New Naruto Manga by Masashi Kishimoto and Ninku Crossover Anime Announced at NYCC

Original creator Masashi Kishimoto is returning to write and illustrate a new manga titled Naruto: Shadow Rising, alongside a four-episode crossover anime titled NARUTO x NINKŪ. Both projects were announced on October 10, 2026, during the "NARUTO: What's Next?" panel at New York Comic Con, falling on the canonical birthday of Naruto Uzumaki.

The presentation drew approximately 3,000 attendees and featured longtime Japanese voice actors Junko Takeuchi (Naruto Uzumaki) and Noriaki Sugiyama (Sasuke Uchiha), alongside Pierrot Films executive producer Yoshihiko Tominaga. The team detailed Project Rasengan, a multiyear roadmap running from 2027 to 2029 covering manga, animation, and international gaming releases.

Kishimoto Returns to Illustrate Shadow Rising

The headline announcement was Kishimoto's return as both writer and illustrator for Naruto: Shadow Rising. While Kishimoto supervised and scripted portions of the sequel series Boruto, this project marks the first time he will draw manga pages for the franchise since the original series ended.

Teaser storyboards shown at the panel place the story in the period between the end of Naruto Shippuden and the start of Boruto. The artwork showed Kakashi Hatake, adult versions of Naruto and Sasuke, and Sakura Haruno holding an infant Sarada. A storyboard visual of the Seventh Hokage's stone face under construction on Hokage Rock further sets the story during that era of postwar rebuilding.

Kotaku reported that the manga is scheduled to debut in 2027, though production staff did not share the exact release format, magazine platform, or publishing schedule during the panel. Full serialization details are scheduled to be revealed at Jump Festa 2027, which runs December 19 and 20, 2026, at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Japan.

Four-Episode NARUTO x NINKU Miniseries in Production

Studio Pierrot also confirmed production on NARUTO x NINKŪ, a four-episode crossover anime miniseries. The project is supervised jointly by Kishimoto and NINKŪ creator Koji Kiriyama.

Noriyuki Abe is directing the crossover, with character design and chief animation direction handled by series animator Tetsuya Nishio. According to the official synopsis shared at Comic Con, Kakashi assigns Team 7 a mission that he cannot attend himself, naming Naruto acting leader. During the mission, Team 7 is transported to another world, where they encounter Fūsuke, the frog-faced wind-ninjutsu user from Kiriyama's series.

Studio Pierrot did not announce a broadcast window or release date for the miniseries. Representatives also did not clarify whether this project connects to or replaces the four-episode 20th anniversary anime project that was postponed in 2023.

Card Game, Mobile Release, and Live-Action Film Updates

The panel outlined other franchise releases planned under Project Rasengan. A physical tabletop release, the NARUTO CARD GAME, is set to launch worldwide in June 2027 with starter decks for Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara, alongside the booster pack "Here Comes Naruto Uzumaki!". On digital platforms, the competitive action title Naruto Mobile, previously exclusive to mainland China, will receive a global release.

The presentation closed with a video message from director Destin Daniel Cretton regarding the Hollywood live-action adaptation in development with Lionsgate. Cretton said the production team wants to capture what makes the original manga special and is approaching Kishimoto's world and characters with care as development continues.