Summary
Naruto’s last name, Uzumaki, is actually his mother’s maiden name, which raises the question of why he couldn’t take his father’s last name, Namikaze. The series explains that Naruto was given the surname Uzumaki to protect him from his father’s enemies, however this ultimately blinded him to his father’s heroic legacy as he grew up as an orphan. refuse. Another reason is that the author wanted to hide the backstory of Naruto’s true origin for as long as possible, which also gave him room for flexibility and improvisation if needed.
From the beginning of my story, Naruto always identified by the surname Uzumaki, according to Western customs his father was an Uzumaki. However, the Uzumaki are actually the clan of Naruto’s mother, Kushina. This raises the question Why was Naruto given his mother’s maiden name?especially since the identity of Naruto’s father remained a mystery for most of the series.
There are many reasons why Naruto’s official surname should be Namikaze, his father’s surname. First, there is the tradition of children taking their father’s surname, which is not limited to Western society. Indeed, from Sasuke to Kakashi, almost everyone in Konoha uses their father’s surname and is a member of their father’s clan.
Second, there is the physical similarity. Naruto’s bright yellow hair resembles that of the other members of the Namikaze Clan. On the other hand, the Uzumaki clan is famous for their striking red hair. Most important, in Minato’s view, was the legacy passed on to his son to protect and expand. Surely, as Hokage, Minato would want his son to bear his and his clan’s surname. However, it must be said that in pre-modern Japan, the name of the more influential clan took precedence when naming newborn babies, so it is not entirely unreasonable for Naruto to become an Uzumaki. Reasonable, because the family later used to be very powerful.
Naming Naruto Namikaze would make him a target for his father’s enemies
However, the reason Naruto’s last name is Uzumaki took into consideration factors surrounding his health and safety. First and foremost, it hides the fact that Minato has a son. Minato is an exceptionally gifted shinobi. One of his greatest feats occurred during the Third Shinobi War, where he single-handedly helped turn the tide in Konoha’s favor. Naturally, this resulted in the deaths of a significant number of opponents and created countless grudges against Minato. If they knew he had a son, many people would hunt him down for revenge. Naming Naruto an Uzumaki – a clan that had been hunted to extinction due to its special abilities and thus no longer posed a threat – was the best way to protect him.
However, the most obvious reason has to be found outside the fictional world of the series. Author Masashi Kishimoto wanted to keep the plot of Naruto’s father’s identity a secret for as long as possible, which meant the boy had to have a different last name. Some fans also speculated that this reveal was actually just a retcon and that Kishimoto did not intend for Naruto to be the son of the Fourth Hokage. Regardless of how much truth there is to this belief, keeping Naruto’s true origins hidden for most of the series gave the author room for flexibility and improvisation, if needed.
However, the skills and expertise of Naruto’s parents suggest that they may have given Naruto the surname Namikaze. They are not afraid of anyone. Unfortunately, they didn’t have that chance – they both died shortly after Naruto was born. After their deaths, Hiruzen Sarutobi – the Third Hokage – took responsibility for Naruto. Understanding the different risks that the Namikaze and Uzumaki families brought, he ultimately decided that naming the child Naruto Uzumaki was the least dangerous thing to do. As a result, Naruto’s connection to the Namikaze Clan was largely erased and eventually forgotten.
Uzumaki is the safest name given the circumstances
While this may have protected him to some extent, it also hid the identity of his heroic father from Naruto for much of his troubled childhood. Sarutobi’s decision remains controversial among fans today: was his father’s desire to protect Naruto from his enemies more important than the positive impact of growing up as the son of the Fourth Hokage? Can you bring it to him? Finally, the justification for Naruto the fact that his mother’s maiden name is built into the story in a way that, while not exactly satisfying, at least makes sense overall.
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