Naruto fans all over the world are excited for the return of the series as Masashi Kishimoto prepares for his return to Shonen Jump for the very first time in around 8 years. While the series isn't officially returning, Naruto is getting a one-shot that will be focusing on the life of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. This came on the back of a global popularity poll that was held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Naruto anime.
The winner of the poll was supposed to receive a one-shot drawn by the author himself. Minato, the Fourth Hokage, is a very popular character and it wasn't a surprise for the fans to see him emerge on top as the victor. With that, fans now turn their attention to this one shot, which will be incredibly intriguing and will explore the life of the legendary Yellow Flash of the Leaf.
Minato's Past In Naruto Gaiden
Immediately after Minato emerged as the winner of the popularity poll, fans' excitement shot through the roof, given that this is a character that was not focused on much in the original story. As great as Naruto was, Minato wasn't focused on as much, apart from a few flashbacks here and there, and, later on, he was given a supplementary role in the 4th Great Ninja War after being brought back with the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu. His actual life as a shinobi, where he set impossibly high standards and earned fame as a legendary ninja whose like emerges once in a generation, wasn't focused on in the story at all, which was a shame.
Fans had hoped for Kishimoto to throw some light on the life of this legendary figure, however, the opportunity never presented itself. Thanks to this one shot, titled Naruto Gaiden: Uzu no Naka no Tsumujikaze, fans have the opportunity to witness the life of the legendary Minato Namikaze firsthand and see what exactly made him so feared in the ninja world and hailed as a generational shinobi by those in Konoha. The Minato Namikaze one shot is going to focus on his life before he became the Fourth Hokage. Previously, fans were wondering if this one shot will feature Minato during his reign as the Fourth Hokage or if it will cover events of his life prior to that.
Now, it has been confirmed beyond all doubt that the one shot is going to focus on Minato before he rose to prominence as the 4th Hokage of Konoha. This also means that the one shot could be set at a time before the Third Great Ninja War. What fans know about it so far is that it will focus on Minato Namikaze and his Jutsu. Minato is especially known for two specific Jutsu, even though he knows a plethora of them. His moniker of the Yellow Flash is down to him being the user of the Flying Raijin, which is a space-time ninjutsu developed by Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage. Minato perfected this Jutsu and made it his very own at some point in his life.
However, this jutsu isn't what defines him. Minato established his legacy through the creation of the Rasengan and it appears that the creation of this jutsu could be central to the plot of this one shot. The title of the one-shot literally translates to the "Whirlwind in the Vortex" and, by the looks of it, it suggests that Minato might be in the process of creating the Rasengan in this one shot. Furthermore, a blurb was recently revealed about this one-shot manga and it implied that the series is going to be focusing on Minato's iconic jutsu. That all but confirms the fact that the manga is going to be focusing on the creation of one of his very own techniques and given the fact that the Rasengan is what he's known for the most, a betting person would say that the story of the Minato one shot is going to be centered around the time when he first created the Rasengan.
Fans also know that Minato actually ended up creating the Rasengan by studying a Tailed Beast Ball. While it is unknown when exactly he came across one of these Tailed Beasts, he studied the way they create their special power and incorporated it into his own arsenal of techniques. Perhaps, fans could see Minato come across a Tailed Beast and in the process of fighting it, develop the basis for the Rasengan.
How Long Will Minato's Story Be?
Ever since the Minato side story was announced, fans have been wondering about how long it is going to be. While some wanted a series that would be a few chapters long, that, unfortunately, is not going to be the case. The Minato manga is going to be a one-shot, which means it will feature only one chapter. The chapter is, however, going to be longer than an average chapter that is published in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. In fact, it was recently confirmed that the Minato one-shot is going to be 55 pages long. This means that the one-shot is essentially going to be three times as long as an average Naruto chapter. In these 55 pages, Kishimoto can actually illustrate a lot about the life of Minato Namikaze.
Sadly, this means that Kishimoto's return to Jump is going to be short-lived. However, that certainly doesn't mean that he won't return ever again. The world of Naruto is huge and there are so many characters that fans absolutely adore. Kishimoto can always write more one-shots about the lives of these characters. In fact, he can even continue the story of Minato in the future if he so wishes. For now, however, he has no such plans, and the Minato one-shot, which is going to be 55 pages long, is all that fans are getting. Regardless, the excitement that the Naruto fandom currently bears has shot through the roof after the announcement of the release date of the manga as it has been a long time since Naruto was published in Shonen Jump.
When Will The Minato One Shot Be Released?
Upon the announcement of the Minato one shot, fans immediately started wondering when it will be released. When the results of the poll were announced, a release date for the one-shot was not provided to the fans. All that was mentioned was that the Minato one-shot would come out at a later point in 2023. Last month, fans finally got a release window for the Minato ll one shot that said the manga will be out in the Summer of 2023.
Finally, earlier this week, an official release date for the Minato one shot was given to the fans. It has now been announced that the Minato one-shot will be released on July 16, 2023, in issue 55 of Shueisha's Weekly Shounen Jump Magazine. Fans are incredibly excited about the return of this manga, which is now only weeks away. The wait for this one shot has been long, however, it will certainly be worth it, given that it is focused on the life of a very beloved character and a legendary figure in the world of Naruto.
It is also very interesting to note that both Naruto and One Piece will be published in Jump together for the first time in around 8 years, which has fans feeling excited as well as nostalgic at the same time. After being starved of Naruto content, the time is here for all Naruto fans to unite and enjoy this beautiful story that is all set to be released next month.