VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE LATEST NARUTO NOVEL WITH THE DEBUT OF NARUTO: ITACHI’S STORY - DAYLIGHT

New Novel Focuses On The Loyal Shinobi Of The Konoha Clan From Masashi Kishimoto’s Smash Hit Series NARUTO

San Francisco, CA, October 19, 2016 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, continues to expand its library of popular NARUTO novels with the release of NARUTO: ITACHI’S STORY – DAYLIGHT on November 1^st.

Naruto’s allies and enemies take center stage in these fast-paced adventures with each book focusing on a particular clan mate, ally, team…or villain. NARUTO: ITACHI’S STORY – DAYLIGHT will be available in print and digital editions. The novel was written by Takashi Yano and features original cover art by NARUTO creator, Masashi Kishimoto.

NARUTO: ITACHI’S STORY – DAYLIGHT

MSRP: $10.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN / $6.99 Digital · Available November 1^st

Uchiha Itachi, four years of age. With the hell of war burned into his eyes, the boy makes a resolution: he will rid this world of all violence. The birth of Sasuke, meeting his friend Shisui, the academy, genin, chunin, and then the Anbu – Itachi races down the path of glory toward his dream of becoming the first Uchiha Hokage, unaware of the darkness that lies ahead…

Also don’t miss the first three books in the series of NARUTO novels – NARUTO: KAKASHI’S STORY, NARUTO: SHIKAMARU’S STORY and NARUTO: SAKURA’S STORY, available now in print and digital editions.

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.

For additional information on other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.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.