The first trailer for NARUTO x NINKU has been revealed, confirming a four-episode anime crossover between Naruto Uzumaki and the classic martial arts series NINKU. The project was announced at the “NARUTO: What’s Next?” panel at New York Comic Con on October 10, 2026.
The new anime will tell an original story in which a young Naruto becomes separated from Team 7 during a mission and finds himself lost in the world of NINKU. The crossover brings together two series with a shared history through Shueisha and Studio Pierrot.
The announcement ends a wait of more than three years for fans. The four-episode Naruto special was originally scheduled to air on TV Tokyo over four consecutive weeks, beginning September 3, 2023. However, the broadcast was postponed shortly before it was due to begin so the production team could improve its quality.
No major update followed for years, leaving fans waiting for news about the project. The New York Comic Con reveal has now confirmed that the long-delayed anime will be a collaboration with NINKU.
For viewers unfamiliar with NINKU, the series began as a manga created by Koji Kiriyama and published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 1993. Its story follows Fusuke, a young former member of the Ninku Corps who uses a martial art that combines ninja techniques and karate.
Studio Pierrot adapted the manga into a 55-episode television anime that aired in Japan from January 1995 to February 1996. The series follows Fusuke as he travels through a troubled world, searches for his kidnapped mother and faces enemies targeting former members of the Ninku Corps.
The crossover also brings together two anime properties connected to Studio Pierrot. The studio adapted Naruto into a television anime that premiered in 2002, helping turn Masashi Kishimoto’s manga into a global franchise.
The New York Comic Con panel featured Junko Takeuchi, the Japanese voice of Naruto Uzumaki, and Noriaki Sugiyama, who voices Sasuke Uchiha. Their appearance added to the event’s focus on the franchise’s next developments.
Although the trailer has revealed the crossover’s premise, an official release date has not yet been announced. Fans will have to wait for further updates on when the four-episode NARUTO x NINKU anime will be released.
