MinaKushi

"That moment, I saw Minato as an amazingly splendid ninja. He made me believe he could fulfill my dreams, and above all, he changed me… This ordinary red hair I hated so much had brought me the person of my destiny. It became my own personal "red thread of fate". From that day, I liked my hair, but more importantly, I loved Minato."

- Kushina to Naruto about Minato, Chapter 498

MinaKushi is the het ship between Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki from the Naruto fandom.

Main Universe
Minato and Kushina attended the Ninja Academy together. Initially, Kushina thought that Minato was unreliable and weird, as he dreamed of becoming Hokage but was shy when she was introduced.

When Kushina got kidnapped by Kumogakure nin after her chakra, Minato was the only one who picked up on her hints and saved her. As he carried her to safety, Minato admits to Kushina that the first thing he noticed about her was her beautiful red hair. Kushina, who had grown up hating her red hair because kids kept making fun of it, was touched and for the first time, didn't see him as an incapable ninja. Kushina fell in love with Minato and the two would become a couple.

Naruto Gaiden: Whirlwind in the Vortex
After team Jiraya comes back from a mission, Kushina wanted to train Minato in more sealing technique, and is not gonna hold back during there training and gets excited as Minato learns jutsu pretty quickly, but he declines as he is going to train to develop a new techique. He doesn't tell her, and he tells her that he'll be a the third training grounds. When Kushina asks Minato about the technique, he doesn't tell her as the techique is incomplete and dangerous and doesn't want her to get hurt. This annoys Kushina, but before things got out of hand, Minato's teammates call him over as they have to report to the Third Hokage, Minato leaves with his team but Kushina wants to go after him but she is stopped by the ANBU. Kushina would later use the Adamantine Sealing Chains Technique to restrain the ANBU and Kushina would find Minato at the training grounds. And Kushina would lie to Minato about how the Third Hokage approved her leaving the barrier, which Minato believes. Minato tells Kushina that he developed his new jutsu as a way for her to protect herself and use against other Jinchūriks as he doesn't want to lose her, this would cause Kurama to make Kushina go out of control casuing injury to Minato. Minato, would help Kushina to get the Nine-Tails under control as he doesn't want to lose Kushina as he loves her. And Minato would counter the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball with his new jutsu. Later Minato would wake up in a hostipal room and find Kushina, Jiraya, and Tsunade by his side and Kushina would hug him when he wakes up. Minato tells Kushina about his new jutsu of how he mimicked the Tailed Beast Ball and entrust her with the techique for her to counter other Jinchūriks. Revealing the techique's name as "Halo Hair Whole of Jiraiya Inspired by Frozen Dessert Twin Style Sphere" which Kushina finds the name to be lame and too long. When askes what would the name of the techique Kushina would come up for the techique which she names it as the "Rasengan" after the place where they are, and Minato would like the name of the techique.

Life as adults
Years later, they married a couple of years later, they found out Kushina was pregnant when they were about to have a meal at Ichiran Ramen, and Kushina had to walk out because she felt sick, while Minato followed her worriedly. To protect Kushina from possible enemies targeting the Hokage's wife and child, Minato ordered ANBU captain Hatake Kakashi to be Kushina's guard during her pregnancy.

The night Kushina was due to deliver, Minato moved her to a remote location surrounded by ANBU guards and helped to keep the Nine-Tails' Seal closed while she gave birth, as the seal weakened during childbirth. Tobi attacks Kushina, taking advantage of her weakened state and unleashes the Nine Tails on Konohagakure. Minato takes Kushina and newborn Naruto to safety before going to face the Nine Tails. In the end, Minato is forced to seal the Nine Tails into Naruto to prevent the complete destruction of Konoha, but before he and Kushina could complete the seal; the Nine Tails tries to kill Naruto. Minato and Kushina use their bodies as a shield and are both impaled by the Nine Tails' claw. As they lie together in a pool of each other's blood, the Nine Tails sealed inside their newborn son, Minato moves closer to Kushina and they die together.

Naruto meets his mother for the first time in Chapter 497, where Kushina tells him that she loved him and Minato.

Years after the Fourth Shinobi World War both Minato and Kushina would have grandchildren to Naruto and Hinata's children and both grandchildren are known to have inherited his genius. Also both Boruto and Himawari would also have inherited some of Kushina's traits. Boruto would have a verbal tic saying "dattebasa" and Himawari who get violent and short-tempered when provoked.

Alternative Universe
Similar to the events in the main universe an a alternative universe both Minato and Kushina would have a son whom they named Menma. However, in that universe, Menma did not lose his parents on the day of his birth. Eventually, Minato and Kushina found a way to safely transfer the Nine-Tails to Menma without losing Kushina. Menma would grow up with both of his parents.

Children
Naruto Uzumaki Naruto is the only son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. He has blond hair and blue eyes like his father. He has the shape of his mother's eyes and face. Naruto also inherited her personality also as well as her ninjutsu style and her verbal tic. Before he was born Minato and Kushina named him Naruto Musasabi after the main character from Jiraiya's "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi" making Jiraiya Naruto's godfather. During the time of his birth Obito going by Tobi or the Masked Man took him hostage to prevent Minato from reinforcing the seal on the Nine-Tails as it was weakened during when Kushina was giving birth to Naruto. After Kurama was extracted from Kushina's body and used to attack The Hidden Leaf Village. Minato used the Dead Demon Cosuming Seal to seal the Yin half of the Nine-Tails into himself. Because Kurama was now smaller he tried to kill Naruto but both Minato and Kushina would uses themselves as a shield for to protect Naruto. And both said to Naurto with their dying breath that they loved him. Just before dying both Minato and Kushina seal their remaining chakra in Naruto allowing them to see him in the future. Minato would sealed the Yang half of Kurama into Naruto. After dying Hiruzen wanting to protect him from his father's enemies gave him his mother's surname in order to hide his relations to Minato. Minato also wished that the villagers to think of Naruto as a hero who saved the village and not the container of the Nine Tails that killed so many. But Danzo leaked the knowledge that he was the Nine Tail's Jinchūriki making the villagers not follow Minato's wish. This made Hiruzen to outlaw anyone from mentions the Nine-Tails. For years Naruto would not know the identity of his parents. Naruto would learn the identity of his father during the events of Pain's attack on the village. Naruto would also meet his mother during the Fourth Shinobi World War when Naruto went to the Tailed Beast Temple to learn on how to control his tailed beast. After meeting both of his parents Naruto made it himself to make his parents sacrifices not to be invain.

Menma Uzumaki/Namikaze Menma is the alteranate version of Naruto from another world, where Minato and Kushina where didn't die. Menma looks similar to Naruot with some differences. Menma grew up differently from his counterpart. Where he had many friends during his childhood, like counterpart Menma became the Nine Tails Jinchūriki where they found out how to safely transfer Kurama to another person that let Menma have his mother. Menma also became friends with Kurama in that world. And Master the power. In that world Hinata and Sakura are competing for Menma's love. In that world Menma unlike Naruto was promoted from a Genin to a Chūnin. Depending of which Dream world Mema's last name is either Namaikaze his father's last name in Tenten's Infinite Tsukuyoomi Dream, or Uzumaki his mother's last name in Road to Ninja Movie. In the Road to Ninja Movie in the Limited Tsukuyomi, Menma is a missing-nin and is an S-ranked criminal and the Black Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. After being defeated by Naruto, Menma is freed from his hatred and reverts back into his original state. In Tenten's Infinite Tsukuyomi dream, He is a member and Chūnin of Team Kakashi. He inherits his father's traits where Naruto is know to inherited his mother's traits. In that world he calm, collected. and talk when he feels it only serves a purpose. His also mature and very serious and sharp as a wit, carefully thinking before acting and able to see the underlying nature of the situation at hand. Menma in his world is the smartest in his graduating class. Menma in his often scolds Neji Hyūga for his perverted actions. He is like the real's Sasuke as he is somewhat distant as he show little respect to the people he talks to even his own parents. But in all seriousness Menma is very loyal to his friends.

Fanon
After the reveal of Naruto's parents and how they died, Minato and Kushina were immediately shipped and gained supporters left and right as more of their love story was revealed. Most fanworks are of the couple with their grown son, Naruto, who they never got to raise but still love dearly. Their "love story" is often used by the fandom has an example for a well-written ship, and as Naruto's parents and their own individual titles, they're considered a power couple and respected.

It is the most popular ship for both characters.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

WIKIS
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Trivia

 * Minato and Kushina weren't intended to be in the story until Masashi Kishimoto became a father himself.
 * In the Naruto Retsuden novel, Naruto revealed that he wishes that his parents would meet their grandchildren.