Masashi Kishimoto is preparing his return to Weekly Shonen Jump with his Minato spin-off manga which was announced earlier this year.To commemorate the 20th anniversaryof theNarutoanime, a popularity poll was held, the results of which were announced last month. Unsurprisingly,the most voted character in this poll was the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Minato Namikaze.
RELATED:Will Boruto Ever Be As Popular As Naruto?
As Kishimoto mentioned, the winner of the poll would get a one-shot manga drawn by him and, given that the Fourth Hokage won the poll, fans are now preparing themselves for a manga based on the life of the legendary Fourth Hokage, much of this was shrouded in mystery in the actual manga. Previously, all fans knew that the manga would be released at an unknown time, however, the release time of the manga has now been made clearer, although an exact date has not been revealed just yet.
What To Expect From The Minato One Shot?
Masashi Kishimoto has created a rich and vibrant world inNarutowhere characters other than the main cast are loved and adored by all. While Naruto Uzumaki is the protagonist, the other characters can certainly stand on their own and have interesting character arcs which only add to the overarching plot of the series. The legacy of the Fourth Hokage is one such thing and it was first mentioned in the very first chapter of the story.Minato’s legacy only grewas the story continued when things such as the Rasengan were introduced.
With time, Minato went on to play a key role even after his death, and in the Fourth Great Ninja War, fans saw quite a lot of him in action. That said, the vast majority of Minato’s life remains to be untapped at the moment. Fans have always wanted Naruto characters to get their own side stories. Characters like Minato and Itachi, among others are worthy of their own spin-off manga and while not everyone got a side story, Minato is finally receiving one now.
The potential for this manga is limitless and, given that Kishimoto is going to be writing and illustrating it, it is sure to be an incredible addition to theNarutocanon. At the same time, this manga is also going to flesh out the character of Minato even more. Fans only know bits about his life. Thanks to the Kushina flashback, fans know that Minato grew up with the aim of becoming the Hokage and quickly achieved his dream.
RELATED:Boruto: Is Sasuke Uchiha A Rogue Ninja Again?
Shortly after his Jonin days, he fought in the Third Great Ninja War and other than that, the only thing the fans know is that he defended Konoha from the Masked Man and the Nine Tails, sacrificing his life in the process. The vast majority of his past is shrouded in mystery and that is great as the spin-off manga will give fans great moments that will explain exactly whyMinato is known to be a legendary shinobiand revered as one of the greatest of all time.
When Will The Minato One Shot Be Released?
Earlier this week, it was finally revealed that the Minato one-shot manga is going to be released in the summer of 2023. While an exact release date for the Minato spin-off manga was not revealed, fans can now set their eyes on the coming few months. The vast majority of the fandom predicted this manga to hit closer to fall, however, it is great news for everyone that Naruto is going to return to Jump with Minato spin-off sooner than expected. Given that an announcement has already been made, it could be that fans are only a month or so away from its release. While nothing can be said for sure just yet, a July or August release date would be fitting.
Given that the manga is a one-shot, it will likely span over just one chapter, however, the length of this chapter will be more than the average Naruto chapter. Kishimoto previously wrote a one-shot manga on Mitsuki and it proved to be quite a long chapter. However, that’s not to say that Kishimoto can’t continue this manga if he changes his mind. If the Minato manga does end up being more than just a one-shot, fans can then expect a few months of Naruto once again for the first time in nearly 8 years.
Sadly, nothing can be said for sure at the moment and the implication is that Kishimoto will only write one chapter and that would be it. Regardless, fans will surely enjoy this one-shot and cherishthe character that is Minato Namikaze, as well as the legendary author, Masashi Kishimoto. Fans expect Kishimoto to do more of these one-shots in the future as his universe is filled with tremendous characters with unexplored backgrounds who have great potential for stand-alone stories.
