Shadow Rising, the latest manga installment in the Naruto franchise, is set to return under the guidance of original creator Masashi Kishimoto. The project, along with a new crossover anime titled Naruto x Ninku, was officially announced during the Naruto panel at New York Comic Con 2026. While details about Shadow Rising remain sparse, it is confirmed that Kishimoto will be directly involved in its creation. Trailers for both the manga and anime have already been released, with more updates expected at the NARUTO Super Stage event at Jump Festa 2027. The Naruto x Ninku anime series is a crossover between Naruto and the 1990s Japanese franchise Ninku, which follows a group of children who gain the ability to transform into powerful warriors. According to the official description, the series is currently in production, overseen by Kishimoto and Koji Kiriyama, the original author of Ninku. The Naruto X Twitter account confirmed that Noriyuki Abe will direct the series, while Tetsuya Nishio will serve as both character designer and chief animation director. The storyline for Naruto x Ninku involves members of the Seven-Order—Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura—being assigned a mission by Kakashi, who is unable to participate. Naruto is appointed interim leader of the team. During their journey, the group finds itself lost in another world where they meet a boy named Fūsuke, whose face resembles a frog. The release date for the series has not yet been announced, but fans are eagerly awaiting more information. In addition to the manga and anime projects, the Naruto panel also included an unexpected announcement about a live-action film. Director Destin Daniel Cretton shared a message expressing the honor of bringing the world and characters of Kishimoto to life. He emphasized the importance of capturing the spirit of Naruto, particularly its themes of perseverance and underdog triumph. The film is part of Project Rasengan, a larger initiative to expand the Naruto universe across multiple media platforms.