Naruto x Ninku Anime Announced: Teaser, Cast, Episodes

Naruto is getting a crossover anime with Ninku. Naruto x Ninku was announced on October 10, 2026, at the Naruto panel at New York Comic Con. It is a brand new story in four episodes, supervised by Masashi Kishimoto and Koji Kiriyama.

There is no release date yet. Here's the teaser, the story, the cast and staff, and why Ninku matters so much to Naruto.

Naruto x Ninku at a glance

• Status: in production
• Release date: not announced
• Episodes: 4
• Story: original, supervised by Koji Kiriyama and Masashi Kishimoto
• Director: Noriyuki Abe
• Studio: PIERROT FILMS

When does the Naruto x Ninku anime come out?#

The Naruto x Ninku anime doesn't have a release date. The official announcement says only that it is in production. No broadcast or streaming details have been shared.

The length is known, though. In a message on the official Naruto x Ninku page, Kishimoto says the story runs four episodes in total.

For titles that already have dates, see our upcoming anime coverage.

Naruto x Ninku teaser#

The teaser runs 1 minute and 46 seconds. It was published on the official Naruto and Boruto YouTube channel.

You can also watch it on YouTube.

What is Naruto x Ninku about?#

The story is set in the early days of Team 7. Kakashi gives Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura a mission, but he cannot join them. Naruto is named acting leader in his place and sets out full of motivation.

On the way, the three get lost in another world. There they meet Fusuke, a boy with a face like a frog's. He is the hero of Ninku.

The official page describes the result as an alliance between the ninja and the Ninku Corps.

Naruto x Ninku cast#

Nine cast members are listed, from both series:

• Naruto Uzumaki: Junko Takeuchi
• Sasuke Uchiha: Noriaki Sugiyama
• Sakura Haruno: Chie Nakamura
• Kakashi Hatake: Kazuhiko Inoue
• Fusuke: Rika Matsumoto
• Aicho: Mitsuaki Madono
• Toji: Jurota Kosugi
• Rihoko: Megumi Hayashibara
• Hiroyuki: Katsumi Suzuki

Junko Takeuchi says it is moving to go on a mission with Sasuke and Sakura again. Rika Matsumoto calls the reunion with the original Ninku cast deeply moving, about thirty years after the TV anime began.

Naruto x Ninku staff and studio#

• Original story: Masashi Kishimoto and Koji Kiriyama
• Director: Noriyuki Abe
• Character design and chief animation director: Tetsuya Nishio
• Animation production: PIERROT FILMS
• Opening theme: "GO!!!" by FLOW
• Ending theme: "Viva Rock", credited to FLOW on the official page

Both lead staff members have history with the two series. According to Anime News Network, Noriyuki Abe directed the Ninku anime and was chief director of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Tetsuya Nishio worked on both the Naruto and Ninku anime.

What is Ninku, and why does it matter to Naruto?#

Ninku is a manga by Koji Kiriyama. It began in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1993 and received a TV anime in 1995. A sequel manga ran in Ultra Jump from 2005 to 2011. The title is the name of a martial art in the story, a mix of ninjutsu and karate.

Kishimoto has a personal link to it. In the official message, Kishimoto says, "Without NINKU, NARUTO would not exist." Kishimoto calls Fusuke "Naruto's secret mentor" and says Naruto was created out of a wish to see Ninku continue.

Kiriyama says the project came about through Kishimoto's proposal. Kiriyama adds that it is an honour to see the world of Ninku understood so deeply.

For official updates, follow the official site and the official X account. You can also track Naruto on Animanga Planet.