Naruto 10th Anniversary!

We've laughed, cried (admit it!) and rooted for Naruto these past ten years, and what a wonderful decade it's been! The manga is still going strong, but it doesn't hurt to take a peek back at all the great moments in Naruto. We've got it all, from a commemorative pin-up in the magazine to a character poll online. Not to mention an online story timeline that takes a look back at key points in the Naruto storyline. So sit back and enjoy all the Naruto goodness as you prepare yourself for future adventures!

Scroll down to check out how Masashi Kishimoto created your favorite ninja manga! And don't forget to check back regularly for more Naruto polls. We want to know what you're thinking!

	10th Anniversary Extras! Character Poll Nihongo Lesson Story Timeline
		Free Pin-Up Inside the November Issue of SHONEN JUMP!

The Masashi Kishimoto Files

It's been ten wonderful years, and Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto is still going strong! How did we end up where we are today, reading Naruto in SHONEN JUMP and watching streaming episodes on naruto.viz.com? Let’s take a look at the man behind the spiky-haired prankster who willed himself into our minds and hearts.

Mission One: Discover Manga

Location: Okayama, Japan
Time: Circa 1974

No sealing rituals were necessary for Kishimoto Sensei's birth!

In the unassuming prefecture of Okayama, a legend was born. There were no biju-sealing rituals or prophecies involved. Instead, Masashi Kishimoto entered the world without much fanfare. He would eventually grow up to become the creator of Naruto, the larger-than-life manga series that has become a worldwide phenomenon.

But before tales of ninja glory even entered the impressionable mind of Kishimoto Sensei, he was just a regular ramen-loving lad who enjoyed playing baseball and video games. Life was simple—and might have continued that way—were it not for the calling of manga.

"One day, just when I was starting to think, ‘Maybe I’ve outgrown the urge to be drawing all the time,’ I had a sudden and incredible revelation… The amazing moment occurred when I saw a movie poster. I was on my way home one day when I happened to glance at a poster for Otomo Katsuhiro’s Akira. In an instant, the sight of it had an impact on me so powerful that even now it’s hard to describe." — from Naruto volume 10

Mission 2: Get Published

Location: Kyushu, Japan
Time: Circa 1995

Kishimoto Sensei's attitude towards school changed once he entered art school!

Kishimoto Sensei entered art school in Kyushu. The once allergic-to-studying student was thrilled to attend a school where the focus was on drawing (a welcome change from drawing on the sly during class!). He set his sights on Jump’s Hop★Step Award and submitted Karakuri. Curious about the winners, he found his entry listed as one of the winners in Weekly Shonen Jump!

"It was the happiest moment of my life. But when people are so happy, they can't say anything, right? They just make strange noises and quiver. So I bought that copy of Jump, but I was so happy that the moment I was out of the store, I threw it across the street!!" – from Naruto: The Official Handbook

Armed with a new tantou (editor) assigned from Weekly Shonen Jump, the path to manga fame was wide-open for Kishimoto Sensei. But things didn’t go as smoothly as expected for him until he received some unexpected inspiration from…a bowl of noodles!

Mission 3: Create One of the Best Manga Series of All-Time!

Location: Inside Masashi Kishimoto's Mind
Time: Circa 1997 – present

Naruto's Akamaru Jump version takes a break after chasing criminals...on his bike!

The next couple of years were trying times for Kishimoto Sensei. After the Weekly Shonen Jump staff rejected numerous stories and ideas, a discouraged Kishimoto Sensei decided to draw about something he knew and loved—ramen!

"The first version was all about the secret ingredients in the soup, but it went through a few [laughs] modifications and ended up as Naruto. The story ran in Akamaru Jump, and was very popular." – from Naruto: The Official Handbook

The first-ever published story of Naruto was a bit different. Naruto's personality is about the same, but the story is set in modern-day Japan! Since the story was a one-shot, Kishimoto Sensei kept developing new ideas, which were met with rejections—including a baseball manga! (Can you imagine going crazy over baseball manga instead of Naruto?!) He finally hit the jackpot with the Naruto story we know and love today, which made its Weekly Shonen Jump debut in 1999.

Mission 4: Invade the Global Village!

Location: Planet Earth
Time: Circa 2003 – present

A new magazine by the name of SHONEN JUMP made its North American debut in 2003. Naruto made its first U.S. appearance in the second issue of SHONEN JUMP. With its increased exposure, Naruto took America by storm and has never looked back!

Naruto's popularity has him on top of the world!

"I'm very glad that the American audience has accepted and understood ninja. It shows that the American audience has good taste… because it means that they can accept something previously unfamiliar to them." – from Naruto Collector Winter 2007/2008

Although Japanese culture and ninjutsu may have been unfamiliar to an American audience, the story of a young boy seeking acceptance and fighting for his beliefs left a lasting impression.

Mission 5: Embrace the Future

Location: Everywhere
Time: Circa the Future!

So what's in store for Naruto and crew as the manga reaches its landmark tenth anniversary? Will Naruto overcome the Akatsuki threat? Will Naruto ever reach his friend Sasuke in time and save him from his despair? Only time will tell what will happen to Naruto, and all of us eagerly await each and every installment with bated breath.

Keep checking out the latest issue of SHONEN JUMP to find out what happens in Naruto!

BLACK CAT © 2000 by Kentaro Yabuki/SHUEISHA Inc. BLEACH © 2001 by Tite Kubo/SHUEISHA Inc.
BLEACH © Tite Kubo/Shueisha, TV TOKYO, dentsu, Pierrot
BLEACH © Tite Kubo/Shueisha, TV TOKYO, dentsu, Pierrot. © BMP 2006
BLUE DRAGON © BLUE DRAGON PROJECT/TV TOKYO
Based on the Xbox 360 game "BLUE DRAGON" published by Microsoft
Microsoft, Blue Dragon, Xbox 360 and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
BOBOBO-BO BO-BOBO © 2001 by Yoshio Sawai/SHUEISHA Inc.
BUSOU RENKIN © 2003 by Nobuhiro Watsuki/SHUEISHA Inc. BOUKEN OH BEET -BEET THE VANDEL BUSTER- © 2002 by Riku Sanjo, Koji Inada/SHUEISHA Inc.
CLAYMORE © 2001 by Norihiro Yagi/SHUEISHA Inc. COWA! © 1997 by BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA Inc.
D.GRAY-MAN © 2004 by Katsura Hoshino/SHUEISHA Inc.
DEATH NOTE © 2003 by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/SHUEISHA Inc.
DEATH NOTE © Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha © DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse
DEATH NOTE © 2006 "DEATH NOTE" FILM PARTNERS DR. SLUMP © 1980 by Akira Toriyama/SHUEISHA Inc.
DRAGON BALL © 1984 by BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA Inc. DRAGON BALL Z © 1984 by BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA Inc.
DRAGON BALL Z © 2008 BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION. © 2008 Atari, Inc.
DRAGON DRIVE © 2001 by Ken-ichi Sakura/SHUEISHA Inc. EYESHIELD 21 © 2002 by Riichiro Inagaki, Yusuke Murata/SHUEISHA Inc.
GINTAMA © 2003 by Hideaki Sorachi/SHUEISHA Inc. GUN BLAZE WEST © 2000 by Nobuhiro Watsuki/SHUEISHA Inc.
HIKARU-NO GO © 1998 by Yumi Hotta, Takeshi Obata/SHUEISHA Inc. HOSHIN ENGI © 1996 by Ryu Fujisaki/SHUEISHA Inc.
HUNTERxHUNTER © POT (Yoshihiro Togashi) I''S © 1997 by Masakazu Katsura/SHUEISHA Inc.
ICHIGO 100% © 2002 by Mizuki Kawashita/SHUEISHA Inc. JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE © 1986 by Hirohiko Araki/SHUEISHA Inc.
KARAKURI DOJI ULTIMO © 2008 by Stan Lee—POW! Entertainment / Dream Ranch, Hiroyuki Takei / SHUEISHA Inc.
KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN! © 2004 by Akira Amano/SHUEISHA Inc. KINNIKU-MAN II SEI © 1998 by Yudetamago/SHUEISHA Inc.
LEGENDZ © 2003 by Makoto Haruno, Rin Hirai/SHUEISHA Inc. © 2003 WiZ
MAHO-TSUKAI KUROHIME © 2000 by Masanori • Ookamigumi • Katakura/SHUEISHA Inc.
MUHYO TO ROZY NO MAHORITSU SODAN JIMUSHO © 2004 by Yoshiyuki Nishi/SHUEISHA Inc.
NARUTO © 1999 by Masashi Kishimoto/SHUEISHA Inc. NARUTO © 2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN © 2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2007 SHIPPUDEN All Rights Reserved.
NEKOMAJIN -ULTIMATE EDITION- © 1999 by Akira Toriyama/SHUEISHA Inc.
NORA - THE LAST CHRONICLE OF THE DEVILDOM © 2004 by Kazunari Kakei/SHUEISHA Inc.
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc. ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation
PRETTY FACE © 2002 by Yasuhiro Kano/SHUEISHA Inc. RALΩGRAD © 2006 by Tsuneo Takano, Takeshi Obata/SHUEISHA Inc.
ROSARIO TO VAMPIRE © 2004 by Akihisa Ikeda/SHUEISHA Inc. RUROUNI KENSHIN © 1994 by Nobuhiro Watsuki/SHUEISHA Inc.
SAINT SEIYA © 1986 by Masami Kurumada/SHUEISHA Inc. SAND LAND © 2000 by BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA Inc.
SHAMAN KING © 1998 by Hiroyuki Takei/SHUEISHA Inc. SLAM DUNK © 1990 - 2008 Takehiko Inoue and I.T. Planning, Inc.
TEGAMIBACHI © 2006 by Hiroyuki Asada/SHUEISHA Inc.
THE PRINCE OF TENNIS © 1999 by Takeshi Konomi/SHUEISHA Inc.
Wāqwāq © 2004 by Ryu Fujisaki/SHUEISHA Inc.
WHISTLE! © 1998 by Daisuke Higuchi/SHUEISHA Inc.
YU-GI-OH! © 1996 by Kazuki Takahashi/SHUEISHA Inc. YU-GI-OH! © 1996 KAZUKI TAKAHASHI
YU-GI-OH! GX © 2005 by Kazuki Takahashi, Naoyuki Kageyama/SHUEISHA Inc.
© KTakahashi
© NAS/TV TOKYO
YUYU HAKUSHO © Yoshihiro Togashi (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
All rights reserved.