2016 is nearing its end and there is still no release date known for chapter 361 of the "Hunter x Hunter" manga.

The current manga hiatus is already poised to enter its fifth month and yet there is still no word on when it may possibly end.

For those who may be unaware, the current hiatus was made necessary by series creator Yoshihiro Togashi's health problems.

Right around the time when news of the hiatus first broke, RocketNews 24 sought more details about the hiatus and the reason behind it from Weekly Shonen Jump publisher Shueisha. The publisher responded and revealed that Togashi's back problems have flared up again.

As is the case with previous hiatuses, no set date was announced for when the "Hunter x Hunter" manga might resume.

Fans over on Reddit – who are pretty familiar with these hiatuses – have hinted that a 2017 return for the manga could be possible, though they are predicting that it might show up around the middle of the year at the earliest.

Unfortunately, it seems as though a mid-2017 return for the manga may be the best case scenario at this point.

Other fans are settling in for an even longer wait, hinting that chapter 361 may not come out until the tail end of next year, and there's a chance that the hiatus may even spill over into 2018.

There have also been rumblings that other people may be brought on to help Togashi with the manga while he is dealing with his problems, though fans have expressed skepticism over this possibility, and for now at least, nothing of the sort has been announced.

It just looks as though the wait for chapter 361 of the "Hunter x Hunter" will have to continue for a while longer, though hopefully for the fans, the glorious day of the manga's return will arrive sooner rather than later.