Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-12509038-20140830021423/@comment-24577388-20140910024256

He outright said that night that there needed to be a jinchuriki so the balance of power can remain stable. His sacrifice wouldn't have been in vain if the kyuubi died, because if Kushina took the kyuubi down to the grave with her, Minato wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself at all. Then, when the beast would reform, he could've still sealed it away. It would probably still be Naruto who would be the host, but he would have grown up as the son of the Fourth Hokage. Everyone would have respected him as the son of a hero, he wouldn't have been an orphan, he could have had friends and a better ninja career, and enough time would have passed since the attack that a lot of people wouldn't hate him or as nearly much when he became the host.