Naruto will get a new manga drawn by Masashi Kishimoto

New York Comic Con 2026 left us with one of those pieces of news we didn't expect: Masashi Kishimoto will draw a new Naruto manga. The announcement was made on October 10, right on Naruto Uzumaki's birthday, during the 'NARUTO: What's Next?' panel in front of more than 3,000 attendees.

The teaser showed the six previous Hokage and the seventh under construction, closing with the text 'A new 'Naruto' manga drawn by Masashi Kishimoto'. No beating around the bush. It's the first time Kishimoto takes the lead on a new manga in the franchise since his direct involvement in Boruto ended.

PROJECT RASENGAN: much more than a manga

Alongside the manga, PROJECT RASENGAN was unveiled, a comprehensive project spanning manga, anime, games, and cards. The roadmap showed part of the development, but many details are still to be revealed.

Two major confirmations fall under this umbrella:

• Naruto Mobile, the competitive mobile game, will finally get a global release.
• NARUTO CARD GAME will launch worldwide in June 2027.

The event also featured a live demonstration of the card game and the announcement of demo events that will be shared later.

The voices behind the announcement

The panel featured Junko Takeuchi, the voice of Naruto, and Noriaki Sugiyama, the voice of Sasuke, along with Yoshihiko Tominaga, executive producer at Studio Pierrot. Destin Daniel Cretton, director of the live-action Naruto movie, sent a video message in which he spoke about the character's spirit and what it means for the story.

The combination of original voices, studio, and film director makes it clear that PROJECT RASENGAN is not an isolated announcement: it's the franchise moving as a whole into a new era.

What we still don't know

Kishimoto's new manga has no title, date, or publication details yet. We also don't know if it will be a sequel, a spin-off, or a story set at another point in the timeline. What was confirmed is that Jump Festa 2027 will be the next big showcase: more details on the manga, PROJECT RASENGAN, and the rest of the projects are expected there.

The news caught us all off guard. After years with Boruto as the central focus, Kishimoto returning to draw Naruto is a bold move. And doing it within such a large project says a lot about where they want to take the franchise.

What story do you think Kishimoto will tell in this new manga? I'll be reading your comments.