Should You Read It?
Read it if you enjoy
- You already know the original Naruto story and want a lower-stakes, character-focused look at the parent-child generation.
- You follow Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and want to read the source material for the Parent and Child Day arc adapted into episodes 93–95.
- You enjoy light novels that expand Konoha daily life, family holidays, and mentor-student bonds across Naruto-era and Boruto-era characters.
It may not suit you if
- You want a numbered continuation or core plot entry; this is an optional companion light novel group tied to the Naruto and Boruto eras.
- You have not finished the original Naruto manga or anime, since the line assumes familiarity with Naruto Uzumaki's story and later Boruto-era events.
- You prefer illustrated manga panels; these are prose light novels, not sequential-art chapters, despite their Naruto manga source material.
This automatic starting point balances the series length, pacing, time commitment, and available Volluble research data. Editors can override it when firsthand knowledge suggests a better entry point.
Why It Connects With Audiences
Why people love it
- The 2018 relaunch ties separate character-focused volumes together by shifting the line's focus to two generations of parents and children.
- Naruto Shinden: Parent and Child Day brings Konohagakure's Family Day holiday to prose and was later adapted into Boruto episodes 93–95.
- Sasuke Shinden: The Teacher's Star Pupil highlights mentor-student bonds, a recurring appeal of the Naruto franchise.
- It commemorates the 25th anniversary of Shueisha Jump jBooks and builds from Masashi Kishimoto's original Naruto manga.
Common criticisms
- Because it is a companion light novel line rather than a numbered continuation, it may feel optional to readers following only the main Naruto or Boruto plot.
- The 2018 relaunch focuses on the parent-child generation, so readers seeking classic Team 7-era adventures may find the thematic shift less central.
- Some volumes assume Boruto-era knowledge, which can make the line less accessible to manga-only readers who stopped after the original Naruto.
- As prose light novels, they offer less visual storytelling than the manga, which may disappoint readers expecting an illustrated Naruto continuation.
Volluble DNA
A quick profile of the title’s dominant storytelling ingredients.
Characters6 characters
Sasuke Uchiha
Main characterNaruto Uzumaki
Main characterShikamaru Nara
Main characterBoruto Uzumaki
Main characterSarada Uchiha
Main characterShikadai Nara
Main characterManga Staff4 credits
Production Background
NARUTO Shinden Series (2018) is a Japanese light novel line published under Shueisha's Jump jBooks imprint. The series traces back to Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls, a novel released in 2016, but it was not formalized as a continuing line until it was relaunched in 2018 with three additional novels issued between May and July of that year. That relaunch was scheduled to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Shueisha Jump jBooks. The 2018 run comprises three volumes and 21 chapters in total, and it draws on the Naruto manga by Masashi Kishimoto as its source material, the original series having been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014 and licensed for North America by Viz Media.
The 2018 lineup opened with Naruto Shinden: Parent and Child Day on May 2, 2018, followed by Sasuke Shinden: The Teacher's Star Pupil on June 4, 2018. The project had originally been conceived as a bridge between Naruto and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, but the relaunch shifted the line's focus toward the two generations of parents and children. This reframing gave the individual novels a shared thematic thread while keeping each volume centered on a different set of characters.
Material from the first novel was later adapted into the Parent and Child Day arc of the Boruto anime, spanning episodes 93 through 95. In English, Viz Media released an edition of that opening novel, listed as Naruto: Naruto's Story, Family Day, in both paperback and digital formats. The second novel is set sometime after the events of the Versus Momoshiki storyline.
Where This Fits in NARUTO
A spoiler-light guide to where this exact work fits within the broader NARUTO franchise.
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Step 1
Start with the original Naruto manga (1999 to 2014, 72 volumes) or its anime adaptation, since these novels assume you already know Naruto Uzumaki's story.
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Step 2
Continue into the Boruto era (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations), because the 2018 relaunch of this novel line deliberately shifts focus to the two generations of parents and children.
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Step 3
Place this series after that groundwork. It is a companion light novel group rather than a numbered continuation, gathering three novels released from May to July 2018 for the 25th anniversary of Shueisha Jump jBooks.
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Step 4
Note that Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls (2016) came first as the loose origin of the same novel line, which this 2018 group then formalized.
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Step 5
Treat it as optional but rewarding. Core plot beats stay with the main manga and Boruto anime, and one entry, Naruto Shinden: Parent and Child Day, was adapted into Boruto episodes 93 to 95 for viewers who prefer that route.
Franchise Path
- Start with the original Naruto manga (1999–2014, 72 volumes) or its anime; these novels assume you know Naruto Uzumaki's story.
- Read Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls (2016), the loose origin of this light novel line, before the 2018 relaunch.
- Then read the 2018 Naruto Shinden trio as an optional companion set; core plot beats stay with the main Naruto manga and Boruto era.
After You Finish
Continue with
- Continue into the Boruto era with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the parent-child generation these novels help bridge toward.
- For the Parent and Child Day material, Boruto episodes 93–95 offer an anime route if you prefer watching over reading.
Community Verdict
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