On 10 October 2026 (local time) — Naruto Uzumaki’s in-universe birthday — the special stage “NARUTO: What’s Next?” took place at the Empire Stage of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center during New York Comic Con 2026. The packed venue of roughly 3,000 fans welcomed voice actors Junko Takeuchi (Naruto), Noriaki Sugiyama (Sasuke), and PIERROT FILMS Executive Producer Yoshihiko Tominaga for a string of world-premiere announcements.
A Dream Crossover: NARUTO-ナルト-×NINKŪ-忍空-
The headline reveal was a brand-new anime, 『NARUTO-ナルト-×NINKŪ-忍空-』, a crossover between NARUTO and the legendary series NINKŪ-忍空-. A teaser trailer and a world-premiere collaboration visual were unveiled on the spot.
NINKŪ is the work that Masashi Kishimoto has long credited as the direct inspiration for NARUTO, famously saying, “Without NINKŪ, NARUTO would not exist.” The new anime’s introductory premise was revealed: while on a mission, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura accidentally wander into another world, where they encounter Fūsuke, the frog-faced boy hero of NINKŪ. Every episode will be supervised jointly by Kishimoto and NINKŪ creator Kōji Kiriyama.
The production team includes director Noriyuki Abe — who previously helmed both the NINKŪ TV anime and BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS — and character designer / Chief Animation Director Tetsuya Nishio, a veteran of both the NINKŪ and NARUTO anime series. EP Tominaga shared in-progress key animation by Nishio on stage, drawing audible gasps from the audience for its meticulous quality.
Comments from Creators and Cast
Kōji Kiriyama (NINKŪ creator) said in a special message:
I’m truly thrilled that the worlds of Naruto and Fūsuke will finally intersect. This miracle came about through Kishimoto-sensei’s proposal and generosity. Please look forward to the adventure with the same excitement as us!
Masashi Kishimoto (NARUTO creator) wrote:
I drew NARUTO because I wanted to see more of NINKŪ. NARUTO was born from NINKŪ’s enormous influence — without NINKŪ, NARUTO does not exist. Fūsuke is Naruto’s shadow master. I dreamed for years of making that master-and-student relationship real within a story, and now that dream has come true. It’s four episodes in total — please enjoy every one!
On stage, Junko Takeuchi said she was overjoyed to announce the NINKŪ collaboration, while Noriaki Sugiyama called it “a dream project that Kishimoto-sensei has wanted to realise for so long.” Rika Matsumoto, the original voice of Fūsuke, also sent a message expressing deep emotion at reuniting with the character nearly 30 years on, and thanking everyone who made the project possible.
PROJECT RASENGAN: A Global Long-Term Initiative
The stage also unveiled PROJECT RASENGAN, a large-scale global initiative spanning manga, anime, cards, and games, designed to chart the mid-to-long-term future of the NARUTO franchise. A newly drawn key visual — depicting Naruto launching a Rasengan, with manga, anime, and game versions of the character in the background — was shown alongside a first-ever roadmap of upcoming releases across multiple media. Many panels on the roadmap remained blacked out, hinting at further unannounced projects.
New Kishimoto Manga and Hollywood Film Update
Toward the end of the event, a message from Destin Daniel Cretton, director of the Hollywood live-action NARUTO film, was read aloud. He spoke of his pride in bringing Kishimoto’s world to live-action, confirmed that a global casting search for Team 7 was already underway, and said his excitement for the project grows with every step of production.
The evening’s final surprise was a super teaser PV screened without prior warning, revealing the words “A new NARUTO manga drawn by Masashi Kishimoto” — sending the crowd into a thunderous roar of cheers and applause.
Takeuchi closed in character as Naruto: “Thanks for celebrating my birthday, dattebayo! See ya!” Sugiyama, in character as Sasuke, added: “With everyone’s support, NARUTO’s new world will keep expanding. Keep cheering us on!”
More Details at Jump Festa 2027
Further details on PROJECT RASENGAN are set to be revealed at Jump Festa 2027, scheduled for 19–20 December at Makuhari Messe.
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