On many levels, few hero collaborations seem more natural at first glance than a team-up between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. However, certain elements — such as the contrast between Naruto’s pastoral Hidden Leaf Village and the Turtles’ urban New York City — present challenges in crafting a cohesive narrative.

In Caleb Goellner and Hendry Prasetya's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura arrive in New York City after escorting April O'Neil back from Hidden Village. April had traveled there to interview Tsunade Senju about ninja biology for a story she was writing on Baxter Stockman's attempts to create mutant ninjas.

This, of course, attracted the attention of the Foot Clan, and subsequently, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. With April being the only one who knows both groups, Team 7 and the Turtles end up fighting each other, each believing they are protecting her.

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For Turtles and Naruto fans alike, the first encounter between the two preeminent ninja fighting forces in the comic-manga continuum has long been hoped for, yet never expected. The problem is that, historically, Naruto has rarely ventured out of its own universe, existing in a seemingly alternate Earth reality. As a result, fans speculated that if a meeting were to occur, it would be the Turtles, masters of the Multiverse, who would traverse to Naruto's world. While such a storyline would be intriguing, its "what if" nature would diminish its overall impact – making it less compelling to fans.

[Author Caleb] Goellner skillfully leverages this narrative flexibility to make New York City —and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles— officially part of Naruto canon.

Goellner, however, solves that problem by writing New York City into the Naruto-verse, even describing it in classic Naruto fashion as the “Big Apple Village"; interestingly, while it has always been assumed that Naruto was set in a closed universe, it has never been explicitly stated that its universe is confined to Japan. Moreover, it has always been clear that there is more to the world beyond the officially part of Naruto canon.

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The genius of Goellner’s creative approach lies in its simplicity. There’s no need for time portals, magical scrolls, or time-traveling technology to bring the Hidden Leaf Village shinobi together with the Big Apple Village ninja. Instead, all it takes are common modes of transportation. This simplicity also enhances the storytelling, making it easier to encourage the suspension of disbelief – something that certain portions of both fan bases may struggle with in such a groundbreaking crossover. It also opens the door to future collaboration going forward. Goellner's clever workaround blends core stylistic elements from both franchises for crossover purposes.

This approach maintains the humorous tone that is often present in each narrative. Indeed, it serves as a small but thoughtful nod to fans of both Naruto and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, making the crossover more engaging and immersive. Indeed, Goellner's seamless integration of the story and Prasetya's stunning artwork, which infuses New York City with an authentic Naruto flair, is a resounding success. As a result, while the promise of epic battles may have initially drawn in fans, they'll likely stay for the compelling narrative that explores the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' origin story within the Naruto-verse.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #1 is available now from IDW Publishing.