Naruto: Shadow Rising Announced as Kishimoto Returns to Manga

Announced at New York Comic Con 2026, the new Naruto manga headlines a major franchise expansion, raising hopes for the original anime and Boruto’s future.

Great news for Naruto fans: Naruto: Shadow Rising was formally unveiled on October 10, 2026, during New York Comic Con 2026. The announcement took place on the special "NARUTO: What's Next?" stage, on Naruto Uzumaki's birthday, in front of about 3,000 fans. Most notably, Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto's creator, will draw the new manga. This is some of the most exciting news regarding the franchise in years.

The official Naruto website said the news is part of a broader goal to expand the property across manga, anime, games, trading cards, and other entertainment. Along with the unveiling, a teaser video was released showing manga storyboards and giving fans a glimpse of the project without revealing the full narrative or a release date.

Longtime fans will find the teaser loaded with interesting visuals.

It portrays the faces of the six previous Hokage looking down over the Hidden Leaf Village. Then we see the construction of a monument for the Seventh Hokage. We also catch glimpses of Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura. We also see more photographs of Naruto and Sasuke battling. These glimpses, of course, have fueled speculation about the story’s history, character relationships, and any potential connections to Boruto.

But writers have yet to establish a complete storyline summary, chapter sequence, or release date. Fans will have to wait for more information to decide where the new manga is going. Kishimoto’s role is especially significant, since Naruto has been a major part of anime culture for years, even after the manga ended in 2014.

The brand has seen Naruto Shippuden, Boruto, video games, movies, and memorabilia, but a new manga from the original artist provides fans a new incentive to return. For lifelong fans, the most exciting thing is seeing familiar characters come to life in Kishimoto’s own art and storylines. Since the preview focuses mainly on the original Team 7, fans are already talking about changes to Naruto, Sasuke's role, and what the future holds for the Hidden Leaf Village.

The news falls under PROJECT RASENGAN, a long-term initiative to secure Naruto’s future across multiple entertainment mediums. Other announcements included a four-part crossover animation between Naruto and Ninkū, a global release of Naruto Mobile, and a Naruto-based trading card game coming out in June 2027.

Shadow Rising could revive interest in the original Naruto anime and maybe even generate material for later TV shows.

However, there has been no official announcement of an anime adaptation of Shadow Rising, so fans should not get their hopes up for a new Naruto series. The news also makes people question Boruto. The first part of the sequel anime finished in March 2023, and production on the second part is already underway. The new Naruto manga could offer more tales to the brand. 

Still, there’s no official announcement that Shadow Rising will be delayed, replaced, or directly affect the next Boruto anime episode. Fans won’t have to wait long for the next update. The official Naruto release says more information about the new manga will be revealed at the Naruto stage at Jump Festa 2027, scheduled for December 19th to 20th, 2026.

Until then, Shadow Rising is still an interesting new addition to one of anime’s most well-known series. With Kishimoto returning to draw a new manga and PROJECT RASENGAN promising bigger improvements, Naruto’s future looks like it will have plenty to do. The biggest question is whether this new project will bring back the previous characters, be set in a different time period, or tell a story that connects the original series more directly to Boruto.