There aren't many mangakas out there that are as famous or popular as the creator of NarutoMasashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto's rise to fame began with Narutoand even now, over a decade after his manga ended, he remains a universally beloved figure. However, since the end of Naruto and the failure of Kishimoto's Samurai 8 series, he's been pretty quiet. Fortunately for fans, Kishimoto just made a small comeback.
Naruto: Why Kishimoto needs to make a prequel to Boruto
Boruto is a disappointing sequel. Naruto has potential for a prequel to Boruto.
A new movie, Cosmic Princess Kaguyahas been released, and for the time being, fans get to see Kishimoto return with a stunning illustration featuring the two main characters of this filmone of which resembles one of his own characters, Sakura Haruno.
Kishimoto has been quiet since the completion of Naruto
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Masashi Kishimoto ended his Naruto run in 2014
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Kishimoto briefly returned with a new series called Samurai 8
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He continues to contribute lightly to Boruto
Masashi Kishimoto is one of the greatest manga creators of all time. His biggest success is his very first standalone manga, known to everyone as Naruto. Naruto first began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, and it ended after nearly 15 years in 2014.
It's no secret that Naruto has been a monumental success, becoming one of the best-selling manga of all time. The Naruto series has sold over 250 million copies worldwide – a feat few series have achieved. Naruto has also become one of the most recognizable anime series ever, on par with Dragon Ball and One Piece.
The series is so successful that even after the end of the manga and anime, Naruto is incredibly popular all over the world. Oddly enough, Kishimoto made a comeback after Naruto. As some fans know, Kishimoto attempted to create a new manga series known as Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a huge flop, even though Kishimoto had a great legacy behind him. Samurai 8 was scrapped very quickly, lasting less than a year in Weekly Shonen Jump after its debut in 2019. Since then, Kishimoto has been pretty low-key.
Meanwhile, Naruto also has an official sequel, known as Boruto, and it can be said that Kishimoto is somewhat involved in it. That said, it's not exactly his manga either. Boruto is a series created by Kishimoto's former editor, Mikio Ikemoto. Kishimoto supervises Boruto at times and he certainly gives his input, but for the most part he doesn't illustrate any Boruto characters and is only slightly involved in the story. Kishimoto lets Ikemoto take the reins for this sequel.
Kishimoto returns with new artwork for Cosmic Princess Kaguya!
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Fans get a brand new illustration featuring Kishimoto's iconic art style
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Kaguya and Iroha Sakayori are illustrated
Ever since the end of Naruto and the huge flop that was Kishimoto's second manga, it goes without saying that fans have been longing for Kishimoto's full-fledged return.
Unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet, and it doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon. However, that doesn't mean Kishimoto doesn't appear at all. Earlier this month, on January 22, 2026, Kishimoto released a brand new illustrationand it was one that many fans often didn't see coming.
With the release of a brand new Netflix film known as Cosmic Princess Kaguya, Kishimoto released an illustration featuring the film's two main characters. These characters are Kaguya and Iroha Sakaiyori. Fans were definitely excited to see Kishimoto's art style back with a brand new illustration. Any fan of Naruto would have quickly noticed how much Iroha's interpretation of Kishimoto resembles Sakura Haruno. This new illustration can be seen here:
https://x.com/cho_kaguyahime/status/2014171315020906921?s=46&t=JA-AE_N2KI0JR_YshXc8RA
Cosmic Princess Kaguya is 2026's new big hit movie
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It was released on January 22, 2026
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Movie available to stream online
Kishimoto may have created a new illustration for this brand new movie, but not many people know what this new show is even about. Cosmic Princess Kaguya is an anime film created by Netflix that was released on January 22and, as the name suggests, it contains the story of Kaguya from the iconic folklore tale of the bamboo cutter from Japan, but retold in a different way and a more modern setting.
This film features incredible music and is definitely a must-see, even though it hasn't been released theatrically. Instead, fans can find this film on Netflix, both in Japan and worldwide. That means fans can enjoy it no matter where they are. Given the film's importance in Japanese folklore, it's definitely a must-see.
'Itachi is next': Kishimoto teases plans to release new one-shot chapter
Kishimoto already did a one shot for Minato. He plans to make an Itachi next in Naruto.
Oddly enough, the promotions for this movie have definitely been interesting to watch. After all, Kishimoto isn't the only one who worked and supplied new illustrations for the film. Gege Akutami, creator of Jujutsu Kaisen, also contributedalong with some other creators. Needless to say, fans are absolutely thrilled to see the interpretation of these characters in different art styles.
Kishimoto may soon return to drawing manga
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Kishimoto hinted at making a new series recently
A new illustration from Kishimoto is always appreciated, but fans want more from the author than just that. Given the level of quality Kishimoto has delivered over the years, fans want to see him return with a new full-fledged work, or at least new content for his iconic Naruto series.
Over a year ago, Kishimoto explicitly said that he planned to draw more manga when the time was rightand hopes that spending time with his family can inspire him. He also said that he might draw a one-shot about Itachi Uchiha next. His last Naruto content came in 2023, when the worldwide Naruto popularity poll was rolled out and Minato won first place. Thanks to that, Kishimoto created a Minato one-shot that fans were happy with.
There is also the possibility that one day, Kishimoto might return to create another Naruto sequel. As many know, Boruto is not a universally loved sequel for many reasons. Fans want to see more from the franchise, especially the old characters that were ignored in Boruto. Kishimoto could at least fill in some of the gaps that take place between the end of the Naruto story and the beginning of the Boruto story. That's quite a few years to go, and fans really hope that Kishimoto considers this in the future to revive his franchise.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is the sequel to the original Boruto series, written by Mikio Ikemoto and supervised by Masashi Kishimoto. The series follows Boruto Uzumaki's journey, three years after the events of Omnipotence hit the story. Boruto must now work to save the world from the dangers it faces as he deals with his brother Kawaki. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 31 is set for its official release on February 20, 2026. The release time for the chapter is 10:00 AM EST/3:00 PM UTC. As always, fans can read the chapter officially for free on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps.
