Shueisha and Studio Pierrot Announce New Naruto Shadow Rising Manga and 'Naruto x Ninku' Crossover Anime Series
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The Nostalgic 'Naruto x Ninku' Limited Anime Crossover
Running parallel to the manga announcement, Studio Pierrot shocked the community by revealing Naruto x Ninku, a 6-episode limited anime crossover event.
For younger fans unfamiliar with the title, Ninku was a highly influential 1995 martial arts manga and anime created by Koji Kiriyama, focusing on ninjas who mix traditional hand-to-hand combat with mystical element-driven force. Kishimoto has openly stated in official interviews that without the visual influence of Ninku, the combat style of Naruto would never have been created.
The limited series will feature a high-budget blend of traditional 2D hand-drawn animation overseen by veteran action director Noriyuki Abe.
The crossover plot operates as a standalone mystical anomaly where Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno cross dimensional rifts to team up with Ninku's Fuusuke, the wind-manipulating protagonist, to confront a resurrected ancient military threat. The animation will be available for global streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll, with the official launch date and promotional trailers expected to drop in the coming weeks.
