Naruto Returns With New Anime Crossover With Ninku and a New Manga

Naruto is getting a new limited TV anime. Titled NARUTO×NINKŪ, it is a crossover with Koji Kiriyama's 1990s ninja series Ninku, and it was revealed at the “NARUTO: What's Next?” panel at New York Comic Con on October 10, Naruto Uzumaki's birthday. The panel was streamed worldwide on the official Naruto/Boruto YouTube channel.

Variety reports that the series is supervised by both Masashi Kishimoto and Kiriyama. In the story, Kakashi gives Team 7 a mission and names Naruto acting leader, but the trio ends up lost in another world, where they meet a frog-faced boy named Fūsuke. Anime News Network reports that Boruto and Ninku director Noriyuki Abe is directing.

The world-premiere trailer included a statement from Kishimoto crediting Ninku as a major influence on his work. A release date, distribution details and the number of episodes have not yet been announced.

The panel also unveiled a new Naruto manga by Kishimoto called Shadow Rising, according to Variety. Screen Rant reports a Naruto Card Game is set to debut in June 2027, and that the panel laid out a roadmap for the franchise running from 2027 through 2029. A live-action film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton is also in development.

The new project is the franchise's first anime since Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ended three years ago. Anime News Network also noted that a four-episode anime planned for the series' 20th anniversary was delayed in 2023.