'Boruto' manga: Ukyo Kodachi to pen 'Naruto' manga continuation

The announcement revealing the upcoming release of 'Boruto' the series on Shonen Jump.shonenjump.com

Although it has been confirmed that Masashi Kishimoto will continue the story of Uzumaki Naruto and a new generation of Konoha ninjas, the creator of the original "Naruto" manga will not be at the core of the creation of the "Boruto" manga adaptation. Reportedly, Kishimoto will only supervise the project, while others will work on the collaboration itself.

It was reported that one of those who will work on the upcoming manga adaptation is Ukyo Kodachi.

According to MovieNewsGuide, Kodachi will join illustrator Mikio Ikemoto, Kishimoto's assistant and successor, in penning the story and characters of the upcoming "Boruto" manga. This will be good news to hardcore fans of the series since Kodachi is already familiar with the details of the franchise.

Kodachi already penned several projects in the "Naruto" franchise, including a spin-off novel titled "Naruto - Gaara Hiden: Sajingensō." In addition, Kodachi is also familiar with the characters from both the original manga and the continuation since the writer also coordinated the screenplay for the recent film adaptation in the franchise, "Boruto: Naruto the Movie."

Meanwhile, fans need not worry that the upcoming manga will be very different from the original now that Kishimoto is not at the helm. Ikemoto had been the creator's assistant, particularly during the 15-year run of the "Naruto" manga.

However, aside from the introduction of the new characters in "Boruto: Naruto the Movie," not much is known about the upcoming manga continuation. Leaks and teasers only hint that the story will focus more on Uzumaki Boruto, Naruto's son, as the main protagonist, and that the manga will showcase the whole new generation of Konoha ninjas like Uchiha Sarada, daughter of Sasuke and Sakura, as well as the children of other ninjas who grew up with Naruto in the original manga.

The "Boruto" manga is slated to start in the spring, although a specific release date has yet to be confirmed. The chapters will appear monthly in Weekly Shonen Jump.