Unknown to the turtles, Splinter had silently observed them and Tendo from behind the door, and felt relieved as he witnessed Leonardo extent a hand of friend-ship towards the ninja. This new turn of events would have to be confusing for the turtles.. For splinter how-ever, he finally managed to turn around and be alone where no one could see him.
First then did he realise that his hand was shaking, he could hardly keep it steady. Some-thing from his old life, had just appeared in front of his eyes. One of his many students from back in Japan, but Splinter remembered every single one of them. But even more, Toriama was here, so close. His Toriama, the man whom had taught him every-thing, practically raised him.
Splinter shut his eyes closed as he tried to take a deep breath, yet suddenly, memories of a far gone past seemed so much cleare than they had in a long while, it was like he could feel the hot Japanese air on his skin, the sharp son from above. It was like he could smell the cherry flowers, and shortly in his ear, he heart laughter. Splinter shook his head, as he tried to clear his head from all of the imagery, and then tried to sit down in meditations position, as he gathered his thoughts.
It had been fifteen years since he had seen his Master, that had been a very long time.. and the last time they had seen each other, had not been a happy time, Splinter remembered it well, it was back at that night, where he himself had lost every-thing. The Shredder had come to his home, burned it down and killed Tang-shen, Splinter had only barely managed to get Tang-shens body out of the burning house, but he himself had been so distressed that he barely knew what was going on, all he could do, was sitting on the grass in front of his burning house, cradling his beloved wife, as close to his own person as he could.
"No." Yoshi cried and his voice broke as tears streamed down his eyes. "No no no no." he cried as held Teng-shen tight and cradled her. "It can't be true, it can't." he looked up at the burning building with tears in his eyes, there would be nothing left of it by morning. Right in front of him.. it was his house, his home, burning to the ground, and in the arms, he held his stone-cold wife, whom he had barely managed to drag out of the house among all of the flames.
"HAMATO-SAN!" Yoshi didn't even bother to look up as his old Master Toriamas voice sounded, he just kept cradling his wife as he cried. "Hamato-san, thank god you are all-right."
First then did Yoshi turn around to face his master, and shocked Toriama stood back, the pain and anguish splashed over Yoshi's face wasn't some-thing Tori had expected.
"Yoshi-san, what?" Master Toriama asked.
First then did Yoshi show Teng-shens body to the older man.
"Oh no." Master Toriama sat back, almost fell down on the ground in shock. "Hamato-san, I'm so sorry.. your daughter?" he asked.
In response Yoshi simply pointed at the building, which stood up in flames. "I can't get in there." Yoshi swallowed. "I tried, I can't go further in and find her!"
"It would be no use even if you could!" Master Toriama stated. "Look at it, no one can survivce in there."
"No." Yoshi replied. "NO! I CAN'T LET THIS PASS!" he yelled in a angry voice, just about to stand up.
"Yoshi calm down!" Master Toriama demanded, for the first time in living history using Yoshi's first name. "There's nothing you can do, regain perspective!" he demanded. "Your family is.."
"No don't say it." Yoshi begged.
"Dead." Master Toriama finished.
At that Yoshi looked at the body in his arms, and cried a new burying his head in Teng-shens chest, slowly Master Tori reached over and closed her eyes as Yoshi cried.
"Yoshi listen to me." Master Toriama spoke, still continuing to use Yoshi's first name. "You must leave this place at ones, go as far away as you possible can!"
"What?" Yoshi asked looking at Master Toriama with wet eyes as he still held the covered body close. "Why?" he asked.
"Oroku Saki took the dojo." Master Toriama told. "He took every-thing by force, every-thing he feels was always rightfully his. In the morning he will come and search for your body to ensure that you truly died, when he finds out that you survived he wont stop at any-thing to finish the job!" he stated. "You understand me?" he asked.
"How can I leave?" Yoshi asked. "Don't ask me such a thing! Let me stay here with my family."
"Your family was slayed!" Master Toriama reminded Yoshi.
"Then let me search retribution!" Yoshi exclaimed.
"FOR WHAT?" Master Toriama asked. "If you go to challenge Oroku Saki now, you'll die!" he stated. "You'll have accomplished absolutely nothing! Except for giving Oroku Saki the satisfaction he seeks, and pride himself of really having slayed the pride of the lotus clan!" he stated. "There's no alternatives, you must go!" he stated. "There's nothing for you here any-longer!"
"No, no it can't be!" Yoshi hissed. "It can't be gone, it's my home! I can't let Oroku Saki perverse it like this!" he gritted.
"There's nothing you can do! You must flee!" Master Toriama reasoned.
"All-right, I can search retreat, like Oroku Saki did. And like him, I can rise again! Start my own ninja clan over! Come back and revenge my family. Revenge Teng-shen and Miwa!" Yoshi hissed as he laid down the corpse on the grass, looking up with fire in his eyes. "You are right, I need to be smarter if I am going to do that, I can return with an army, stronger than Oroku Sakis."
"Yoshi are you listening to yourself?" Master Toriama asked. "Return for blood-thirsty revenge? Like Saki just did?" he asked. "Have you learned nothing of what I taught? Blood based on revenge only leads to more revenge and blood, what would it end in? A war where thousands dies just so you and Saki can find your supposed satisfaction? Do not waste your life away only searching for revenge!"
"So you say I should run and do nothing?" Yoshi asked in a voice filled with disbelieve. "I can train! I can carry on the lotus clan and make it rise again!"
"Do not even think about it!" Master Toriama demanded.
"Then what is the point of fleeing, if I am just to slowly fade away in the gutters of some foreign country?" Yoshi asked in a horse yell.
"The point is that, you'll be safe! You are as a son to me Yoshi! Now I lost Oroku, I lost Teng-shen whom I grew fond of, my dojo, my lifes work, it all! Don't let me loose you to Yoshi, I beg of you please, flee this place as fast as you can!"
Hopelessly Yoshi looked at his master. "What would you have me do at the gutter of a strange land where I'll have nothing?" he asked. "Tell me?" he asked.
"Live." Master Toriama replied in a hoarsh voice filled with tears. "Find some-one new, do what you do best, love and protect some-one." he told as he slowly reached into his robe and from there, pulled out a picture frame which he handed to Yoshi. "That is what she would have wanted." He told as Yoshi accepted the picture, and was left to looking lost on the portrait, that of himself, Teng-shen and Miwa, taken a few weeks after Miwas birth, the frame was burned, it looked like Tori had incidentally stumbled across it on the ground, where it had fallen out of the building, but the picture was completely intact, the Teng-shen on the picture still looking with eyes, so full of caring and love. "Teng-shen wouldn't have wanted you to turn into a revenge driven man only living to get some-ones blood, neither would she want you to die a none-sensible death, you are better than that!" Master Toriama stated. "She loved you as you are, because of your mercy and compassion, if you change you'll disgrace her love for you, her reason to love you."
"My compassion is what let Oroku saki go the first time around." Yoshi horsely pointed out. "If I wasn't so.. merciful, I would-"
"Have been exactly like him." Toriama interrupted. "A man, some-one as good as Teng-shen could never love. But you are not like him at all! Not in the slightest, your mercy and compassion is what makes you good Yoshi!" his master tried to say. "Life by your principles, life honourable, and spread that honour! It seems especially as the world is now, we cannot afford to loose another man like you."
"I still have no desire to flee, it seems cowardly." Yoshi told as he looked down and held his picture close.
"I know." Master Toriama stated as he stood up. "But please, I beg of you, as Teng-shen would surely have begged if she could, safe yourself!" he asked reaching down a hand towards Yoshi, but Yoshi didn't take it. "This is not the end for you." Tori assured in a soft voice. "There is some-thing else for you out there, some-thing you need to do, I can't tell you what, you'll need to figure that out yourself, but I know it'll matter, and we will meet again, I promise you. Now please, get up."
Yoshi exhaled deeply as he shook his head, then finally, reached up, and grabbed his Masters hand to let himself be pulled up on his legs.
Only for Toriama to immediately grab into his coat pocket and pull out a wallet which he handed to Yoshi. "Here! Take it! It's not much, but it should last you for a boat-ride and some-time at a new place."
"no, Sensei, I can't." Yoshi tried.
"take it." Toriama demanded stuffing the item in Yoshi hand. "And now, run.. run for the port." He told Yoshi. "Take what-ever boat that sails.. RUN!" he demanded.
And Yoshi swirled around to do so, to run for his life, with all of his might, only ones looking behind to where he could see his masters silhouette in the smoking ulms of his old home, until that to became obscured by the forest Yoshi was running through.
That was the last Splinter had ever seen of any-thing connected to his old life, all-ready the next morning he would be on that boat, away from the country.
A tear fell down Splinters eye and freely fell down his rat-like cheek before it landed on the floor by his knee, fifteen years since then, and yet still his memories were just as painful, now when he was confronted with them and they felt so close. It had been easy to put them aside for a long time, with the turtles to worry about. But now with the turtles more and more independent, and Splinters past gaining on him, he started to realise just what kind of a burden he had been carrying around for all of this time.
Splinter exhaled deeply as he dried his eye, it would not do for him to show weakness out in the open, he was the Sensei now, he would have to be the strong guidance in darker times. Slowly Splinter reached for the picture frame of his former self and his wife. "Sensei." He whispered as he held it in his hand.
How much he owed that man, his Sensei whom had not only taught him about martial arts, but also about the values of life. If not for Toriamas final words on that fatal night, Splinter barely dared to think what would have happened, would Splinter himself have turned into a blood-thirsty maniac? Leading a war against the Shredder? He certainly would never have met his sons, in so many ways, he owed so much to his old master. "Don't worry, you shall be safe." Splinter murmured as he put the picture back. "I owe you this much Sensei, Shredder shall not touch a hair on you, taking you is stepping over the line, Sensei I promise you." He told as he bowed for the Picture frame with closed hands in common Japanese warrior greeting. "And I.." he swallowed. "I dearly wish to see you again." He admitted, both to himself and the portrait. "My Sons have been patient when listening to my stories, and even sympathetic, but I am here to guide them, not the other way around, long have I myself yearned for a little guidens. I hope.. that in spite of things, you are not disappointed in me. Master." He bowed again as he closed his eyes, trying to keep back the tears that were pressing on, but failed miserable. All-ready then he had wisely decided just to stay in that position until his tears had emptied out. His sons had never seen him in his weaker moments, and neither would they today, that would not do. splinter took a deep breath, and freely let the tears roll down his furry cheeks as he calmly meditated, until he ones again would be in full control of body and mind.