Warning: Spoiler for Naruto: The Whorl Inside the SpiralA clear protagonist of a naruto the one-shot series doesn’t seem to be the main focus despite fans voting for him. Participants in a poll called NARUTOP99 not only get to decide once and for all who the best Naruto character is, but also have the chance to shape a future one-shot by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto himself, as the winner of the vote will serve as the main character in the upcoming manga. Naruto’s father, Minato, has won so far, but the resulting one-shot called Naruto: The Whorl Inside the Spiral is clearly about his wife and Naruto’s mother, Kushina.
Of course, Minato plays a key role in the much-anticipated one-shot. The ostensibly “child of prophecy” has successfully learned how to create a powerful though incomplete Rasengan for Kushina which he later uses in an epic confrontation to prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox from breaking. Kushina’s seal. However, the real focus of the story follows Kushina as she is confined to a specific area of Konoha village that separates her from the love of her life, Minato.
Naruto’s One-Shot is more Kushina than Minato
Another strong theme concerns the lesson Kushina learned about accepting and adapting to one’s fate. Beautifully portrayed through Hokage Rock, she is able to discover that there are ways to see a negative situation from a more positive perspective. Later, when she breaks free from the confines of her barrier, Minato is then able to save her in a truly heroic act, but it’s Kushina’s life as she is simultaneously forced to realize consequences of trying to escape his fate. On an even deeper level, it was Kushina’s recklessness that allowed her to know that Minato was protecting her, as special circumstances made it impossible for her to express her insecurities to Minato. Thus, Kushina’s recklessness is also what allows Minato to express his true feelings to her, like in the battle against the Nine-Tails when he confessed his love for Kushina.
Just like how a scene begins with Kushina as she dreams of the future, so too does it end with her. When she heard Minato’s odd name for the Rasengan, she took Minato to the very place where she learned the importance of perspective. And it was in the sanctuary of Kushina that she herself gave the name to Rasengan. Furthermore, the jutsu’s name derives from a form in which Kushina, not Minato, must fully immerse himself in order to truly embrace his destiny.
Kushina’s story gives her a deeper connection to Naruto
It’s touching that a story centered on Minato becomes the story of his future wife Kushina, which naturally symbolizes their love. However, when viewing Naruto as a whole, the more intriguing centerpiece of the story is determining how Kushina and Naruto’s struggles complement each other. Kushina’s experience as a Jinchuriki causes her to endure a form of isolation whereby she cannot leave a visible barrier. Though she is isolated out of respect and reverence, it distances her from the love she needs. Meanwhile, nothing can stop her future son Naruto from connecting with others. It is fear and invisible hatred that separates him from his fellow villagers, alienating him from another form of love he also needs. That way, along with every other aspect of the story, it’s clear that this naruto The one-shot is actually about Kushina even though on the surface it’s Minato’s story.