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MUMBAI: Believe it! Naruto is gearing up for a double comeback, with creator Masashi Kishimoto returning to the drawing board for a new manga while the beloved ninja franchise teams up with Ninkū for a four-episode anime crossover.
Announced by Shueisha at the ‘NARUTO: What’s Next?’ panel during New York Comic Con 2026, the initiative, titled Project Rasengan, will expand the Naruto universe through two projects: Naruto: Shadow Rising, a new manga illustrated by Kishimoto, and Naruto x Ninkū, a limited anime series bringing together two influential properties from the world of Japanese manga and animation.
The announcements offer fans fresh stories from the Naruto universe while revisiting a franchise that helped shape Kishimoto’s creative journey.
The new manga, Naruto: Shadow Rising, will be written and illustrated directly by Kishimoto, the creator behind the original Naruto series.
Set in the roughly 10-year period between the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War and the beginning of Boruto, the story will explore a previously underdeveloped chapter in the lives of Naruto and his companions.
A visual teaser offers glimpses of the period through concept sketches and storyboards. Adult Naruto appears holding his Hokage cloak and hat, while Kakashi is seen smiling beneath his mask and Sasuke stands resolutely. Another image shows Sakura looking fondly at her infant daughter, Sarada Uchiha, placing the story well before the events of Boruto, in which Sarada is 11.
The teaser also features construction work on the Hokage rock face in Konoha, the village’s monumental tribute to its leaders, alongside a striking confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke. The images hint at a period of transition for the characters as Naruto’s world moves beyond war towards a new generation of shinobi.
Further details, including the publication schedule and story revelations, are expected at Jump Festa 2027, scheduled for 19 and 20 December 2026. The manga is slated to launch in 2027.
The second project, Naruto x Ninkū, will bring together characters from the two franchises in a four-episode special series produced by Studio Pierrot.
Kishimoto and Ninkū creator Koji Kiriyama will jointly supervise the project. Noriyuki Abe, known for directing the original 1995 Ninkū anime as well as Bleach and Yu Yu Hakusho, will direct the series, with Tetsuya Nishio handling character designs.
The crossover will also feature the return of the opening theme ‘GO!!!’ by Japanese rock band FLOW, a familiar track for Naruto fans.
The story begins when Kakashi sends Team 7, comprising Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, on a mission and appoints Naruto as its acting leader. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when they are transported to another world, where they encounter Fūsuke, the frog-faced protagonist of Ninkū, and join forces with the Ninku Corps.
The series will reunite several familiar voices. Junko Takeuchi will return as young Naruto, with Noriaki Sugiyama reprising Sasuke and Chie Nakamura returning as Sakura. Rika Matsumoto, widely recognised for voicing Ash Ketchum in Pokémon, will reprise her role as Fūsuke.
For Kishimoto, the collaboration carries a personal significance that goes beyond bringing two anime worlds together. Ninkū, a manga series from the 1990s that ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump, was a major influence on the creation of Naruto.
“I created Naruto because I personally wanted to see the continuation of Ninkū. I think many of you have already noticed, but Naruto was immensely influenced by Ninkū. Without Ninkū, Naruto would not exist. Simply put, Fūsuke is Naruto’s secret mentor. Eventually, I began dreaming of bringing this master-and-student relationship out of the shadows, and into an actual storyline,” Kishimoto said.
The crossover will turn that long-standing creative connection into an on-screen story, giving fans a chance to see the influence play out through the characters themselves.
Together, the two announcements offer a mix of fresh storytelling and nostalgia. Shadow Rising will revisit Naruto’s journey towards becoming Hokage, while Naruto x Ninkū will bring one of Kishimoto’s formative influences into the spotlight.
For a franchise built on perseverance, rivalries and unlikely alliances, Project Rasengan is taking the story in two directions at once: back to Naruto’s roots and forward into a new chapter.
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