"Cool it Raph!" Leonardo swung his katana up to deflect his brother's attack. "This is just practice."

Raphael, his red mask tails swinging with ever step, growled at his older brother. "Shut the shell up Leo!" He swung his sai again, only to have it deflected again. "You have no right in what I do!"

Leo took a step back. He had no idea what his younger brother was talking about. "What going Raph?" He asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Raph spun around, a blazing fire dancing in his brown eyes. "You know what!" He spat out. His voice was harder than ice, but just as cold. "I heard you and Splinter last night." He lowered his voice a notch. "So don't tell me 'what?!"

Leo raised his eyebrows. "You've stooped that low to eavesdropping?" He instantly regretted saying it as he added fuel to the already blazing fire. "Raph, we were just talking-"

"About me like you own me!" He voice rose again. "What say do you have in my life anyway?" He turned away.

"Raph," Leo paused, not sure what to say. The words he had said to his sensei the night before were for his master's eats only. "What I said last night..." He searched for the right things to say.

"Everything okay in here?" A familiar purple-masked face poked his head in, worry etched in his features.

"What's going on Donnie?" Their youngest brother, Mikey with his orange mask, peeked out from behind Don. When he saw Raph and Leo fuming at each other, he quickly exited. Don stayed, prepared to interfere if needed.

"What was all that about last night anyway?" Raph roared. "About how I shouldn't be going anywhere by myself. That I'm not trustworthy! That I don't care about this family!"

"The last time you went somewhere by yourself, you came home broken and battered." Leo retorted, remembering all too well that day. Raph had gone out by himself and was gone all night. They were about to go and find him when he stumbled in, bleeding with a cracked ribs. He was unconscious for almost two days.

"That was the Foot!" Raph protested. "They outnumbered me a hundred to one. Not my fault!"

"Sons." An elderly voice made Raph and Leo stop. Leo whirled around to find their sensei, Master Splinter, starring at them calmly. "Enough."

Leo ducked his head in shame. Every time Splinter scolded them, he felt a burning pain in his heart. Raph felt nothing like Leo. He growled quietly to himself, angry at having the argument broken up. He liked yelling; liked being able to release the mountain of pain within.

"My sons, what is the meaning of this?" Splinter asked.

Leo raised his head. "Raphael overheard our conversation last night master."

Splinter turned to his hot-headed son. "Is this true my son?" Raph barely managed a small nod. Splinter sighed. "My son, you know your brother only wants what's best for you, don't you?"

Raph starred down at his feet. No, Leo didn't want what was best for him. He wanted to control his life, make him miserable. Donnie and Mikey might be able to listen to him, be in need for his guidance, but not Raph. Raph wanted to control what he did and how he did it. The only thing standing in front of him and that freedom was Leo and Raph wasn't going to be able to take it much longer.

"Yes sensei." He mumbled.

Splinter rounded on his eldest son. His burning brown eyes bore hard into the eyes hiding behind the blue ninja mask. "You, my son, must learn that even though you may be the leader, you also must be the follower." Seeing his son's confused look, he continued. "What are the three most important things I told you about being a leader?"

"Love, loyalty and leadership master." Leo rattled off.

"Yes my son, but do you understand what they all mean?"

Leo nodded his head. "Yeah, loyalty means being faithful to your family, cause and heart. Leadership means being able to step up and be the eyes for more than one. And love means being able to put others before myself."

"Yes my son, but love also goes deeper. In order to love, you must understand those who you love. Can you love what the Shredder does?"

"Of course not, sensei!"

"Why not Leonardo?"

"It's wrong. I can't love him because I know what he's doing is wrong and evil."

"That right. Because you understand what he does, you are able to make that choice. Now, do you fully understand your brothers?"

"I wish I did." Leo muttered.

"You have admitted it." Splinter nodded in approval. "Can you imagine what Raph must feel? Being how head strong he is, can you be like that and be able to be led?"

Leo rarely lost it like Raph did. But he couldn't imagine if Raph was leading them. Leo would long to break free, just like Raph was trying to do. He would hate it. "But master, does that mean I should step down from leading him? I can understand what you're trying to tell me, but I don't understand what you want me to do about it?"

Splinter whished he could tell his son, but he knew that this was a question Leonardo must discover for himself. "Follow what your heart tells you. Without your heart, you have nothing."

Leo bowed to his father, thankful for having such a wise master for a father. He turned to talk with Raph, but his younger brother was nowhere to be seen. The door to the lair was cracked open. Leo sighed, knowing exactly where his brother was heading. Up.

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