'Naruto' Creator Eyes New Projects as Franchise Evolves

• Kishimoto teases new Naruto projects, one-shots to spin-offs.
• Early hints suggest a fresh, larger project may be in the pipeline.
• A new release could reignite global fandom, merchandising, and cross-media opportunities.

Masashi Kishimoto isn't ready to retire the ninja headband. The 50-year-old creator of "Naruto," one of Japan's most successful manga franchises, continues developing new projects within his signature universe while hinting at broader creative ambitions that could reshape his multimedia empire.

Kishimoto Teases New Naruto Project

At August's KONOHA EXPERIENCE fan event in Paris, Kishimoto told an audience of 2,500 that he feels a "goal" approaching, suggesting that family time and fan interactions have reinvigorated his creative process. Speaking alongside "Boruto" artist Mikio Ikemoto, he expressed particular interest in character-focused spin-offs, though he emphasized taking a measured approach to future serialized work.

Speaking with humor about fan-favorite Itachi Uchiha, he voiced interest in developing new spin-offs and one-shots focused on popular characters, but stressed he is taking his time with future projects, with a serialized manga that is yet to be announced officially.

Previously, Kishimoto released a 55-page one-shot focused on Minato Namikaze, titled Naruto: The Whorl Within the Spiral, in July 2023. This depicts his continued focus on character-driven stories within the Naruto universe.

Kishimoto's Plan for Next Manga

Since Naruto, Kishimoto has taken on high-profile projects like Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru, which ran from 2019 to 2020 for 43 chapters, falling short of its planned 10 volumes. He has since focused on smaller, character-driven stories within the Naruto universe, balancing creative appeal with the challenges of exploring new formats.

Yet hints of fresh work from Kishimoto have sparked industry-wide anticipation. Naruto has sold roughly 250 million copies worldwide, and remains active through anime, films, OVAs, and Boruto, a sequel series. It has produced over 30 million units in video-game sales from the Ultimate Ninja STORM series. 

While most of the Naruto games since its debut in 2003 have seen major sales in Japan, few have been rebranded and released across North America as well. Naruto: Clash of Ninjas and Ninja Council have seen growing fanfare globally, and anticipation of more works from Kishimoto could bring them back to the forefront. Meanwhile, 2023’s Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, the ninth generation of franchise games across consoles, is another collaboration built based on the author’s written universe.

Any new Kishimoto project could lift sales of his older projects, as well as grow digital readership, boost merchandise demand, and spark new game tie-ins for his newest release. But Samurai 8 shows that past success does not guarantee future reception, and fans often mistake teasers for confirmation. 

Irrespective of whether the story is set in the Naruto universe, fans would be excited to see what the author has to offer next. While one of the biggest anime currently, One Piece, has been evolving along with the industry since the 1990s, Kishimoto taking the forefront again, could redefine how legacy creators adapt to streaming, digital platforms, and global audiences in today’s date.