Welcome to Act 2!

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Compromise

"Well." Leonardo drew himself up and offered a proper bow. "I guess this is goodbye."

Beside him, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo also bowed.

"Take care of yourselves," Don said as they straightened up.

"Yeah. And good luck out there," Mikey added.

"Just watch out for trouble on the road," Raph said, scowling slightly. "It ain't safe all the time."

Across from them, Shuo Katsu and newly-named Shuo Akako returned the bow.

"Thank you all for your generosity," Shuo Katsu said when he rose. "We could not ask for better friends during such a trying time."

"And thank you for your warning," Shuo Akako said. "We will be very careful."

"I'm sorry there isn't more I can do for you," Leo said.

Shuo Katsu shook his head. "Do not trouble yourself, Hamato-sama. You have done more than I ever could have expected."

The turtles exchanged glances. In their opinion, sparing the life of someone who wasn't a murderer, putting up an absolutely tiny bridal gift so Akako could go to her husband without being empty-handed, and giving the pair a few basics to help them in their journey was not equal to such praise. But Leonardo's position as Heir meant he could not act in any way beyond his authority, nor could he even imply a loss of face by the Daimyo by treating Akako better than a valued subject. The turtles had stretched the line of what they could offer without showing an incorrect amount of favoritism, but it still felt wanting to them.

However, Shuo Katsu and Shuo Akako were both clearly surprised and deeply grateful for the meager offerings from the Hamato Clan; Akako, when no one was looking, had gripped each of their hands and wept. With the supplies and a bit of money and goods along with the light cart made lighter by Donatello's own hand, the couple would be able to travel to a new region and a new town where they could begin their lives together away from the ugly events that shrouded them here.

"When you get settled, send us a postcard or something," Mikey said, before he was cut off by a yawn. He probably intended to say more but was stopped, as usual, by the pre-dawn hour of the send-off.

The pair exchanged slightly confused glances, and Katsu gave a shrug. "We will certainly write to you when we have established ourselves."

"Should you ever wish for kimono, you need only ask," Akako added. "It will be my honor to make anything you should require."

Don smiled at her. "Thanks for making me a new one." He tugged on his purple sleeves. "And I'm still sorry I ruined the first one."

"A worthy sacrifice for a worthy life," Katsu said, meeting Donatello's eyes. "Without you, we would not stand here now."

Raph reached over and scruffed Don's head. "That's our little Donnie, getting in trouble and saving the day."

Don coughed and blushed slightly.

Leo chuckled and dipped his head to the pair of otters. "We won't keep you from getting started. Farewell and good fortune to you both."

Shuo Katsu and Shuo Akako turned, Katsu taking up the poles of the cart. Side-by-side, they headed down the road, walking in the opposite direction the turtles had traveled when they found Katsu, the low morning sun throwing long shadows out ahead of them on the road. The village was quiet, but those who were up and out nodded in passing, politely if not with friendliness, as the pair at the center of so much tragedy departed.

When they were out of sight, Mikey yawned and stretched his arms out wide, smacking into Raph and Don as he did.

"So, back to bed?" he asked. Raph shoved at him and Don rolled his eyes.

Leo shook his head. "Nope. It's time for practice."

Raph frowned at him. "Since when?"

"Since we need to get back in the habit of training together, and now we can finally do it as a team." Leo pointed to where Don wore his bo tucked in his belt for the first time since falling ill. "And Donnie's finally well enough not to sound like he's wheezing to death after moving around for a few minutes."

Mikey tipped his head to Don. "Are you really feeling up for it, bro?"

Don nodded. "I've been fully mobile for a week now. I probably don't have a whole lot of endurance, but I should be good for at least a few rounds. And I'm sick of being sick!"

That won him three smiles.

"The brainiac has spoken!" Mikey flung an arm around his shoulders. "Plus, I haven't had a chance to kick Raph's shell in forever!"

"We'll see who kicks whose shell, Mike!" Raph shot back.

Leo led the way back through the main gate and around the wall. By now, navigating inside the castle felt as natural as breathing; he could barely remember being confused by its layout. At one of the points most distant from the keep there was a large, open area that had been reserved for weapons drilling and combat practice. Leo had specifically requested the use of it for his own family in the morning, so no one was around to watch.

Even as they reached the practice ring, however, there was a hesitance they could all feel. They removed their kimono and other layers slowly, awkwardly, having difficulty looking at the empty ring before them.

Leo swallowed thickly. "Sensei would want us to do this even without him. He'll be disappointed when he wakes up if we've let our training go."

"You ain't wrong, but...it don't feel right," Raph said, kicking at something only he could see on the ground.

"I know."

Michelangelo looked at the grief and worry on his brothers' faces and decided that was not a good way to start the morning. So he promptly moved into the open space and struck a pose.

Donatello, expecting something like this from Mikey – after all, he knew his orange-banded brother worked hard to raise the family's spirits in bad times – smiled at him. "What are you up to now, you goofball?"

"There's only one way to figure out if this is a big enough arena to hold my awesomeness!"

Leo and Raph were looking up with a little more hope.

"What's that?" Don asked.

"The Mikey Dance!"

And before anyone could stop him, Michelangelo burst out into The Mikey Dance, a horrific compilation of moves inspired by pop songs, everything from "Single Ladies" and "Gangnam Style" to "U Can't Touch This" and "Tootsie Roll" with a few steps borrowed from the Macarena and the Electric Slide. It also had associated lyrics which Michelangelo proceeded to belt out at the top of his lungs, mashing up the words into a string of nonsense. The Mikey Dance had been born after a late night when Mikey couldn't sleep and instead learned the "Thriller" dance and he had been adding to it ever since.

Raph groaned loudly and smacked his head, covering his face. "I hope nobody sees this."

Leo looked as though he had swallowed a frog. "Me too."

"On the bright side," Donatello said with a grin, "he's right! The dimensions of the current Mikey Dance do nicely gauge the space for length, width, and height similar to what we need for practice."

Raph glared at him. "It's an open-air dirt patch big enough to play basketball in! Of course it's big enough!"

"A good scientist always appreciates independent verification," Don told him.

Mikey paused his singing while at the top of an impressive leap from "Shake It Off" to punch the air triumphantly. "Thanks, bro!"

Finally, Leo shook his head and gave in to the small smile pulling at his mouth. "At least he'll be warmed up."

A few minutes of genuine turtle silliness later, Mikey finished, landing dramatically in a pose like a gymnast. He didn't wait for any applause – not that he expected any – and immediately began bowing. "Thank you! Thank you! The Battle Nexus and Dance Champion thanks you!"

Raph began to growl, but Leo cut him off. "Come on. Let's get to work."

But Don saw that some of the strain was gone from Leo and Raph, and he winked at Mikey. "Nice job."

When the four turtles settled into position, following Leo as he led them through some easy katas to begin, they did so without the air of despair that came from an empty spot where Master Splinter should have been.

Leo took his brothers through a few different forms, nothing too strenuous and nothing new, but enough to ground them in their training. Then he called for one-on-one combat, pitting Raph and Mikey against one another in hand-to-hand while he watched and counted the points they scored on one another. It also gave Donatello a few minutes to rest; Leo hadn't missed that his recently-ill brother was breathing harder than usual.

Raph and Mikey traded blows and insults about evenly as they were both fairly matched in hand-to-hand combat. Both were close-in fighters when they carried their weapons, and both were athletic, though in opposite ways: Raph was a brawler who relied on brute strength, and Mikey was an acrobat who utilized his agility. However, Mikey's tendency to dodge Raph's attacks and then taunt him had the predictable result of eventually irritating Raph into forgetting the form he was supposed to be using and just trying to pummel his brother.

Before that could get too far out of hand, Leo called a halt and set them to opposite sides to cool down – in more way than one – and then invited Don to face him.

"Just take it easy," Leo said, bowing to Don. "Don't push yourself."

"I know. But don't go easy on me just because I might be tired," Don said, quirking a smile. "I'll never live it down."

Leo nodded. "If you say so. Begin!"

Weaponless fighting was different for Leonardo and Donatello. In Leo's case, he had made a genuine attempt to master virtually every form of martial arts over the years, and master them all flawlessly. Though his blades were his primary and favorite weapon, he was deadly proficient with practically anything in his hands, and with no weapon at all.

But up until Leo's trip to the Ancient One, Donatello had been the best in the family at pure hand-to-hand fighting, at least in the dojo. In the real world, he tended to be distracted by other things like figuring out a solution to whatever problem they were facing; in the dojo, with nothing to draw his attention, Don was a marvel at weaponless combat.

The practical reason for that was simple – because his bo was apt to break, and regularly did in the middle of pitched battles, Donatello had been forced to learn to defend himself empty-handed against opponents who weren't. For this reason, his tactics when battling without a weapon were largely geared towards defending himself and disarming his opponents before bringing them down.

However, today Donatello was not pushing himself as hard as he could, knowing that avoiding a relapse was his primary responsibility even before proving himself to be an honorable combatant against his brother. He defended himself skillfully but did not push his advantages to try to actually defeat Leo.

Leonardo watched Don closely, not just to read his next move and counter it, but for signs of weakness or difficulty. He could see that Don was paying sharp attention to his body, breathing slow and deep even in the midst of hard strikes and blows, but he could sense his brother's flagging energy long before Don's moves began to slow.

When Donatello drew back into purely defensive work, making virtually no attempt to attack at all, Leo knew his brother had reached his limits. But he also guessed Don wouldn't just stop without actually being beaten.

Leo changed tactics in midair, adjusting a low snap-kick and turning it into a leg-sweep at the last moment, one Don couldn't respond to quick enough to keep from ending up on his shell in the dirt.

Don hit the ground and let out an explosive breath, flopping his arms and head down limply. "Okay. You made your point." Then he gave into the urge to cough, letting out a loud, angry rattle that felt like it came from his very toes.

Leo smiled and offered him a hand. "You did good, though."

"For being as weak as a day-old kitten." Don accepted the hand.

"Give yourself more credit," Leo said, hauling Don to his feet. "At least a month-old kitten."

"Gosh. Thanks, Leo." He coughed again.

Mikey, already heading towards them, burst out laughing at Don's drawling sarcasm. "Hey, I'd vote for you, Donnie!"

"Yeah, because even if he were still unconscious he could kick your shell," Raph said from the other side.

"It'll come back," Leo said, patting Don's shoulder. "Give yourself time to heal and you'll be fine."

"Speaking of which, I better get back," Don said, ducking his head from his brothers' eyes and taking a deep, controlled breath, willing the coughing to go away forever. "Master Splinter will be due for herbs right about now, and so am I."

Leo nodded. "We'll see you later, okay?"

"Yup. Thanks for the workout." And Don strode off, gathering up his bo, kimono, and other clothing at the edge of the arena on his way; he didn't bother to dress because he was still sweating and didn't want to ruin the expensive fabrics. Behind him, Leo had decided on a three-way bout with weapons for those turtles who weren't off their game, and before he'd even turned the next corner he could hear the crash of steel.

Donatello rotated his shoulders and suppressed the urge to cough yet again. Feels like I just went a couple rounds with Shredder. No kidding it's going to be a while before I'm up to speed.

He paused as he saw Sato Takeko approaching. "Good morning." He greeted her with a bow.

Sato did not quite look down her nose at him, but she still managed to bow and express displeasure at the same time. "Good morning, Kame-san."

"If you're looking for Leo, he's practicing with Raph and Mikey. But you can interrupt them if you need to." Don tried to keep his voice pitched for friendliness. "Just don't sneak up on them."

"Sneaking is a dishonorable ninja skill," she said. Then she strode past Donatello without another word.

And apparently rudeness is a samurai skill, he thought. But there was no point in worrying about it, so he shrugged it off and made his way back to the inkhouse that still served as Master Splinter's room.

The castle keep had been cleaned thoroughly even before Don had woken, but it was easier and less painful to keep Master Splinter here; they had learned that moving one afflicted with this particular poison was agonizing. Don didn't remember the one attempt the healers had made to carry himself into the keep, but even Usagi wouldn't meet his eyes when they told him about it.

Donatello had been awake for the Daimyo's transfer into the keep, though, and he figured he would probably hear those shaky screams in his nightmares for months.

Don knocked on the door before he entered to keep from startling Usagi. "Any change?" he asked as he always did.

Usagi shook his head. "No, Donatello-san. I take it all went well?"

"Yep." Donatello hung his kimono over the back of a chair with his other clothing and made his way to the table to prepare an infusion of herbs. "Shuo Katsu and Akako are on their way. And Leo decided to reinstitute morning practice. They're still at it, if you want to go watch or join in."

Usagi's eyebrows went up. "You do not believe they would object?"

Don turned to him. "No way. First of all, you've been cooped up in here with Splinter all morning, which isn't fair since it really isn't your problem."

Usagi held up a hand. "Master Splinter is an honored ally and mentor. His well-being is as much my business as it would be were I beholden to him."

Don smiled at that. "Okay. Second of all, since I'm still on the mend, I didn't give Leo much of a workout. It'll be a while before they can really do any drills. I'm sure he'd appreciate a challenge."

"And you do not mind?"

Don shook his head, returning his attention to the herbs. "Why should I? Go for it. Have a blast. See if you can kick Leo's shell for me."

Usagi rose, stepping close to Donatello's side to put a hand on his shoulder. "I will do my best to battle your brother in your stead, my friend."

"And don't be surprised – Mikey's in a singing mood this morning."

"A...singing mood?"

"You'll see."

Usagi snorted. "Undoubtedly I will. Then I will take you up on your generous offer. I will see you for the morning meal, Donatello-san."

"Good luck!"

Don finished his work with the dose of herbs, grinding them into a fresh paste. He then added some mint leaves to the mixture, crushing them and folding them in. The healers agreed that the mint would not lessen or dilute the herbs, but they certainly improved the taste of the concoction. And having had to consume it multiple times a day, Donatello knew how badly it needed its taste improved. Then he poured two cups of hot water and stirred a scoop of honey into each.

While those steeped, Donatello piled his dose of herbs onto a large, flat spoon and swallowed them in one thick lump. Then he added more water to the remaining herbs, watering them down even more thoroughly to make them easier for Splinter to drink. He set the bowl of herbs and both cups of honey water on a tray and carried them all to his father's bedside.

"Master? Time for medicine."

Donatello knew that his Sensei was not actually awake and might not be able to hear the cheerful talk, but he did it anyway. After all, Don also knew his father was very skilled at reaching states of awareness independent of the body, and for all he could tell, Master Splinter heard and saw everything around himself while he healed.

"I added a little more mint this time. I thought it helped. See if you agree."

Donatello carefully placed a hand behind his father's head and lifted it slowly, making sure not to twist his neck in any way. Rolled nearby was a length of discarded material, which he tucked beneath Splinter's head to support it.

As he adjusted the rat's position, Splinter's eyes blinked open and closed. But there was no spark of recognition in them and Donatello had learned not to expect it. Usagi had told him that he had done something similar himself for days before returning to full consciousness. However, it did signify that his father's body was awake enough to swallow without difficulty.

Donatello started up a running commentary, chattering aimlessly about the morning's practice, seeing off Shuo Katsu and Akako, and whatever else came to mind – just in case his father was listening.

With a spoon that could barely have held a cube of sugar, he ladled the mixture of herbs into his father's mouth, pausing between each until he could feel Splinter's throat working to drink down the small amounts. He did not rush, knowing how easy it was for Splinter to choke on even the tiniest morsel, and patiently worked until the bowl had been scraped clean. By that time, the cups of hot water and honey had cooled enough for him to repeat the procedure with one while he drank his own between spoonfuls.

When everything was safely in Splinter's stomach and there was no chance of choking or vomiting, Donatello carefully lowered his father's head back to the flat pillow on the mat. He cleaned up his dishes and put them away. Then he returned to Splinter and carefully stretched and massaged his body for a while, trying to avoid bedsores or injury from being unable to move for so long. He had changed the bedding with one of the other healers just the night before, so there wasn't much else he could do for his father.

Don sighed at Splinter's emaciated form. "I hope you wake up soon, Sensei. I can't imagine how weak you will be if this goes on much longer."

A knock came on the door. "Kame-san?"

"Come in!" Don called.

A cat guard entered, making a quick bow and shutting the door behind himself. "I have come to relieve you so you may attend the morning meal if you wish."

"Oh. Thanks." Don turned back to Splinter to ensure the sheet was tucked in well and there was no other visible change. He gave his father a proper bow – even if Splinter were not awake to receive it, Donatello felt it helped somehow – and rose from his place.

When he started to move towards the door, however, suddenly Don's gut lurched.

Something's wrong.

As adrenaline crashed into his system, Don's mind sped up. He looked over the guard with the appraising eye he had gained from a lifetime of surviving countless dangerous situations. But nothing seemed out of place.

Not what's there. It's what's not there.

"You know," Don said, casually shifting as he maneuvered around the other sleeping pallet and also brought himself to a spot between the guard and Splinter, "usually a healer relieves me. I think I'll wait until one gets here. You can take your post outside if you want."

"Honda Ryome gave me instructions to remain inside," the guard answered. "The healers are dealing with the Daimyo at the moment and one will be along shortly. Do not worry. I will watch over your Master until a healer arrives."

There came the sound of a low gong, the signal that the day's first meal was being served to those guards and others in the castle who were not on duty.

The cat guard tipped his head. "You should go quickly or you will not get a full bowl, Kame-san."

"I'm not feeling very hungry this morning."

Donatello could feel it, the snap in the air when the guard realized that the ploy had failed.

The cat guard-who-was-not-a-guard smiled very slightly and took a step to more fully block the door. "Surrender now and your death will be painless." He brandished the blade he carried.

"What do you want?" Don asked, playing for time while he ran through his options in his head.

"I will tell you nothing. The rules of my Clan demand it."

"You're a Neko Clan ninja," Don concluded. "So either you're here because Lord Hebi is still mad at Leo and Usagi, or you're here because Lord Nezumi is mad at us."

The ninja said nothing. But he adjusted his stance slightly, enough to show he was ready to spring and attack at any moment.

And Don had not yet pulled his bo.

"I'm going to bet it's Nezumi," Don said, his heart beating fast but his body calm and relaxed. "How upset was he when he figured out that his little magic trick wasn't what killed the former Daimyo? Talk about a waste of time. All that effort into a wizard who didn't even succeed."

"You will not distract me," the Neko said. "You are ninja. I know your tricks for they are my own."

"Yeah, I bet you know some of them. But, trust me," Don smiled a little, sliding one hand to his belt, "I've fought way better ninja than you."

The Neko scowled. "You cannot defeat me without leaving your Master open to attack. If you surrender, you will die an easy death."

Don made one more tiny movement. "Wanna bet?"

And exploded into motion.

He hooked one foot under the sleeping mat at his side and kicked it up into the air while with his opposite hand he grabbed a pair of smoke pellets and flung them to the ground. As the thick, concealing smoke filled the room, Don spun and tossed the airborne sleeping mat onto Splinter to provide some cover. He had not even fully emerged from the spin before he launched himself at the Neko, drawing his bo.

Donatello could not hear the Neko ninja moving, but he hadn't expected to – he had guessed the Neko was as familiar with working in concealment as himself. But he didn't need to hear ninja to find them; he needed only sense them.

There!

With the heightened awareness that Master Splinter had drilled into his sons for years, Donatello located the enemy in the smoke and charged for him on silent feet. He swept his bo out laterally hoping to catch the Neko's head and knock him out, but he felt his bo parried ably. Without allowing the ninja any time to recover, he struck again, keeping a part of his awareness focused on where he had tried to protect his Sensei behind him.

I have to keep him from reaching Master Splinter.

The Neko deflected his second strike and returned one with the speed of a viper.

Much better than the usual Foot goons, though that's not saying much.

Don caught the slashing blade with his bo and gave a sharp twist, hoping to disarm his opponent. He had only a moment's warning before a foot came at him from out of the smoke, landing a firm kick to his plastron.

Normally, such a blow wouldn't even have slowed Don down.

But between the angle of the kick, the smoke in the air, Don's still-recovering body, and the fact that he had already pushed himself in training only a short time before, the blow caused Don's lungs to seize up.

He felt like he was choking.

But if I go down, Sensei will be vulnerable.

In spite of the burning in his chest, Donatello did not collapse as his body wanted. He did stumble a step back, but he kept his bo up and forced his legs to hold him.

Suddenly the door slammed open. "Donnie!"

Raphael's voice, tinged with rage and fear, had never been so welcome.

With the door open, the smoke began to clear. Don retreated another two steps until he was standing at the edge of his father's bedding. He sensed three familiar forms charging into the smoke.

Then there was an audible thump.

"Got one," Leo said. "Don, can you hear me? Are there any more?"

Don opened his mouth to call back and his chest rebelled, leaving him coughing painfully.

Then there was a weight around his shoulders. "I gotcha, Donnie," Mikey said. He pulled his brother close with one arm while he left the other out in front, nunchaku swinging defensively.

Don's eyes were watering and his chest burned, but he managed, "Just...that one."

"Sure you got 'im, Leo?" Raph asked, drawing closer to Don and Mikey.

"I'm sure." There was a stony finality to those words that would have bothered Don if he weren't too busy thinking about not coughing up a lung.

"Is Master Splinter okay?" Mikey asked as he caught his nunchaku and put it back in his belt.

Don took in a new breath to try to answer but then Raph was there. "Don't talk, brainiac. I'll check on him."

Don coughed some more and just nodded, grateful for Mikey's solidness against which to lean. Mikey held him still while Raph ducked behind them and uncovered their father from the heavy mat Don had tossed onto him.

Leo appeared in the fading smoke. "Are you okay, Donnie?"

Don nodded. "Sure," he wheezed between coughs. "Fantastic." Then, "Good timing."

"We got ambushed," Mikey said. "We were heading off to breakfast and a whole bunch of guards came at us. No sweat, of course."

"How'd…?" Don began, but he gave up when his voice broke.

Leo drew closer. "I noticed one of the ninja who attacked us was wearing the insignia of the guard who was supposed to be posted outside your door. We left Usagi to handle the prisoners and came running."

"Master's okay," Raph reported. "There's two darts stuck in this mat you threw over him, Don, but they didn't get through. Good thinking."

"That's why Don's a genius!" Mikey squeezed him. Then he sobered. "Did you get darted?"

Don shook his head.

"The coughing is just residual from you being sick, right?" Leo asked.

Don nodded. When Leo put a hand on his plastron, he closed his eyes at the warmth of his brother's hand.

"Breathe easy, Donatello. In and out slowly. Let your body relax. The danger is over."

Leo's voice was low and almost hypnotic and Don let it wash over himself. He was safe. His brothers wouldn't let anything happen to him or to their Sensei. With that certainty in his mind, he started calming his body down.

By the time there were shouts from outside the door, Don had stopped trying to explode his lungs and the air was clear enough that he could breathe without trouble.

"Young Lord! Are you all right?"

"Go on, Fearless," Raph said. "Go do your thing. We got this."

Leo hesitated, looking between where Splinter was still prone on the ground – though the only outward sign of the entire affair was that his sheet was slightly mussed from being bunched under the mat – and where Don had sat on the ground between Raph and Mikey, working on regaining his energy now that his breathing was behaving itself.

"I'll double the guard here," he said. "Triple, maybe."

"Nothing's going to happen while we're here," Mikey said. "But if you wanted to send some breakfast over, that'd be nice." He didn't mention the body at the other end of the room.

Leo gave a small smile. "Okay. I'll do that, too." He bent down and squeezed Donatello's shoulder. "You did good, bro. I'm proud of you."

Don half-smiled, but he raised an eye-ridge. "Unless you've forgotten, I am actually a ninja, not a nursemaid. It was only one guy."

"Nonetheless, you did well. I'd expect nothing else." Leo straightened and nodded to them once in farewell before he turned to stride out the door to the clamoring crowd who needed to be reassured that the Heir was unhurt. He had barely stepped outside when a pair of real guards entered to remove the Neko's corpse.

When Leo was well out of earshot, Raph pounded a fist into his other hand. "Whoever sent these guys is gonna pay for goin' after Master Splinter!"

"I think it was Nezumi," Don said. "It could be that Lord Hebi that Leo tangled with the last time, but Nezumi has a stronger motive to want us out of the way or take revenge and then go back to trying to unseat the Daimyo."

"But he didn't have any ninja fighting when we were dealing with his troops on the border," Mikey said.

Raph nodded. "Then he figured out he can't win that way. So he's coming after us on our own turf."

"What are we gonna do?" Mikey asked.

Don shrugged. "This is as much a political thing as a fight. Leo will have to talk to the Daimyo about how they want to deal with it. We can't just go off and make things worse. We don't want to start a war between the hans before we go home."

"Well, I hope I get at least one shot at that weasel," Raph grumbled.

Mikey poked him. "How do you know he's a weasel? He could be anything!"

"Whatever else he is, he's still a weasel, just like you're still a shellhead," Raph shot back.

Don huffed a laugh. "Calling him a weasel might be insulting to any good weasels who live here. Maybe you should come up with another way to annoy him."

"Oh I already got one of those," Raph told him. "I'll just sic Mikey on him."

Michelangelo grinned. "My powers of annoyance span the multiverse! Hey! I wonder if we could make a competition like the Battle Nexus but the Annoying Nexus. Or maybe the Super Awesome at Driving Bad Guys Crazy Nexus. I wonder if I'd be a Champion then, too, like how I'm a Battle Nexus Champion!"

Don and Raph both sighed. "You would!"

-==OOO==-

It wasn't until dinnertime that Don, Raph, and Mikey could catch up to Leonardo. With Usagi taking a shift along with three guards and a healer to protect Splinter, the three turtles managed to drag Leo away from all the things demanding his attention and pinned him down in a small room to eat together.

"What do you want to know first?" Leo asked, pretending not to be annoyed at having been practically abducted by his own brothers.

"Who sent those goons?" Raph asked at once.

"Nezumi. We're almost certain of it," Leo said. "The survivors won't admit to it, but one was found with a small blade with Nezumi's mon on it, probably one he was supposed to leave sticking out of Lord Kawauso's chest."

"Or yours," Mikey pointed out. "They ambushed us, dude, not the Daimyo."

Leo nodded. "True. Lord Kawauso and Honda Ryome and I believe this means that Nezumi is hoping to either drive me away or eliminate me so he can go back to his war with the Daimyo unimpeded."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Don wanted to know.

"We oughta go find that jerk of a Lord and teach him not to mess with turtles," Raph growled low in his chest.

But Leo held up a hand. "No bashing heads in this time, Raph. We have to handle this carefully. It was one thing when Shuo Katsu was trying to overthrow the Daimyo whose bloodline he shared. This is a conflict between two hans and it won't be as easy to resolve."

Don tipped his head. "Is the Daimyo going to bring this matter to the Shogun?"

Leo smiled at him. "Yes. He has already dispatched a trusted messenger to Edo. Sometimes the Shogun permits different Lords to compete for power or land, but sometimes he does not. Once we know if the Shogun is going to put a stop to Nezumi's attempts himself, we'll know what to do next."

"And until then we just sit around on our shells?" Mikey asked.

"Yes and no. On the one hand, other than holding the border against Nezumi's forces, we aren't going to confront him in any other way – at least for now. On the other, if Nezumi is willing to hire the Neko Clan to infiltrate the castle, he might be willing to do worse out in the han."

"Why would he bother messing with some villagers?" Raph frowned.

"A han's power and influence with the Shogun is directly proportional to the amount of rice it produces," Leo said. "If Nezumi can ruin a whole bunch of our rice production for the season, we'll lose favor with the Shogun and Nezumi will be able to argue that he ought to be permitted to unseat Lord Kawauso."

"And with Neko Clan ninja in the mix," Don said, "the villagers and even the samurai don't stand a chance."

"Exactly." Leo sighed. "That's why I think we have to do something. Until we hear from the Shogun, Nezumi's best bet is to either take me and the Daimyo out directly or ruin the rice production in our han before the next census. And I can't protect Lord Kawauso and the peasants at the same time."

"But we can," Raph said. "Me and Mikey can start patrolling the han like we did New York and stop any trouble we find."

"What about Donnie?" Michelangelo asked.

It was Don who shook his head. "I'm not healed enough yet. I'd be a liability in the field."

"But you can look after Master Splinter," Leo said.

"And I can watch your back, too," Don looked to his brother. "You've still got a big target painted on your shell, Leo."

Leonardo smiled. "Between you and me and Usagi and all of Honda Ryome's guards, I'm pretty sure we can handle whatever comes our way."

But Don crossed his arms. "I can see the logic of your idea, but I'm not sure I like it. We're always strongest when we're together."

"You said yourself you're not up to a journey, so at least you would have to stay behind even if I went with Mike and Raph," Leo said. "There's no help for it. We have to split up somehow."

Raph nodded. "I hate to admit it, but Fearless has a point. We've seen how bad the samurai are at handling ninja around here. Usagi can hold his own, but we could take out every other samurai in the castle in our sleep. No way the farmers are gonna see them coming."

"Plus we could go visit Mitsu! I mean Mitsu's village." Mikey gulped. "And see if we can help them. Maybe we'll be able to pay those bandits back for what they did, too."

"You just wanna see your girlfriend again," Raph leaned into Mikey's face with a smirk.

"Do not!"

"Oh? Then I'll go to her village and you can go someplace else."

Mikey gasped. "No! I mean, no thanks. That's okay. We should stick together. Donnie's right."

Leo chuckled. "I'll talk to Honda Ryome tomorrow about finding you guys a better map or even a guide so we can set up a patrol route. I'll want you to swing by the castle as often as possible on your circuit, at least once a week."

Mikey and Raph exchanged glances and then saluted.

"And if you see any force bigger than what you can handle, you do not engage." Leo pinned them with his gaze. "If Nezumi sneaks a ninja army into the han, we'll need to handle it with more than just the pair of you."

Donatello looked at Raph, then turned to Leo doubtfully. "You really think the original hothead won't charge into any fight even against a hundred Neko?"

"Not if he knows what's good for him," Leo said, and he drew himself up and leaned forward, his most intimidating glare fixed on his face. "I am trusting you with Michelangelo's safety as well as your own, Raphael. If you go headfirst into a fight you can't get out of, both of you will pay for it. I won't be able to come bail you out this time."

Raph bristled, but he met Leo's eyes evenly. "I give you my word of honor, I won't get into a fight I can't win."

"Really?" Leo pressed.

"Really." Raph rolled his eyes. "If I do and you hear about it, I'll have to deal with you lecturing at me for the rest of my life and I've had enough of your lectures for about twenty lifetimes."

"You'd think being Heir and having to give all those speeches to the Daimyo's guards would make you better at it," Mikey said. "Less boring, at least."

"Practice does make perfect," Don said.

"And I ain't gonna give you any more practice," Raph said. "Deal?"

Leo nodded, fighting a smile. "Deal. I accept your word of honor. But if you don't keep it, you're going to get the longest, most boring lecture I can think of, and then I'll turn you over to Sensei when he wakes up."

All three of the other turtles shuddered. The only thing worse than an endless Leonardo Lecture was the combination of Disappointed Sensei Face and Splinter's corporal punishments.

As they settled in to eat a bit, Mikey shot Don a glance. "Master Splinter is gonna be okay, right?"

Don gave a half-shrug. "I think so. He's looking a little better every day, and all his vitals are good. I've been speculating that he's sort of hibernating while he heals, if that makes sense. Conserving all his energy to rebuild what the poison damaged. I don't know how long it will take, but there's no reason I can find that he won't wake up when he's ready."

"Just keep an eye on him, brainiac," Raph said. "We're counting on you."

"I know. Try not to worry. And when he does wake up, I'll send you a message so you can come back and see him," Don said. "I know it made me feel better to see you when I woke up."

Leonardo smiled fondly at them. "I think he'll be proud of everything we're doing when he wakes up. We're certainly living up to the code he taught us. Fighting with honor, protecting the weak, serving the worthy."

"And saving damsels in distress," Mikey added, his eyes going soft and his gaze faraway.

"Saving them from having a goofball like you drooling over them, maybe!" Raph shoved at him.

Donatello exchanged glances with Leonardo. He could tell his brother was having thoughts very like his own.

It feels good to be here together being ourselves and it's going to be weirdly quiet around here with them gone. I'm going to miss those two while they're out protecting the land, but it won't be long before we hear from the Shogun. And then we'll be together again until we go home. And everything will be fine.

But a cloud tugged at Don's heart, a tendril of uncertainty.