The Return of Naruto: Exciting News for Fans

The Delayed Return

It's been a while since the last time fans of the hit anime series Naruto could tune in and watch a new episode of Masashi Kishimoto's legendary ninja classic, but that's now no longer the case. In celebration of the Naruto anime's anniversary, a four-episode special was announced to be in production, giving fans the first new episodes (aside from the Boruto series) since the series concluded in 2017.

Image shows Naruto from Shippuden doing hand signs while a faded image of his mother and father are scene behind him, also doing handsigns.

Unfortunately, the episodes were not released when originally planned. In a March post to the official Naruto website, four new episodes of the Naruto anime were revealed to be in the works. The first was set to air in September 2023 for all fans to see, but the month came and went without the new episodes. Unfortunately, the announcement did not include any details as to what the new episodes would be about or at what point the episodes would take place in the franchise's timeline.

To pump up interest, reruns of the original series began broadcasting in Japan during July. However, a Naruto Production Committee decided to postpone the episodes a few days before the first episode was expected to air. The sudden decision was made in order to 'create a work that meets everyone's expectations.' The post on X from the official Naruto account was made with an apology to fans but no update on when viewers should expect the episodes or what they would be about.

The Postponement

On August 29, 2023, less than a week before they were supposed to begin airing, the return of the Naruto anime was postponed. In an X post from the official Naruto account, the production committee released an apology along with the announcement stating that 'we have made the decision to postpone the broadcast due to the further improvement of the quality of this work.' The special has not been canceled, and news of the release will be posted on the official website as soon as an update is available.

The first episode of the new Naruto 4-episode anime special was initially set to broadcast on September 3, 2023. However, all four episodes were announced to be postponed on August 29, 2023. The episodes were originally planned to be released over the course of the month of September 2023. There is currently no release date for when the episodes will air, but Screen Rant will report as soon as an official announcement is made.

The Anticipation

The plot details surrounding the new Naruto episodes have so far been a mystery. There has yet to be an announcement or a preview to provide hints into the episodes' story. Artwork released surrounding the anniversary has stylishly depicted effective summaries of each of the series' significant time periods, giving fans hope that the new episodes might explore an unseen adventure before Naruto became the Hokage. There are many potentially incredible moments from the franchise that the manga and anime have not covered that fans would love to see, like Naruto's life after the Fourth Great Shinobi War and before he became the Seventh Hokage.

Another great story the new Naruto anime episodes could cover is the recently released short manga revolving around Naruto's mom and dad titled Naruto: The Whorl Within The Spiral. The manga was so great that it proved the Naruto series still has great stories to tell, and it would be a fantastic project for the Naruto anime to adapt.

The original anime adaptation of Naruto premiered in October 2002 and ran for 220 episodes. The follow-up series, Naruto: Shippuden, aired shortly after the original series ended in February 2007 and ran until March 2017. While the series generally followed the plot of Kishimoto's original manga, there were a number of anime-only Naruto story arcs. During their run, Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden grew to become international hits and beloved pillars of anime fandom.