VIZ MEDIA DELIVERS AN ACTION PACKED NEW NARUTO NOVEL TO READERS WITH THE DEBUT OF NARUTO: SAKURA’S STORY

Latest Novel In A Series Of Original Stories Focusing On Key Characters From Masashi Kishimoto’s Smash Hit Ninja Manga Series - NARUTO

San Francisco, CA, April 27, 2016 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the release of NARUTO: SAKURA’S STORY, the third book in a series of original novels focusing on key characters from the widely acclaimed ninja action anime/manga franchise.

NARUTO: SAKURA’S STORY debuts in print and digitally on May 3^rd and was written by Takashi Yano and Tomohito Ohsaki. The novel is based on characters and concepts by original NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto.

Allies and enemies from the famed NARUTO series take center stage in these fast-paced adventures, with each novel focusing on a particular clan mate, ally, team…or villain. The latest book depicts the story of Sakura Haruno, a faithful and skilled member of Team 7 and the primary lead female character in the NARUTO canon.

NARUTO: SAKURA’S STORY

MSRP: $10.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN / $6.99 Digital · Available May 3^rd

The Great Ninja War did not only harm adults, but left many damaged children behind. Medical ninja Sakura travels the land, opening clinics dedicated to healing children of the mental trauma they experienced. She learns of a series of attacks against Konoha, and her investigation leads to an impossible conclusion: Sasuke is the terrorist mastermind behind them all! Using her skills and her heart, Sakura strives to clear Sasuke’s name and bring the real perpetrator to justice.

Also don’t miss NARUTO: KAKASHI’S STORY and NARUTO: SHIKAMARU’S STORY the first two books in the series of NARUTO novels, available now in print and also digitally.

Manga author/artist Masashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in rural Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Like many kids, he was first inspired to become a manga artist in elementary school when he read Dragon Ball. After spending time in art school, he won the Hop Step Award for new manga artists with his story, Karakuri. After considering various genres for his next project, Kishimoto decided on a story steeped in traditional Japanese culture. His first version of NARUTO, drawn in 1997, was a one-shot story about fox spirits; his final version, which debuted in Japan in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, quickly became the most popular ninja manga in the world. The series would also spawn multiple anime series, movies, novels, video games and more. Having concluded the series in late 2014, Masashi Kishimoto has kept himself busy this year with the side story, Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring, and writing the story for the latest NARUTO movie, Boruto: Naruto the Movie, both of which focus on the title character's son, Boruto.

VIZ Media is the North American master licensor for NARUTO and publishes the bestselling NARUTO manga series in print and digitally and also distributes the NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series and feature films. Additional information on NARUTO is available at www.Naruto.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the field of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.