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Naruto Shadow Rising may be a story about the Seventh Hokage, but nothing official says so yet. The reasoning comes from one image in the teaser: the Hokage Rock with a seventh face still being carved.
In the NYCC show when the teaser showed, all the Naruto fans felt alive again, even though the anime ended in 2017 and Boruto, which was last released back in 2023. The two new Naruto news breakout first the Naruto Shadow Rising manga and the other is new anime series Naruto X Ninku.
What did the Naruto Shadow Rising teaser actually show?
According to the official Naruto site’s roundup of the New York Comic Con panel, the teaser closed the “NARUTO: What’s Next?” stage on October 10, 2026. It used storyboards from the manga and showed the following, in order:
- The stone faces of the six past Hokage over the Hidden Leaf Village.
- A seventh face still under construction.
- Text announcing a new Naruto manga drawn by Masashi Kishimoto.
- Four members of Team 7: Naruto holding the Hokage hat, Kakashi with a wide smile, Sasuke looking composed, and Sakura looking lovingly at a baby.
- A final scene of Naruto and Sasuke clashing.
The title, Naruto Shadow Rising, was reported by Anime News Network and confirmed by the franchise’s Japanese X account. No plot summary, release date, or serialization plan has been given. Official details are expected at Jump Festa 2027 on December 19-20.
Who is the Seventh Hokage?
Naruto Uzumaki. He becomes the Seventh Hokage in the original manga’s epilogue after the Fourth Shinobi War, and he’s already the Hokage when Boruto: Naruto Next Generations begins. His face is carved on the Hokage Rock after his inauguration.
This matters because the teaser shows that carving still in progress.
Why does the unfinished seventh face matter?
In the series, a Hokage’s face isn’t added instantly. The Naruto wiki’s summary of the Hokage Rock notes that the Fifth Hokage’s face wasn’t added until some time during the timeskip, and that Boruto: Two Blue Vortex suggests a candidate’s face isn’t carved until they’re officially inaugurated. The same page notes Shikamaru’s face hasn’t been added since becoming Eighth Hokage, because he hasn’t been officially appointed.
So an unfinished seventh face is a deliberate story image. It points to a moment before, or right at, Naruto’s inauguration. That’s why many fans read the teaser as hinting at a Seventh Hokage story.
Theory 1: A story set around Naruto becoming Hokage
What supports it: The face is under construction, Naruto is holding the Hokage hat, and Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage, is smiling beside him. That grouping looks like a handover. The baby with Sakura could also point to the early years after the war, though the teaser doesn’t say whose baby it is.
What argues against it: The teaser shows no dates, captions, or story text. A stone face under construction could also be a symbol rather than a literal timeline marker.
Theory 2: The story fills a gap in Naruto’s years as Hokage
Kishimoto has already written a story about this era. Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring, published in English by Viz in January 2016 as a 216-page volume, is set when Naruto is Hokage and the ninja world is at peace. It follows Naruto balancing the job with raising Boruto, while Sasuke investigates a conspiracy tied to the Uchiha clan and Sarada starts doubting her origins.
What supports it: Kishimoto has returned to this period before, and the franchise’s new roadmap, Project Rasengan, is aimed at extending the series for years.
What argues against it: Shadow Rising is labeled a new Naruto manga, not a gaiden or a sequel. Its relationship to earlier spin-offs hasn’t been explained.
Theory 3: It’s about Naruto’s place after the Boruto manga
Fan theory, not confirmed. Spoilers for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex.
In the Boruto manga, Kawaki sends Naruto and Hinata to another dimension, and Shikamaru becomes Eighth Hokage. Fans have noted that the Hokage Rock still hadn’t been updated after the three-year timeskip, and have taken that as a sign that Shikamaru expects Naruto to return.
What supports it: An unfinished face on the Hokage Rock fits a story about who holds the seat. The teaser’s mention of the Seventh could be tied to this.
What argues against it: The teaser shows no Boruto characters. The teaser’s cast is Team 7, which makes this the weakest reading of the three.
Does the title “Shadow Rising” give any clues?
Not officially. In the franchise, Sasuke is often described as the shadow beside the Hokage, so some fans connect the word “shadow” to him. The teaser’s final shot of Naruto and Sasuke clashing adds fuel. That’s a reading of the title, not a confirmed meaning.
There is a chance we can see more of Sasuke during his time away from the village. We also read about him in a manga and an anime. The first is “Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise,” and the second is “Sasuke Retsuden: The Uchiha Descendants and the Heavenly Stardust,” which is featured in “Boruto Naruto Next Generations” from episodes 282 to 286.
However, many of us thought we might see a new Naruto Movie that revolves around Minato Namikaze, but many fans got sad as it was voted as the number one when asked which character manga you want to be written.
What is confirmed and what isn’t
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Kishimoto is writing and drawing a new Naruto manga | Confirmed |
| Title is Naruto Shadow Rising | Confirmed (reported by ANN, confirmed by the franchise’s Japanese X account) |
| Teaser shows a seventh Hokage face under construction | Confirmed (official roundup) |
| Story is set before Naruto becomes Hokage | Theory |
| Story is a gaiden of The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring | Theory |
| Plot, release date and serialization plan | Not announced |
Did the Seventh Hokage die in Boruto?
Not as far as the manga shows. Characters in the story believed Naruto was dead, but the manga has him and Hinata sent to another dimension by Kawaki. Whether Shadow Rising addresses this is unknown.
When will we know more?
At the Naruto Jump Super Stage at Jump Festa 2027, held at Makuhari Messe on December 19-20, 2026. Until then, the teaser is the only official evidence.
FAQ
Q. Is Naruto Shadow Rising about the Seventh Hokage?
A. Not confirmed. The teaser shows an unfinished seventh face, which has led to the theory, but Kishimoto hasn’t described the story.
Q. Is Naruto Shadow Rising a prequel or a sequel?
A. That hasn’t been announced. Official sources call it a new Naruto manga.
Q. When does Naruto Shadow Rising come out?
A. No release date has been given. More details are expected on December 19-20, 2026, at Jump Festa.
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