Lead: The Naruto x Ninku crossover anime is officially in production, and Masashi Kishimoto is back at the drawing board with a new manga called Naruto Shadow Rising, both revealed at the “NARUTO: What’s Next?” panel at New York Comic Con on October 10.
What happened
The panel finally put a name and a shape to the “limited” TV anime series that was teased last month. It is NARUTO×NINKŪ, a crossover with Koji Kiriyama’s 1990s ninja manga Ninku. The story is completely original, and both Kishimoto and Kiriyama are supervising it.
The setup: Kakashi can’t join Team 7 on a mission, so Naruto is made acting leader. On the way, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura get lost and end up in another world, where they meet Fūsuke, the frog-faced boy at the heart of Ninku.
Noriyuki Abe is directing. He was chief director on Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and also directed the original Ninku anime. Tetsuya Nishio, who worked on both the Naruto and Ninku anime, is character designer and chief animation director. Naruto and Sasuke voice actors Junko Takeuchi and Noriaki Sugiyama appeared on stage alongside Pierrot Films executive producer Yoshihiro Tominaga. A collaboration key visual and a teaser were released, and the teaser carries a line from Kishimoto: “Without Ninku, there would be no Naruto.”
The same panel confirmed Naruto Shadow Rising, a new Naruto manga by Kishimoto. Only the title and a short teaser are out so far. More details are promised at the Naruto Super Stage at Jump Festa ’27, which runs December 19 and 20.
Both projects sit under a new banner called Project Rasengan, a 2027 to 2029 roadmap that appears to tease eight releases. The first four shown were the crossover anime, the new manga, a worldwide release of the China-only Naruto Mobile game (out in China since 2016), and Bandai’s new Naruto Card Game. The card game launches worldwide in June 2027 with three starter decks built around Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara, and in-store demos run through February and March. Director Destin Daniel Cretton also sent a message about the Lionsgate live-action film, though there was no casting news or footage.
Why the Naruto x Ninku crossover anime matters
This is the first genuinely new Naruto anime with a production team attached in years. The four “brand-new” 20th anniversary episodes announced in 2023 were delayed a week before their debut and have not resurfaced, so fans have been waiting on promises. A named director, a named character designer, and a supervised original story are far more solid than that.
The Ninku pairing is a smart, slightly nerdy choice. The panel framed Kiriyama’s manga as the spark that led Kishimoto to create Naruto, and putting the two side by side turns a nostalgia project into a bit of manga history. Bringing back Abe and Nishio also means the show should look and feel like classic Naruto rather than a reboot.
For artists, this is a good excuse to revisit the original Team 7 designs. If you want to warm up before the teaser stills pile up, our guide on how to draw Naruto Uzumaki covers both his young and older looks.
What we know vs what is rumored
- Confirmed: NARUTO×NINKŪ is a limited TV anime series in production, directed by Noriyuki Abe with character designs by Tetsuya Nishio, and supervised by Kishimoto and Kiriyama.
- Confirmed: Kishimoto’s new manga is titled Naruto Shadow Rising, with more details due at Jump Festa ’27 on December 19 and 20.
- Confirmed: The Naruto Card Game launches in June 2027, and Naruto Mobile is getting a worldwide release.
- Unconfirmed: A premiere date or streaming partner for the crossover anime. Polygon notes the roadmap placement points to 2027, but the teaser does not say so.
- Unconfirmed: Whether the crossover is connected to the delayed 2023 anniversary episodes, and what the remaining Project Rasengan slots are.
What happens next
Jump Festa ’27 on December 19 and 20 is the next big date, with more on Shadow Rising and Naruto Mobile expected there. Card game demos start in February ahead of the June 2027 launch. Pierrot is streaming the first five Ninku episodes free on its YouTube channel, which is an easy way to meet Fūsuke before the crossover airs.
Sources: Anime News Network — Naruto Gets Crossover Anime With Ninku Franchise; Anime News Network — Masashi Kishimoto to Launch New Naruto Manga; Anime News Network — Naruto Mobile Game to Get Worldwide Release; Naruto Card Game Reveals Demo, Release Dates; Polygon — Naruto To Get New Manga, Crossover Anime, And More Before The End Of The Decade; IGN — Naruto Teasers Reveal New Shadow Rising Manga and Anime Crossover Series