Shueisha and Naruto series mangaka Masashi Kishimoto announced a special one-shot manga starring Minato Namikaze is coming in summer 2023. The new one-shot manga will be featured in a new issue of Weekly Shonen Jump to celebrate the winning character of the NARUTOP99 popularity vote.
Minato Namikaze is the fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village and the father of Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. The fourth Hokage won the NARUTOP99 popularity vote, which was held from December 17, 2022 to January 31, 2023. To celebrate Minato’s win, Masashi Kishimoto will write and draw a new one-shot manga for a summer issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. According to Kishimoto, the new one-shot manga will reveal the secret story behind the signature jutsu of Minato Namikaze.
Here’s a special message to fans by Kishimoto, via the official Naruto website:
Message from Masashi Kishimoto
Thank you for the incredible amount of votes! It was fun seeing how results varied from region to region. I was shocked to see Minato at the top for all regions, and the fact that Sakura is so beloved by many people around the world made me proud as a writer. To tell you the truth, I was actually rooting for Kurama. I was planning on drawing only the top 20 characters, but I really wanted to add Kurama, who was close at 22nd. So I ended up including him and Guy, who was in 21st place! Sorry for completely ignoring the original plan to have the top 20 characters for the 20th anniversary because of my personal attachment.
Right now I’m working on the short manga for Minato who placed 1st. While trying to make a story that would match the expectations of his fans, I ended up with more pages than I had original anticipated. Please look forward to the secret story behind Minato’s jutsu! I want to thank you all very much again for voting!
-Masashi Kishimoto, creator of Naruto
Fans may soon relive iconic scenes from Naruto and Naruto Shippuden in Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections. The upcoming Ultimate Ninja Storm title features brand-new playable characters including Naruto Uzumaki (Baryon Mode), Sasuke Uchiha (Supporting Kage), Indra Otsutsuki, and Ashura Otsutsuki. Additionally, Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections includes a massive story mode for Naruto and an original story mode starring Boruto Uzumaki from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
Lastly, Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections launches in 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
