Disclaimer for this story: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is property of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird (the 2012 series made by Viacom) and InuYasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author, punkish furball. The author, punkish furball, is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. The author, punkish furball, makes no profit from this fanfiction. No copyright infringement is intended.

punkish furball – Hello, all! X3

Words to Ponder:

So, after a friend of mine got me into the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, this little idea's been floating around in my head for the past few days. For now, it's just a one-shot, but I could make it a longer piece if you guys like it. XD

Chapter 1

"Kagome-chan, come down here please."

"Coming!" she answered as she placed the cardboard box she held on the floor and walked down the stairs of her new home.

Several months ago, she officially ended her travels in the Feudal Era and returned to her time for good, leaving her friends and allies behind. Despite ending her adventures victorious, it didn't take long for Kagome and her family to realize her readjustment to a normal life was not going well at all. She continually struggled no matter how hard she tried to interact with her peers or focus on her schoolwork. Every attempt led to disastrous results.

'It's a wonder I even passed middle school,' she thought with a snort.

Unfortunately, her luck didn't pan out and Kagome miserably failed her high school entrance exams. As soon as he heard about the troubling situation, her uncle Murakami, a kind, gentle man who lived in New York City, agreed to take her into his Manhattan home where he owned and operated a Japanese style noodle shop. And, despite her poor transcript, she managed to transfer 1111to Roosevelt High, a public school in the area, as a sophomore. After packing her bags, Kagome flew to the United States to make a fresh start with her family's blessing. As for Kagome, she vowed to try as hard as she could to put the past behind her and not become a burden to her kind uncle.

"Yes, Oji-chan?" Kagome said once she stood in front of Murakami. He was stationed behind the bar, holding a freshly cooked dumpling with a pair of chopsticks. It was one of the many packed away in a large takeout container.

"Try this," he instructed, grinning.

Kagome gingerly took the dumpling and lifted it to her nostrils. She wrinkled her nose at its odor; it didn't smell like any dumpling she ever tried before.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Pizza gyoza," Murakami answered.

Kagome immediately dropped the dumpling in the box with the others. "I think I'll pass."

"But why did you make so many?" she questioned.

"It's a pickup order for the Turtles," he explained, "They're regular customers, so it's on the house tonight."

"Really?" Kagome commented and took a glance at the clock. It was almost closing time. The Turtles would probably arrive any minute now.

"How about I stay down here to clean up and close for the night while you go up to bed?" she suggested.

"Nonsense. You've just moved in and have a lot of unpacking to do," Murakami protested, "Besides, this blind man has made do long before you got here."

Kagome smiled and countered, "I know that, but I do have to earn my keep around here. I might as well get an early start."

"Very well," he acquiesced, knowing it wouldn't do him any good to argue, "Don't stay up too late, Kagome-chan. You start school next week and need to be prepared."

Kagome rolled her eyes and mouthed "Great". Then, without warning, the flat end of a spatula lightly smacked the back of her head. She cringed at the impact.

"I may not be able to see them, but there will be no rude gestures in this shop, young lady," Murakami told her.

"Right," she sheepishly replied, "Gomen ne, Oji-chan."

Murakami nodded and began to leave. "Oyasuminasai, Kagome-chan. Rest well."

"Oyasumi, Oji-chan."

Once her uncle was gone, Kagome packed the box of pizza gyoza in a paper bag. She cringed when she got another whiff of them and quickly folded it shut.

"The Turtles sure have unique tastes whoever they are," she mumbled before she rolled up her sleeves and set to work. Kagome began by sweeping the floors, pausing when she heard someone entered the shop, a girl around her age.

"Sorry I'm late, Murakami-san," she began until she spotted Kagome in the shop owner's place.

"Oh, hello. I didn't know Murakami-san wasn't here."

"Irasshaimase!" Kagome greeted her with a smile, leaning the broom against the wall, "Murakami-san is my uncle, and I'm closing up the shop for him. I take it you're one of the 'Turtles'?"

Whether she was or wasn't, the girl certainly was a rare find in this city. Kagome immediately sensed the red-haired girl possessed residual spiritual powers. She wasn't as powerful as any priestess Kagome encountered in her homeland, but, with the right training, she could become a formidable combatant.

"Yeah," she answered with a shrug, "Sort of. My name's April O'Neil."

"I'm Higurashi Kagome," Kagome replied as she passed the takeout to April, "And may I just say as politely as possible that pizza gyoza is one of the grossest things I've ever heard of."

April laughed as she received the bag. "They're actually much better than you'd think. So what brings you to town? Sightseeing?"

"More like moving to a new place to have a fresh start," Kagome clarified and playfully added, "But all of the dark alleys and graffiti I've seen are fascinating."

"They really are the highlights of the city," April replied, grinning, "Well, I should get going. Nice meeting you."

"Same here," Kagome said with a small wave, "Enjoy your gyoza and come see us again!"

"I will. Goodnight."

Once April was gone, Kagome finished cleaning the floors, wiping up the counters, and washing the dishes until all of the nighttime chores were completed.

'I'll still have some time before heading to bed.' Kagome thoughtfully pursed her lips together. She considered finishing unpacking her things but decided against it.

'I think I'll go for a quick jog.'

She went back to her room and changed into a pair of black yoga pants with a matching tank top. She was careful not to make any loud noise in case Murakami went to bed. Before leaving her room, she grabbed a small tanto from her yellow backpack and strapped it to her hip just in case. It wasn't much, but, during the same time she was developing her spiritual abilities with Miroku for combat, Kagome had training sessions with Sango and, occasionally, InuYasha in hand-to-hand combat and weapon use. Learning the basics of fighting without the aid of her spiritual powers was enough to keep her protected whenever she was caught off guard. After all, she couldn't turn all of their enemies into dust with holy energy.

'Oji-chan did say this is a pretty tough neighborhood. Hopefully, he can forgive me for going out if I'm prepared to defend myself!'

Quietly, Kagome crept downstairs, exited the apartment, and locked the door behind her before she began jogging in a random direction. The city surroundings weren't the ideal environment for a late night stroll, but it was something to do until she tired herself out. She came to a sudden stop after she traveled a few blocks away when she heard the sound of shattering glass.

'Sounds like trouble,' she thought then shrugged, 'It's not like I have anything better to do. I might as well check it out.'

Kagome changed course and increased her speed, searching for the source of the noise.

-O0o0O-

Raphael groaned as he jumped to another unoccupied rooftop and stopped. Due to Kraang sightings being at an all-time low, Leonardo decided to split up the team to patrol separate sections of the city. It seemed like a good idea at first, but he quickly got bored with the lack of activity. At least, he'd have something to keep him occupied if he was with the others.

Before he could continue his search, he noticed the Purple Dragons breaking the windows of an old factory warehouse in the back alley below him and grinned. The gang members were relatively weak, but it should be slightly entertaining to take them on by himself.

'Alright! I got action!'

Then, before he dropped down from the building, an unknown girl ran in from the street and confronted the Purple Dragons in his place.

'What the hell?'

As soon as she joined them, she began shouting at the gang members, a totally unexpected course of action. After recovering for his initial surprise, Raphael didn't hesitate to jump to her aid. Leonardo wouldn't approve of him revealing himself to a human, but he couldn't let some random girl interrupt his first real beating of the night.

'Besides, human girls always run and scream the second they see a big green mutant. She'll be out of my way in no time.'

-O0o0O-

Kagome calmly approached the trio vandalizing the emptied building. They were too engrossed in their illicit activity to notice her arrival. Once she was close enough, she cleared her throat to get their attention. Instantaneously, the thugs turned to face her, surprised by her presence.

"Who's this broad?" the largest member of the group asked.

Kagome bristled; she didn't know much American slang but decided she didn't like the sound of that term.

"Excuse me! I am not a 'broad'," she sternly told them, "And don't you think it's a little too late to be making so much noise?"

"She don't seem to like ya, Sid," the mustached thug said. He jabbed Sid in the side.

"You should apologize to her."

"Fuck off."

The leanest member of the group stepped forward and smirked. "Hold on, guys. She's pretty cute. I think we can have a real good time once we get to know each other."

Kagome flinched when he and his flunkies took another step closer.

"So how bout it? Wanna hang with us?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "As if! I can't stand being around halfwits like you for another second!"

"Well then, we'll take care of you another way, you frigid bitch."

Kagome smirked and slipped into a battle stance, ready to defend. "Bring it on then."

'It looks like my workout got a little more intense,' she thought as she accessed her opponents, 'The big guy might give me some trouble, but the rest shouldn't be too much of a challenge.'

Before she or the gang members could act, a figure jumped down from the rooftops, armed and ready for battle. The gang members immediately disregarded Kagome's presence and focused all of their attention on him.

"It's one of the Turtles!"

'Turtles?' Kagome thought as she relaxed her posture. When she took a good look at the newcomer, her eyes widened.

'He really is a turtle.'

"That's right, and this is my first fight of the night," the large turtle said as he drew a pair of sai strapped to his shell, smirking, "Try to make it interesting, alright?"

Kagome wisely chose to step back and watch as they fought. While April O'Neil's energy was unexpected, this turtle was far stranger. She never imagined she would see someone like him after she returned from the Feudal Era even though there was nothing demonic about the man-sized turtle. She felt the familiar stirrings of interest the more she thought about it and wanted to know more about him.

The fight quickly came to an end with a clear victor. The gang members put forth a decent effort but were no match for the masked turtle assailant and were rendered unconscious on the pavement.

"Alright!" he shouted, "That's what I'm talking about!"

As he continued to rave, Kagome couldn't help it. The way he shouted and fist pumped the air was simply too much. She opened her mouth and began to laugh as loud as she could, unknowingly drawing his attention. His back stiffened before he turned around to face her, a confused look etched on his face.

"You're still here?" he asked, "Why didn't you run away?"

Kagome stopped laughing and shrugged as she hurriedly composed herself, tucking her disheveled hair behind her ears.

"Why would I?"

"I don't know. Maybe because that's what human girls are supposed to do."

"Normal ones I guess," she quipped as she walked past him to move toward one of the men lying on the ground. Tentatively, she tapped him with the tip of her foot.

"Looks like they're down for the count. This was definitely overkill, don't you think?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder.

The turtle scoffed and turned away from her. "What do you know?"

"Admittedly, not much," Kagome said as she withdrew her foot. She walked over to the turtle, so she could face him, putting on her brightest smile.

"My name's Higurashi Kagome. What's yours?"

"As if I'd tell you."

Slightly disheartened, Kagome pouted but smirked when she thought of an idea. The newcomer was the tough, loose cannon type, so it would be easy to elicit the right response to obtain what she wanted.

"Too bad," she cheekily replied, "I'll just have to call you 'Turtle-chan' until you decide to tell me. Sounds cute, right?"

"Turtle-chan?" he repeated, growling as he brandished his sai.

"What are you about to do? Beat me up or something?" Kagome asked, quirking an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest, "You're not much of a hero, are you?"

He grunted and put his weapons away. "If you're looking for a hero, you're looking at the wrong turtle. I wasn't trying to save you. I would have beat the Purple Dragons with or without you getting in my way."

Kagome discretely rolled her eyes. Turtle-chan wasn't the most approachable being she'd ever met, but that never discouraged her from making a new friend before. She was sure he was all bark and no bite once he got over his temper. If he really wanted to hurt her, he would have done it by now. And, everything else aside, he was really cute.

'The only real tragedy is that he doesn't have any ears!'

"Okay, but, regardless of all that, you did help me out of a bad situation," Kagome replied.

She walked to Turtle-chan and, using his shell for leverage, leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. His green skin was smooth and pleasantly cool, not what she expected but satisfying to the touch.

"Thanks, hero," she whispered before she stepped away from him.

Without another word, Kagome turned and jogged out of the alley. She hid her disappointment when she heard Turtle-chan jump onto a nearby dumpster and leave the way he arrived. He didn't follow her like she hoped he would.

'I guess I'm not good at playing the coy maiden,' she mused, 'I don't know why I thought that would work.'

When she was closer to her uncle's noodle shop, she felt Turtle-chan's presence follow her, keeping just out of sight. Kagome smiled and continued jogging without skipping a beat. She wouldn't want her latest interest to get suspicious of her before she learned more about him.

-O0o0O-

'This is stupid.'

Nonetheless, Raphael continued to follow the strange human girl, Kagome, and made sure she didn't see him. He's only purpose was to confirm she made it home and stayed out of trouble. After all, he did go through all the trouble of saving her even if he didn't intend to.

Raphael paused when he got a call on his T-phone. After glancing at the screen, he saw Leonardo's image. He halted his pursuit and answered, still keeping Kagome in his sights.

"What's up?" he stated.

"Hey, Raph," Leonardo replied, "Did you find anything?"

"Nope," Raphael answered without hesitation, "It's been pretty boring."

"The others and I aren't having much luck either. We're gonna call it a night. Try not to get into any trouble on the way home, okay, Raph?"

"Yeah," he said before hanging up.

Before he left, Raphael watched as Kagome stopped in front of Murakami's noodle shop, Subarashii Tabemono. Without difficulty, she opened the door to the apartment and walked inside.

'Does she live there?' he thought, surprise by her once again.

He and the others have never seen Kagome before, and Murakami and April didn't mention her. Her sudden appearance seemed a little suspicious, but he doubted the petite raven could harm a fly even if she wanted to.

Raphael waited outside the restaurant a few minutes before heading back to the lair, vehemently ignoring the way his cheek began to heat as he thought about her.

-O0o0O-

punkish furball – I hope you enjoyed that, and I recommend watching TMNT (2012)! Until next time, TCB! XD

(revised 02.08.2014)