"Well, here we are." Leonardo told as the entire family crawled out of a man-hole. "The exhibition is right over there, and the roof-top I and Raph used is up there." He pointed, trying to get over the odd feeling of having Splinter with them.
Not that it felt intrusive, it just felt different to him, and Leonardo wasn't entirely sure what to do.
Splinter how-ever seemed very relaxed, even took a moment to deeply breath in the late night air before he spoke. "I suppose we should all search the area." He told.
"Hai Sensei, Raph are you coming for a climb?" Leo asked.
"Of cause." Raphael snorted, as the two turtles jumped up, and started the climb upwards towards the place they had been previously, leaving Donatello, Michelangelo and Splinter behind to their own devices.
"Nothing up here." Raphael mumbled a little annoyed as they looked around.
Leonardo how-ever smirked.
"What?" Raphael asked. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"You didn't believe that that old Master Toriama could give Splinter a run for his money." Leonardo pointed out amused. "But Master Toriama taught Splinter every-thing, he has spend years giving Splinter a run." He chuckled.
"So?" Raphael asked, then exhaled. "I sure hope Sensei is all-right though." He at last managed to mutter, referring to how quiet Splinter had been after the revelation that he knew Toriama, the next thing their Sensei had done after that, was just to sit completely still while meditating, and looking very thoughtful.
"It's been a very long time for him." Leonardo reminded Raphael. "I mean, he has been here with us, for fifteen years. We only know him as our Sensei, so I guess it's a bit odd to imagine that he was some-thing completely different ones." He mumbled. "He had an entire different life, very far away from here. With family, friends, rank… every-thing."
"Don't go all mushy on me now." Raphael asked in a snort. "I just said that I hoped that he is okay." He told. "All though, yeah.. it is hard to imagine." He finally exhaled.
"RAPH! LOOK OUT!" Just in that moment Leonardo pushed Raphael aside, just in the nick of time for him to avoid a shurinken that flew straight past them.
"What the?" Raphael looked wide-eyed up.
Only for a ninja with raised Katana to come jumping out of the shadow striking at them. "HIYA!"
Both Raphael and Leonardo just managed to dodge, and finally got a good look at the ninja.
"YOU AGAIN!" Raphael exclaimed pointing at the young man whom had been Toriamas assistant.
"Oh good." Leonardo exhaled. "We were just looking for you." He told.
"What did you do to my Master?" the young man asked as he raised his sword.
"What?" Leonardo asked as he blinked.
Raphael rolled his eyes. "We didn't take your stupid master." He told.
"Erh Raph.." Leonardo tried to say, but was again interrupted.
"You will address my Master with respect, enemy ninja." The young man told as he stood ready with is sword. "And I will find out the truth." He told.
"Well, if he gotta be like that." Raphael smirked pulling his Sais. "Fine by me." He told, making Leonardo roll his eyes, all though he also unshedded his katana swords.
"Nothing here." Mikey told looking behind a dumpster down on the street level.
"Why would any-one even hide in there?" Donatello asked in a very tired voice.
"Best place to hide is where least people would expect it." Mikey stated very importantly holding a finger up in the air.
"Best place to hide is some-where where you yourself don't end up smelling afterwards." Donatello replied dryly. Just in time for a big noise to sound from above. "What the?" Donatello blinked looking upwards, to witness one fellow mutant turtle falling all the way down, and land right in the trash container, to much swearing and cursing.
"That little!" Raphael hissed as he sat up in the trash, wiping away a banana peel. "I'LL TEACH HIM A LESSON!" he yelled.
Donatello blinked. "What's the?" he asked, but didn't get any further as Leonardo landed right in front of him on his legs with raised swords.
"Prepaire yourself!" Leonardo shouted just as a ninja Donatello didn't know jumped down in front of Leonardo, slashing at Leonardo with his sword, only for Leonardo to dodge.
"Oh no you didn't." Donatello stated as he reached for his Boe-staff. "Beat up my brothers? I don't think so!" he told attacking the ninja with Leonardo.
"BOYAKASHA!" Michelangelo yelled as he also attacked with his nun-chucks, only to be kicked in the stomach.
"Kicking my brothers why don't you?" Raphael asked as he went for a full frontal body attack on the ninja.
And it all ended up in one big mess of a fight in the small alley way, turtles attacking the single ninja, and the ninja refusing to give in. It almost looked more like a street brawl than a elegant ninja battle, fists and verbally assaults going in all directions, and it would have continued for a while, if a voice of authority hadn't stopped them.
"ENOUGH!" Splinters voice boomed from the shadow. "Lay down your fight, Yami!" he shouted.
All the turtles freeze from their position, where they laid on the ground in their brawl, then looked up as Splinter sternly walked out of the shadow with his hands behind his back.
At ones all of the turtles jumped up and stood in a line as if it was on command, swallowing.
The ninja still on the ground how-ever, squinted his eyes as Splinter as he reached for his sword.
"I said it was enough." Splinter sternly told the ninja, in a voice so filled with authority that it didn't tolerate any objections. "Now stand up so I can see you." He told.
The young ninja hesitated, then at last grabbed his sword and stood up ready to fight, looking at Splinter with deep apprehension.
Splinters eyes still in a frown, equally travelled upon the young man, especially lingered by his face. "Tendo Miyaka." Splinter spoke. "Lay down your sword."
The young man blinked, then looked wide-eyed at Splinter. "How long have you observed us?" he asked.
"We did not spy on you." Splinter assured.
"Then how could you know of my name?" Tendo asked taking half a step back, glancing at the turtles with apprehensive. "You dare not even to show your faces, why not throw the disguises?" he asked, the defensive tone raised as he still hadn't out down the sword.
"It is no disguise." Splinter informed holding up a hand, that revealed only four fingers, making Tendos eyes widen.
"What are you?" Tendo asked in a tremmering voice. "A demon?" he asked.
"None of the sort." Splinter shook his head. "I am more an old friend, whom only wishes to help, Tendo Miyaka of the late lotus clan."
"Why would you help me?" Tendo asked defensively.
"Because a clan exist to protect each other, as far as I know, we are all that remains of the old honoured lotus clan." Splinter told, "I am not prepared to stand idly by while my master is being taken by our deadly enemy the foot."
Tendo blinked, then took another step back as he spoke carefully. "Who are you?" he asked in a silent voice.
"Have I really changed that much?" Splinter asked. "Or has it really been that long, that you don't even recognise your old Sensei?" he asked
"HIS SENSEI!?" All four turtles exclaimed loudly and simultaneously as they all turned their head to have an extra look at the young ninja.
The young ninjas eyes how-ever were festooned upon Splinter. "I don't understand." He told in a deep frown. "If you were ever my Sensei, you would have to be.." just then Tendos eyes widened as he looked wide-eyed at Splinter, his mouth dropped open and he let go of his sword so it landed on the ground in a big metallic kling. "Master Hamato." He barely whispered. "Master Splinter." He followed up as he dropped the ground in a kneeling position while bowing his head. "Forgive me my dishonour. It has been such a long time."
"It has been a very long time." Splinter acknowledged. "You still seemed like a boy when I last say you, only almost twenty. Rise Tendo Miyaki, there is nothing to forgive." He assured.
And Tendo did as he was told, raising up as he picked up his katana and shedded it, standing up-right next to the turtles.
"Come." Splinter invited. "I wish dearly to talk to you Tendo-San, but it is not safe for us to be up here for long." He told gesturing for all of them to follow him.
"So, you trained under Master Splinter in the old days?" Leonardo asked Tendo as they walked in the sewer pipes, following Splinter.
"Hai." Tendo nodded. "It was a great honour, to study under the legend of the lotus clan." he told.
"So you were there when it all went puff?" Raphael asked.
"It is a very long time ago." Tendo told. "I was only nineteen back then, one night the foot-clan came and took it all, Master Hamato had vanished. I had just assumed that he died along-side his wife and child." he admitted.
"And you are not even questioning why he is turning up in front of you looking like a rat, having four turtles around him?" Leonardo asked.
"It is not my place to question Master Hamato." Tendo told. "He is an honoured master, my master, and a great legend in our country, to question him would be disrespectful."
"So you are not even a little bit curious?" Leonardo asked.
Tendo exhaled deeply. "I've spend the last fifteen years believing that Hamato Yoshi was a dead legend, I come to new-york to investigate the Shredders activity and the first thing I run into is a dog-like mutant threatening my Master Toriama, claiming to represent Shredder himself, then I run into four humanoid turtles whom knows the art of nin-jutsu, and at last Master Hamato, whom no one has seen or heard any-thing of for fifteen years, appears right in front of me. What do you think?" he asked sending Leonardo a rather impatient look.
"Tendo if you have any questions for me, ask them." Splinter asked sternly as he kept on walking forward.
Tendo bit together, obviously a little annoyed. "All-right, where have you been all of this time?" he asked. "The foot took down the lotus clan, all of us residing there either had to join Shredder willingly or run for our lives, he has been on the loose for all of that time, building his empire, there has only been one person able to best him in battle, you! So why are you here in New-york? Why didn't you give a word from you back in Japan? Why didn't you fight?" he asked.
"All it took for the Shredder to come here, after fifteen years where no one has seen me, were a tiny little clue of my presence, all he needed to move all of his attention half-way across the world, was the confirmation of that clue." Splinter stated then slightly turned his head so Tendo caught his eye. "What does that tell you?" he asked.
"You ran to safe your own skin?" Tendo asked. "That doesn't sound like the Hamato Yoshi from the legends."
"It was not my initial wish." Splinter exhaled. "I wished to stay and search retribution for Tang-shens demise, my Master Toriama convinced me that if I stayed I would only die a meaningless death and let Shredder have the satisfaction he sought all along. Alas he convinced me to flee the country. So I might one day return with a clearer mind, not being corrupted by bloodlust or revenge, that is not the way."
"Why didn't you ever return then?" Tendo asked. "Fifteen years is a very long time just to be here."
"Suddenly I had four baby turtles on my hands that needed me." Splinter shrugged in a much lighter voice.
"I also guess turning into a rat would complicate going to japan." Leonardo pointed out.
"Baby turtles?" Tendo asked. "So you are telling me you spend the last fifteen years raising these urhm.." he awkwardly looked around.
"He did." Leonardo winked.
"So they are not.. your plan?" Tendo asked.
"I did not raise my turtles to carry out my vendettas, don't ever think that." Splinter stated sternly. "I brought them up to be able to handle themselves in a hostile world. So they may have a good life for themselves." he told as they turned a corner and was in their big layer.
"I.. " Tendo swallowed as they entered the layer and he then bowed for Splinter. "Please forgive me Sensei, I all-ready knew it was not my place to question you."
"No forgiveness is needed, only a fool never questions." Splinter replied. "Beside it has been a long time, as far as you knew I could secretly have turned to the shredder."
"You didn't….. did you?" Tendo at last asked.
"That would seem rather moronic since he is trying to kill me and every-one dear to me on sight." Splinter commented as he walked to the dojo.
"Okay erhm.." clearly it was difficult for Tendo to ask his next question.
"Why am I a rat, and why are my sons turtles?" Splinter asked as he turned his head. "it's a long story, would you like some tea?" he asked.
"Urhm.. Hai, that would be nice." Tendo blinked.
"Hopefully then we can figure out how I can best help you." Splinter nodded.
Tendo blinked. "You want to help me? Are you sure?" he asked.
"Of cause." Splinter replied. "I am still of the lotus clan, what-ever remains of it." He told.