Minato Namikaze

**Minato Namikaze** is the former Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village and a former jinchūriki as well. He was married to Kushina Uzumaki, former jinchūriki to the Nine-Tailed Fox. Minato shinobi from Dimension N-0231, otherwise called simply the Shinobi World by other denizens of other dimensions. He is known by several nicknames in this world, most commonly the **Yellow Flash** or the **Fourth Hokage**. He is a highly skilled adversary in combat and has a variety of techniques and abilities to call upon should the need arise. His greatest asset though is not just his abilities, but his keen intellect and amazing chakra control, in addition to impressive chakra reserves. As a result, he was one of the most powerful shinobi in his world.

After his death at the hands of the Shinigami in his world, he was transported via the Guardian of Space and Time to a new world where, it was conditioned, that he would help bring a sinister soul to justice. His efforts led to him protecting the woman who would soon become his wife, Penelope Pitstop. But due to the need to keep her identity hidden, no one really knows of their marriage, least of all the fact they have a daughter. Penelope therefore adopted Minato's last name and took to wearing a disguise when she went out in public.

## Appearance

Minato has frequently been compared with his son Naruto in terms of physical appearance; both have blue eyes and spiky, blond hair. Minato has jaw-length bangs framing either side of his face. According to his former sensei Jiraiya, Minato was considered to be very handsome. His normal attire consisted of a standard Konoha uniform with two bands on both of his sleeves, a green flak jacket, blue forehead protector, and blue sandals. After becoming Hokage, he started wearing a short-sleeved long white haori over his normal attire, closed in the front by a thin, orange rope. The haori was decorated by red flame-like motifs on the edges, with the kanji for "Fourth Hokage" (四代目火影, Yondaime Hokage) written vertically down the back.

When not in his shinobi attire, he wears a single black T-shirt with the kanji for fire on the front and a pair of cargo shorts with his shinobi sandals.

## Biography

### Early Life

Minato entered Konoha's Academy with the dream of earning the villagers' respect and recognition by becoming Hokage. When Kushina Uzumaki moved to Konoha, she was placed in the same class as Minato. Minato was immediately drawn to her bright red hair, finding it beautiful. Minato was a natural prodigy as a ninja, the likes of which appears only once in a generation. When he was added to a genin team under the leadership of Jiraiya, Jiraiya took a special interest in Minato and took him on as his apprentice, teaching him many of his own signature abilities. In time, Minato's exceptional skills led Jiraiya to believe he might be the Child of the Prophecy, someone who would someday save the world.

Years later, after they graduated and became ninja, Kushina was kidnapped by Kumogakure forces. Konoha mobilised its ninja to retrieve her, but only Minato noticed the strands of red hair Kushina left behind to mark their path. Minato, acting alone, rescued her from her captors. On their way back to Konoha, Minato confessed his admiration for her hair and her strength, causing Kushina – who had previously believed Minato "unreliable" and even "girly"– to fall in love with him.

### Konoha's Yellow Flash

Minato and Kushina were a couple from the time that he rescued her, and with his love, Kushina was able to keep the Nine-Tails sealed within her at bay. They eventually married. From observing a Tailed Beast Ball, Minato began a three-year process of creating the Rasengan, the height of shape transformation. He would spend the rest of his life trying to combine it with his own nature.

After proving himself an accomplished and responsible ninja, Minato was placed in charge of his own team, consisting of Rin Nohara, Obito Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake. In the anime, the Third Hokage gave Minato the special task of helping Kakashi overcome the bitterness caused by his father's death and remind him of the human element of being a ninja. Minato gave his team a bell test upon its formation in order to teach them the value of teamwork. Minato often held back less against the prodigious Kakashi than with Rin and Obito so they couldn't obtain the bells without teamwork. Unfortunately, Kakashi realised this, but only used Obito and Rin as a means to an end to obtain the bells. Nonetheless, he passed them because they accomplished the goal of the test by working as a team. Although he did encourage them to improve their teamwork afterwards, a message that Obito and Rin took to heart, but fell on deaf ears with Kakashi.

When Konoha became involved in the Third Shinobi World War, Minato's obligations became split between training his students and helping with the war effort. During a mission into Kusagakure to destroy the Kannabi Bridge, Minato transferred leadership of the mission to Kakashi – who had recently become a jōnin – while he headed to the front lines. He met up with the surviving and out-numbered Konoha ninja and single-handedly wiped out the opposing Iwagakure forces. In the anime, his victory in this battle against a thousand ninja convinced the Third Tsuchikage to accept a peace treaty. When he rendezvoused with his team afterwards he found Kakashi and Rin and surrounded by Iwa-nin, Obito having already been lost. He rescued them, helped them complete their original mission once they recovered, and returned to Konoha with them to mourn Obito.Minato's competing obligations would later repeat the tragedy of Obito's death: while he was away on another mission, Rin was kidnapped by Kirigakure and died during Kakashi's attempt to retrieve her.

Minato encountered A of Kumogakure a number of times during the war.During their first meeting, Minato and A fought with their speed, with Minato proving the faster. He received orders to retreat before their competition could resolve, but he lingered to compliment A and his brother, B, a jinchūriki like Kushina; he encouraged A to take care of B and remember he was a person. A pursued Minato, so Minato moved against B, threatening to kill him if A didn't let him and his team go. Minato was confident he and A would someday meet as Kage.

### Fourth Hokage

For his performance during the War, Minato was chosen over Orochimaru to become Fourth Hokage. He taught the Flying Thunder God Technique to the Hokage Guard Platoon to better aid them in their duties of serving the Hokage at any given time. In the anime, he also tried to help Kakashi, now an Anbu, emerge from the darkness he'd fallen into after Obito and Rin's deaths. During the gradual transfer of responsibilities from the Third Hokage to him, the Third advised Minato to restore Kakashi's value of life by tasking him with protecting Kushina during her pregnancy.

As a jinchūriki, the strain of childbirth would weaken the seal keeping the Nine-Tails sealed into Kushina. For that reason special precautions had to be taken: the child would secretly be delivered in a remote location outside of the village, with barriers around the area and several Anbu guards as extra protection. Minato was not greatly worried about the birth, and in fact gave Kakashi the day off in gratitude for his good work. He and Kushina had already decided on a name for their son, "Naruto", after the main character of Jiraiya's first book, hoping that their Naruto would be just as determined as the character (and thus its author). Jiraiya tried to convince them to make a different choice since that would make him Naruto's godfather, but they insisted that this was a good thing.

Naruto was born on the night of October 10. Only moments after the birth Minato began making preparations to restore the Nine-Tails' weakened seal, but he was interrupted by the arrival of a masked man, otherwise known as Tobi. Tobi killed the Anbu guards and midwives and took the newborn Naruto hostage, threatening to kill him if Minato didn't back away from Kushina. Minato immediately took Naruto back from him, yet discovered explosive tags had been planted on Naruto. Minato was forced to teleport away to keep Naruto from harm, allowing Tobi to escape with Kushina. He found a safe place for Naruto and teleported to Kushina in time to save her from being killed by the Nine-Tails, extracted from her body by Tobi. He reunited mother and son before heading out to protect the village.

Minato returned to the village in the early stages of the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, arriving in time to teleport away a Tailed Beast Ball before it destroyed the Hokage Rock. He attempted to reach the Third Hokage so that he could inform him of what happened, but was interrupted by Tobi, who tried to warp him away. Minato reacted in time to escape, but Tobi pursued him. Because Tobi was controlling the Nine-Tails' actions, defeating him was of prime importance in order to save Konoha. Minato initially struggled to successfully strike him but, after several failed attacks, he finally hit him with a Rasengan and branded him with a Flying Thunder God seal, allowing him to teleport to Tobi whenever he wanted. He then used a Contract Seal on Tobi to release the Nine-Tails from his control, forcing him to flee.

No longer being controlled, the Nine-Tails began retreating from the village, though it continued to attack the Konoha ninja that pursued it. As it prepared another Tailed Beast Ball, Minato once again arrived in time to stop it, this time by dropping Gamabunta on top of it. He had Gamabunta keep it restrained while he gathered the chakra needed to transport the Nine-Tails to Naruto and Kushina's location, the farthest from the village he could get. Kushina restrained it and erected a barrier so that it couldn't escape while they decided what to do. Already dying from the Nine-Tails' removal, Kushina offered to have it sealed back into her so it would die with her. Minato rejected this, believing the Nine-Tails' power would be needed in the future if and when Tobi struck again. Remembering Jiraiya's words about the "Child of the Prophecy", Minato decided to believe that Naruto was that child and that he would someday save the world. To prepare Naruto for this, Minato would make Naruto the Nine-Tails' new jinchūriki so he could make use of its strength.

Because the Nine-Tails' chakra was too immense to seal into an infant, Minato used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to cut its chakra in half, sealing the Yin half in himself. Realising what they were planning, the Nine-Tails tried to kill Naruto, but Minato and Kushina used themselves as shields. With his last ounce of strength, Minato summoned Gerotora, gave him the key to the seal he would use on Naruto, and sent him to Jiraiya. Meanwhile, Kushina told Naruto how much his parents loved him, which Minato seconded. He sealed the Nine-Tails' Yang half into Naruto, weaving Kushina's chakra into the seal so that she could someday assist Naruto with learning to control the Nine-Tails and its chakra. He mingled in some of his own chakra, too, programming it to activate if ever the seal was about to break so that he could restore it. Seeing the Third Hokage nearby, Minato communicated to him a final request for the villagers of Konoha: to think of Naruto as a hero and not the container of the monster that caused so much death and destruction. With that, his soul was consumed by the Shinigami, ending Minato's life.

## Abilities

Minato is a very powerful shinobi, possessing a keen intellect and the fastest speed known. Back in his old world, he was listed as a flee-on-sight target due to his power and reputation. His abilities to appear and suddenly dispatch a target before disappearing using space-time jutsu made him a very lethal adversary when in combat. He is also an adept sensor, meaning he can detect the chakra or Aura of any opponent if they are actively kneading chakra or Aura for use in battle. He can detect them over long distances, and at closer distances he could detect everyone around him by putting a finger on the ground.

He is proficient in the use of Fire, Wind, and Lightning chakra natures. He is also known to use Yin and Yang Releases, but he rarely uses them.

### Rasengan

After observing the nature of the Tailed Beast Ball Minato spent three years developing one of his signature techniques, the Rasengan — the highest level of shape transformation. It gives him an edge in combat due to requiring no hand seals to create and being self-sustaining. While it demands very precise chakra control to use, Minato's mastery allowed him to form it with either hand instantly and vary its size from standard to Big Ball Rasengan-sized.

After being transported to GF-007 after his death, he began to work on refining the Rasengan even further to make up for the loss of some of his other abilities, like the immense chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox's Yin Half. Minato seeks to create a new technique that will drive home just how dangerous he is.

#### Rasengan - Plasma Form

This technique was developed after an encounter with Dracon, during which he punched through the Gundam's beam prism shield using the Rasengan. The energy from it engulfed the Rasengan, transforming it into a plasma orb. That alone bolstered his technique's already potent strength, allowing him to incinerate an enemy on contact, or if they managed to dodge, a limb or some other body part.

#### Rasen-shuriken

This is a new technique that is very effective in both long and close range combat. Like the Rasengan, it is a Wind-Release technique, possessing incredible ability to do much damage, and at the same time, render a target unable to use jutsu or Aura. But the risk that comes from it is that it also damages the user's chakra pathways if misused or mistimed.

#### Plasma Shuriken

The ultimate technique combining all three of Minato's chakra natures. It is considered the epitome of his Wind, Fire, and Lightning transformations. It is just like the Rasen-shuriken, but containing enough heat and energy to cause damage akin to a firebombing on several structures. It is still a work in progress.

### Space-Time Ninjutsu

Minato's other signature ability is the Flying Thunder God Technique, which he gained greater mastery and versatility than its creator, the Second Hokage. His exploits with this technique gained him the moniker "Konoha's Yellow Flash". Using the technique, he can instantly move to the location of anything marked with his special seal, whether a tool, place, or person that's been branded. Minato can bring others with him, though he needs to provide the chakra for their transport. He does not need to accompany targets he teleports, giving him a defensive option to teleport incoming projectiles away. He also has skill in teaching others Space–Time Ninjutsu, having taught the Hokage Guard Platoon the Flying Thunder Formation Technique.

### Shurikenjutsu

Minato has his own special brand of kunai for combat; triple-prong kunai for better offensive potential. He can throw them at opponents or wield them as melee tools, even in his mouth. Their main use comes from the Flying Thunder God seals they are marked with, allowing him to teleport to wherever one of the kunai is thrown. He carries a large number of kunai in the field that he scatters across a wide area so he can move around with more options. Although his normal tactics with kunai do not require precision, Minato nevertheless has excellent aim and can coordinate his throws' timing and placement to allow him to perform complex maneuvers.

### Physical Prowess and Chakra Reserves

Minato is hailed as the fastest shinobi in all of GrimmFall Earth. While this recognition is due in part to his space–time ninjutsu, Minato's natural speed and prowess with the Body Flicker Technique is immense: he can easily outstrip three other Kage-Level ninja and engage an enemy or retrieve an ally before anyone realizes what he is doing; he can cover a considerable distance in a short amount of time and perform a technique before an opponent could finish theirs. Minato's reflexes allow him to react to and avoid techniques with no warning, such as Kamui and Lightning Straight.

Minato has large chakra reserves, able to teleport multiple massive targets like a tailed beast and their attacks. His chakra control is very refined, evidenced by his creation of the Rasengan and his ability to weave hand seals with only one hand.

### Intelligence

Minato is a very keen-minded individual, having the highest scores in the history of the Chūnin Exams written test. Even at a young age, only he of all the ninja sent to rescue Kushina, noticed the trail she left behind to mark her kidnappers' path. In combat, he can correctly deduce the basic mechanics behind a technique after seeing it only once, and from there plan around its strengths and weaknesses to his or his allies' advantage. With his observational skills he can determine an opponent's plans and motivations based on only limited evidence. After he has finished analyzing, Minato strikes quickly and with precision, attacking vulnerabilities at the most opportune moments.

As Hokage, Minato prepared for threats facing Konoha by placing a network of marked locations around the village's outskirts for him to teleport to, including at least two safe houses and likewise passed on his space–time ninjutsu onto the Hokage Guard Platoon.

### Chakra Shield

After he develops the Rasen-shuriken, Minato learns about how Aura can be used as a shield to protect Hunters from damage. It takes several tries, but he is able to master the creation of a chakra shroud that acts much like an Aura does. This takes the form of a blue-white colored shroud covering his entire body.

### Seals

Minato is very skilled in the use of many seals, having learned some from his late wife, Kushina, before their passing. He is capable of using several different kinds, along with barrier ninjutsu, but after his death in his world, he selects to use them less and work on more innovative seals for use in combat.

## Weapons

Minato carries around his signature tri-pronged kunai and a variety of other tools needed for his missions, such as summoning scrolls and smoke bombs. Explosive tags and shuriken are also amongst his gear.

### Bouclier Thermique

A special type of glove developed by Penelope Pitstop. They look much like standard shinobi gloves, but are in reality made of heatproof materials with flexible ceramic plates on the fingers and palms so as to absorb the heat generated by his Rasengan - Plasma Form and his Plasma Shuriken. However, in spite of the materials enabling the gloves to withstand high temperatures, he still has to cool them off by plunging them into ice, water, or snow. On the backs of the gloves is the emblem of the Hidden Leaf Village, and the words *In Memory of Kushina Uzumaki* are below the emblem.

## Relationships

### Allies

**Penelope Pitstop** - At first, Minato was assigned to be Penelope's bodyguard by her 'guardian' Sylvester Sneekly, and was assumed to be an incompetent fool due to his hair color and somewhat air-headedness. However, he quickly proved to be quite the competent bodyguard, and slowly, a friendship formed that then grew into something more over time. When Penelope turned 18, she was able to inherit her family's vast fortune, all thanks to Minato's due diligence as her bodyguard. When Penelope turned 19, the two of them married, and soon had a daughter, named Kushina in memory of his late first wife. Minato is *very* protective of his wife and daughter, and will go to great lengths to ensure their safety; part of this is due to his failure as a father the first time around.

**Dracon** - The Gundam first met Minato in Denver, only for them to team up to save Penelope from the 'Hooded Claw'. It is during this team-up that Minato first realized the possibility of the Rasengan Plasma Form.

### Enemies

**Sylvester Sneekly** - Penelope's archnemesis and Minato's greatest enemy, Sylvester Sneekly is of the Sneekly Clan, a clan of shinobi that have a 'Kekkei Genkai' or genetic technique, that grants them scales of a snake as well as the poison of one. Sylvester first hires Minato to be Penelope's bodyguard, assuming the former Hokage is just a dumb blonde who is trying to make a quick buck; he learns *very* quickly how wrong he is when Minato protects Penelope to great effect, showing he is not just a pretty face or a dumb blonde by any means.

The duo often fight one another, with Minato using his own signature techniques against the Scaled Claw, as Sylvester becomes known later on, while the Scaled Claw uses his own clan's best techniques against the Yellow Flash. If these two ninja begin to clash, it is advised to evacuate the area right away.

## Trivia

* Minato Namikaze I one of the few characters that has crossed over another dimension without being taken against his will. The others being Tom, Sara, X, Psycrow, and Control Freak.
* Giving his appearance had been made official in GrimmFall, his absence in the Wacky Races story arc had not been stated, either he was away on a mission or caring for his daughter while Penelope was racing.