Anime
Naruto × Ninku: Crossover anime announced with four episodes
Masashi Kishimoto and Koji Kiriyama are jointly overseeing the new story; a release date has not yet been announced.
A new four-part crossover anime for Naruto × Ninku is in development, bringing the ninja series of Masashi Kishimoto and Koji Kiriyama together in a shared story for the first time. The production was announced on October 10, 2026, at the New York Comic Con during the panel "Naruto: What's Next?" A first visual and an official teaser were released at the same time.
Team 7 meets Fusuke from Ninku
The story centers on Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura during the time of the original Naruto series. Kakashi assigns the three a mission but cannot accompany them due to another assignment. Naruto therefore takes provisional leadership of Team 7. Along the way, the group is pulled into a different world and encounters the boy Fusuke, who comes from Ninku.
The crossover story was created specifically for the anime. Both manga creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Koji Kiriyama, are supervising all four episodes. A release date and international streaming availability have not yet been announced.
Staff from both anime series involved
Among those involved is Noriyuki Abe, who previously directed Ninku and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Tetsuya Nishio, known for the character design of both anime series, is also working on the project. The publisher VIZ confirmed these production details in its New York Comic Con announcement.
Junko Takeuchi returns as Naruto, and Rika Matsumoto returns as Fusuke. Both commented on the new collaboration in the official announcement. The teaser offers a first impression of the encounter between the two series.
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Why the connection is special
Kishimoto has described Kiriyama's Ninku as a significant inspiration for the creation of Naruto. The announced production turns this connection into a shared anime narrative for the first time. Alongside the crossover, the franchise presented further projects under the name Project Rasengan at the same event, including Kishimoto's new manga Naruto: Shadow Rising.
aninew.de has already reported on another adaptation of the series: the Naruto live show in Kyoto is set to begin in 2027. Unlike this stage production, Naruto × Ninku is announced as a standalone four-part anime. Whether the episodes will air on television, stream, or appear in another form has not yet been determined.