Entertainment · K-Culture & Anime · 2 hrs ago
Naruto’s Four-Episode Anime Special Will Crossover With Ninku
A four-episode Naruto anime special is in the works as a limited series.
The project was announced in 2023, but its planned broadcast was postponed less than a week before it was due to begin.
The production committee said the delay was to improve the work’s quality.
At New York Comic Con in October 2026, Studio Pierrot revealed the series would be called Naruto x Ninku and bring together the two ninja franchises.
Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto said he proposed the crossover because Ninku had strongly influenced Naruto and he wanted to tell a story about their characters’ mentor-student connection.
The special’s release date is not given in the available details.
Studio Pierrot is preparing a four-episode Naruto special that will cross over with the anime franchise Ninku.
The project, titled Naruto x Ninku, was announced at the Naruto panel at New York Comic Con on October 10, 2026.
Masashi Kishimoto said he proposed the crossover because Ninku had a major influence on Naruto.
The four episodes were first announced in March 2023 as part of the Naruto anime’s 20th-anniversary celebration.
The special was postponed in August 2023, less than a week before its planned first broadcast, to allow further improvements to its quality.
- Who
- Studio Pierrot is preparing the special. Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto proposed the crossover with Ninku.
- What
- A four-episode limited series titled Naruto x Ninku will cross over the two anime franchises.
- When
- It was announced on October 10, 2026. A release date is not stated.
- Where
- The announcement was made at New York Comic Con.
- Why
- Kishimoto said Ninku influenced Naruto and that he wanted to bring the characters’ master-and-student relationship into a story.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Four new Naruto anime episodes were announced as part of the anime’s 20th-anniversary celebration.
The planned broadcast was postponed less than a week before the first episode was due to air.
A Naruto panel at New York Comic Con announced that the project would be a four-episode crossover titled Naruto x Ninku.
- Episodes
- Four
- Project title
- Naruto x Ninku
- Studio
- Studio Pierrot
- Announcement
- October 10, 2026, at New York Comic Con
- Original announcement
- March 2023
- Postponement
- August 29, 2023
What people are saying
I created NARUTO because I personally wanted to see the continuation of NINKU.
Without NINKU, NARUTO would not exist.
Simply put, Fusuke is Naruto’s secret mentor.
We have made the decision to postpone the broadcast due to the further improvement of the quality of this work.