This post contains spoilers for Naruto.
The world of ninjas seems cool at first glance, but the reality is much different. In the entire history of Naruto, there have been a total of four wars, with each arguably more gruesome than the last. In almost every war, countless lives were lost, which negatively affected thousands of people.
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Like the others, the Third Great Ninja War caused widespread destruction and turned the entire world upside down. All the major Naruto villages, as well as the smaller ones, were involved in the skirmishes. The Hidden Leaf Village also participated in the Third Great Ninja War. However, the village struggled quite a lot, but thankfully, there was one person who turned the tide in their favor, and it was none other than Minato Namikaze.
Minato Namikaze Was The Strongest Ninja Of His Time
- Minato was ahead of his competition
- His strength enabled him to stop the war
From his days at the Academy, Minato Namikaze always stood out from the rest, and as he grew up, it became even more apparent that he was going to realize his full potential. Minato breezed past every single exam, leaving all his rivals in the dust. The next step towards his growth began after training under Jiraiya. The member of the legendary Sannin recognized Minato's potential, and it made him believe that he had finally found the Child of Prophecy.
Since Minato was a prodigy, it didn't take him long to learn. He even created the Rasengan, a powerful technique that could destroy his enemies with ease. Minato also bettered the Flying Thunder Technique, which made him faster and more dangerous. He could put a seal anywhere and instantly teleport to the location. After mastering the Flying Thunder God technique, Minato came to be known as the fastest ninja alive. Minato would often use Rasengan along with his space-time ninjutsu to catch his enemies off guard and land a devastating blow on them. With so many powerful tools in his arsenal, Minato was a nightmare to fight against. Naturally, a ninja of his capability was always going to play a role in any battle, so it's hardly surprising that he was heavily involved in the Third Great Ninja War.
How Minato Namikaze Ended The Third Great Ninja War
During the Third Great Ninja War, Minato wasn't the Hokage, but he was easily the most important person behind the Hidden Leaf's success. While Minato was famous in the village, his fame began spreading during the war. Ninjas across the world came to learn about a certain ninja called Minato Namikaze, who would end fights in a flash. Shortly afterward, he earned the moniker of Yellow Flash of the Hidden Leaf. When the other ninjas witnessed Minato's strength, they would often run away in despair. At one point, the higher-ups of other villages issued flee-on-sight orders to their soldiers. This meant that the ninjas had to run away immediately if they saw Minato Namikaze.
Despite the best efforts of other villages, they couldn't contain Minato. With the tide slowly turning in the Hidden Leaf's favor, the other nations felt compelled to accept any peace offers. In the anime, Minato took down a platoon of a thousand ninjas by himself, which forced the Tsuchikage to accept the peace treaty. Hiruzen tried to form various treaties to promote peace, and while the decision did not go down well with the Hidden Leaf others, it did lead to the war's end.
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The conclusion of the Third Great Ninja War brought relief to countless people, but for some, it had never-ending repercussions. Itachi was still a kid during the war, and watching so much bloodshed traumatized him completely. He grew up hating conflict and always looked for the least violent method to resolve an issue. Meanwhile, Fugaku and the rest of the Uchiha clan's hatred towards the Hidden Leaf reached an all-time high. Eventually, this would lead to the clan planning a coup.
However, the standout incident during the Third Great Ninja War was the death of Rin. When Obito saw her die, it strengthened his resolve and led him directly into Madara's hands. Subsequently, Obito attacked the Hidden Leaf and then manipulated the Akatsuki before finally starting the Fourth Great Ninja War with the help of Kabuto Yakushi.
Minato's Reign As The Fourth Hokage
Minato Didn't Live For Long
Following the war's conclusion, Minato Namikaze was chosen as the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. His efforts in the Third Great Ninja War impressed the village elders as well as the common populace. Due to his immense popularity, Minato was chosen to be the Hokage. Not long after Minato became the leader of the Hidden Leaf, he had to deal with Obito's attack on the Hidden Leaf. The latter had planned to use the Nine-Tails to wreak havoc on the village.
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Obito was successful in unleashing the tailed beast, but Minato was there to stop him. The Uchiha tried to fight against his old teacher, but it was to no avail. Minato was leagues above him in terms of skill and strength. However, he couldn't stop the rampage of the Nine Tails. So, Minato sacrificed his own life and sealed away half of the Nine Tails inside Naruto and the other inside himself. It was because of his efforts that the Hidden Leaf was saved from annihilation yet again. Minato's end was certainly tragic, but he went down in history as one of the greatest to have ever graced the earth. Furthermore, his decision to entrust Naruto with the tailed beast was integral to the overall story. If he hadn't believed in his son, then the world would have ultimately fallen to Obito or Madara Uchiha.
The World Would Have Changed Drastically If Minato Hadn't Died
If Minato had stayed alive, then it is likely that things would have been a lot different. Obito would have been crushed, and he would not have had the chance to manipulate the Akatsuki. So, there wouldn't have been a Fourth Great Ninja War. Additionally, it is highly unlikely that the Uchiha Clan massacre would have happened. Minato was more action-oriented than Hiruzen, so he would not have stood idly by when Danzo was trying to coerce Itachi and Shisui. Therefore, the Uchiha Clan massacre might not have happened, and Sasuke wouldn't have endured severe emotional trauma. Furthermore, Itachi Uchiha would still have been in the Hidden Leaf. But above all, Naruto would at least have one of his parents, and he wouldn't have suffered at the hands of the villagers.
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Despite a short reign and very limited screen time, Minato is undoubtedly one of the most popular characters in Naruto, and Kishimoto realizes this, which is why he even decided to make a short spin-off story about the Yellow Flash. With the Boruto manga struggling, Kishimoto has a good chance to create a prequel to Naruto, which would focus on Minato and his journey. It wouldn't have to be long either, and there's absolutely no doubt that most fans would prefer it to the current Boruto manga.
