The characters in Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga all have an important role, even the parents of the main characters Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
Naruto’s parents are Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Interestingly, Naruto takes his mother’s last name instead of his legendary Hokage father’s for reasons revealed later on.
This breaks tradition and makes fans wonder – what if Minato was not actually Naruto’s biological father?
The original one-shot pilot manga for the Naruto series provides insight into this question. It hints at a shocking secret that could have completely altered the story we know today.
Further reading of the full Naruto storyline unveils how integral Minato and Kushina are to the overarching narrative.
But the groundwork was laid in that initial chapter for a very different origin story for Naruto, one where Minato does not stand as his father.
The full details of this potential plot line are never explored in the actual series, but it is a tantalizing idea for fans to imagine what might have been.
Exploring the Alternate Narrative, Naruto as Kurama’s Son
The canon Naruto storyline establishes the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, as Naruto Uzumaki’s father.
Minato seals half of the Nine-Tailed Fox demon Kurama inside newborn Naruto, granting him unique powers but also a heavy burden.
However, one of the original 1997 Naruto one-shot pilot manga chapters included an alternate storyline with a shocking twist – Naruto being the actual son of Kurama instead of Minato!
Had creator Masashi Kishimoto opted to go in that narrative direction instead, it would have radically transformed everything we know about the series today.
Minato and his wife Kushina’s sacrifice to protect their son and village would not have occurred.
Naruto’s origins and abilities would stem from being the offspring of the powerful-tailed beast rather than inheriting a mere portion of its chakra.
The story could have focused on Naruto grappling with his demonic heritage.
So the idea of the iconic protagonist having such a vastly different background is incredibly intriguing to consider.
The one-shot provided not just the concept but an entire plotted outline for “Kurama’s Son” that could have been fleshed out into a full saga if Kishimoto had so chosen.
It offers a truly fascinating glimpse into what Naruto could have become.
How Naruto as the Son of Kurama Would Change The Story
The Naruto creator had fully plotted out an alternate storyline for the one-shot manga where the Nine-Tailed Fox demon Kurama was actually Naruto’s biological father instead of Minato.
The narrative begins with Kurama attacking a village at Mount Oinari.
After the villagers managed to defeat the rampaging-tailed beast, they discovered its newborn child – Naruto. Seeing this as their chance to prevent the fox’s offspring from becoming evil, the villagers decided to adopt and raise the orphaned Naruto as one of their own.
As he grew up in the village, Naruto would then have to grapple with concealing his true heritage, acting out mischievously to fit in among the other children.
The story could then have proceeded along similar lines to the known series timeline from that foundation.
While this “Son of Kurama” plot ultimately did not align with the canonical narrative Kishimoto chose for Naruto, it could have been an intriguing spin-off story for perhaps a non-canon movie or side series.
The premise allows for exploration of Naruto embracing the incredible powers he inherited from his demon father while trying to prove he can forge his own destiny beyond what fate seemingly had predetermined for the tailed beast’s offspring.
There remains a wealth of creative potential in this path not taken by the iconic shinobi hero.
