is a japanese manga series written and illustrated by masashi kishimoto. it tells the story of naruto uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the hokage, the leader of his village. the story is told in two parts – the first set in naruto's pre - teen years, and the second in his teens. the series is based on two one - shot manga by kishimoto : karakuri ( 1 9 9 5 ), which earned kishimoto an honorable mention in shueisha's monthly hop step award the following year