Minato

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Minato Namikaze (水门)
Alias(es)	Fourth Hokage
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Konohagakure
Occupation/Role	Jonin; Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure
Status	Deceased; sacrificed himself during the Nine-Tails attack 7 8
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Minato was a yellow-haired Konoha jonin whom the Third Hokage selected to succeed him as the Fourth Hokage. Before assuming office, Hiruzen entrusted him with the sole surviving infant of the Insoro Clan and ordered him to raise the child. Though caught off guard by the responsibility, Minato brought the infant home and accepted him into his family with Kushina. They named their adopted son Yin Xiang. 2 3

Minato became Konoha's Fourth Hokage shortly afterward. He and Kushina publicly raised Yin Xiang, who became known in the village as the Fourth Hokage's young master. Minato also arranged for Kakashi to protect Kushina during her pregnancy, recognizing the danger surrounding the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki. 4

On the night Naruto was born, a masked man attacked Kushina and extracted the Nine-Tails. Minato rescued Naruto, entrusted Yin Xiang with protecting his younger brother, then fought the attacker and severed his control over the beast. 5 6

With Kushina using her remaining chakra to restrain the Nine-Tails, Minato chose to divide and seal the beast. He used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal on one half and the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style to place the other half, along with Kushina's chakra, within Naruto. He died alongside Kushina after protecting Naruto from the Nine-Tails' final attack. 6 7 8

Appearance

Minato is described as a handsome, yellow-haired jonin. 2

• Wore the Fourth Hokage's official haori during the Nine-Tails attack. 5
• Used specially marked kunai associated with his Flying Thunder God technique. 5 16

Personality

Minato is compassionate and dutiful. Despite his initial surprise at being asked to adopt Yin Xiang while Kushina was pregnant, he accepted the responsibility and treated the child as his son. He supported Kushina in naming and raising Yin Xiang, and asked Kakashi to look after him in the future. 2 3

As Hokage, Minato prioritized Konoha's survival even when it conflicted with his desire to remain with his family. He understood that abandoning the village would also mean abandoning his children, and chose to sacrifice himself to protect both the village and Naruto's future. 5 7

He was also a highly analytical combatant, quickly identifying the masked man's unusual intangibility and developing a countermeasure during their battle. 6

Abilities & Skills

Flying Thunder God Technique

Minato uses a space-time ninjutsu that allows him to teleport to marked locations and kunai.

• Used it to rescue Naruto from an explosive trap and relocate the blast away from his home. 5
• Teleported between the battlefield, his home, and the Nine-Tails' location during the attack. 5 6
• Used the Flying Thunder God: Second Step to strike the masked man from behind. 6
• Left Yin Xiang scrolls containing the Flying Thunder God and Rasengan before returning to battle. 5

Rasengan

Minato wielded the Rasengan in conjunction with his teleportation techniques.

• Combined the Flying Thunder God: Second Step with Rasengan to overpower the masked man. 6
• Passed the technique on to Yin Xiang through a scroll. 5

Sealing Techniques

Minato possessed advanced sealing knowledge and used forbidden sealing techniques to contain the Nine-Tails.

• Applied a Contract Seal to sever the masked man's control over the Nine-Tails. 6
• Used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to take half of the Nine-Tails into himself. 6 7
• Used the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style to seal the remaining half of the Nine-Tails and Kushina's chakra into Naruto. 6 8
• Entrusted Gamatora with the key to Naruto's sealing formula for Jiraiya. 7

Summoning Technique

Minato could summon Gamatora, a toad entrusted with the key to Naruto's seal. 7

Relationships

• Kushina Uzumaki — Wife and mother of Naruto; together they adopted Yin Xiang and died protecting their children and Konoha. 3 6 7
• Yin Xiang — Adopted son; Minato gave him the name Yin Xiang, taught him about ninjutsu, and entrusted him with Naruto's care during the Nine-Tails attack. 3 5
• Naruto Uzumaki — Biological son; Minato sealed half of the Nine-Tails into him, believing Naruto would become the one to confront the masked man's future threat. 5 6 8
• Hiruzen Sarutobi — Third Hokage and predecessor; Hiruzen entrusted Yin Xiang to Minato and chose him as the Fourth Hokage. 2 4
• Kakashi Hatake — Former student or close subordinate; Minato asked him to help care for Yin Xiang and protect Kushina during her pregnancy. 3 4
• Jiraiya — Minato's master; Minato relied on Jiraiya's prophecy concerning Naruto and directed Gamatora to give Jiraiya the sealing key. 6 7
• Masked Man — Enemy responsible for attacking Kushina and controlling the Nine-Tails; Minato defeated him with Flying Thunder God, Rasengan, and the Contract Seal. 5 6

Story Role / Major Arcs

Adoption of Yin Xiang

At Hiruzen's request, Minato adopted the surviving infant of the Insoro Clan. He and Kushina decided to raise him as their son and named him Yin Xiang. 2 3

Succession as Fourth Hokage

Minato succeeded Hiruzen as the Fourth Hokage and became responsible for Konoha's defense. He remained concerned about Yin Xiang's safety and Kushina's vulnerability during pregnancy. 4

Nine-Tails Attack

Minato saved Naruto from the masked man's attempted murder, fought the masked man, and broke his control over the Nine-Tails. He then chose to seal the beast into Naruto, sacrificing his own life while ensuring Kushina's chakra would remain available to their son. 5 6 7 8

Notable Quotes

“This is my duty as the Fourth Hokage.” 5

“To abandon the nation and the village is the same as abandoning one's children.” 7

“Being willing to die for one's children is also a duty a father can fulfill.” 7