third advised Minato to restore Kakashi's value of life by tasking him with protecting Kushina during her pregnancy.

As a female jinchuriki, the strain of childbirth would weaken the seal keeping Kurama sealed into Kushina. For that reason special precautions had to be taken: the child would secretly be delivered in a remote location outside of the village, with barriers around the area and several Anbu guards as extra protection. Minato was not greatly worried about the birth, and in fact gave Kakashi the day off in gratitude for his good work. He and Kushina had already decided on a name for their son, "Naruto", after the main character of Jiraiya's first book, hoping that their Naruto would be just as determined as the character (and thus its author). Jiraiya tried to convince them to make a different choice since that would make him Naruto's godfather, but they insisted that this was a good thing.

Minato and Kushina's son, Uzumaki Naruto, was born on the night of October 10. Only moments after the birth Minato began making preparations to restore Kurama's weakened seal, but he was interrupted by the arrival of Obito. While unknown to Minato that Obito had survived the battle at Kannabi Bridge, and began using a mask to hide his identity. No longer caring about their past relationship due to his newly acquired nihilism over Rin's death, Obito was no longer the boy Minato trained. Obito killed the Anbu guards, the midwives and took Naruto hostage, threatening to kill him if Minato didn't back away from Kushina. Minato immediately took Naruto back from him, yet discovered explosive tags had been planted on Naruto. Minato was forced to teleport away to keep Naruto from harm, allowing Obito to escape with Kushina. He found a safe place for Naruto and teleported to Kushina just in time to save her from being killed by Kurama, who was extracted from her body by Obito. He reunited mother and son together before heading out to protect the village.

Minato defeats Obito.

Minato returned to the village in the early stages of the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha, arriving in time to teleport away a Tailed Beast Ball before it destroyed the Hokage Monument. He attempted to reach the Third Hokage so that he could inform him of what happened, but was interrupted by Obito, who tried to warp him away. Minato reacted in time to escape, but Obito pursued him. Because Obito was controlling Kurama's actions, defeating him was of prime importance in order to save Konoha. Minato initially struggled to successfully strike him but, after several failed attacks, he finally hit him with a Rasengan and branded him with a Flying Thunder God seal, allowing him to teleport to Obito whenever he wanted. He then used a Contract Seal on Obito to release Kurama from his control, forcing him to flee. Ultimately Minato never learned the truth about Obito's identity during the attack within his lifetime.

No longer being controlled, Kurama began retreating from the village, though it continued to attack the Konoha ninja that pursued it. As it prepared another Tailed Beast Ball, Minato once again arrived in time to stop it, this time by dropping Gamabunta on top of it. He had Gamabunta keep it restrained while he gathered the chakra needed to transport Kurama to Naruto and Kushina's location, the farthest from the village he could get. Kushina restrained it and erected a barrier so that it couldn't escape while they decided what to do. Already dying from Kurama's removal, Kushina offered to have it sealed back into her so it would die with her. Minato rejected this, believing Kurama's power would be needed in the future if and when Obito would struck again. Remembering Jiraiya's words about the "Child of the Prophecy", Minato decided that Naruto was that child and that he would someday save the world. To prepare Naruto for this, Minato would make Naruto Kurama's new jinchuriki so he could make use of its strength.

Minato dead on the ground after he seals Kuram inside Naruto.

Because Kurama's chakra was too immense to seal into an infant, Minato used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to cut its chakra in half, sealing the Yin half in himself and the Yang half in his son. Realizing what they were planning, Kurama tried to kill Naruto, but Minato and Kushina used themselves as shields. Minato summoned Gerotora, he gave him the key to the seal so he would use on Naruto, and sent him to Jiraiya. Meanwhile, Kushina told Naruto how much his parents loved him, which Minato seconded. He sealed Kurama's Yang half into Naruto, weaving Kushina's chakra into the seal so that she could someday assist Naruto with learning to control Kurama. He mingled in some of his own chakra too, programming it to activate if ever the seal was about to break so that he could restore it.

Before he died since the Third Hokage had come to help, Minato used his last moments to request that Konoha think of Naruto as a hero, and not the container of the monster that caused so much death and destruction. With that, his soul was consumed by the Shinigami. He died shortly afterwards, and was then given a funeral to honor his sacrifice to the village and the next generation. Ultimately, Minato's reign as the Hokage was rather short, as Tsunade noted that he "died too early".

Personality

Despite his physical resemblance to Naruto, Minato was more perceptive and collected than his son; Jiraiya said that Minato was a shrewd person, not one to do something without a reason. He was well aware of the terror his reputation inspired in rival villages and would take advantage of it at times, but even then he would remain respectful to opponents and wouldn't pry in their personal affairs if he could help it. He was not the type to hold grudges, only feeling sorry for Obito despite the latter's role in his and Kushina's deaths. If anything, Minato blames himself for his death, both because he couldn't save Obito from the fate that corrupted him or Konoha from the difficulties that arose after he was gone.

Naruto is not without any of his father's personality traits: both have indomitable spirits and fierce ambitions that drive them through all their choices in life. Both are of unwavering loyalty to Konoha and their loved ones – friends and family – and that devotion inspires all those around them. Like Naruto, Minato had the tendency to create questionable techniques, although in Minato's case it was complicated names he came up with rather than the actual technique. This was seen when he named the "Scorch Release: Halo Gale Jet Black Arrow Style Zero", though afterwards he admitted it didn't sound very good.

After becoming Hokage, Minato started to take more pride in himself, referring to himself as "ore", which is a prideful way of saying "I" or "me", instead of using "watashi", a more formal way of referring to one's self. Still, this did not make him haughty as he still addressed others with the appropriate honorifics.

Appearance

Minato as a child.

Minato was a fairly tall, fair-skinned man who on more than one occasion has been compared with Naruto in terms of physical appearance; both have bright, blue eyes and spiky, blond hair. Minato also had jaw-length bangs framing either side of his face. According to Jiraiya, Minato was considered to be very handsome.

His normal attire consisted of a standard Konoha-nin uniform with two bands each on both of his sleeves, a leaf green flak jacket, blue forehead protector, and blue sandals. After becoming Hokage, he started wearing a short-sleeved long white haori over his normal attire, decorated by orange flames-like motifs on the edges, with the kanji for "Fourth Hokage" (四代目火影, Yondaime Hokage) written vertically down the back, and closed on the front by a thin, orange rope.

During his time in the Ninja Academy, he wore a simple white suit of clothing with green trimmings and a hood. After becoming a full-fledged shinobi, he wore a tracksuit with three stripes on the sleeves, mesh under-armour, a pair of black pants and sandals.

Abilities

Minato was one of the most powerful shinobi who ever lived, noted by Jiraiya to have a calibre that has yet to be met by anyone else. During the Third Shinobi War, flee-on-sight orders were given to enemy shinobi should they ever see him. He could also fight both A and Killer B together on multiple occasions, and was still praised highly by the duo years later. During the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha, it was only through Minato's actions that Obito was defeated, the attack ended and the village saved from complete destruction. When the Invasion of Konoha loomed years later, Minato was believed to be the only one who could have stopped the threat of Orochimaru, and for that his death was deeply regretted.

Chakra

Minato was hailed as the fastest shinobi in history. While this recognition was due in large part to his space–time ninjutsu, Minato's natural speed immense: with only the Body Flicker Technique he could engage an enemy or retrieve an ally before anyone realised what he was doing, often being mistaken for his Flying Thunder God Technique in sheer speed. In the anime, he could arrive at a destination before sensors could detect his approach. His reflexes were also practically instantaneous, able to react in time to avoid such techniques as the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Kamui.

Minato had large chakra reserves, enough to summon Gamabunta and teleport Kurama. His chakra control was very refined, evidenced by his creation of the Rasengan. Although he was able to weave hand seals with only one hand, Minato's fighting style revolved around speed and quickly taking down an enemy, so he often excluded traditional time-consuming methods such as hand seals.

Ninjutsu

Minato was taught by Jiraiya how to summon toads, and was one of the few people to earn the respect and cooperation of Gamabunta. He demonstrated skill and knowledge with barrier ninjutsu, and could use the Kage Bunshin No Technique. Minato also had sensory abilities, able to sense chakra signatures from great distances. For closer targets, he could detect everyone within an area by simply placing his finger on the ground. Minato was also proficient in the nature transformations of Fire, Wind, Lightning, along with Yin and Yang Release.

Rasenagan

After observing the nature of the Tailed Beast Ball, Minato spent three years developing one of his signature techniques: the Rasengan, the highest level of shape transformation. It requires no hand seals to create and, once formed, is self-sustaining, giving him an edge in combat. Although it requires very precise chakra control to use, Minato, as the Rasengan's creator, has mastered it; he can form it with either of his hands in almost no time. His regular Rasengan was the same size as Naruto's Big Ball Rasengan.

Minato had intended to combine the Rasengan with his own chakra nature, but the task was too difficult to complete before his untimely death.

Flying Thunder God Technique

Minato's signature ability was the Flying Thunder God Technique, which he'd gained a superior mastery than its creator, the Second Hokage. His exploits with this technique gained him the nickname "Konoha's Yellow Flash". Using the technique, he could instantly move to the location of anything marked with his special seal, whether a tool, place, or person that was branded. Minato could could bring others with him, though he needed to provide the chakra for their transport. He did not need to accompany who or whatever he was teleporting, giving him a defensive option to teleport incoming projectiles away.

Shurikenjutsu

Minato had his own special brand of kunai for combat; triple-prong kunai enhanced for better offensive potential. As standard weapons, Minato would throw them at opponents or wield them as melee tools and could even wield a kunai in his mouth. Their main use came from the Flying Thunder God seals they were marked with, allowing him to teleport to wherever one of the kunai was thrown. He carried a large number of kunai in the field that he would scatter across a wide area so that he could move around quickly and with more options. Although his normal tactics with kunai did not require precision, Minato nevertheless had excellent aim and could coordinate his throws' timing and placement to allow him to perform complex maneuvers.

Fuinjutsu

Minato learned several of the Uzumaki clan's fuinjutsu from Kushina. The most memorable one was the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style that he used to seal Kurama's Yang-half into Naruto, which would allow small amounts of Kurama's chakra to leak out and naturally mix with Naruto's own. Knowing the seal would slowly weaken over time to give Naruto increasing access to its chakra, Minato created a key that could either accelerate or reverse this process. As an extra precaution, he mixed Kushina's and his own chakra into the seal so that, when certain conditions were met, they could help Naruto with his control of Kurama's power, as well to let them see their son after they were dead.

Other fuinjutsu he could perform included the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, which he had enough familiarity with to know it couldn't be used to seal all of Kurama's chakra. With the Contract Seal he could remove an opponent's control over any creatures they summoned. He also knew how to transfer a tailed beast from one jinchuriki to another.

Jinchuriki Transformations

Minato became the jinchuriki of Yin Kurama shortly before his death, though he had no chance to make use of it until after he was reincarnated. Unlike most tailed beasts, Yin Kurama offered no resistance to cooperating with Minato, granting him immediate access to Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, which Naruto and his Yang-half were impressed by. Minato's form was slightly darker with different markings than Naruto's but otherwise identical in appearance and abilities; he can use chakra arms, enter Tailed Beast Mode, create Tailed Beast Balls, and perform stronger versions of his usual techniques.

Minato later transferred his half of Kurama to Naruto, thus losing access to its power.

Senjutsu

Like Jiraiya, Minato was taught to use senjutsu of Mount Myoboku, enabling him to enhance his physical parameters and techniques by entering Sage Mode. By his own admission, senjutsu is not his strong point, as it takes him too long to gather natural energy (though he is shown entering it without preparation) and he can't maintain it for very long; for this reason he rarely uses it. Nevertheless, he was able to perfectly balance the natural energy with his chakra, only displaying the pigmentation around his eyes — the true marking of a Sage.

Intelligence

Minato beating up all the Kumo Shinobi that kidnapped Kushina.

Minato was very observant. Even at a young age, only he, out of all the ninja sent to rescue Kushina, noticed the trail she left behind to mark her kidnappers' path. In combat, he could correctly deduce the basic mechanics behind an ability after seeing it only once, and from there plan around its strengths and weaknesses to his or his allies' advantage. With his observational skills he could determine an opponent's plans and motivations based on only limited evidence. After he had finished analysing, Minato would strike quickly and with precision, attacking vulnerabilities at the most opportune moments.

As Hokage, Minato prepared for threats facing Konoha by placing a network of marked locations around the village's outskirts for him to teleport to, including at least two safe houses.

Naruto Shippuuden (Part ll)

Invasion of Pain Arc

During his fight with Pain, Naruto is nearly tempted by the Nine-Tails to remove its seal. This activates the safeguard Minato placed on the seal, causing his imprint to appear within Naruto's subconscious and stop him. Minato says that he isn't happy to see the Nine-Tails again, but that at the same time admits that its actions have allowed him to see his son. Naruto picks up on this and, having never known his parents' identities, is overjoyed to meet his father. The Nine-Tails keeps threatening to kill Minato while they talk, so he and Naruto relocate.

Naruto is angry that his own father would seal the Nine-Tails within him and punches Minato out of frustration. He quickly gets over it, noting that, as the son of the Fourth Hokage, he can handle it. Minato's time with Naruto is limited so he does a quick run down of the things he has already observed through Naruto: that Pain has destroyed Konoha and killed Jiraiya. Despite what he's done, Minato suggests that Pain is only a symptom of the shinobi system and that he's being taken advantage of by Tobi. Naruto is overwhelmed, unsure if he can forgive Pain or do anything to stop the the cycle of hatred that produced him, but Minato responds that he has faith in Naruto. He restores the Nine-Tails' seal before disappearing.

Chikara Arc

In the anime, Minato restored Naruto's seal once more when the latter almost lost control after his clone absorbed his Nine Tails chakra. Once again, Minato voiced his confidence in his son, and his ability to overcome this adversity.

Fourth Shinobi War Arc

At the request of Uchiha Sasuke, Orochimaru releases the souls of the first four Hokage from the stomach of the Shinigami so that he can reincarnate them. After taking in their surroundings, the First and Second Hokage are excited to meet Minato, the Fourth, and take him as a sign of the village's prosperity. Minato says he does not know since he died before the Third Hokage did. While Sasuke talks to the First Hokage, Minato detects Naruto's chakra and is glad to sense he has gained full control of the Nine-Tails.

From listening to the four Hokage, Sasuke decides to side against Tobi and Madara Uchiha in the ongoing Fourth Shinobi War. The Hokage are allowed to help as well, and they set out for the site of the Allied Shinobi Forces' battle with the Ten-Tails. Minato, eager to see Naruto, arrives first, just in time to warp away the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball, saving Naruto and the Allies. He introduces himself to Haruno Sakura and asks if she is Naruto's girlfriend. Sakura becomes angry when Naruto doesn't deny it, reminding Minato a little bit of Kushina. When the other Hokage arrive they jointly erect a barrier to confine the Ten-Tails.

Sometime later, Tobi appears above the Ten-Tails and begins reviving Madara, which the Alliance focuses its efforts on preventing. Minato cannot leave his position or the barrier will fall, so he sends a shadow clone to help. Because Tobi is still branded with the Flying Thunder God seal from their last encounter, the shadow clone is able to teleport to him and strike him down. It is only after he attacks that he realizes Tobi is his old student, Uchiha Obito. The attack ends up coming too late and Obito seals the Ten-Tails into himself, becoming its jinchuriki. After Obito destroys the barrier, the First and Second engage him to determine his new abilities, leaving Minato to get everyone else to a safe distance.

Minato joins the offensive against Obito. He can no longer teleport directly to Obito because the Flying Thunder God seal has disappeared from his body, so he must engage him directly. Just before they clash Obito, having until now struggled to control the Ten-Tails' power, finally masters it and strikes at Minato. He severs Minato's right arm and plants a Truth-Seeking Ball on him, which the Second Hokage removes before it detonates. Minato, the Second, Naruto, and Sasuke coordinate their efforts to attack Obito with Flying Thunder God Mutually Instantaneous Revolving Technique, but Obito emerges without damage. What's more, Minato's arm has not regenerated, indicating that Obito's Truth-Seeking Balls can nullify the advantages of the Impure World Reincarnation.

Obito traps the Alliance in his own barrier and prepares to destroy them all with a barrage of Tailed Beast Balls. With little time to act, Naruto forms a plan: he and Minato link their respective Kurama's chakra – which networks in all of the Allied forces that Naruto has shared its chakra with – and lets Minato teleport all of them out of the barrier. Minato is very impressed by Naruto's quick-thinking and says he wishes he had more of a chance time to talk to him. Naruto explains there's no need as he's already met Kushina and heard everything. Minato is moved to tears with pride.

Having learned that Obito, despite all his new powers, is weak to senjutsu, Minato and Naruto enter Sage Mode to prepare for an assault. They both enter Tailed Beast Mode and attack with a shared Rasengan, breaking Obito's defence and forcing him to manifest the Ten-Tails' tree form. They evade the tree's roots, but Minato's chakra levels are too depleted from all the techniques he has been performing. He is forced to keep his distance and watch as Naruto leads the Allied Shinobi against Obito. When the Alliance starts to strip the tailed beasts from Obito's body, Minato helps Naruto pull out the fragments of Kurama's chakra Obito has taken, and ultimately they succeed.

Obito is unable to move after his defeat and Kakashi moves in to kill him. Minato stops him, having sensed Obito's change of heart while he was removing Kurama's chakra. While Naruto and the Allies leave to confront Madara, Minato and Kakashi stay with Obito. Obito reflects on his actions and decides he has done terrible things, which he wants to make amends for by using the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive those he's killed. While he is forming the hand seals, Black Zetsu emerges from the ground and takes control of his body. Minato and Kakashi are confused, so Obito explains he has been forced to revive Madara instead. Black Zetsu also tries to take Obito's Rinnegan to deliver to Madara. Minato and Kakashi move to stop it, but can't do anything without harming Obito. Before Black Zetsu assumes full control of his body, Obito pleads with Minato and Kakashi to destroy the Rinnegan at any cost.

Right before Minato can attack, Yin-Kurama alerts him to Naruto's loss of Yang-Kurama. He is soon brought to Minato's side, with Sakura performing emergency life support and Gaara explaining that the only chance of saving Naruto's life is if he is given Yin-Kurama. Just as Minato starts the transfer, Black Zetsu intercepts him and takes Yin-Kurama for itself. Madara arrives immediately afterwards, now the Ten-Tails' new jinchuriki and intent on taking Obito's Rinnegan. Minato enters Sage Mode and attacks him alongside Kakashi, but they are easily repelled and Minato loses his other arm. Before Madara can take what he wants, Obito reasserts control of his body and, with some help from Kakashi, escapes with Naruto and Sakura using Kamui.

Maito Gai arrives, ready to give his life to defeat Madara. With his energy and arms gone, Minato can do very little to help directly, but he can at least give Guy an opening. He instructs Rock Lee to throw one of his Flying Thunder God Kunai at Madara's Truth-Seeking Balls, which Minato teleports to in order to catch several and escape with them, allowing Guy to initiate his assault. Minato, meanwhile, teleports to the Hokage Monument where he remains with the inert Truth Seeking Balls. He later witnesses the others' failure when the Infinite Tsukuyomi is cast and Konoha's villagers are entwined by the God: Nativity of a World of Trees. He attempts to cut some people from the tree, but has no success as another branch simply forms and imprisons them again.

Minato returns to the battlefield and reunites with the other Hokage, the only ones unaffected by the Infinite Tsukuyomi. As they try to figure out what they can do to help, the four Hokage are met by the spirit of the Sage of the Six Paths, who recruits their help. Combining efforts with the spirits of the other deceased Kage, they summon Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Sakura, Madara, and the tailed beasts back from Kaguya's dimension. Minato congratulates Naruto on finally ending the war and wishes him a happy seventeenth birthday. Happy with his son's prospects for the future, Minato and the other Kage are returned to the afterlife by the Sage of the Six Paths.

Film Appearances

Naruto Shippuuden movie 4

Twenty years in the past, Minato was assigned a secret mission alongside Shibi Aburame and Choza Akimichi to intervene in the crisis in Roran, where a Sunagakure missing-nin from the future called Mukade is building a Puppet Army using the power of the Ryūmyaku, an ancient chakra flow deep underground the city, and plans to change the future to his favour, conquering the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Minato asks the Third Hokage's permission to bring his student,Kakashi Hatake, and the Hokage agrees.

When they arrive in Rōran, Minato and his Team saved Naruto from Mukade's puppets. Realising that the boy is also from the future, Minato tells Naruto to leave the city until they finish their mission, trying to keep him in the dark so the future won't be changed. However, Naruto ends up saving the Queen of Rōran, Sara and attacks Minato, thinking they are the ones after her life. As a result, Minato decides to tell Naruto the truth about their mission and that Mukade arrived six years before Naruto, changed his name into Anrokuzan and has become the Minister of Rōran. Naruto recognises Minato's face and tells him he looks just like the Fourth Hokage. While Shibi claims that it is impossible, because their Hokage is still the Third, Minato asks Naruto to stop talking about the future. Sāra doesn't believe in them and runs off to prove Anrokuzan's innocence. Minato tells Naruto to protect Sāra while they look for Mukade and gives Naruto one of his Flying Thunder God Kunai.

When Naruto and Sāra try to fight Anrokuzan on the city's underground, Minato and his Team reappear and help Naruto while Sāra saves the men Mukade kidnapped to build his Puppet Army and takes them and their families to the Garden of Ryumyaku, where they'll be safe.

Mukade fuses with his puppets, becoming a giant puppet monster using the Ryūmyaku's power. To stop Mukade from regenerating, Sāra must stop the flow of the Ryūmyaku in the Source of the Ryumyaku while Naruto and Minato fight off Mukade. Naruto attacks Mukade with the Rasengan, shocking Minato, but is unable to defeat Mukade. Out of chakra and exhausted, Naruto is saved by Minato who tells him to attack Mukade's weak point with the Rasengan once Sāra stops the Ryūmyaku's flow. Naruto answers that he's out of chakra but Minato tells him he'll lend him his. Naruto tells him that it is impossible, because the Rasengan is a technique that the Fourth Hokage completed and that only he and Jiraiya can use, to which Minato replies that is why he can do it, having not only realised that he would be the Fourth Hokage but also that Naruto was his child. Since they have similar chakra, their Rasengans resonate and fuse together, creating the Superme Ultimate Rasengan and defeating Mukade.

After Minato seals off the Ryūmyaku completely, Naruto and Yamato begin to glow because the time flow has come back to normal and they must return to their own time. So the future won't be changed, Minato decides to erase everybody's memories. However, Naruto tells Minato that he has to talk to him, but Minato refuses, telling Naruto that they'll meet again. Naruto persists and tells Minato that if they don't talk now, he'll never have the chance. As Minato prepares to send them back to the future, Naruto begins to ask if he could possibly be his father. Minato interrupts him and tells him that if he ever had a son, he wished he would be brought up a ninja just like Naruto, to which Naruto smiles and sheds tears of joy, before being sent back to the future. Minato used a technique to wipe out everyone's memory so it wouldn't affect the future.

Naruto Shippuuden movie 6

In the alternate timeline, Minato and Kushina have a son named Menma who is the parallel version of Naruto. Sometime after Menma was born, the Black Nine-Tails was removed from Kushina and sealed within her child. Also in this timeline, Kushina is alive alongside Minato, continuing to serve Konohagakure alongside her husband as ninja while also able to enjoy being parents, raising their son in a loving and stable lifestyle. Unknown to the couple, Menma later disappears, replaced by Naruto and the Sakura of the normal timeline who arrived in this world. When Kushina and Minato returned to the village after completing a mission, it shocked Naruto by their living presence.

While Naruto decides to continue the act of being Menma to not raise problems, he refuses to get close to the parallel parents, viewing them as nothing but fakes. Kushina however refuses to let her son act so disrespectful, quickly intimidating Naruto into joining dinner. Later, during a mission to retrieve the Red Moon Scroll left by Jiraiya, Kushina without hesitation threw herself in the way to protect Naruto from an attack by the guarding Gamabunta. As Sakura heals Kushina, Naruto still attempts to brush off his parents, causing Minato to say no matter what Naruto does, they will always try to save him as that's what they naturally tend to do as parents. While annoyed at Naruto's reckless actions, she quickly showed how much she truly cared for her son's wellbeing with a tearful hug, finally making Naruto let them into his heart. The following night, Naruto celebrated Kushina's birthday with joy.

Later, a masked man appeared with the desire to obtain the Red Moon Scroll. Showing his tremendous power, the masked man quickly defeated Minato and several other Konoha-nin. When Sakura was kidnapped, Naruto voiced his desire to save her. Minato and Kushina however refused to let Naruto go after Sakura, fearing too much that he would die against the masked man. As Naruto realized the difference between this world and his true parents, that the couple here were more overprotective parents than trusting their child, Naruto made his true identity known before going after Sakura.

Later, Kushina and Minato went to help Naruto, still viewing him as an ally. Ultimately, the masked man was defeated and revealed to be the real Menma corrupted by Black Kurama's malice. As Menma was freed and returned to normal, Minato and Kushina quickly rushed to check on their child. Naruto and Sakura said their goodbyes before they were returned to their own world as the technique that bound them to this world was broken.

Naruto Shippuuden movie 7

There is a genjutsu in a glowing lake of a cave that shuts intruders away in a world of memories. The person's memories will appear on the moon. Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Sai and Shikamaru fell into the genjutsu when they dive into the lake. When the team wakes up from their dream and continues to move to the other surface of the lake, Minato and Kushina can be seen together in one of the moon.

Legacy

Minato dead on the ground after he seals Kurama inside Naruto.

After Minato died, the Third Hokage reported to the villagers Minato's last request that Naruto be regarded as a hero. Very few were able to separate their hatred of the Nine-Tails from Naruto, prompting the Third to forbid anyone from speaking of the Nine-Tails, hoping that the younger generation would not blindly hate Naruto as the rest of the villagers did. He also concealed Naruto's relation to Minato in order to keep him safe from his father's enemies, and otherwise did his best to give Naruto a comfortable life. For years Naruto did not know his parents' identities, and neither did most of Konoha.

Even when he was not aware of his relation to Minato, Naruto still greatly admired the Fourth Hokage, considering him a hero who gave his life for the village and becoming overjoyed whenever their similarities were remarked upon. Before Naruto left Konoha to begin his training with Jiraiya, he looked at the Fourth Hokage's face on the Hokage Monument and asked him to look after him. After learning that Minato was his father, Naruto took pride in it and felt it was his responsibility to makes his parents' sacrifices worth it.

With Minato's death, the Third was forced to resume his position as Hokage, a role he filled until his death, never being able to find a replacement of Minato's calibre. Minato himself became regarded as the village's hero, and indeed one of the greatest ninja Konoha had ever produced, so much so that villagers would regret his death whenever tragedy struck the village. Because Minato was never able to tell anyone what happened during the kyuubi's attack, villagers came to their own conclusions and the Uchiha were suspected of the act, creating ill-will that would culminate in the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Jiraiya recognized that Minato would not have sealed the Nine-Tails into his own son unless he had a good reason and that Minato intended for Naruto to gain control of Kurama, but he could never conclude why.

Posthumously, he and Kushina became the grandparents of Naruto and Hinata's children, Boruto and Himawar.

Video Games

Namikaze Minato is a playable character in the following video games:

• Naruto Shippuuden Geekito Ninja Taisen! Special
• Naruto Shippuuden Ninja Destiny 3
• Naruto Shipuuden Ultimate Ninja 4
• Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja 5
• Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3
• Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja Impact
• Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
• Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
• Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
• Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
• Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution
• Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3

Though not a playable character, Minato appears in the Ultimate Ninja game series as part of Naruto's ultimate technique called "Mysterious Aid Arrives".

Knownable Relatives

• Uzumaki Kushina (Wife/dead)
• Uzumaki Naruto (Son)
• Hyuga Hinata (True Counterpart & Daughter In law)
• Uzumaki Boruto (Grandson)
• Uzumaki Himawari (Granddaughter)
• Jiraiya (Sensei/dead)
• Sarutobi Biwako (Friend/dead)
• Sarutobi Hiruzen (friend and precessor/dead)
• Tsunade (Succesor)
• Hatake Kakashi (Student)
• Nohara Rin (Student/dead)
• Uchiha Obito (Student/dead)

Trivia 

• "Minato" means "harbor" (港) and "Namikaze" means "waves and wind" (波風).
• Minato's silhouette can be faintly seen in the background of the Naruto Shippuden third opening standing behind Naruto and Sora and under the Nine-Tails, in reference to its attack on Konoha that binds all four characters.
• Minato ranked ninth in the sixth character popularity poll and seventh in the seventh poll.
• In the Hidden Leaf Village Grand Sports Festival!, Minato suddenly appears in the hallway of the stadium when Naruto is running to the bathroom. All of these appearances in this special were only for the comical effect.
• In Naruto Shippuuden movie 4, Minato's chakra appears to be a light green cooler, as opposed to the normal blue.
• In the English version, his nickname is the "Yellow Flash of the Leaf".
• Minato and Kushina died the same day Naruto was born, which was October 10.
• During the incident when Kushina was kidnapped, Minato was the only rescuer who noticed that she had been leaving a trail of red hair. Kushina stated that her red hair had brought her to Minato, the person of her destiny and it has became her own "red thread of fate".
• Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets of Minato show that he was 147 cm when he saved Kushina from Kumogakure.

According to the databook(s):

• Minato's hobby was reading, Jiraiya's novels were his favorite.
• Minato wished to fight Jiraiya.
• Minato's favorite food was Kushina's homemade cooking.
• Minato completed 847 official missions in total: 122 D-rank, 147 C-rank, 216 B-rank, 323 A-rank, 39 S-rank.
• Minato's favorite phrase was "The fire's shadow illuminates the village" (火の影は里を照らす).
• Minato ranked ninth in the sixth Naruto character popularity poll and seventh in the seventh poll.
• In Naruto Shippuden Movie 4, Minato's chakra appears to be a light green color, as opposed to the normal blue.
• In the Hidden Leaf Village Grand Sports Festival!, Minato suddenly appears in the hallway of the stadium when Naruto is running to the toilets. All of these appearances in this special were only for the comical effect.
• He shares the same blood type as his wife and son.

Minato shares many simliarities to Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.

• They both were the fourth Kage of their village.
• They both were married to a woman.
• Their wife's blood type was pass down to their child.
• Both entrust the safety of the village to their sons.
• Both were the strongest Kage during their lifetime.

Minato also shares similarities with Bardock from Dragon Balll Z.

• Both resemble their Sons. (For Minato : Naruto, and For Bardock : Son Goku)
• Both fought the most powerful villain. (For Minato : Uchiha Obito, and For Bardock : Frieza)
• Both left the Fate of the universe to their Sons.
• Both have a technique that their son inherits from them. (For Minato : Rasengan, and For Bardock : Super Saiyan)
• Both of their son fought the same enemy that they did. (For Naruto : Uchiha Obito, and For Son Goku : Frieza)

Minato also shares similarities with Yugi Muto from Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters.

• Both of their love interest are their childhood best friends. (For Minato : Kushina, and for Yugi : Tea)
• Both of them have a different Personality in them. (For Minato : It used to be Yin Kurama,and For Yugi : Yami Yugi)
• Both risked their life to protect someone precious to them. (For Minato : Uzumaki Naruto, and For Yugi : Joey Wheeler)
• Both become best friends to someone that loves fighting. (For Minato : Kushina, and For Yugi : Joey Wheeler)
• Both would not use violence if they are involved in a fight.
• Both of them have a Yin-Yang Personality within them. (For Minato : It use to be Yin Kurama, and For Yugi : Yami Yugi)
• Both are seen in ghost form by someone that looks like them. (For Minato : Naruto, and For Yugi : Yami Yugi)
• Both were shy when they met their future love Interest. (For Minato : Kushina, and For Yugi: Tea)
• Both of them have a nickname that they are known for. (For Minato : The Yellow Flash, and For Yugi : Yami No Games)
• Both of their other personality is sealed within someone. (For Minato : his son Naruto, and For Yugi : The Millieum Puzzle).

Minato also shares some similarities with Isshin Kurosaki from Bleach.

• Both are the father to the main character. (For Minato : Naruto, and for Isshin : Ichigo)
• Both were the strongest in their life time.
• Both of their background on how they met their late wife is reveal.
• Both try their hardest in ghost form to see how their Sons are doing without their help.
• Both try to help out their wifes, before their wifes are kill.
• Both of them witness their Sons being Born.
• Both of their Sons wanted to be left off on their own, trying not to be a burnen to anyone.
• Both are seen in ghost form by their Sons for the first time.
• Both of them went through the hardships in life to protect their children.
• Both of them lost their Wife to a demon.

Minato shares a ton of similarities with his daughter in law, Hyuga Hinata.

• Both them fell in love during their childhood.
• Both of their are true prodigys.
• Both of them are quiet, and Shy.
• Both of them enter the Ninja Academy at a young age.
• Both of their confessed their love to their love interest, and would marry them once they reach adulthood. (For Minato : Kushina and For Hinata : Naruto)
• Both of their fell in love with the weakest person in their class. (For Minato : Kushina and For Hinata : Naruto)
• Both of them met their future love interest at a young age.
• Both of them rescue their love interest, and risked their life to protect them.
• Both of them consider their Love Interest their Road Model. (For Minato : Kushina and For Hinata : Naruto)
• Both of them Acknowledge their love interest's dream to become Hokage.
• Both would usually spy on their love interest, without them knowning.
• Both would usually see their love interest being builled by other kids.
• Both wouldn't laugh at their love interest when they show their lack in Ninjutsu.
• Both would try to be admire by their love interest.
• Both try to confess their love to their love interest during their youth.
• Both would try to be Acknowledged for their strength by their love Interest.
• Both would fight along side with their love interest.
• Both help their love interest regain their strength.
• Both helped their love interest to see that they are not alone.
• Both of them fell in love with an Orphan. (For Minato : Kushina, and for Hinata : Naruto)
• Both of them, and their love interest are from a different clan.
• Both of them train hard to see if their love interest can respect them.
• Both of them use a powerful technique to protect their Love interest, from someone that is evil.
• Both of them have a ton of Determination, and guts to protect those that they love.
• Both of them have faith in their love interest.
• Both of they tried hard to hangout with their love interest during their childhood.
• Both of them find out later on that their love interest is the jinchuriki host of Kurama.
• Both of them fill safe around their Love Interest when they battle alongside them.
• Both of them were not assigned to the same team as their love interest when they were at the rank of Genin.
• Both of them changed their love interest's life around after they rescued them during their youth.

Voice Actors

• Japanese : Toshiyuki Morikawa (2009 - Present), Miyu Irino (Child)
• English : Tony Oliver (2013 - Present)

All information on Namikaze Minato is from http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Minato_Namikaze

Gallery

Team Jiraiya

Team Minato

Minato as a child.

Minato telling his classmates that his dream is to become a great Hokage, that is acknowledged by all the villagers.

Minato looking at Kushina being bullied by their classmates.

Minato happily looking at Kushina after seeing her beat up the bullies that picked on her.

Minato's reaction after Kushina yells at him by asking him who is he looking at.

Minato being shy while looking at Kushina.

Minato trying to explain himself to Kushina after she asks him if he thinks of her as an outsider.

Minato beating up all the Kumo Shinobi that kidnapped Kushina.

Minato asking Kushina if she's alright.

Minato catching Kushina as she's falling to the ground.

Minato about to carry Kushina back to Konoha.

Minato telling Kushina that he have always admire her strength, and determination.

Minato telling Kushina that he always thought of her as a Shinobi of Konoha, instead of as an outsider and that he didn't want to lose her.

Minato falling in love with Kushina after he rescue her from being kidnapped by Kumo shinobi.

Minato with Kushina as she becomes Kurama's second Jinchuriki.

Minato and Kushina finding out about the Child of Prophecy from Jiraiya.

Minato with Kakashi and Rin.

Minato describing the bell test to his students.

Minato battling Obito, and Rin.

Minato tells Obito and Rin that they won't be able to defeat by working separately.

Minato battling Kakashi.

Minato surprise that his students learned the true purpose of the Bell Test; Teamwork.

Minato is happy that Kakashi, Obito and Rin have passed the Bell Test.

Minato gives Kakashi one of his own Kunai's as a gift for becoming a Jonin.

Minato with his team.

Minato and his allies are confronted by Ay, and Killer Bee.

Minato VS Ay.

Minato battle Ay.

Minato praises Bee for his skills.

Minato tells Ay that he has a family that he wants to protect, and that they will battle for the title of Kage someday.

Minato about to tell Kushina that he has become the Fourth Hokage.

Minato as the Fourth Hokage.

Minato visits Kakashi at Konoha Hospital.

Minato asks Kakashi to be his right hand man in the ANBU.

Minato is happy that he will be a father.

Minato admits to Hiruzen that Kakashi is feeling guilty about killing Rin.

Minato agrees with Hiruzen to have Kakashi guard Kushina during her ten month Pregnancy.

Minato asks Kakashi to protect Kushina during her ten month pregnancy.

Minato during Kushina's ten month Pregnancy.

Minato and Kushina eating dinner.

Minato with Kushina.

Minato asking Biwako if Kushina is alright while she is having labor pains.

Minato happily crying now that he's a father.

Minato seeing Naruto for the first time.

Minato being told by Biwako to don't touch Naruto.

Minato being told by Biwako that Kushina get's to see Naruto first.

Minato and Kushina thanking each other now that they are parents.

Minato saving Naruto from being kill by Obito.

Minato bringing Naruto to one of his safe houses.

Minato saving Kushina before Kurama kills her.

Minato telling Kushina that Naruto is alright.

Minato angrily glares at Obito before he leaves to take Kushina to Naruto.

Minato telling Kushina that he'll be right back from defending Konoha against Kurama, and Obito.

Minato arrives in Konoha to stop Kurama, and Obito.

Minato vs Obito

Minato defeats Obito.

Minato telling Kushina that he's almost out of Chakra.

Minato tells Kushina that he'll make Naruto kurama's next Jinchuriki, and that this plan will save their son and Konoha.

Minato tells Kushina to have fate in Naruto; because he's their son.

Minato telling Kushina that they are a family of Shinobi, and that protecting Naruto from Kurama is their duty as shinobi.

Minato and Kushina protecting Naruto from Kurama.

Minato telling Kushina to give Naruto any final advice before he seals their chakra, and Kurama inside of him.

Minato telling Naruto to listen to his chatty mother before he seals Kurama inside of him.

Minato lays dead on the ground after he seals Kurama inside Naruto.

A photo of Minato during his funeral.

Minato with Obito and Rin in a vision by Kakashi.

Minato and Kushina in a vision by Jiraiya.

Minato being punched in the stomach by Naruto.

Minato asks Naruto how old is he now.

Minato is surprise that Naruto is 16 years old.

Minato becomes happy, when Naruto tells him that he'll manage since he's his son.

Minato tells Naruto how he sees from his point of view, how pain and hatred are created.

Minato being asked by Naruto. om how to bring peace to the shinobi world.

Minato tells Naruto that he can't answer his question.

Minato tells Naruto that he will find the answer on his own.

Minato tells Naruto that he believes in him.

Minato tells Naruto that he's chakra is fading away, and decides to restore Kurama's seal on Naruto one last time.

Minato smiling at Naruto before he fades into Heaven.

Minato wishes Naruto good luck as he fades into Heaven.

Minato holds an Infant naruto in a vision by Kushina.

Minato and Kushina in a flashback by Itachi.

Minato with his family.

Minato and Kushina with an Infant Naruto.

Minato and Kushina in a vision by Naruto, along with other shinobi that fought to protect what was precious to them.

Minato in a vision by Kurama.

Minato is revived by Orochimaru.

Minato stands with the other Hokages'.