Highlights
- Minato's Kurama Chakra Mode is a unique addition to his powers and stands out in the Naruto series.
- Minato became the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki shortly before being sealed inside the Shinigami's stomach.
- Minato gained control of Kurama's chakra due to his constant battle with the beast within the Shinigami, ultimately acquiring Kurama Chakra Mode 2.
Minato’s sudden arrival in the Fourth Great Ninja War was accompanied by several peculiarities, with almost all of them pertaining to his newfound powers that were nowhere to be seen before. From his Sage Mode to one-handed hand signs, Minato pulled all the stops to quell Obito’s offense. Out of all of these new amps, however, Minato’s Kurama Chakra Mode stands out as the most obscure addition to his repertoire.
Attaining tailed-beast chakra mode is a feat that only a handful of Jinchuriki have been able to accomplish, and that too after years of training. Minato, on the other hand, seemed to acquire this mode after mere minutes of being the Jinchuriki of Nine-Tails’ Yin half. While this may seem like a plot hole at first, there’s a seemingly logical explanation to this peculiarity, making Minato’s Kurama Chakra Mode a legitimate aspect of the Naruto series.
Naruto: Could Minato Have Surpassed The Previous Hokage?
While his reign as Hokage was short-lived, Minato was a prodigy whose talent was not allowed to shine to its fullest extent.
Minato As the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki
Many fans weren’t even aware of Minato’s status as the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki, especially since Kurama’s half being sealed inside the Reaper Death Seal was never properly explained before. Moreover, the incessant amount of retcons found in Naruto’s narrative potentially point towards Minato’s place as a Jinchuriki to be another one of Kishimoto’s hot fixes.
Minato became the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki mere minutes before being sealed inside the Shinigami’s stomach, sealing Kurama’s Yin half inside of himself while trapping the Yang half inside Naruto. However, both Minato and the Yin half of Kurama were sealed inside the Reaper Death Seal, meaning his time as a Jinchuriki was rather short-lived and obsolete. Since the two were sealed inside the Shinigami together, releasing the seal kept Minato and Kurama together, keeping his status as a Jinchuriki intact.
It’s worth noting that Minato’s reanimation was much different than that of his counterparts, as he had never reached the Pure Land or Limbo, meaning Kurama was still sealed inside of him. A Jinchuriki’s death results in the release of the beast’s chakra, but in this case, Minato never experienced death since his soul was merely sealed inside the Shinigami’s stomach.
Minato’s Kurama Chakra Mode 1
The Tailed-Beast Chakra Mode has two stages, with the first one being acquired after subduing the beast and forcefully extracting its chakra. This essentially grants the Jinchuriki the power to cloak themselves in the beast’s chakra, even transforming into the beast to some extent. However, this is done against the will of the tailed beast, as these creatures are forcibly restrained within the Jinchuriki’s body after being defeated in a battle of wits.
For Minato to utilize Kurama Chakra Mode almost immediately after returning to the battlefield seems rather illogical at first. Since Minato had been a Jinchuriki for mere minutes, it was impossible for him to instantly subjugate the beast. The only explanation for this peculiarity is the Reaper Death Seal, a jutsu that traps souls inside the Shinigami’s stomach, forcing them to battle each other for all eternity.
Since Minato and the Nine Tails were constantly in battle within the Shinigami, it's likely that Minato was able to subdue the beast and gain control of its chakra, essentially gaining Kurama Chakra Mode 1. However, this still fails to explain how Minato accessed Kurama Chakra Mode 2, since Yin Kurama was still hostile towards Minato.
How Did Minato Gain Kurama Chakra Mode 2?
The notion of Minato and Yin Kurama duking it out for all eternity within the Shinigami’s stomach explains KCM 1, yet it fails to explain how Minato also acquired KCM 2 right away. The half of Kurama sealed inside Minato was initially hostile towards him, and he harbored no sentiments of helping the shinobi alliance in defeating Obito. This was proven by Minato and Kurama’s internal conversation, and through Minato’s limited usage of the Kurama Chakra Mode.
As events unfolded, however, Kurama was forced to side with Minato and Naruto, eventually granting the Fourth Hokage Kurama Chakra Mode 2. This became evident right after Naruto and Minato transformed into their Kurama avatars, showcasing the bond that had formed between the two. Later on, Yin Kurama was transferred to Naruto’s body after Nine-Tails’ Yang half was extracted from his body, cementing the beast’s willingness to aid the shinobi alliance.
The change in Yin Kurama’s stance can be attributed to several reasons, though the primary one revolves around Yang Kurama and Naruto’s relationship. Seeing his other half working with Naruto and viewing the situation from their lens allowed Kurama to give up his petty ideals and side with the humans. Moreover, Kurama was left with no choice but to side with Minato, as the only other option would have been humanity’s cessation at the hands of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. These events forced Yin Kurama to join hands with Minato, granting him the second evolution of the Kurama Chakra Mode.
Naruto is available to stream on Prime Video.
