Ch 9. Betrayal

Splinter stood in the hallway between the dojo and the kitchen. He sighed heavily and rubbed his tired eyes. In the kitchen he could hear angry words coming from Donatello while in the dojo, soft crying could be heard coming from Michelangelo. The older brothers doing their best to calm and soothe the younger ones brought back memories to the old rat. As he stood by the door of the dojo, his mind wandered back to the time when he first came upon the two small turtles.

Word had been sent from the Daimyo's army to Splinter and other keisatsukan in neighboring villages to get to the northern and southern terrapin villages. When Splinter arrived, the devastation was horrifying. Very few terrapins had survived from both villages and, banding together, were found walking toward the Hamato Village. What few children had survived were lucky enough to be with their families with the exception of two. A green eyed three year old scowling turtle and his brother, a brown eyed two year old gaped tooth turtle. The small green eyed turtle held his brother tightly as the two year old cried continuously in his brother's arms.

No one could soothe the little turtle tot and the green eyed one held his brother protectively, making sure no one came close. Although many did try, it was Splinter who was able to gain the green eyed turtle's trust and gather the young turtles into his arms and bring them both onto his horse. And it was from that moment on King Hamato decided Splinter should raise the young turtles. And, Splinter had to admit, he was grateful for that.

Now everything was coming back at them. Splinter shook his head as heard Michelangelo suddenly yell at his brother. He peeked his head inside wanting to make sure the two boys were okay. Both boys were on the floor and Leo had his arms wrapped around his brother. "Mikey." Leo was saying. "I am so sorry you had to find out like this." Mikey was crying hard into his brother's shoulder and Leo was rocking him back and forth. "I was going to tell you the truth about everything after we got to the Daymo's but I…"

"Stop it Leo." Mikey pulled away from him and wiped his tears. "Why would you let people do this to you?" He demanded. "Do you think I'm that naive that you wouldn't be able to talk to me about all this!"

"Mikey I never thought that." Leo insisted. "I just wanted to protect you."

"Protect me?" Mikey got off the floor angrily. "I know we had to be careful of the Foot soldiers but you doing what you did with those sickos!" He clenched his fist and looked at Leo with angry eyes. "How do you call that protecting."

Leo looked down at the floor in shame. "I had to get the money somehow." He whispered. "To book passage on a caravan or possibly purchase a couple of horses and get away from here." He touched his hand to his bruised cheek. "I didn't want you to know what I was doing because I was afraid you would hate me."

"You could have gotten money some other way Leo." Mikey insisted.

"No Mikey I couldn't." Leo stood up and walked over to him. "Even if I did attempt to seek help from a villager, I couldn't be sure if I could trust them." Leo made Mikey look up at him. "For all I knew they would try and take us back to Saki."

"And I suppose that's my fault too." Mikey glared angrily at Leo.

"None of what happened is your fault." Leo placed his hand under Mikey's chin and looked at him with pride. "You are going to bring the terrapins hope and reunite us."

Mikey looked at Leo hopefully but then turned away with a look of sadness. "But it is my fault that our village along with Raph's and Donnie's village was destroyed." He whispered, trying to hold back the sobs.

Leo's eyes narrowed. "Saki is the one who destroyed our villages and killed our parents along with several other terrapins as well." Leo's voice rose in anger. "He is to blame for everything that's gone wrong for us…all of us." Leo sat back down on the floor. "Not you."

Mikey walked over and sat next to Leo. "All this time I thought Saki was good and kind." He placed a hand on Leo's bruised cheek and the other on Leo's neck. Mikey closed his eyes and a small bright light surrounded Leo's body. "I wish I had seen the truth long ago." Leo closed his eyes and leaned into Mikey's warm and tender touches. Splinter watched in amazement as the more recent bruises along Leo's neck and cheek were healed miraculously.

"Thank you Mikey." Leo smiled and pulled his brother into a hug. "And don't worry about not realizing what Saki was." He told him. "The Shredder fooled a lot of people." He nuzzled his brother's shoulder. "He even had me fooled for a very long time."

Mikey allowed the hug for a few moments before pulling away and giving Leo a stern look. "I understand that now Leo." He told him. "But you need to stop keeping things from me." He insisted. "I'm not a baby anymore. I can handle things and we could have worked out something so you wouldn't have had to do what you were doing."

"I'm sorry Mikey." Leo apologized again. "I just wanted you to stay innocent for as long as possible." He smiled at him. "So much is going to happen in just a few days and I'm afraid for you." He looked away from him again. "I didn't want everything that was happening to effect you the way it did me."

The brothers hugged again and Splinter walked in. "Is everything alright now?" He smiled tenderly at them.

The two boys pulled apart and looked at Master Splinter with concern. "I'm sorry Master Splinter." Leo said. "I should not have lied to you." Splinter placed a comforting paw on Leo's shoulder. "I'll accept any punishment you deem necessary after I get Mikey to the Daimyo's stronghold."

"Is my brother going to jail?" Mikey asked fearfully.

Splinter sat on the floor next to the both boys. He smiled at Mikey and shook his head. "No Michelangelo." He told him. "Although your brother did commit a crime, he is going to cooperate and give me the name of who he serves along with all the names of everyone he saw at Saki's lair conspiring against the Hamato family."

Splinter gave Leo a stern look upon seeing Leo's look of shock and his attempt to protest. "Once he has done that and has brought you to the Daimyos'. Then he will be absolved of all wrong doing and will be allowed to live his life however he chooses to." Splinter then narrowed his eyes. "As long as it is within the law." Splinter watched as Leo lowered his eyes and gave a sigh of resignation. "Are we clear Leonardo?"

"Hai Sensei." Leo said regretfully. He then looked up at the large rat. "But Sensei." He began. "The one I went to…."

"Is not an honorable man." Splinter stroked his long beard in contemplation. "Tiger Claw will sell you out to the Foot clan as soon as the opportunity arises." Splinter nodded in satisfaction when he saw Leo's look of shock at the mention of the tiger's name. "I thought so." He muttered.

"How did you know?" Leo asked, his eyes lowered in shame.

"I have always had my suspicions that Tiger Claw was doing more then running a simple business but I could never prove anything." He placed a paw on Leo's shoulder. "With your help child, we will bring down his 'business' along with the rest of the scum of the city." He shook his head. "At one time this village was a place of prosperity and hope but now…" His eyes held a look of disappointment.

Leo squared his shoulders and looked at Splinter with determination. "I can do better then give you Tiger Claw and names of traitors Master Splinter." Leo told him as he stood up. Splinter raised his eyebrows in question. "I kept a list of all of Saki's business partners along with the names of both humans and mutants who report to him."

Splinter smiled proudly at the young turtle but then a sudden look of worry clouded the rat's face. "Tiger Claw is a very opportunistic mutant and for all we know, he could be sending word to Saki's forces right now." He stood up and began to pace the floor.

"So what should we do?" Raph asked from the door. He had finished speaking with Donnie and was now coming to see what their next step should be.

Splinter stopped pacing and looked from Leonardo to Raphael. "Tell Casey to prepare our four fastest horses." Splinter decided. "You boys will ride tonight."

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Several miles away from the Hamato family home, under the cover of darkness, the large tiger rode on horseback with three other figures dressed in dark ninja outfits. They made their way through the woods to a clearing where a large dark stone castle stood. They cautiously made their way toward the dark lair and rode up to the door.

Tiger Claw dismounted and made his way inside the large stone house leaving his guards waiting for him outside. He walked through a long dark hallway and entered into a darken room where a long dining hall table with several chairs all around was placed in the middle of the great room. At the end of the table sat a tall man with a scarred face and anger in his eyes. He watched with interest as the large tiger walked over to him.

"Lord Saki." Tiger Claw placed his right hand over his heart and bowed at the waist to him. "I bring news of your young runaways."

"Where are they." Oroku Saki's deep voice demanded.

"They are staying at the home of Hamato Yoshi's Keisatsu."

"Hamato Splinter." Saki's eyes narrowed and he looked at Tiger Claw with contempt. "How long have you known?"

He watched as Tiger Claw's eyes widen slightly and his body shuddered under his gaze. "I have only just acquired the information my lord."

"Have you now?" Saki stood and Tiger Claw watched as a long blade slid out of Saki's gauntlet and was placed firmly under his chin. He lifted his other hand and snapped his fingers. Tiger Claw watched two ninjas step out of the shadows. "One of you go and saddle my horse." He told them. "We ride after my charges tonight." Saki removed the blade and Tiger Claw let out a long drawn out breath. He wiped his chin of the blood and watched Saki walked out of the large room, his long cape flowing steadily behind him.