Following the recent announcement of a new canon manga titled Naruto: Shadow Rising, slated for release in 2027, a wave of misinformation has emerged online. Posts across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Instagram, and YouTube are attempting to portray this announcement as confirmation that Boruto, the ongoing sequel manga by Mikio Ikemoto, is no longer canon.
These claims often cite out-of-context statements or misinterpretations of interviews. One viral post on X with nearly 5 million views, dated October 14, alleged that original Naruto author Masashi Kishimoto stated Boruto was an alternate universe in a 2024 interview. Another post on the same platform used a 2017 video of Kishimoto to claim he had "officially confirmed" Boruto as non-canon. Acknowledging these statements were taken out of context, some proponents of the rumor have admitted to their fabrication for engagement purposes.
The fabricated narrative has even led some fans to label Ikemoto's manga as "Boruto GT," drawing a parallel to the non-canon Dragon Ball GT anime. This has prompted a backlash from other corners of the fandom, with dedicated "Boruto Canonicity Megathreads" appearing on subreddits and content creators working to debunk the fake rumor. Even prominent Naruto fan channels have had to address the spread of this misinformation.
The persistence of this easily disprovable narrative can be attributed to two primary factors. Firstly, a significant portion of the fanbase reportedly dislikes Boruto, making them eager to believe the series has been decanonized. Secondly, the timing of the Naruto: Shadow Rising announcement coincides with a period that appears to be set between the end of Naruto and the beginning of Boruto. Promotional art for Shadow Rising shows Sarada, who is eleven at the start of Boruto, as an infant, suggesting a narrative gap that could allow for a soft reset. This possibility might be appealing to publisher Shueisha, given the comparative sales figures between the two series.
As of October 2025, Shueisha reported 10 million copies of the Boruto manga in circulation in Japan. This figure contrasts with the over 250 million copies sold worldwide for the original Naruto manga (the first 72 volumes) by 2023. While modern manga consumption includes a substantial online readership not fully captured by physical sales, the disparity has fueled speculation about Boruto's commercial performance and created an environment where the idea of Naruto: Shadow Rising rendering Boruto non-canon might be strategically advantageous for the publisher.
Kotaku has reached out to Viz Media, the official American publisher of Naruto, for confirmation regarding Kishimoto's intentions for Boruto's canonicity.