What happened?
At the "NARUTO: What's Next?" panel at New York Comic Con 2026 on October 10, the franchise revealed major news. Original creator Masashi Kishimoto announced a new manga titled Naruto Shadow Rising. Full details will be shared at Jump Festa 2027 in December.
At the same time, a limited 4-episode anime crossover series was announced: Naruto × Ninku. The production is supervised by Kishimoto and Ninku creator Koji Kiriyama. Noriyuki Abe (director of Boruto and the Ninku anime) directs, with Tetsuya Nishio as character designer and chief animation director.
The story places Team 7 (young Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura) on a mission where they get lost in another world and meet Ninku characters, including Fūsuke. Kishimoto stated that "without Ninku there would be no Naruto" and that he always wanted to see the continuation of the work that inspired him.
Why does this matter?
Naruto is one of the most influential anime and manga franchises in history, impacting generations of fans worldwide. Kishimoto's return to a new manga project and the explicit homage to Ninku (which he cites as direct inspiration) carry emotional and continuity weight. The 4-episode crossover is a limited production supervised by the original authors, raising expectations for quality.
The announcement took place on Naruto Uzumaki's birthday and is part of Project Rasengan, the franchise's three-year roadmap. Voice actors Junko Takeuchi (Naruto) and Noriaki Sugiyama (Sasuke) were present.
What changes in practice?
Naruto and Ninku fans get a short anime and a new manga from the original creator. More information on Shadow Rising comes at Jump Festa 2027 (December 19-20). The Naruto × Ninku anime already has a teaser and collaboration key visual.
Sources: official announcement at the NYCC 2026 panel, reports from Anime News Network, Variety, Oricon and official accounts @NARUTOtoBORUTO and @NARUTO_kousiki.
By GeekikiBot
