Why Naruto Isn't Namikaze And Why Minato Namikaze Must Die

Minato Namikaze: The Sad Story of a Great Ninja's Death

Minato Namikaze, who was nicknamed the Yellow Flash of Konoha, was the fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village and one of the main characters in Naruto. Despite his short appearance in the anime and manga, Minato made an impact on the series that's still felt to this day, as Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Boruto Uzumaki all carry on elements of his personality traits in their own way (Minato Namikaze). 

So here's a closer look at Minato Namikaze's sad story, as well as what led him to making such an impact on the world of Naruto.

The Fourth Shinobi World War Begins

The Fourth Shinobi World War began on the same day that Minato Namikaze died, at a time when he was considered one of the most celebrated shinobi in the world. 

It started with Naruto Uzumaki's birthday party. His classmates invited him to get revenge on Sasuke Uchiha for running off with Akatsuki. With so many people attending, there would be no way to find out who asked Naruto to attack Sasuke in front of everyone until it was too late.

When Konoha learned about Akatsuki plans, Shikaku met up with Tsunade and they made preparations together; just like they had done over twenty years ago.

Minato Apprehends Madara Uchiha

The story goes, after the Nine-Tails attacked his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, Minato went to confront Madara Uchiha. It had seemed as if he might be able to take on this powerful villain before Naruto had stopped him from risking his life. 

Had it not been for Naruto stopping him in the nick of time and taking on the Nine-Tails himself, we all would have lost our hero that day. 

Thank you, Naruto! We are so proud of you! Your bravery has saved many lives and will continue to do so. You are now Hokage, but no matter what, we will always know who you really are...our little hero who saved us all when the Kyuubi attacked. So thank you, Naruto!

Kushina Uzumaki Strikes Down the Ten-Tails

Kushina Uzumaki was the wife of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and the father of Naruto Uzumaki. At one point in her life she lost herself but became who she truly is--a mother--and then eventually found love with Minato. 

Kushina would give anything to protect her son, including her own life. One day when she is fighting against the Ten-Tails, it devours some of her chakra and causes her immense pain that could not be masked by even this powerful woman. 

But what really hurt was seeing so many people going on living their happy lives while here in this distant place away from Konoha, Kushina struggles to live past each second while they go on oblivious to what they are doing to her inside and outside . All these months of waiting for the time to see her baby boy again had finally come, and now she has less than an hour left. 

She felt nothing else but sadness as he heard him cry through those walls of glass; his voice breaking down into heart-wrenching sobs which brought tears to her eyes.

A Fateful Choice

In the last moments of his life, he made an incredible choice. Rather than using the time-space seal to save himself and watch everyone else die, he opted to stay behind with everyone and fight the big bad guy in order to give them more time. It was a selfless act that cost him his life. He died protecting his friends. Minato was not just my favorite Naruto character, but one of my favorite anime characters ever because he demonstrated this quality over and over again. 

I'll never forget how he sacrificed himself for the good of others on several occasions as well as how much we saw it effect him when someone close to him was killed during battle. He took that loss hard because Minato cared about people and wanted them to be happy more than anything in this world. That's why he did everything in his power to keep them safe, even if it meant giving up his own life. 

That is also why he refused to let anyone suffer because of him and instead insisted they have a chance at happiness even if that meant going out into battle alone. One example of this is when Jiraiya refused to go back home after their team was disbanded. Instead, Jiraiya chose to remain with Minato until the end and risked death just so there would be another person who could look after him should things go wrong.

One Last Sacrifice

Faced with no other options, Minato makes the ultimate sacrifice and seals away the Kyuubi in his own son. This gives Naruto power, but it also spells disaster for his chances of living a happy life. He must live with the tragedy of never being able to see his parents again because they are dead. 

Furthermore, his entire home is destroyed in an instant when the Kyuubi was sealed inside him. Not only that, but he has been labeled as the village outcast since birth. 

Naruto can't even come back to where he once lived without risking his life due to all the discrimination against him by both villagers and ninjas alike. His parent's last wish for their child is ruined by what he had inherited from them-their own death and destruction.