Original Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto is officially returning to write and draw a brand-new manga titled Naruto: Shadow Rising, and if your middle schooler or teen came home babbling about Hokage storyboards from New York Comic Con, this is why.
Naruto: Shadow Rising is an upcoming manga series written and illustrated by original creator Masashi Kishimoto, announced in October 2026 as part of a multi-year franchise expansion called Project Rasengan. Specific plot details remain under wraps until Jump Festa 2027 in December, but early teasers hint at a fresh chapter for Team 7 and the Hidden Leaf Village. If your kid is eager to jump in, you can explore the original Naruto manga or check out our guide to graphic novels and manga for kids.
At New York Comic Con in October 2026, publisher Shueisha dropped a surprise during the official franchise panel: Masashi Kishimoto is stepping back up to the drawing board for an all-new manga titled Naruto: Shadow Rising.
While Kishimoto served primarily as a supervisor for the sequel series Boruto, Shadow Rising marks his full return as both writer and primary artist. The announcement featured a super teaser video showing storyboards of the four original Team 7 members—Naruto holding the Hokage hat, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura gazing at a baby—alongside visuals of Naruto and Sasuke clashing in battle and the stone faces of previous Hokage overlooking the village with a seventh monument under construction.
Specific story arcs and release dates will be revealed at Jump Festa 2027 from December 19–20, 2026. The new manga serves as a centerpiece for "Project Rasengan," a roadmapped expansion extending across manga, anime, collectible card games, and mobile titles into 2029.
If your kid follows anime announcements, Shadow Rising was just one piece of a broader rollout:
- NARUTO x NINKŪ crossover anime: A four-episode TV anime limited series directed by Noriyuki Abe at Studio Pierrot, supervised by both Kishimoto and NINKŪ creator Koji Kiriyama. Team 7 gets lost in another world and meets Fūsuke, a boy with a frog-like face.
- Naruto Mobile global release: The mobile action game originally released in China back in 2016 will finally roll out worldwide.
- Naruto Card Game: A physical collectible card game launching globally in June 2027 with three starter decks and an initial booster set.
- Live-action film update: Director Destin Daniel Cretton shared a progress note confirming that worldwide casting searches for Team 7 kicked off in summer 2026.
Manga is currently one of the strongest reading hooks for 10-to-14-year-olds. When an iconic creator returns to a flagship series, it generates massive excitement across generations—parents who read the original weekly serialization in the 2000s and kids who discovered Naruto on streaming platforms.
Shonen manga succeeds with middle schoolers for straightforward reasons: fast-paced visual storytelling, clear stakes, and long-form character growth centered on loyalty and overcoming failure. For reluctant readers who bounce off dense text blocks, a well-crafted manga volume can build reading stamina faster than standard prose assignments.
If your kid is counting down the weeks until the December Jump Festa reveal, use their curiosity to talk about visual storytelling and creative history:
- Ask them what period in the story line they think Shadow Rising will cover based on the teaser visuals of Team 7.
- Discuss return projects: Why do original creators step back into their worlds after years away, and what makes an extended universe work?
- If they want something to read while waiting, point them toward other top-tier action series or start at volume one of the original 72-volume Naruto run.
Q: What is Naruto: Shadow Rising?
Naruto: Shadow Rising is an upcoming manga series written and illustrated by original creator Masashi Kishimoto, announced at New York Comic Con in October 2026.
Q: Is Naruto: Shadow Rising available to read now?
No, the manga is currently unreleased. Additional story details, preview artwork, and publication dates will be shared during Jump Festa 2027 in December 2026.
Q: What age is Naruto appropriate for?
The original Naruto manga and anime series are best suited for readers ages 10 and up. Content includes stylized fantasy ninja violence, mild comic mischief, and emotional themes around friendship, loss, and rivalry.
Q: What is Project Rasengan?
Project Rasengan is a franchise expansion initiative announced by Shueisha, charting upcoming Naruto projects across manga, anime, mobile games, and physical card games through 2029.
While waiting for Shadow Rising to launch, check out recommended titles on our best books for kids list or explore our guide to top graphic novels for middle schoolers. You can also build a custom manga reading list for your teen
.