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Naruto's 2026 Relaunch: 'Shadow Rising' Manga and a Ninku Crossover Anime, Explained
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In brief
At a New York Comic Con panel on October 10, 2026, the Naruto franchise unveiled a new manga, "Shadow Rising," by original creator Masashi Kishimoto, alongside a four-episode crossover anime with the 1990s series Ninku. Both projects are tied to "Project Rasengan," a three-year plan marking the franchise's 25th anniversary, with full details promised for Jump Festa 2027 in December.
Naruto fans received two separate announcements on the same day. During a panel titled "NARUTO: What's Next?" at New York Comic Con on October 10, 2026, Masashi Kishimoto's team confirmed a new manga called "Shadow Rising" and, separately, a limited crossover anime pairing Naruto's Team 7 with characters from Koji Kiriyama's 1990s manga Ninku, according to Anime News Network and Comic Book Resources.
What exactly was announced
The crossover anime, titled "NARUTO×NINKŪ," is a four-episode limited series with an original story supervised jointly by Kishimoto and Ninku creator Koji Kiriyama, Anime News Network reported. The plot has Naruto serving as acting captain of Team 7 while Kakashi is unavailable for a mission; on the way, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura wander into the world of Ninku and meet a frog-faced boy named Fūsuke, according to both Anime News Network and CBR.
Studio Pierrot is producing the crossover. Noriyuki Abe, chief director of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, directs, with Tetsuya Nishio serving as character designer and chief animation director, per Anime News Network. Junko Takeuchi and Noriaki Sugiyama reprise their roles as Naruto and Sasuke.
The second project, "Shadow Rising," is a new manga written by Kishimoto himself, marking his return to the core Naruto storyline more than a decade after the original series concluded in 2014, CBR reported. A teaser shown at the panel depicted the six previous Hokage watching over the Hidden Leaf Village and showed adult versions of Team 7: Naruto holding the Hokage hat, a smiling Kakashi, a confident Sasuke, and Sakura cradling her daughter Sarada. The teaser ends with a confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke, according to CBR.
Why pair Naruto with Ninku
The Ninku connection is not arbitrary. Kiriyama's Ninku ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1993 to 1995 across nine volumes, followed by a 55-episode Studio Pierrot anime (1995–1996) and two films, per Anime News Network. Kishimoto has credited the series as a direct inspiration for his own work, stating: "Without Ninku, there would be no Naruto. I wanted to read more of Ninku, so I started drawing Naruto."
The crossover therefore functions as a tribute from Kishimoto to a series he has publicly named as formative to Naruto's creation, rather than a conventional licensing tie-in between unrelated properties.
Project Rasengan and the 25th anniversary
Both the crossover anime and the Shadow Rising manga sit inside what CBR describes as "Project Rasengan," a three-year roadmap running from 2027 to 2029 built around the franchise's 25th anniversary. Full details on Shadow Rising — including its release format and schedule — are set to be revealed at Jump Festa 2027, held December 19–20, 2026, in Chiba, Japan, according to CBR.
No episode count, air date, or streaming platform has yet been disclosed for the NARUTO×NINKŪ anime beyond its four-episode, limited-series framing, per a Variety report syndicated by Yahoo.
The announcements also arrive alongside continued development of a live-action Naruto film. Director Destin Daniel Cretton addressed the NYCC panel, describing Naruto as a character who could easily have been written as a sidekick but instead stands out for his resilience and heart, according to the Variety/Yahoo report.
| Project | Format | Key creators | What happens next |
|---|---|---|---|
| NARUTO×NINKŪ | 4-episode limited TV anime crossover | Masashi Kishimoto & Koji Kiriyama (story supervision); Noriyuki Abe (director); Tetsuya Nishio (character design); Studio Pierrot | No air date or platform confirmed yet |
| Shadow Rising | New manga | Masashi Kishimoto (writer) | Full details promised at Jump Festa 2027, Dec 19–20, 2026 |
Background: who is involved
- Masashi Kishimoto created Naruto, which ran in Weekly Shonen Jump and concluded in 2014, per CBR.
- Koji Kiriyama created Ninku, serialized 1993–1995 in Weekly Shonen Jump, later adapted into a 55-episode anime and two films by Studio Pierrot, per Anime News Network.
- Noriyuki Abe, the crossover's director, previously served as chief director on Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, per Anime News Network.
- Junko Takeuchi and Noriaki Sugiyama, the original Japanese voices of Naruto and Sasuke, return for the crossover, per Anime News Network.
Neither announcement included a confirmed international streaming or publishing partner at the time of the NYCC panel. Both Anime News Network and the Variety/Yahoo report note that further specifics, including the Shadow Rising manga's publication details, are expected in December at Jump Festa 2027.
Questions
- What is Naruto Shadow Rising?
- It is a new manga written by original Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, announced October 10, 2026, marking his return to the core storyline more than a decade after the original series ended in 2014. Full release details are due at Jump Festa 2027 in December.
- What is the Naruto x Ninku crossover anime?
- NARUTO×NINKŪ is a four-episode limited anime series in which Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura wander into the world of Ninku, a 1990s Weekly Shonen Jump series by Koji Kiriyama, and meet a character named Fūsuke.
- Why was Ninku chosen for the crossover?
- Kishimoto has said Ninku directly inspired him to create Naruto, crediting the series as the reason he began drawing manga in the first place. The crossover is supervised by both Kishimoto and Ninku creator Koji Kiriyama.
- When will more details be revealed?
- Both Anime News Network and CBR report that additional information on Shadow Rising and the broader 'Project Rasengan' plan will be shared at Jump Festa 2027, held December 19–20, 2026, in Chiba, Japan.
- Is there still a live-action Naruto movie in the works?
- Yes. Director Destin Daniel Cretton addressed the New York Comic Con panel about the project, speaking positively about the Naruto character, according to a Variety report syndicated by Yahoo.
Sources
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