April was alone in the dojo, practicing her katas. A night or two out of the week, she had taken to staying at home instead of patrolling with the turtles and Karai as it allowed her more time to focus on her technique. Also, it was the only time the Lair was quiet - she reveled in the peace. While she loved the liveliness of the Lair for the most part, it occasionally grated.

This night, however she wasn't alone.

April sensed Karai's presence before she even made it through the dojo door. "Why aren't you out patrolling with the others?" she inquired, not breaking her form.

Karai was leaning against the doorframe of the dojo, watching April's form intensely. "Changed my mind. Thought we could train together for a change, just us girls."

This made April stop in curious surprise. Despite living together for a while now, the two girls didn't ever do anything separate from the guys. It wasn't as if they didn't like each other - their past was water under the bridge as far as both girls were concerned - it just didn't seem to work out that way, is all.

Not wanting to dissuade Karai's attempt at friendship, April smiled in appreciation and enthusiasm. "Sounds fun! Want to do some katas with me?"

Karai shook her head. "You finish your katas while I change out of this armour. Then we'll spar."

April faltered. Spar? That brought back some less than pleasant memories. Still, April was quietly confident in her improved abilities, and also found comfort in the fact she wouldn't have to resort to throwing Karai down stairs this time, seeing as she wouldn't be out for blood.

Ten minutes later, Karai returned in a black tank top and some long black shorts. From beside the weapons rack, she watched April finish her last kata. "Very nice, O'Neil," she congratulated. "Your form is a lot less stiff than it used to be."

"Thanks," April took a swig of water. "So, wanna spar?"

Karai's smirk was somewhat devilish. "Weapons or bare-hand?"

"Bare-hand. It'll be just like ol' times…" April flashed a grin, one Karai returned with a laugh.

The two sparred like that for a long while, gradually getting more and more heated as the night went on. April got some decent shots in on Karai, ones that were beyond luck and breached the realms of skill. Karai, in turn, did land a few revenge hits. She took it easy on April at the start, but found herself being challenged more and more as the sparring continued.

"You've definitely improved since last time, Princess," Karai commented, ducking a right-hook to her face. "I'm impressed."

Blocking a returning punch, April replied, "Thanks. And you're not holding out on me?"

"Not as much as I thought I'd have to," Karai admitted, and April took it as a compliment, regardless of the implications. "Has Donatello being giving you private classes?"

"Yeah, he's been showing me a lot of great-" It was only when April saw the huge grin on Karai's face that she caught the innuendo. She chuckled lightly. "Hush. It's not like that and you know it."

"Do I?" Karai managed a light kick on April's stomach, pushing the younger girl backwards. "I've seen the way he looks at you. You've got him wrapped around your little finger, Princess."

She stuck her tongue out playfully. "Bite me."

"Gladly," Karai flashed her teeth, licking the edges.

The two girls broke apart to catch their breath and grab a drink. All the while, Karai was regarding April with a strange, small smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" April asked, looking down at herself. "Have I got something on my shirt?"

Karai made a show of examining the girl up and down, and April could feel brown eyes inspecting her. There was an unfamiliar glint in her gaze. April was confused, and a little on edge.

"April," Karai closed some distance between the two of them, causing April to step backwards reflexively. Her voice was low, husky, and laced with something April couldn't quite place, but it was making her uneasy. "What do you think is the kunoichi's greatest weapon?"

By this time, April's back was against the dojo's wall. She shifted, uncomfortably; there was nowhere else to go. "Um… d-deception?" she stammered.

At this, Karai let out a fleeting chuckle, one as light as the breeze. She put her hand against the wall beside April's head. "My, you are the innocent one, O'Neil."

Karai moved slightly closer to the younger girl, causing April to press further back into the wall. Her smirk was predatory, and her eyes flashed with devilishness.

"Kunoichi's have a much more useful weapon than deception. For example, look how off-balance I've put you."

Finally making the connection between her strange body language and the sultry tone to in voice, April pushed Karai back at arms length, quickly scurried out from under the girl's towering posture, and tried to hide the deeper shade her cheeks had flushed.

"Y-You haven't put me off-balance," April lied, very badly.

Laughter echoed around the dojo. April couldn't quite tell if it was playful or derisive, but she was too flustered to-

No, I'm not flustered, she assured herself. If I was, that would mean she'd had an effect on me, and she didn't. She can't…

As he was so lost inside her own train of thought, she was so surprised when Karai grabbed her wrist that she gasped. "Relax, O'Neil. This is just training, after all."

April sniffed a laugh, snapping out of Karai's grip. "You messing with me is training?"

"I said I'd train you, didn't I? Don't you want to become a kunoichi?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"The guys won't teach you this," Karai cut in, closing the distance between the two girls again. "But I can."

The two stared at each other for a long time, April's eyes dancing with Karai's, before the redhead let out a long, pent-up sigh. "Okay. What do I have to do?"

Karai grinned, wickedly. "I'll show you…"