Wow! Within the first ten minutes of publication, I got a review! Thank you!

JoinTheWeb: So, Splinter is dead. Good riddance! Ooo. Another foot!turtles story... I can't wait for chapter 2 :) so far, this is looking very very good!

Me: Wait, there are other Foot!Turtles fics? I couldn't find any. That's so cool!

Guest: Yes! Yes! Yes! Please keep going! I feel bad for Splinter and my heart clenched and the last glimpse Leo had of Splinter. Is Leo going to remember Splinter? Please keep going, I'm so interested in what happens to the turtles!

Me: I was thinking of having Leo remember Splinter, but only really like a ghost of a memory, just nagging at the back of his mind every time he's in the same room as Shredder. Actually, the chapters will be lined up like events from the episodes, and around the episode "Enemy Of My Enemy" is where Leo's flashbacks cause something major.

Bookworm1978: I don't know if I like this kind of story or not, there had been so many that were not that good that went along this plotline. But this has been pretty good so far. I am kind of curious where you will take this. Good luck, and good job, and keep writing. _

Me: Thank you for putting your faith in me! I've never read any other stories like this, but I began looking at some fan art. What I don't really like about the others is the turtles always end up heavily abused. I feel like Shredder would treat them just like Karai, but just with less praise.


Twelve years later

Leonardo held tight his katana, running one thumb casually over the layers of red fabric binding the handle. He breathed in the familiar scent of the dojo: burning incense and sweat. In his crouched position, his body weight rested on his left foot, with a little strain, but that helped him stay alert.

Before him crouched his orange-clad brother, Michelangelo, wielding his nunchakus. His position mirrored Leo's own to the letter, his face just as blank.

Slowly, both turtles rose to their feet, slipping into ready positions. Their locked eyes narrowed as each brother began sizing the other up, trying to predict their thoughts, their moves, what they would do first.

Leo raised his sword and charged, deciding to move first. Mikey broke into a smile at this, running to meet his challenge with his nunchakus swinging wildly.

"Oh, yeah! Michelangelo is on the move!" the younger brother cheered.

Leo swung his katana at the younger turtle, but Mikey agilely jumped over top of his brother, landing behind him silently.

Leo whipped around with his katana ready. Mikey spun his nunchakus teasingly. "You don't know what to do."

Leo's strikes continued with precision. But what had always infuriated Leo about Mikey was that with his relaxed fighting style, he could even avoid the most precise attacks. And even more infuriating were the taunts.

"I'm here, I'm there!" Mikey said, dodging a narrow strike with barely a flinch. "I could be anywhere!"

Leo lunged forward, with his katana up to strike down upon his younger brother, but once again, Mikey managed to roll out of the way to slip right behind him. Leo turned with a scowl, only to be greeted by more of his brother's over confident bragging.

"How do you stop what you can't even see?" he mocked.

That was it, Leo was done rushing. He turned his katana so the blade was pointing back instead of forward. This time, he waited for Mikey to make the move, and when he did, he'd be ready. It was barely a second later when Mikey ran to attack Leo, but before he could strike, Leo quickly stepped to the right and drove his katana's handle into Michelangelo's stomach.

There was a brief pause while Mikey stood there, shocked, before he collapsed to the floor with a groan.

Leo returned his katana to its sheath, looking down at his defeated opponent. "Like that?"

"Good one, Leo..." Mikey mumbled.

On the other side of the dojo began the fight between Raphael and Donatello, the brains and the brawn themselves.

Donnie, sporting his signature bo staff twirled it several times in a showy way, but though his moves were flamboyant, Donnie's face remained completely impassive. Raph was a different story.

Donnie twirled the staff overhead before bringing it down and pointing the end at his brother in a ready position.

Raph observed this silently, looking unimpressed. The red-clad turtle cracked his neck twice before sliding into ready position. "All right, Donnie." He said in a calm but firm voice, like an irritated parent speaking down to a child. "Put down the staff and no one gets hurt." He promised, raising his hands in a pre-striking position.

Donnie laughed bitterly at this proposition. "Uh, you said that last time, Raph," he pointed out, "and then you hurt me."

Raphael paused for a moment, then shrugged. "Yeah, but less than I would have."

The purple-clad ninja rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."

Raph barely had time to prepare himself before Donnie lunged forward and swung down on him. Raph quickly dodged to the right, crouching down for the next strike. When Donnie's next swing came, Raph evaded swiftly with a shoulder roll into a standing position to Donnie's left.

Donnie spun the staff once more with flourish. The red-clad turtle leaned back quickly as Donnie jabbed the staff towards his face.

The purple ninja's next moves came as a blur. He spun the staff over his head and struck down, narrowly missing. It made Donnie angry. Raph wasn't even using his weapon, the sai. It was insulting! No more messing around.

Donnie's swings were wild, spinning the bo staff left, right, then over his head, preparing for the deathblow. But, for just a brief moment, he closed his eyes. And when he opened them again... the staff was gone.

With a gulp, Donnie looked up to see Raph leaning on the staff casually with an arrogant smirk. The red-clad spun the staff mockingly before he broke it over his knee, leaving the six-foot staff into two three foot pieces, perfect for jabbing, and, as Donnie dreadingly anticipated, beating the opponent into the ground.

Donnie bit his lip. "Should've dropped the staff?"

Raph held up the pieces with a smirk. "Should've dropped the staff."

Knowing what fate had in store, Donnie turned to run as Raph chased after him with the sticks. The older brother knocked Donnie to the floor and mercilessly began beating his shell with the sticks, like a huge drum set.

"Okay, okay. Ow! I'm down!" He shrieked, covering his head with his hands.

Raph might've gone on longer, but his attention was drawn away when Leo harshly shouted at him, "Raphael, yamero!"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," he muttered, but couldn't stay upset for long. Now that he won, he and Leo would get to tag team against Karai. Raph cracked his knuckles. Time to take daddy's little princess down a peg.

Scowling and sore, Donnie resigned himself to the seat next to Mikey on the sidelines to watch the upcoming battle. Raph and Leo faced Karai silently before slipping into a crouch.

Leo met Karai's gaze evenly. "Onegai shimasu, Oneesan."

Karai's expression was equally as impassive. "Onegai shimasu, Leonardo-kun." She glanced at the unresponsive red-clad turtle. "Raphael-kun?"

Raph's scowl didn't falter. "Makenai, Aneki."

The three stood slowly, with studying eyes, like predators getting ready to clash over a meal. Slowly circling, the tension made the air in the room feel thin. Then, they charged.

Raph and Leo rushed Karai at once, aiming their weapons at the kunoichi, who still hadn't moved, standing like a statue, even in the face of Leo's fierce Katana and Raph's deadly sais. At the final moment, Karai jumped up, kicking off of Raph's shell, propelling herself over top of her brothers.

Leo was the first to react. He whipped around just in time to counter a strike from her tanto with his katana. The blades clashed with a profound 'shiiing'.

Karai was the first to pull away, but returned moments later, furiously slashing with speed only Leo could counter. Leo blocked to the best of his ability, but her strikes forced him backward. He blocked an upward strike, but as soon as their blades touched, he felt a hard kick meet his stomach.

Leo stumbled back, holding his sore plastron. Raph took his opportunity then. He charged at Karai, spinning his sai on his hands. He jabbed with his left hand, but Karai swiftly dodged. Suddenly, she grabbed his extended wrist and used her foot to knock his from beneath him. In less than a second, Raph was flat on his back. He was out.

Karai snorted smugly. That was when Leo struck. From behind, he swung horizontally. Without missing a beat, Karai ducked the blade and stepped back, slipping within his arms. She grabbed his extended wrist and flipped him over her shoulder with surprising strength.

Leo groaned at the impact. He blinked slowly, squinting. Above him, Karai looked down with a smile. "I win."

Leo sighed. "Totemo tsuyoi desu, Oneesan." He muttered.

Karai chuckled, helping him up. "You too, otouto."

The sound of a door slamming open made everyone in the room flinch, almost as much as the shout that followed.

"Yame!" The Shredder's voice boomed through the dojo, echoing off the high ceilings. Immediately, the ninjas in the room lined up before the armor-clad man, wiping their faces clean of emotion.

Oroku Saki's eyes ran along the line, studying each of the teens with a scrutinizing gaze. The air was silent, tense, as everyone awaited either praise or criticism. Finally, Saki spoke.

"You did well, daughter." He said to Karai, who bowed respectively in acknowledgment. Then, the Shredder's eyes turned to the other ninjas. The turtles tensed. "You four must work harder. I do not tolerate weakness." The words were harsh and blunt.

It wasn't like Donnie to be the first to question Saki, but still, he spoke. "With all respect, Father, we've all been improving very much."

Shredder narrowed his eyes at the purple-clad ninja. Donnie flinched. "I do not need the opinion of someone who lost a fight to a weaponless opponent."

Donnie blushed, bowing his head in shame.

Leo frowned at his submissive brother. "But he's right, Otou-sensei." Leo insisted. "Everyone's been improving so much!"

The Shredder stepped forward, stopping when he was face-to-face with the blue-masked ninja. "Leonardo, do not question my authority." He said in a warning tone.

Leo bit his lip, but did not say anything more. Saki walked around behind the group, pacing absently. "I expect you all to train harder, longer." He said, his command firm. "I expect you to fight until you collapse from exhaustion. Do I make myself clear?"

At once, everyone spoke in unison, "Hai, Sensei."

Everyone except for Raph.

The Shredder stood behind his red-clad son with narrowed eyes. "Raphael." He said in a cold voice. "Do I make myself clear?"

Raph was silent for a moment. Leo pursed his lips. Raph would regularly stretch their father's patience, but he must have the sense enough to know this wasn't the time... right?

Raphael spoke. "No, Father." He said plainly, staring straight ahead. "It's not fair. You always push us so hard, and no matter how much we improve, you never praise us."

Leo elbowed Raph nervously.

Their father was silent for a moment. "Is that what you think, Raphael?" His voice was harsh.

Raph glared forward. "Yes."

"Hm..." The Shredder's silence unnerved Leo. His father was only this silent when he was angry. They'd all felt Shredder's wraith at one point or another. And Raph was about to feel it again.

Suddenly, the Shredder's fingers pinched a painful pressure point close to Raph's neck. The turtle stiffened, then began squirming, biting his lip so not to make a sound. The pain was unbearable.

"Don't ever speak to me that way again." Saki warned, applying more pressure.

Raph ground his teeth, his muscles tense as he writhed under the pain. "Jihi!" He shrieked. "Jihi!"

Everyone bit their lips, trying not to flinch as they waited it out. Leo silently prayed that father would let him go. Even if it was Raph's own fault, Leo didn't like seeing any of his brothers, and he'd felt that pressure point at least once.

After maybe a good minute, Shredder spoke. "Learn your place." He said before letting Raphael go and walking out without another word.

Once Saki was gone, the tension in the air dissipated. Raph dropped like a stone, panting on all fours. Sweat ran down his forehead.

Karai frowned. "You should know better than to challenge father." She said, helping him stand.

Donnie nodded. "Seriously, Raph, what were you thinking?"

Raph sighed. "I'm just tired of him bossing you guys around all the time." He muttered.

Leo shook his head. "Raph, we're fine with the lack of praise." He said. "He's our father."

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, bro. We appreciate it, but don't put yourself on the line like that again, okay?

Raph scowled, but didn't speak. He'd never acknowledge that they were right. And they were okay with that.

Karai patted Raph on the shoulder. "C'mon," she said, "let's go get some lunch."


Japanese vocabulary

Yamero - a rude way of saying "Stop it"

Onegai shimasu - "It's a pleasure to face you"

Oneesan - A respective and formal way of saying "Big sister"

-Kun - A suffix used with male names

Makenai - "I won't lose"

Aneki - "Sis"

Totemo tsuyoi desu - "You are strong"

Otouto - A word used when you're talking about your little brother. Rarely is it used when actually addressing your sibling, but still, it can be used that way.

Yame - "Stop", "Cease", "End the fight"

Otou-Sensei - A combination title of the words "Otou", meaning "Father", and "Sensei", meaning "Teacher".

Hai - "Yes"

Jihi - "Mercy"

Has anyone noticed in the fight with Raph and Donnie, Raph defeated Donnie without using his weapons? I wanted to point that out. Also, I tried to match the way the turtles call Karai "big sister" to their personalities. Leonardo calls her Oneesan, which is a very respective, and often used term, since Oneesama is a rarity, and it makes sense Leo would show the most respect to his siblings. Donnie calls her Neesan, which is like Oneesan, but slightly less formal, but still respective. Mikey calls her Neechan, which is a casual way of saying big sister, since he's relaxed, and childish. Raph calls her Aneki, which is a tough guy way of saying big sister, and basically just means "sis".

I also figured Shredder might use a more painful pressure point than Splinter. The one Splinter used was probably more of a stinging tingling, like when your feet fall asleep. Shredder's are more like full-blown, fire nerve pain stuff. The others would've defended Raph, but being raised by Shredder changes some things.

And sorry for not having this out earlier. Mom dragged me to the trailer on Friday, and we have no wifi up there.