| This article is about the prequel one-shot. For other uses, see Naruto Gaiden. |
Naruto Gaiden: Whirlwind in the Vortex (NARUTO -ナルト- 外伝 ~渦の中のつむじ風~, Naruto Gaiden: Uzu no Naka no Tsumujikaze, Viz: Naruto: The Whorl Within the Spiral) is a spin-off prequel one-shot of the original Naruto manga, featuring Minato Namikaze, who was the winner of the NARUTOP99 poll. The most popular character of the poll would have their own one-shot manga written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto. It was released in Weekly Shōnen Jump #33 (2023), which had a cover date of July 31, 2023.
Summary[]
As Rōshi and Han are about to launch their Tailed Beast Balls, Jiraiya orders Minato to warp their team to safety, who is amazed at the tailed beasts' power. In Konoha, Kushina jolts awake from a nightmare where the Nine-Tails goaded her into freeing it. She laments how she can't be alone with Minato due to her bodyguards watching her every step. Excited at the idea of a training session with him, Kushina's hopes are shattered when he tells her that he intends to train elsewhere for a new technique, and she can't follow him outside the sealing barrier. Remembering her predecessor's words to her, Kushina decides to defy the orders and binds her guards, who comment on how her chains are getting stronger as she grows older. Once out of the sealing barrier, the Nine-Tails laughs at its jinchūriki's foolishness.
Jiraiya assists Minato into creating his new jutsu, but their efforts prove fruitless as the chakra is too unstable. Jiraiya talks about the link between one's chakra rotation and the way one's hair grows, but Minato has two hair whorls which go both ways. A flash of inspiration allows Minato to finally stabilise the new jutsu, but his naming sense leaves to be desired. After Jiraiya leaves on a mission, Minato is joined by Kushina who pretends the Third Hokage gave her permission to get outside the barrier, and apologises for yelling at him. Minato says he's who should apologise, because he wanted to complete the new technique for her.
The Nine-Tails forces its chakra out of Kushina's body, triggering the Tailed Beast Transformation and wounding Minato in the process. The fox goads its host into unsealing it, but its attempts are restrained by a sealing jutsu cast from Minato. Thinking back to Mito's words and hearing Minato affirm his love for her, Kushina unleashes her chains on the tailed beast, managing to regain consciousness. Enraged by the two's efforts, the Nine-Tails forces Kushina to undergo Version 2, piercing Minato in the abdomen, but he manages to enter into Kushina's mind world and attack the fox with his new technique, assisted by her.
Minato wakes up in the hospital, with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kushina at his side. Kushina decides to think of a name for his new jutsu, as he developed it for her, and brings him to the same place Mito showed her long ago. As they go up the staircase, Kushina suggests Rasengan, looking at his face lining up with those on the Hokage Rock.