Of Ninja and Samurai

Disclaimer: I don't own the ninja turtles or the plays they put on for their ninja Master.

Death By Sword

The four young turtles were arguing, rather loudly over which Ninja story they would tell next.

"Death by Sword," Raph insisted.

Change of Heart" Leo countered almost as fast.

Don shook his head, "The Trap!"

"I am NOT going be the girl again. Someone else can be the girl if we are doing the Trap like Donnie as he wants to do that one."

Their voices rose as they each tried to push their chosen story over the other.

"Death by Sword is awesome all the fighting and the action…" Raph said.

" But Change of heart has a lot more ninja cunning." Leo pointed out.

"Ninja cunning is found in Death too!" Raph shot out.

"Look you guys, have all ready got to be the ninja and Samurai it is Mike's and my turn now, and I want to do The Trap."

"I'm not going be a girl, anymore. It isn't fair I don't want to do the Trap and be another stupid girl!" Mike pulled a face at the thought of having to be a girl.

"Yeah but it's a girl ninja and that's pretty cool Mike." Don pointed out as if by the fact the girl in the Trap being ninja was far better then the regular beautiful girl.

Splinter laid his ears back he'd been trying to let the boys resolve the issue between themselves but it seemed as if all of his sons were standing firm in their demands and the old ninja Master had no doubt that they'd soon be battling amongst themselves. He rose from his chair and headed over to where the boys were in the dojo sure enough fists were flying and their were shouts of "Doofus, idjit" and other insults being thrown around.

Splinter thumped his walking stick on the mat, "My sons, the reason for the plays is to teach you teamwork how to get along and doing well. What is the problem here?"

"We can't decide what play to do next." Leo answered with a simple shrug and he looked down at his toes.

"Is this true?" Splinter inquired, glancing at the other three by turn. Raph and Mike tried to look elsewhere suddenly noticing how interesting the mats on the dojo floor were.

Only Don gave a small shrug "I guess so. Leo wants to do Change of Heart, and Raph wants to do Death by Sword. I wanna do The Trap. Mikey and I both gotta be the ninja and Samurai yet."

"Ah in that case both the story of Change of Heart and Death by Sword can be done." Splinter pointed out, " Do one story this time the other next. Michelangelo which story do you want to do?"

"Death by sword," Mike said quickly, he knew Raph might get him later if he opted for Change of Heart which Mike actually liked better.

"Donatello, which choice would you have for tonight?" Splinter asked turning to his purple masked son.

"Change of heart there is more to that story." Don replied.

"We're still tied." Leo muttered.

Splinter nodded, " So it would seem my son." He reached into a pocket of his robe and pulled out a small coin - a single penny. "Now my sons see this coin has two sides with different pictures, this side is known as the head side and this side the tail."

"But it doesn't have a tail Splinter not even a small one like ours." Mike cut in.

"Leonardo your play will be heads and Death by sword will be tails," the Ninja Master ignored the youngest for the moment as he tossed the coin into the air, it flipped end over end in a high arc up in the air then came down. Splinter caught it and revealed the penny on an open palm it was tail side up. " Raphael gets Death by Sword try to not argue any more my sons."

XXX

Later that night the boys were ready to start the play.

Leo was the narrator for that night, "Jiro sat by the edge of the road his body shaking with pain and fever. He could hear the sounds of the river and the sound of dying people round him."

Mike of course had to groan and moan some trying his best to play the part of dying people.

"Jiro raised a hand to his face and felt the sticky ooze that had once been his eyes. He crawled slowly to the river putting his head into the water - in and out. His mind began to clear. I must rest Jiro said as he tore a piece of his kimono and soaked it in water before wrapping it around his head where his eye had been. I am ninja I must clear my mind of all pain. I am ninja I must heal my body. He said this often as he tried to rest and thought of how this had all started."

Don that night was playing the part of the Ninja Jiro, while Mike got to be the Samurai and Leo was playing the part of Shakin, Jiro's wife.

Leo appeared dressed in the garb Mike had used to play the girl in their last two plays, "You are awake and the sun has been up for an hour and we have all ready had visitors."

Don scowled as he sat up from his prone position "Who would visit this early? He wondered.

" it was Inenbo with a warning the warriors of the Takatoki with many Samurai are coming. They have looted many villages and have killed and harmed many. He says we must hide and remain inside. I laughed at him he is bothered by spirits and imagines great harm to us," Leo reported as the dutiful wife, "I told him you would see him when you awoke. But there is no hurry."

Raph came out and said, "Jiro though knew his wife wasn't that smart she didn't see harm in anyone."

Splinter tried not to laugh, at Raph's versions of things in the story Shakin was called Naïve. The Ninja Master was pleased to see that at least Leo and Raph had decided to work out the narrating part of the story.

"Jiro knew that Inenbo was leader of the ninja clan and he was no teller of tales. Jiro dressed quickly and went to see the clan leader." Raph stated he dropped back and soon was sitting across from Don.

"You look for a solution Jiro but there is none. If the whole clan leaves the Tatakori warriors will notice and track us down. Many are on horseback and are well armed we are no match for them" Raph shook his head. "But if we choose only some of the woman and children to go into the mountain, guarded by only a few men while the rest stay here the village will seem full. Perhaps the few who go to the hills will be saved."

"Saved? Saved for how long?" Don as Jiro protested.

"We can only hope for tomorrow Jiro, and plan for today. We must work quickly and choose who will go and who will stay. If there are four or less members in the family only one may go, if there is five two may go, if there is six or seven in the family, three may go. If there are eight in a family four may go and if there is nine or ten in a family five may go."

Leo came forward with Inenbo and Jiro's words the village people acted. Decisions were made, mothers had to choose between which children would go, husbands had to choose between wives or parents there were many tears but in two hours the group was ready to go. Jiro sent his young son.

Raph turned to Don, "We must not fight when the warriors come, they have the strength of numbers we can't hope to fight the Samurai in open warfare we must be smart if we are to live."

Splinter shook his head slightly somehow intelligence and guile to survive lost something in we must be smart if we are to live, but Raph did have the essence of it.

Leo stepped forward "The warriors of Tatakori arrived at sunset many were on foot they were mere slaves of the warlord and the Samurai mounted on horseback. The leader of the Samurai was dressed in armour with gold silver and gems. There was a blood red scar along his face and black hair. He barked his orders and his men hurried to obey."

Mike strode out with his chest puffed out looking big and important as he could "Where is the coward that you call leader? Where is the man called Inenbo the traitor who served against my master? Let him come before me or we will set the village on fire and drive you out like rats."

"How can I serve you?" Raph asked as he stepped forward.

Mike sneered a bit, "You will bring my men food and drink and order your woman to serve my men and you will crawl to me on your hand and knees and beg me for your life."

Don's hand moved towards the wooden handle of his bokken sword.

Raph whispered to Don, "Let's not hurry to our death we will be there soon enough." Then walked towards Mike, "Food and drink I can give you but I won't do the other things you've asked. I alone have enraged your lord let me alone answer to it. Let my people go in peace, they haven't harmed you."

"Ninja have been a thorn in our side for many years, you attack our people, steal our goods and kill our warriors. You and your people will die like the dogs you are."

Leo bowed his head, " The Samurai and the foot warriors attacked, they killed and Jiro saw his own wife killed by a Samurai in front of him. No one was safe."

Splinter bowed his own head, this was truly the dark part of the story, the Samurai had actually raped Jiro's wife even while she lay dying but this was something he had not told his sons. Then the Samurai had used his sword to slice Jiro's wife from one end of her body to the other.

Leo took a deep breath "Inenbo was killed on a sword point and pinned to a wall of a hut by a dozen arrows. Jiro felt sick like he was gonna throw up. But the Samurai who saw this offered to help him and used the tip of his sword to pluck out Jiro's eye. Before saying that he was going leave Jiro to his memories and a slow death."

Raph came and spoke next "Jiro had woken to the calls of the crows he thought of his wife hoping that what he remembered could not be true. But it was he found Shakin's tortured body. He pulled his hair, screamed and headed for the hills." Raph paused grinned, "Three months pass."

Leo was now playing a messenger to the Samurai he bowed before Mike "I bring a message and a challenge of honour from one called Jiro, leader of the ninja."

" I know no Jiro" Mike scowled and shook his head, "But if he is a leader of a ninja clan he must be dealt with."

"He presents conditions," Leo declared, " he will fight in open combat with a long sword and if you die by his sword he wants you to pledge that your people will no longer wage war against his people. If he dies by your sword all of his people will surrender to you."

Mike frowned in thought, "If I refuse he thinks me a coward, if I accept I will win and his people will come to me and the ninja clan will be done once and for all. I dare not refuse. Send him word that I agree."

Raph spoke this time, "Jiro's deserted village was the place of the meeting and the Samurai and a few of his people came with him to bear witness. Before them they saw the thin figure before them a black patch covering a healing wound."

"Are you the one who challenges me?" Mike demanded sharply.

"I am and if you die by my sword your warriors will no longer bother my people as was agreed to?"

"Yes, these warriors are my witnesses. But if you die your people who still live will turn themselves into me?"

"Yes, as it has been agreed." Don nodded.

The Samurai and Jiro drew out their weapons and began to fight. Mike and Don circled one another in mock battle with their wooden bokken the wood thumping softly as the swords hit one another. Don seemed to grow weaker during the fight and Mike got in a strike.

"I have played with you long enough" Mike yawned a little as if bored, "Now you must die!" With that Mike struck and Don fell to the floor in a fake death.

"A brave and foolish warrior" Mike said, he looked at the sword his opponent had, "Not a very nice weapon, But what is this? A jewel on the handle?" Mike took the sword from Jiro's death grip and looked, " The jewel is of fine work. I will keep it for myself." Mike pried at the fake gem and flinched suddenly shaking his hand as if he felt something.

Leo smiled, "Unknown to the Samurai loosening the stone set off a spring that released a needle that had pricked the samurai's hand the needle had a fast acting poison on it. The Samurai knew he was dying."

Mike gasped slightly and called to his men, "I pledged the safety of this clan if Jiro could kill me with his sword. Now you must honour my pledge for Jiro has truly killed me with his sword." With that Mike fell to the floor close to Don.

Splinter clapped his hands, "Well done my sons, you told the story well."

TBC