After an extended period of quiet, fans can finally rejoice as a new Naruto animated project has been officially announced.

The government website for Lijin County in Shandong Province, China, has revealed that Huahan Animation, a local animation studio, is contributing to a new Naruto anime project. This new venture may involve the long-awaited Naruto 20th anniversary specials or potentially an anime adaptation of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, which is the official sequel to Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Huahan Animation is also working on the upcoming Netflix anime remake of The One Piece.

According to a statement on the government website, “Recently, Huahan (Dongying) Animation Co., Ltd., the first South Korean-funded enterprise to set up operations in the Lijin Data (Content) Industrial Park, has been diligently meeting deadlines for several animation projects, including One Piece and Naruto orders. The company integrates advanced international original animation production technologies and talent, focusing on outsourcing services for Japanese and Korean clients, in addition to creating original animations.”

“In recent days, the animation team at Huahan (Dongying) Animation Co., Ltd. — the first South Korean-funded enterprise to establish operations in the Lijin Data (Content) Industrial Park — has been working intensively to meet deadlines for multiple animation projects, including orders for One Piece and Naruto,” the government post reads. “The company brings together international high-end original animation production technologies and talent, specializing in outsourcing services for Japanese and Korean clients alongside original animation production.“

New Naruto Anime Project Confirmed by Netflix’s One Piece Studio

Naruto‘s 20th anniversary special was intended to be four anime episodes set during Part 1, when the knuckleheaded ninja and his friends were still children learning the ways of ninjitsu. However, Studio Pierrot delayed the anniversary special for unclear reasons and has yet to announce a new airdate.

The only clue as to why the Naruto 20th anniversary episodes were postponed was the desire to “increase the quality” of the episodes. In the meantime, Pierrot has been hard at work on Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War for Disney+.

With 2027 marking the 25th anniversary of the original Naruto anime, speculation that the four-part anniversary special will finally air next year has grown.

Of course, the new Naruto anime project currently in development could be the long-awaited animated continuation of Boruto. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ran for 293 episodes from April 5, 2017, to March 26, 2023.

Masaya Honda, the series’ scriptwriter, thanked fans for following Part 1 of Boruto for six years.