Unveiling the Epic Minato One Shot: Essential Guide to Naruto Gaiden

Naruto fans worldwide eagerly await the series' return, as Masashi Kishimoto makes his debut in Shonen Jump after an approximately 8-year absence. Although the series is not officially returning, there will be a one-shot centered on the life of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. This exciting development follows a global popularity poll held in celebration of the Naruto anime's 20th anniversary.

As per the poll results, the winner was to receive a one-shot illustrated by the author himself. It comes as no surprise to fans that Minato, the Fourth Hokage, emerged as the victor given his immense popularity. Turned towards this intriguing one-shot, fans anticipate delving into the extraordinary life of the renowned Yellow Flash of the Leaf.

Minato's Past In Naruto Gaiden

Following Minato's victory in the popularity poll, fans were overwhelmingly excited due to the character's lack of focus in the original story. While Naruto was exceptional, Minato received limited attention, only making brief appearances through flashbacks and playing a supplementary role in the 4th Great Ninja War after being resurrected with the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu. The story failed to delve into his life as a shinobi, where he achieved legendary status and set impossibly high standards. Fans had hoped for Kishimoto, the creator, to shed light on this iconic figure, but the opportunity never arose. Luckily, the one-shot Naruto Gaiden: Uzu no Naka no Tsumujikaze now allows fans to witness Minato Namikaze's life firsthand, exploring what made him renowned and feared in the ninja world, and celebrated as a generational shinobi in Konoha. This one-shot will focus on Minato's life before he became the Fourth Hokage, leaving fans speculating whether it will cover his reign as Hokage or events prior to that.

The content has been confirmed that the one-shot will primarily feature Minato before he became the renowned 4th Hokage of Konoha. This suggests that the one-shot may take place before the Third Great Ninja War. Fans have gathered information indicating that the focus will be on Minato Namikaze and his Jutsu. While Minato is skilled in numerous Jutsu, he is particularly famous for two of them. His nickname, the Yellow Flash, stems from his use of the Flying Raijin, a space-time ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Minato honed and mastered this Jutsu during his lifetime.

However, it is important to note that this Jutsu does not solely define him. Minato also left a lasting impact by creating the Rasengan. It seems that the creation of this Jutsu may play a central role in the plot of the one-shot. The literal translation of the one-shot's title is "Whirlwind in the Vortex," indicating that Minato may be in the process of developing the Rasengan. Additionally, a recently revealed blurb about this one-shot manga suggests that it will focus on Minato's iconic Jutsu. This essentially confirms that the manga will spotlight the creation of one of his own techniques. Considering that the Rasengan is his most well-known Jutsu, it is safe to assume that the story will revolve around the time when Minato first created the Rasengan.

Fans also know that Minato actually developed the Rasengan by extensively studying the Tailed Beast Ball. The exact encounter with one of these Tailed Beasts remains uncertain, but Minato meticulously observed their unique abilities and skillfully integrated them into his own repertoire of techniques. It is quite conceivable that Minato's path may intersect with a Tailed Beast during a formidable confrontation, leading to the revolutionary creation of the Rasengan.

How Long Will Minato's Story Be?

Since the announcement of the Minato side story, fans have been curious about its length. While some hoped for a multi-chapter series, that won't be the case. The Minato manga will be a one-shot, consisting of just one chapter. However, this chapter will exceed the typical length found in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. In fact, it has been confirmed that the Minato one-shot will span across 55 pages. This means that it will be three times longer than an average Naruto chapter. With these 55 pages, Kishimoto will have ample opportunity to delve into the life of Minato Namikaze.

When Will The Minato One Shot Be Released?

Regrettably, this implies that Kishimoto's return to Jump will be short-lived. However, that certainly doesn't signify that he will never return again. The Naruto universe is vast, filled with beloved characters adored by fans. Kishimoto has the potential to create more one-shots exploring the lives of these characters. Furthermore, he could even continue the story of Minato in the future, if he desires. At the moment, though, he has no such plans, and the eagerly anticipated Minato one-shot, spanning 55 pages, is all that fans are receiving. Nevertheless, the Naruto fandom is bursting with excitement following the announcement of the manga's release date, as it has been a considerable amount of time since Naruto was last published in Shonen Jump.

After the Minato one-shot was announced, fans eagerly anticipated the release date. However, when the poll results were revealed, no specific date was mentioned. Instead, it was stated that the Minato one-shot would be released at some point in 2023. Excitement grew last month when fans finally received a release window for Minato II, indicating that the manga will be available in the Summer of 2023.

The fans were thrilled to finally receive an official release date for the Minato one shot earlier this week. In the upcoming issue 55 of Shueisha's Weekly Shounen Jump Magazine, the Minato one-shot will be available on July 16, 2023. The anticipation for this manga's return is palpable, with only a few weeks left to wait. Despite the long wait, fans are confident that it will be worth it, especially since it delves into the life of a beloved character and a legendary figure in the Naruto world.

What adds to the excitement is the fact that both Naruto and One Piece will be published together in Jump after approximately 8 years. This not only reignites enthusiasm among fans but also triggers a sense of nostalgia. After a prolonged absence of Naruto content, the time has finally come for Naruto fans to come together and immerse themselves in this captivating story set to release next month.