Masashi Kishimoto
Naruto (Japanese: ) 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" (1995), which earned Kishimoto an honorable mention in Shueisha's monthly "Hop Step Award" the following year, and "Naruto" (1997).