New York Comic Con 2026 brought two unexpected additions to Masashi Kishimoto’s ninja universe: a new manga set between the original Naruto series and Boruto, and a four-part crossover anime.
Masashi Kishimoto returns for Naruto: Shadow Rising
A trailer unveiled Naruto: Shadow Rising, with its most significant detail being Kishimoto’s direct creative involvement. He will write and draw the manga, returning to the role he held throughout the original series.
The news has prompted a strong reaction from fans. Kishimoto created the original manga but mainly supervised Boruto, while Mikio Ikemoto produced its artwork. The new project therefore represents a notable change in creative responsibility.
The trailer also provides a useful clue about the story’s position in the timeline. Sarada Uchiha is shown as a baby, whereas she is 11 at the beginning of Boruto. That places Naruto: Shadow Rising approximately a decade before the sequel begins.
One sequence shows Naruto and Sasuke fighting yet again, a detail specifically noted in the official announcement. No plot outline has been revealed, leaving the reason for their confrontation unknown. The original Naruto ends with the pair resolving their conflict, while Boruto presents them as friends, so the new manga will explore a previously unseen period between those events.
The first chapter is expected in 2027. Until then, the trailer’s timeline clues and the return of Kishimoto as both writer and artist are the main confirmed details.
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Naruto x Ninkū connects the series to its inspiration
The second announcement is Naruto x Ninkū, a four-part anime crossover bringing Naruto together with Ninkū. The latter may be unfamiliar to many Western viewers, despite its importance to Kishimoto’s creative background.
Kishimoto has previously identified Ninkū as a major influence on Naruto. Following the announcement, he explained that he created Naruto because he wanted to see a continuation of Ninkū, and said the influence was so extensive that Naruto would not exist without it.
“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.”
Ninkū is widely known in Japan but did not make the same impression on Western audiences. Its original anime was released in 1995, while the English dub is considered lost media. That limited availability may help explain why the crossover announcement surprised so many viewers outside Japan.
The project gives Kishimoto’s stated inspiration a direct connection to the franchise it helped shape. It may also introduce a new audience to Ninkū while expanding the cultural context behind Naruto.
For now, Shadow Rising is set to fill in the years before Boruto, while Naruto x Ninkū will turn one of Kishimoto’s formative influences into a new animated collaboration. More information about both projects is still to come.
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