Naruto Creator Masashi Kishimoto Is Eyeing a New Manga

Masashi Kishimoto is already looking to release a brand-new series.

Since 1997, Masashi Kishimoto has been a mainstay in the manga industry. The artist has overseen a few projects during their career, but of course, the world knows Kishimoto best for his work on Naruto. The creator brought Naruto to life back in 1999, and to this day, the franchise is thriving. And even though Kishimoto is busy with the sequel to Naruto, it seems the artist is eyeing new projects.

Recently, Kishimoto clued in fans to his latest work as he appeared at a fan-event in France with Boruto artist Mikio Ikemoto. It was there the pair answered tons of questions about Naruto and their careers. When asked about his current life, Kishimoto said he is keeping his focus on two important things.

"What's important to me now is spending time with my famil. And maybe a new work," Kishimoto shared.

Of course, the announcement took fans by surprise as Kishimoto has been quiet about any future projects. Naruto took up the artist's time starting in 1999, and he is still preoccupied by the Hidden Leaf. After all, Kishimoto oversees Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex with Ikemoto. For decades now, Kishimoto has been wrapped up in the world of Naruto, but he did part with the IP back in 2019.

After all, Kishimoto launched a new manga under Weekly Shonen Jump a few years back called Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru. The sci-fi series was met with mixed reviews, and ultimately, Kishimoto brought the tale to a close in March 2020. Since then, no word has been shared about Kishimoto's future. Fans are definitely eager to see what else the artist can do now that Naruto is done. And given the rash of finales gunning for Weekly Shonen Jump, well – the magazine needs some big new series to help carry water.

If you are not familiar with Naruto, the legendary shonen series is easy to find. Viz Media's Shonen Jump app houses the original manga as well as its sequels. So for more info on Naruto, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become the next Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!"

What do you think about this latest Naruto teaser? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!