the direct artical from NARUTO.COM :
VIZ Media Teams With Disney XD to Present NARUTO Shippuden to Television
Audiences This Fall
Newly Launched Disney XD Channel To Host World's Most Popular Ninja With New
Action-Packed Episodes To Debut Weekly Beginning In October




SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark agreement, VIZ Media,
LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and
comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced
that its animated series NARUTO Shippuden has been acquired by Disney-ABC
Cable Networks Group for debut on Disney XD (www.DisneyXD.com) television
channel beginning in October.

Disney XD is a new basic cable channel and multi-platform brand that showcases
a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for kids age 6-14,
hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports,
adventure and humor. New dubbed episodes of NARUTO Shippuden will premiere on
the network.

In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja in
training, wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but
Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense
exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO Shippuden begins two and a
half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted
up the ninja ranks -- except him. Sakura is a medic ninja, Gaara has advanced
to Kazekage, and Kakashi. . . well, he remains the same. But pride isn't
necessarily becoming of a ninja, and Naruto quickly regains his focus when he
learns that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru and that the
mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. The more
Naruto finds out about Akatsuki's sinister plot, the more he realizes that
nothing in his world is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he's older, but
will he also prove wiser and stronger?

"Disney XD is a growing destination for our key demographic, boys 6-14, and
we're looking forward to bringing the adventures of NARUTO Shippuden to our
lineup," says Tracy McAndrew, Director, Acquisitions and Co-Productions,
Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group.

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen
Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country's most popular
ninja manga targeting tweens and teens and has sold more than 92 million
copies to-date. The manga series (rated 'T' for Teens) and animated
counterpart (NARUTO rated 'T' for teens, and NARUTO Shippuden rated 'T+' for
older teens), is one of VIZ Media's most successful properties and has
captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America.
NARUTO is a co-production of TV TOKYO, VIZ Media parent company Shueisha Inc.,
and Pierrot Co., Ltd.

"We're very pleased to partner with Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group to bring
NARUTO Shippuden to U.S. television audiences this fall," says Bill Germain,
Director of Programming Sales, VIZ Media. "With Disney XD as its new broadcast
home base, NARUTO Shippuden is poised to take viewers, both new and old, to
unprecedented levels of ninja-excitement!"

More information on NARUTO is available at [link].

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the
most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic
novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content.
Owned by three of Japan's largest creators and licensors of manga and
animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha
Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and
distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North
America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia
licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated
product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP
magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and
distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages.