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, giving fans the first new episodes (aside from the Boruto series) since Shippuden concluded in 2017. 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 of 2023. 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 was made with an apology to fans but no update on when viewers should expect the episodes or what they would be about.

The Latest News On Naruto's 4-Episode Anime Special

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 , 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.

Since then, Naruto could return either later 2024 or within the first three months of 2025. Unfortunately, nothing official has been stated by Pierrot, so fans shouldn't get their hopes up too high.

Naruto's 4-Episode Anime Special Has No Known Release Date

The Series' Release Was Postponed With No Updates on When it Could Premier

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, though the TV Tokyo documents suggest the four episodes could drop either late 2024 or early 2025.

The Story of Naruto's 4-Episode Anime Special

What Could Naruto's Return Be About?

The plot details surrounding the new Naruto episodes have so far been a mystery. There has yet to be a preview that hints at 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 unseen adventures before Naruto became the Hokage. There are many 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.

Minato's manga definitively proved that the Naruto series still has great stories to tell, and it would be a fantastic project for the Naruto anime to adapt

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. After winning the Naruto worldwide popularity poll, The Fourth Hokage and Father of Naruto, Minato Namikaze, received his own short story written and even illustrated by series author Masashi Kishimoto. Minato's manga definitively proved that the Naruto series still has great stories to tell, and it would be a fantastic project for the Naruto anime to adapt.

Why Naruto's Anime Still Hasn't Returned

No Official Reason Has Been Given, But There Are Some Hints

While few reasons have been given for the, seemingly indefinite, delay of Naruto's new episodes, there are a few things that could explain the delay. Naruto's anime studio, Pierrot, has something of a tight schedule with a handful of big projects either in production or having just released. January 2024 saw Pierrot releasing season 5 of the critically acclaimed series Kingdom, while April will see the release of an anime adaptation of the novel Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai. In addition to that, Pierrot also did animation work for McDonalds' anime promotions, WcDonalds.

Perhaps bigger than anything else though is the forthcoming Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3. Thousand-Year Blood War is an incredibly good-looking show, suggesting Pierrot is pouring a great deal of time and money into its production. As if that weren't enough, there's also the inevitable anime adaptation of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. When taken as a whole, it's possible that Pierrot has taken on too much, so needed to put Naruto on hold. If that is the case, then it's a safe bet that fans will see Naruto's return eventually given the series' popularity.

Unfortunately, though other projects could explain the new series' delay, there is also the possibility that some deeper issue is holding the series back. Given that the anime will likely contain several original stories, there's a chance that either Pierrot or even Kishimoto himself was unhappy with the plot of the new episodes. This would certainly explain the "quality of this work" quote. Ultimately, there's no way of knowing for certain until an official statement is released, so it's unclear if the future of Naruto's return is in jeopardy.

Will Naruto's Anime Return Get Canceled?

Unfortunately, as sad as the prospect may be, there is a distinct possibility that Studio Pierrot either will cancel, or quietly already has canceled, the four-episode Naruto return. Though the promise that Naruto's four new episodes could drop within the 2024 fiscal year is exciting, the lack of communication on behalf of Pierrot is worrisome. TV Tokyo's comments about the series returning could very well be a positive sign that Naruto will indeed return sooner rather than later, but that is far from a guarantee.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the project though, fans probably have more reason to be hopeful than not. Naruto is not some wildcard whose appeal or fanbase is unclear. The series represents one of the largest anime/manga franchises in the world. Naruto is the sixth best-selling manga of all time. If for no other reason, Naruto's popularity makes the anime's return feel more like an inevitability rather than a possibility.

Given TV Tokyo's recent documents and the franchise's popularity, it's looking more likely than not that whatever creative or logistic issues were holding the return back have been sorted. While Pierrot hasn't said anything officially just yet, signs are pointing toward good things in the future for fans of the biggest ninja anime in the world.

How Naruto's Original Anime Grew Into a Global Sensation

Naruto is Still One of the Most Beloved Anime For Good Reason

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 stories called filler by fans.

During their run, Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden grew to become international hits and beloved pillars of anime fandom. The story of a young Naruto bootstrapping his way to success is a story that appeals to a wide range of people and cultures. The diversity and complexity of the Narutoverse also make it easy for fans to see themselves in many of its characters.

The same release detailing Naruto's new episodes also announced that the first part of the Boruto anime would end on March 26, 2023 and that production has begun on the second part of the anime. With Boruto: Two Blue Vortex bringing new life to the sequel series and Naruto's anime set to return, it's never been a better time to be a fan of Masashi Kishimoto's ninja world.

Look for news of Naruto's four new anime episodes here!

Source: Naruto Official, NARUTOtoBORUTO/X