The "Hunter x Hunter" manga is currently on hiatus, and while no end is currently in sight, recent rumors have hinted that the eagerly anticipated chapter 361 may come out soon.

Recent rumors are hinting that the next chapter of the manga may finally be released sometime in 2017, but unfortunately, confirmation of that happening is not available just yet.

Notably, the reason why a 2017 release for chapter 361 still cannot be confirmed at this point is mainly because it's not even clear exactly when series creator Yoshihiro Togashi may be able to work on it again.

News broke earlier this year that the "Hunter x Hunter" manga had to go on hiatus again after Togashi's back problems began to flare up once more.

As was noted in an earlier report from RocketNews 24, the latest hiatus has no foreseeable end date just yet, meaning that while a 2017 release for chapter 361 is indeed possible, it's also far from assured.

Interestingly, rumors are now hinting that a 2017 return for the manga may be made possible because Togashi's wife Naoko Takeuchi – who is also an accomplished manga artist – may pick up the slack and take over for her husband in order to get the next chapter out sooner rather than later.

It's unclear if Takeuchi really will take over the manga, though fans have speculated that this may be unlikely to occur.

Over on Reddit, fans are already bracing for an extended wait for the next chapter, with many suggesting that it may take years before Togashi is able to work on the manga again, though it appears as that they have taken the hiatus in stride as the r/HunterxHunter Subreddit's banner even scrolls over to display "Hiatus x Hiatus" if visitors point their cursors at it.

More news about chapter 361 of the "Hunter x Hunter" manga should be made available in the near future.