A crossover anime project is in production for the Naruto and Ninku anime series. The anime was unveiled during the “NARUTO: What’s Next?” panel at New York Comic Con 2026, which also had a worldwide livestream on YouTube.
A key visual and teaser trailer were also revealed.
The new anime project is titled NARUTO×NINKU and will have an original story that features Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura finding themselves in the world of Ninku. It has also been confirmed as a four-episode “TV Anime Limited Series” on the series’ official website.
The crossover anime was announced as the first project of the “PROJECT RASENGAN” roadmap initiative, which is developing new multimedia projects in the Naruto franchise and “spin the next chapter of NARUTO.”
The synopsis of NARUTO×NINKU is described as:
“I’m heading out on a mission for the ages, ya hear me?!”
Team 7 members Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are given a mission by Kakashi. Since Kakashi cannot participate himself, Naruto is appointed acting leader. As a result of this decision, Naruto is fully motivated to make the mission a success.
However, on the way, Team 7 finds themselves lost in another world. What appears before the bewildered trio is a boy with a face resembling a frog’s, named Fūsuke.
What awaits them in this strange new world?
Junko Takeuchi will reprise her role as Naruto Uzumaki for the crossover anime, along with Rica Matsumoto who returns to voice Fusuke from the Ninku 1995-1996 TV anime series and films.
Other voice cast members include:
- • Noriaki Sugiyama as Sasuke Uchiha
- • Chie Nakamura as Sakura Haruno
- • Kazuhiko Inoue as Kakashi Hatake
- • Mitsuaki Madono as Aicho
- • Jurota Kosugi as Toji
- • Megumi Hayashibara as Rihoko
- • Katsumi Suzuki as Hiroyuki
The NARUTO×NINKU anime will be directed by Noriyuki Abe (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations chief director from Episodes 1-104), who was the director of the 1995-1996 Ninku TV anime series and its two anime films. Tetsuya Nishio (Ninku 1995-1996 TV anime character designer, Kaiju No. 8) joins him as the character designer and chief animation director. Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto and Ninku creator Koji Kiriyama are supervising the anime. Studio Pierrot is in charge of the animation production.
Other staff include Nozomi Fukui as assistant director and Yasuharu Takanashi (Naruto Shippuden), -Yaiba-, and Yusuke Honma (Ninku TV anime and films) as music composers. Hinatasho is listed with the “story credit.”
A new Naruto anime project was previously announced in March 2023 to mark the anime’s 20th anniversary. It had a planned release of four episodes in Japan in September 2023, but was delayed in August 2023 in order to “improve the quality” of the production.
Kiriyama’s Ninku manga series was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from June 1993 to September 1995. Nine total tankobon volumes were released.
A sequel manga was launched in Ultra Jump in September 2005 and ended in September 2011. A total of 12 tankobon volumes were published in Japan.
The Ninku manga inspired a 55-episode TV anime series from Studio Pierrot that aired from 1995 to 1996. Two anime films were also produced and released in 1994 and 1995.
Kishimoto‘s Naruto manga series ran in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from September 21, 1999 to November 10, 2014. A total of 72 tankobon volumes were released in Japan.
The manga inspired a long-running TV anime adaptation that was released from October 2002 to February 2007. It was followed up by a direct sequel series, Naruto Shippuden that aired from February 2007 to March 2017. The series has spawned several anime films, video games, and novels.
A sequel manga series titled Boruto was launched in Weekly Shonen Jump in May 2016, before moving to V Jump monthly magazine in July 2019. It is illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto, with Ukyo Kodachi credited as writer for the manga’s first 13 volumes and Kishimoto from the 14th volume onwards. It inspired its own anime adaptation in April 2017.
VIZ Media publishes the Naruto manga series in English, describing the first volume as:
Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become the next Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!
Sources: Naruto Series official website, NARUTO: What’s Next New York Comic Con 2026 panel livestream, VIZ Media Official X/Twitter (2), press release
