New details have emerged regarding upcoming additions to the Naruto franchise, including a manga penned by the original creator, Masashi Kishimoto, and a spin-off anime. The announcements were made at New York Comic Con 2026.
Naruto: Shadow Rising Manga
The new manga, titled "Naruto: Shadow Rising," is set to take place approximately a decade before the events of "Boruto." This places the story between the conclusion of the original "Naruto" manga and the beginning of its sequel. A trailer revealed at the event showed Sarada, Sasuke's daughter, as a baby, which supports this timeframe as she is eleven years old at the start of "Boruto." The trailer also featured a confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke.
Masashi Kishimoto, who wrote and drew the original "Naruto" manga, will return to both write and draw "Naruto: Shadow Rising." He had largely supervised the "Boruto" sequel, a role that garnered mixed reactions from fans, many of whom expressed a preference for Kishimoto's artwork over that of "Boruto" artist Mikio Ikemoto. The first chapter of "Naruto: Shadow Rising" is slated for release in 2027.
Naruto x Ninkū Anime Crossover
In addition to the manga, a four-part spin-off anime titled "Naruto x Ninkū" was also announced. This miniseries will be a crossover between the "Naruto" and "Ninkū" properties. While "Ninkū" is well-known in Japan, it did not achieve similar popularity in Western markets. The English dub of the original 1995 "Ninkū" anime is considered lost media.
Kishimoto has previously stated that "Ninkū" was a significant inspiration for "Naruto." He noted that he created "Naruto" partly out of a desire to see a continuation of "Ninkū," emphasizing the latter's influence on his iconic work. Kishimoto expressed enthusiasm for the "Naruto x Ninkū" collaboration.