Masashi Kishimoto Announces Naruto: Shadow Rising Manga and Four-Episode Ninku Anime Crossover

Franchise creator Masashi Kishimoto took the Empire Stage at New York Comic Con on October 10, 2026, to detail upcoming projects for the long-running series, announcing a new manga titled Naruto: Shadow Rising and a four-episode crossover anime pairing Team 7 with the 1990s series Ninku.

The presentation, titled "NARUTO: What's Next?", took place before roughly 3,000 attendees at the Javits Center. Kishimoto appeared alongside original Japanese voice actors Junko Takeuchi (Naruto Uzumaki) and Noriaki Sugiyama (Sasuke Uchiha), as well as Pierrot Films executive producer Yoshihiro Tominaga. Publisher Shueisha and animation studio Pierrot also presented Project Rasengan, a coordinated three-year roadmap spanning 2027 through 2029 that leads into the anime adaptation's 25th anniversary.

Teaser Details for Naruto: Shadow Rising

Naruto: Shadow Rising marks Kishimoto's return to writing and illustrating the original cast directly since the conclusion of the 700-chapter original series in 2014 and sporadic one-shots. Shueisha has not yet confirmed the exact serialization platform, chapter count, or debut date, but preview sketches and video shown during the panel established the story's setting.

Teaser visuals featured the Hokage Rock monument with the seventh face under active construction, an adult Naruto Uzumaki holding his Hokage hat, Sakura holding an infant, and a battle between Naruto and Sasuke. Full serialization schedules and art previews are scheduled for Jump Festa 2027, which runs December 19 and 20, 2026, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

Production Staff and Plot for NARUTO x NINKŪ

Studio Pierrot confirmed production on NARUTO x NINKŪ, an all-new four-episode limited crossover anime supervised jointly by Kishimoto and Ninku creator Koji Kiriyama. Kiriyama launched Ninku in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1993, six years before Naruto began serialization in 1999.

"Without Ninku, there would be no Naruto. I wanted to read more of Ninku, so I started drawing Naruto," Kishimoto said during the presentation. "Simply put, Fūsuke is Naruto's secret mentor."

Noriyuki Abe directs the four-episode series, with longtime franchise animator Tetsuya Nishio handling character designs and chief animation direction. In the official plot synopsis, Kakashi cannot participate in a mission and appoints Naruto as acting leader of Team 7. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura subsequently enter an unfamiliar dimension, where they encounter Kiriyama's wind-ninjutsu hero, Fūsuke. Broadcast windows, international distribution partners, and streaming platforms remain unannounced.

Project Rasengan Roadmap and Tabletop Gaming

The print and animated projects fall under Project Rasengan, an umbrella plan aligning publishing, broadcast animation, and gaming releases across 2027 through 2029. Studio Pierrot confirmed that the four-episode crossover replaces the previously delayed four-episode anniversary anime initiative.

The panel outlined two major game releases under the roadmap:

• Naruto Card Game: A competitive tabletop trading card game set to launch worldwide in June 2027. The game debuts with three starter decks focused on Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara, alongside a booster set. In-store public demos will run between February and March 2027.
• Naruto Mobile: The mobile action title, released exclusively in mainland China in 2016, will expand internationally. Regional release dates and language options will be confirmed at Jump Festa.

The presentation also included a video progress message from director Destin Daniel Cretton regarding Lionsgate's upcoming live-action feature adaptation. Studio representatives did not address casting reports, leaving speculation around actor Charles Melton potentially playing Kakashi Hatake unconfirmed.

Jump Festa 2027 Reveal Window

Shueisha has designated Jump Festa 2027 in late December 2026 as the formal reveal point for specific release dates and story details. The December event will feature complete publication dates for Naruto: Shadow Rising, distribution platforms for the four-episode Ninku crossover, and international release timelines for Naruto Mobile.