Minato

Biodata

Appearance

Minato is distinguished by his blond or yellow hair, which is noted during the rescue of Kushina Uzumaki. 37 38

• Blond/yellow-haired. 37 38
• His extreme speed is often described as a flash of gold. 133
• During the Rōran infiltration, he wears cheek guards beside his face, which he uses to help aim his Space-Time Body Flicker Technique. 422
• After developing Flying Thunder God, he carries an unusually shaped, trident-like kunai engraved with a special formula. 439

Background & History

Minato was assigned alongside Akaseki Uchiha and Ranwu under Jiraiya. During their bell test, he coordinated with both teammates, transformed from a thrown kunai at the decisive moment, and stole Jiraiya's bell; Jiraiya subsequently accepted all three as his squad. 17

Jiraiya had personally selected Minato before the final squad assignments. When Hiruzen Sarutobi instructed him to add Akaseki, Jiraiya retained Minato and Ranwu, removing Hiruzen's son from the planned team instead. Minato had graduated from the Academy two years early, although he modestly attributed this to impatience rather than exceptional talent. 3 40

At the team's introduction, Minato stated his ambition to become Hokage. He remained polite and composed despite Akaseki's boasts about the Uchiha Clan. 4

Team 7's first mission under Jiraiya was a C-rank assignment to assist the Flower Capital Office in arresting thieves, requiring a two-day journey to the Flower Capital. 21

He showed early concern for Kushina Uzumaki. After she was abducted by Kumogakure ninja, Minato followed the trail of red hair she had deliberately left behind and joined Akaseki in tracking the kidnappers. He defeated one captor with Wind Style: Gale Palm, helped secure the surviving enemy, and freed Kushina. 36 37 38

Minato also participated in the B-rank pirate-suppression mission to the Land of Waves under Torifu Akimichi and Jiraiya. During the group's visit to the ruined Uzushio Village, he discouraged Akaseki from publicly questioning Jiraiya about the Uzumaki Clan's destruction. He later joined Akaseki and Ranwu in privately asking their teacher about the perpetrators. 40 42

During Team 7's conflict with Kirigakure forces, Minato attempted to ambush Jinin Akebino and a Kaguya jonin alone. He seriously injured one jonin but was forced to flee while being pursued by Akebino. After returning injured, he helped assess the enemy's wounded personnel and divided his own forces by leaving his original body to delay reinforcements while sending a Shadow Clone with Akaseki and Ranwu. 69 71

Team 7 was subsequently assigned another B-rank mission to retrieve sealed resources from the former Land of Whirlpools. Kushina accompanied them, with two Anbu providing protection, so that she could pay respects at the Uzumaki Clan's former home. 82

In the Chūnin Exams, Minato immediately challenged Karatachi Yagura after Shinnosuke Sarutobi's loss. He framed the challenge as taking advantage of Yagura's supposed chakra expenditure, discreetly preserving Shinnosuke's dignity, then defeated Yagura with speed, formula-based summoning tactics, and Wind Release. He became Arena One's final champion and secured a promotion slot. 133 134

After Kushina became the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Minato worried about the restrictions on visiting her. Hiruzen Sarutobi subsequently permitted him and Akaseki to spend more time with Kushina, provided they did not interrupt her training. 193 194

Minato, Akaseki, and Ranwu were later assigned to the rear command division under Hatake Sakumo. Before departing, Minato and Akaseki visited Kushina to say goodbye, since they did not know when their next return to Konoha would be. Their routes subsequently separated near the command division. 249

Minato was promoted to Elite Chūnin during the war. Akaseki recruited him for a surprise raid on Iwagakure's Kannabi Bridge stronghold, persuading Orochimaru to release him from a separate sensory assignment. Minato scouted the enemy, recognized Roshi's chakra signature, and warned Akaseki that his sensory technique could penetrate Akaseki's new underground concealment technique at close range. 319 321 322

During the raid, Minato reached Roshi almost immediately after Akaseki began the assault. His attempted kunai strike was stopped by Roshi's Lava Style Chakra Mode, and he withdrew from the close-range clash. When the stronghold's seal collapsed, Minato detected the resulting space-time disturbance before Han, the Five-Tails' jinchūriki, appeared. After Konoha secured the bridge, he reported the expected arrival of reinforcements led by Dan Katō. 323 324 328

Witnessing Han's violent transfer and the injuries it inflicted deepened Minato's understanding of the importance and dangers of space-time ninjutsu. 325

After Kusagakure's rebellion was suppressed, Minato led Konoha ninja into an underground passage. He recognized that the apparently endless descent was a Genjutsu but could not break it. When the illusion disappeared, he reached Akaseki and the unconscious Ranwu and checked their condition. 339

Following Akaseki's rescue of Manako, an Uzumaki girl who had been exploited in Kusagakure, Minato and Ranwu accompanied her back to Konoha. Akaseki had arranged the escort and established her Uzumaki identity to prevent Danzō from treating her as an enemy-country orphan suitable for Root recruitment. Manako subsequently lived with Kushina. 353

On April 9, Minato accompanied Akaseki, Ranwu, and Hikari to Kushina's home. When Hikari bluntly asked whether Kushina was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Minato initially moved to protect Kushina but stepped aside once she accepted Hikari's goodwill. Kushina later looked toward Minato when Akaseki asked about space-time sealing, wondering whether the inquiry reflected recognition of Minato's potential. 408

Orochimaru later assigned Minato, Ranwu, and Hikari to accompany Akaseki in investigating Rōran's Ryūmyaku. Minato disclosed that Jiraiya had provided him with Tobirama Senju's Flying Thunder God Technique. Jiraiya had obtained its training scroll from Hiruzen rather than personally mastering the technique, leaving Minato to work out its application himself. Orochimaru regarded the mission as an opportunity for Minato to study space-time power and cautioned him about the technique's dangers. 410

In Rōran, Minato noticed Naruto following him and rescued the boy from self-repairing puppets. Naruto introduced himself as a Konoha ninja and an Uzumaki. When they reunited with Akaseki's group, Minato urged Akaseki to examine Naruto more carefully, leading him to recognize the Nine-Tails' chakra. Naruto's appearance and jinchūriki status raised questions about his relationship to Minato and Kushina, although Minato and Naruto did not openly acknowledge that relationship. 416 418 424

Minato cautioned the group that they did not yet understand the Ryūmyaku's rules or the form in which the future existed. He clarified that he was not categorically opposed to changing the future, but had detected abnormalities in the Ryūmyaku's power and wanted to test whether the future visitors could leave its range. 418

On April 27, Konoha Year 41, Minato infiltrated the passages beneath Rōran's Royal Tower with Naruto to rescue Kakashi. After learning from a patrol soldier that Kakashi had been moved to the Regent's Tower, they discovered a sealed underground passage and found Kakashi unconscious beside the Box of Bliss, which was draining his chakra. Minato recognized an Uzumaki seal and warned Naruto to approach the box through a Shadow Clone rather than risk his original body. Their opponent, presenting himself as An Lushan, countered Minato's Space-Time Body Flicker attack with alarming speed. 420 422

Minato remained behind while Naruto and Sasuke brought the injured Kakashi to Akaseki's group. Kakashi subsequently reported that Minato had died and delivered his sealed final message, whose seal had disappeared. The blood-written note named the Box of Bliss, the Ryūmyaku, the Nine-Tails, and “Seal,” enabling Akaseki to infer the enemy's intended use of Naruto's chakra. Kakashi's account also revealed that the apparent An Lushan was connected to a Rinnegan-bearing figure resembling a future Akaseki. 423 424

Minato later reappeared alive, emerging from underground as a yellow flash. He did not know why he was alive and had nearly been buried upon returning. He immediately warned Akaseki that the Ryūmyaku's power was running wild, ending the group's immediate fear that he had been permanently lost. 430

During subsequent training in Rōran, Minato studied the Ryūmyaku and greatly advanced his Flying Thunder God. He became able to leave independently and return through his formulas, whose sensing range and durability surprised Akaseki and Ranwu. On May 16, he departed for Konoha with Akaseki and Ranwu while Hikari remained with Sara in Rōran. Two days into the journey, Minato gave Akaseki a specially marked kunai for a long-distance test and explained the technique's low distance-dependent cost, while acknowledging that transporting other people remained difficult. 438 439

Personality

Minato is considerate toward teammates. He invited his new team to eat together, shared his lunch with Akaseki while the latter was restrained during Jiraiya's test, and was prepared to take greater danger upon himself during Kushina's rescue because Akaseki had followed him into the Forest of Death. 5 16 37

He remains pragmatic under pressure. After escaping Akebino's group, he focused on the team's disadvantages rather than exaggerating his own survival; during the preliminary trial, he helped Team 7 prioritize scoring through coded-signal interception instead of risking further injuries. 69 119

Minato also considers the wider consequences of a battle. His explanation for challenging Karatachi was partly intended to protect Shinnosuke from public humiliation, while his later comments on Amegakure reflect a strategic awareness of how smaller countries can become battlegrounds between larger powers. 133 93

He is protective without assuming that others are helpless. Minato told Kushina that he had trusted her to handle childhood bullies herself, but regarded her abduction by foreign ninja as a threat her comrades had to confront. He also insisted that living and graduating in Konoha made her a fellow Konoha shinobi, not an outsider. 38

Minato distinguishes jinchūriki from the danger posed by the Tailed Beasts sealed within them. After learning of Kushina's new status, he firmly corrected Akaseki's remarks to emphasize that the beast, rather than its host, was frightening. His continued encouragement of Kushina includes expressing confidence in her recovery and comforting her after the Nine-Tails briefly interrupted her speech. 193 206 230

His caution extends to unfamiliar space-time phenomena. Rather than rejecting attempts to change the future outright, he insists on first understanding the Ryūmyaku's abnormalities and testing its restrictions. During Kakashi's rescue, he likewise advises Naruto to use a clone near the Box of Bliss. 418 422

• Enjoys a variety of delicious foods and initially suggested Ichiraku Ramen for the team's first meal together. 4 5
• Responds modestly to praise, including compliments about his early graduation. 40
• Uses tact to ease friction with other ninja, attempting to smooth over Akaseki's mocking behavior toward Kirigakure visitors before the Chūnin Exams. 94
• Has a taste for elaborate technique and creature names; he seriously proposed renaming Tanuki Treasure “Ultra-Red-Eyed Whirlpool Nine-Faced Phantom Tanuki Venerable.” 56
• Understates even exceptional accomplishments, describing his Flying Thunder God's vastly increased formula-sensing range and durability as only “a little” different. 438
• Shows concern for Naruto's feelings about being an orphan, asking whether he resented his parents and listening to his wish to learn about them. 437

Abilities & Skills

High-Speed Taijutsu and Body Flicker

Minato combines exceptional movement speed with close-range taijutsu. Jiraiya judged his taijutsu to be around an average jonin's level despite Minato's youth, while his Body Flicker later unsettled even observing chūnin and jōnin. 14 133

• Used speed and stealth to steal Jiraiya's bell during Team 7's test. 17
• Rapidly defeated a Kumogakure captor before pursuing him with Gale Palm. 37
• Captured a Sunagakure chunin from behind with the Konoha Body Flicker during a coordinated ambush. 217
• His mobile combat style is particularly suited to pursuit and rapidly changing battlefields. 158 176
• Reached Roshi's position almost immediately after Akaseki initiated the Kannabi Bridge assault, though Roshi's superheated armor blocked his kunai. 323

Wind Release

Wind Release is Minato's primary chakra nature. He quickly understood Orochimaru's explanation that Wind Release manipulates the movement of air rather than air itself. 155 156

• Wind Style: Gale Palm — A fast, practical Wind Release whose cutting force increased substantially after Minato's early training. 14 37
• Can perform Gale Palm without hand seals after further improvement. 155
• Used a sustained Gale Palm blast for aerial propulsion to evade Karatachi Yagura's Water Style: Water Pillar. 133
• Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet — Fires successive high-pressure wind bullets. 133
• His close-range Gale Palm could cut Kakuzu's black tentacles, though the severed threads regenerated. 235

Sensory Ninjutsu

Jiraiya identified Minato's talent as a sensory ninja and trained him in perception exercises, including detecting nearby crab holes through the sand. 50

• Thousand Worlds Awareness Technique — Detects chakra signatures and hostile activity across an area. 156
• Detected Rain ninja at a northern supply point. 156
• Used repeatedly while searching for missing allies and identified hidden puppet threats behind his group. 215 216
• His sensory ability is considered strong even among sensory jonin, though specialists such as Ebizo can surpass him. 216
• Detected Akaseki's Mud-Stealth Technique from approximately thirty meters away and could pinpoint Akaseki within twenty meters, despite the technique's interference with other sensory methods and dōjutsu. 322
• Recognized Roshi by his chakra signature while scouting Kannabi Bridge and sensed a space-time disturbance when the stronghold's seal collapsed. 321 324
• His sensory methods complement the Byakugan, although Orochimaru's sensing overlaps with their function and surpasses them. 319
• Detected abnormalities in the Ryūmyaku's power and later warned that it had begun running wild. 418 430
• His sensitivity to Flying Thunder God formulas exceeds his ordinary chakra-sensing range by approximately tenfold, despite his ordinary sensory range still being inferior to Tobirama's. 438

Shadow Clone Technique

Minato uses Shadow Clones for reconnaissance, combat support, and force distribution. 71 104

• Shared chakra with a depleted clone, then synchronized its memories directly. 71
• Created a Shadow Clone while restraining an enemy and holding a kunai, demonstrating mastery of irregular hand-seal execution. 104
• Sent a clone with Akaseki and Ranwu while his original body remained behind to delay possible reinforcements. 71

Variant Summoning Techniques

Minato has extraordinary talent for unusual Summoning Techniques and their space-time applications, discovered after training connected to Mount Myōboku. 133

• Used a frog doll as a decoy against Karatachi Yagura. 133
• Summoned a frog hand through a formula onto his elbow, allowing it to strike Karatachi from an unexpected direction. 133
• Placed a summoning formula on the ground while bracing himself after a missed attack, then used Vacuum Bullet to drive Yagura toward a partially summoned giant frog hand. 133
• Uses marked formulas as part of his tactical preparations, though Jiraiya considers it too early for him to attempt the Second's more dangerous technique. 133
• Has a direct summoning contract with Mount Myōboku; he summoned Gamaken after receiving notice from Jiraiya. 158
• Was reverse-summoned to Mount Myōboku so he could carry urgent intelligence about the Sky Ninja's attacks back to Konoha. 275
• Gained a deeper appreciation of space-time techniques' risks after witnessing the severe injuries caused by Han's forced transfer to Kannabi Bridge. 325
• Unlike most ninja and ninja beasts, he experiences no apparent side effects from Summoning and Reverse Summoning. 410

Space-Time Body Flicker and Flying Thunder God

Minato possesses exceptional natural compatibility with space-time ninjutsu. His chakra affects space-time readily, and he requires almost no adjustment after relocating. Combined with his developed motor reflexes, this allows him to react immediately after appearing near an opponent rather than suffering the delay that would undermine such a technique in close combat. 410

• Space-Time Body Flicker Technique — Performs short, almost instantaneous relocations with precise, silent landing points. During the Royal Tower infiltration, he aimed at the edge of his field of vision using his cheek guards before each jump. 422
• Used Space-Time Body Flicker to attack the apparent An Lushan, but the opponent reacted quickly enough to strike him and counter with stone spikes. His space-time movement does not make him immune to opponents with sufficiently strong reactions. 422
• Flying Thunder God Technique — Tobirama Senju's formula-anchored relocation technique. Jiraiya supplied its training scroll, but did not know the technique himself; Minato had to develop his own understanding. 410
• Before his Rōran training breakthrough, Minato had grasped only Flying Thunder God's basics and could not use it in actual combat. 438
• Studying the Ryūmyaku enabled him to develop Flying Thunder God sufficiently to leave Rōran independently and return through his formulas. 438
• Estimated his formula-sensing range at roughly ten times his maximum ordinary sensory range, while acknowledging that he had not tested its exact limits. 438
• Could detect no natural deterioration in his formulas. Their full lifespan remained untested rather than conclusively established as infinite. 438
• His formula sensitivity already surpassed Tobirama's by dozens of times, even though Tobirama's ordinary sensory range had been much greater. Ranwu regarded this as a fundamental difference in space-time aptitude rather than merely stronger sensory ninjutsu. 438
• Spatial distance adds almost no extra chakra cost to his Flying Thunder God; expenditure is largely the cost of activating the technique once. 439
• Uses a specially marked, trident-like kunai as an anchor that can be entrusted to another person. 439
• Transporting other people remained difficult at this stage. Even carrying servings of Quicksand Honey Rings noticeably increased the technique's cost. 439
• Akaseki recognized the potential for rapid long-distance travel and Hokage message delivery, although these were proposed applications rather than an established official assignment. 438

Sealing Techniques and Genjutsu Recognition

• Hiruzen Sarutobi described Minato as gifted in sealing techniques and approved his visits to Kushina while Akaseki learned Uzumaki sealing fundamentals from her. 194
• Recognized that an apparently endless passage beneath Kusagakure was a Genjutsu, although he could not dispel it. 339
• Recognized an Uzumaki-tradition seal beneath the Regent's Tower and understood the danger posed by approaching the Box of Bliss directly. 422
• Prepared a sealed final message delivered by Kakashi after his reported death. Its vanished seal indicated that the final instructions had been triggered, while its blood-written clues guided Akaseki's assessment of the enemy's plan. 424

Power Progression

Relationships

• Akaseki Uchiha — Team 7 teammate. Minato shares food with him, joins him in Kushina's rescue, and repeatedly coordinates close-range assaults and battlefield analysis with him. 16 37 235 He warned Akaseki about the detectable limits of Mud-Stealth and joined his Kannabi Bridge raid. 319 322 Akaseki regards Minato and Ranwu as the people outside the Uchiha Clan whom he can trust completely. During the search for missing comrades, Minato supported Akaseki's leadership and assured Kunugi Mokume that he would warn him if danger arose. 124 215 Minato's reported death deeply shook Akaseki, who used his final message to assess the Rōran crisis and only fully relaxed after seeing him return alive. Akaseki was later astonished by his Flying Thunder God's range and considered its value for travel and communication. 424 430 438
• Ranwu — Team 7 teammate. Their abilities complement one another in reconnaissance and limited-visibility combat, and they operate under Minato's split-force plans during the Kirigakure operation. 71 176 Minato checked on her condition after finding her unconscious beneath Kusagakure. 339 Ranwu praised his talent, care for teammates, friendliness toward village comrades, and composure against enemies when Hiruzen considered changing Team 7's membership. 91 She struggled to accept his reported death in Rōran. Her knowledge of Tobirama's Flying Thunder God later helped establish how fundamentally Minato's version differed from her grandfather's. 424 438
• Jiraiya — Jonin instructor. Jiraiya recognized Minato's speed, taijutsu, sensory talent, and potential for advanced summoning techniques. 14 17 50 133 He personally chose Minato for his first genin team and retained him when its planned membership changed. 3 He later obtained Flying Thunder God's training scroll from Hiruzen and gave it to Minato, though he could not personally teach its execution because he did not know the technique. 410
• Kushina Uzumaki — Close comrade whom Minato risked his life to rescue from Kumogakure. He continues to encourage her while she struggles to control the Nine-Tails. 36 38 230 He worried about her isolation after she became a jinchūriki and visited her with Akaseki when permitted. 193 194 206 His affection is also reflected in his gesture toward her after winning his arena match and his reassurance when the Nine-Tails briefly disrupted her behavior. 134 230 He continued visiting her whenever his duties allowed and initially reacted protectively when Hikari directly questioned her jinchūriki status. Kushina associated Akaseki's interest in space-time sealing with Minato's potential. 407 408
• Orochimaru — Instructor during wartime operations. Orochimaru was surprised by how quickly Minato understood the principles behind chakra nature transformation. 155 156 He later agreed to release Minato from a sensory assignment so he could join Akaseki's Kannabi Bridge raid. 319 He sent Minato to investigate the Ryūmyaku partly to advance his space-time studies, warned him about Flying Thunder God's dangers, and considered his own guidance of Minato more substantial than Jiraiya's recent instruction. 410
• Shinnosuke Sarutobi and Hiashi Hyuga — Minato arrived in time to save them from Iwagakure ninja during the preliminary trial. 119
• Shimura Danzō — Danzō showed interest in recruiting Minato after the Kushina rescue, but Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected the attempt and reaffirmed that Minato was Jiraiya's student. 37 Danzō later sought to separate Minato, Ranwu, and Kushina from Akaseki as part of his effort to isolate the Uchiha Clan. 91
• Obito Uchiha — Minato agreed to become Obito's teacher after Akaseki discussed arrangements for the child with Obito's mother, Ruyi. 308 When Obito entered the Academy at four years old, Akaseki again cited Minato's teaching promise as an important part of the child's future support, alongside Orochimaru's guardianship and the Uchiha Clan's inheritance. 384
• Manako Uzumaki — Minato and Ranwu escorted her from the Land of Grass to Konoha after Akaseki rescued her. She subsequently settled with Kushina. 353
• Karatachi Yagura — Chūnin Exams opponent whom Minato defeated. Yagura had already regarded him as his principal rival following Akebino's warning. During a later joint mission, Yagura expressed disappointment that Minato was absent from Konoha's lineup; by then, Yagura had gained initial control of his Tailed Beast's power. 133 134 390
• Naruto Uzumaki — A future Konoha ninja whom Minato rescued from Rōran's puppets and selected to accompany him in rescuing Kakashi. Minato protected him from the Box of Bliss and remained behind while the others escaped. Naruto's blond hair, Uzumaki surname, and Nine-Tails chakra led Akaseki to infer a parental connection to Minato and Kushina, but Minato and Naruto did not openly acknowledge their relationship during these events. 416 418 420 422 423 424 Minato later discussed Naruto's feelings about his unknown parents and learned that everyone in the future Team 7 was an orphan. 437
• Kakashi Hatake — Minato infiltrated Rōran's towers to rescue the future ninja from captivity and chakra extraction by the Box of Bliss. Kakashi delivered Minato's final message after reporting his death. 422 424 Seeing Kakashi carry White Fang made Minato fear that Hatake Sakumo might have died while Kakashi was still a child; Naruto's description of the future Team 7 as entirely orphaned strengthened that concern. 437
• Hikari — Fellow participant in the Rōran mission and space-time training. Minato initially guarded Kushina against Hikari's blunt questioning, but accepted Kushina's willingness to speak with her. Both later studied the Ryūmyaku, though Hikari remained in Rōran while Minato returned toward Konoha. 408 410 438
• Tobirama Senju — Creator of Flying Thunder God and the predecessor whose technique Minato develops. Ranwu's comparison indicates that Minato's exceptional formula sensitivity and durability transform its practical possibilities beyond Tobirama's primarily battlefield-oriented use. 410 438 439

Major Arcs

• Kushina Kidnapping — Tracks Kushina's chakra-bearing hair, fights Kumogakure captors, and helps bring her safely back to Konoha. 36 37 38
• Land of Whirlpools / Kirigakure Conflict — Conducts reconnaissance through Shadow Clones, survives an encounter with Jinin Akebino and a Kaguya jonin, and helps Team 7 plan a counterattack. 57 69 71
• Chūnin Exams — Defeats Karatachi Yagura in Arena One through speed, Wind Release, and summoning-based misdirection. 133 134
• Rain Country Operations — Detects Rain ninja with Thousand Worlds Awareness and uses high-speed combat effectively amid poison mist and low visibility. 156 176
• Jashin Cult Mission — Attempts a surprise attack on Kakuzu, then works with Akaseki against Kakuzu's regenerative, multi-core body. 235 236
• Sky Ninja Crisis — Returns urgent intelligence to Konoha through reverse summoning after the Land of Sky's assault changes the course of the war. 275
• Kannabi Bridge Raid — Joins Akaseki's surprise-attack team as an Elite Chūnin, scouts Roshi, warns Akaseki about a weakness in Mud-Stealth, and helps respond to the battle as Konoha captures the stronghold. 319 321 322 323 324 328 Han's injurious space-time transfer also provides a practical lesson in the risks of such techniques. 325
• Kusagakure Rebellion — Leads Konoha ninja into an underground passage after the rebellion is suppressed, identifies an endless passage as Genjutsu, and checks on Akaseki and the unconscious Ranwu when the illusion ends. 339 He and Ranwu subsequently escort the rescued Uzumaki girl Manako to Konoha. 353
• Rōran / Ryūmyaku Investigation — Joins the investigation partly to develop his space-time ninjutsu, rescues Naruto, and urges caution about the rules governing the future visitors. 410 416 418 Infiltrates the Royal and Regent's Towers with Naruto, discovers Kakashi beside the Box of Bliss, and remains behind against the apparent An Lushan so the others can escape. 420 422 423 His reported death and final message guide Akaseki's response, but he subsequently returns alive and warns that the Ryūmyaku is running wild. 424 430
• Flying Thunder God Development — Studies the Ryūmyaku in Rōran and develops unusually long-range, durable Flying Thunder God formulas. Returns toward Konoha with Akaseki and Ranwu on May 16, then explores long-distance use through a specially marked kunai while identifying the remaining difficulty of carrying passengers. 438 439

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