Naruto and Ninku to get a 4-episode crossover anime with the original creators

The world of Naruto crosses over with Ninku in a brand-new anime already in production. The news comes with a trailer that hints at the project's tone and confirms part of the team that made history with the original series.

It's called NARUTO-ナルト-×NINKU-忍空-, a four-episode crossover that will bring together Masashi Kishimoto's characters with those of Koji Kiriyama, author of Ninku. Both mangaka supervise every episode, so the story won't be simple fan service: it comes with the approval of those who created these worlds.

Trailer for the new Naruto and Ninku crossover anime.eiga.com

Noriyuki Abe, director of the first stage of Naruto, is back at the helm. He's joined by Tetsuya Nishio, character designer and chief animation director, a key name for making the visuals recall the series that hooked a whole generation.

A reunion with shared roots

Ninku is no ordinary series for Naruto fans. Kishimoto has said more than once that this ninja manga, published in Weekly Shonen Jump in the mid-nineties, was one of his biggest influences when creating his own story. Seeing them together on screen is a bit like putting the master and the student in the same adventure.

The announcement doesn't come alone. The crossover is part of PROJECT RASENGAN, a large global project through which the Naruto franchise is preparing several surprises. Among them is NARUTO-ナルト- SHADOW RISING, a new manga drawn by Kishimoto himself.

A character launches an attack with an energy sphere against a colorful background.eiga.com

What we know so far

For now there's no release date and no word on which platforms the anime will be available. The plot hasn't been detailed beyond the fact that the worlds of both works will cross in a completely new story.

The trailer already shows a character launching an attack with an energy sphere against a background of intense colors, an image that points directly to the spirit of both series. With Abe and Nishio involved, and with the authors reviewing each episode, the project looks to be much more than a commemorative special.