Story perspectives

Today in History: Naruto debut launches future best-selling manga

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

On September 21, the first chapter of *Naruto* debuted in Shueisha’s *Weekly Shonen Jump*, introducing Naruto Uzumaki, an orphaned ninja craving village respect and the Hokage title. The series later became a global bestseller, exceeding 20 million tankobon copies and ranking among Japan’s top-selling manga.

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Story summary

On September 21, the first chapter of *Naruto* debuted in Shueisha’s *Weekly Shonen Jump*, introducing Naruto Uzumaki, an orphaned ninja craving village respect and the Hokage title. The series later became a global bestseller, exceeding 20 million tankobon copies and ranking among Japan’s top-selling manga.