My name is Dante. In our ninja training, Master Splinter is constantly telling us that when given two choices, always choose the harder path. But somehow, when you're a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, the harder path always seems to choose you.

(!)

Down in the lair, the boys were doing a little weapons training. "You know what I love about weapons practice?" asked Raph. "The weapons." He proudly showed off his sai blades.

Dante snuck up behind him and used his tonfas to knock the sai blades out of his hands and kick Raph away. "Too bad you're stuck with those toothpicks and not a real weapon like a pair of tonfas!"

Mikey did a slide, used his nunchucks to trip Dante and took a bow. "Please, those things are just chopsticks compared to the nunchucks!"

Donny did a pole vault maneuver and smacked Mikey into a wall. "Sorry Mikey, but the bo staff is where it's at!"

"Boys," said Leo, unsheathing his swords. "put away the toys! Double katana is the only way to play!" In just a few quick slashes, Leo quickly disarmed this brothers. Then he said smugly. "What did I tell you? Double katana? Pretty sweet, huh?"

"Nice one, Leo," Donny said dryly.

"Lucky," Raph growled.

"Not so lucky as my tail," Mikey groaned.

Dante stood up and groaned. "I can join that club."

Splinter, overseeing the lesson, tapped his walking stick. "Well done, Leonardo."

Leo bowed. "Thank you sensei."

"You have won. But do you know why?"

"Well," said Leo, looking at his swords. "I have the superior weapons. I read where sword master Musashi said, 'The katana blade holds the soul of steel and is the truest guide to the warrior's way.' Which is kind of how I feel."

"It's just a sword to me," said Dante.

Leo made a hurt look. "Oh, and I suppose those tonfas are just pieces of wood you smack people around with?"

Dante looked down at his tonfas. "Well...yeah. I can always get new ones. They're pretty much expendable unless it's an heirloom. In that case, it's just for decoration."

That made Leo feel worse as he rounded up on him and said sternly, "I read somewhere that the weapon is an extension of yourself. So when you call a weapon something expendable, you call its owner expendable."

Dante backed away a little. "Leo...?"

Splinter said, "Many things are said, but few are true." Leo was confused. Why would he side with Dante?

"Master Splinter's got that look," teased Raph.

"I think somebody's gonna get it," teased Donny.

Mikey chuckled. "Michelangelo!" Then he gasped when he heard Splinter. "Do you think I am funny?"

Mikey tried to save face. "Um...yeah. I mean sometimes." Donny face palmed. "There was that time you told that joke about the ox and the sparrow. It wasn't really a joke, but it was really funny and..." Donny slapped him. "I mean, no, Master Splinter."

Splinter then turned his attention to Leo. "Leonardo, attack me with your katana."

"Master Splinter, I..."

"Do it! Now!"

Leo aimed his one of his swords at Splinter, only to have it grabbed by the rat's bare hands. "Is this the great and glorious weapon of which you speak? Helpless before an old rat such as myself? Again. With both!" Leo attacked with both swords, but each and every attack were blocked by the rat's walking stick. Then Splinter quickly disarmed him and pointed the stick at him. "In the hands of a true ninjutsu master, anything can be a deadly weapon."

"So I was right," Dante laughed with Raph, Donny and Mikey. "Your weapons are expendable!" Then he shut up when Splinter glared at him. "Shutting up now."

"Remember," Splinter said to Leo. "A weapon is only as good as the arm that wields it, Leonardo." To prove his point, he tossed the walking stick into a practice dummy, impaling it. "Until you have learned this lesson, you have learned nothing."

Leo looked more hurt than ever. He picked up his swords and slowly walked out of the building. Dante wanted to follow him, but was blocked by Splinter. "Leave him be."

"Master, I hurt him when I called his swords expendable. And you heard what he said about the weapon being an extension of the owner. He thinks I called him expendable."

"True, but you also revealed a weakness. Leonardo believes he is nothing without his katana. This lesson was to teach that it's not the weapon that makes the warrior, but the warrior."

Dante had an idea light bulb appear in his head. "That gives me an idea. Why not have a lesson that involves swapping our weapons?"

Splinter nodded. "I like that idea."

"Wait," said Mikey. "Are you saying I have to carry Raph's toothpicks?"

"At least mine don't twirl around like a helicopter," Raph growled.

"It seems Leonardo is not the only one who thinks he's nothing without his weapons," Splinter said. "I want you four to bring down Leonardo and we'll begin the lesson."

(!)

Up on the rooftops, the boys looked around. "Isn't this wear Leo comes to blowoff steam?" asked Dante.

"Well he was here," Donny said, pointing at slashed pieces of paper. "Must have had a fit similar to yours, Raph."

"Raph acting like Leo?" Mikey said. "One hot head is bad enough."

Raph laughed sarcastically. Then he found something on the ground. "A note?" The brothers gathered around.

"What's it say?" asked Mikey.

"I was about to read it until you interrupted me," Raph said. "'Warrior, if you are reading this note, you have passed the first test. I call upon you as a point of honor to meet with me if you way follow the way of bushido. You will come and you will come alone. Sixteen South Boil.' That ain't too far from here."

"There he is," Dante exclaimed softly. Leo was down in the streets, heading to where the note said. "This isn't like him."

"I agree," said Donny. "Follow him."

(!)

Eventually, Leo went to a storage facility and entered the building. The other brothers went to the rooftop to watch what was going on through the rooftop skylight. "Man," said Mikey. "Leo's been acting funny all day. And I don't mean ha-ha funny. I mean funny funny."

"It's not like him go go off like this," said Donny.

"Yeah," said Raph. "He's acting like me."

"We don't need two Raphaels," Dante said.

"Yeah," said Mikey. "Now another me would be a different story."

"Shh!" Donny shushed him. "Look!"

Through the skylight, they could see Leo being surrounded by a whole group of ninjas. Ninjas bearing the symbol of the red dragon's foot on their chest.

"Thirteen to one," Donny said.

"That seems pretty unfair," said Mikey. "I mean, there's only thirteen of them."

"If Leo needs us, we're here," said Raph. "Let's see what this is all about."

"Oh, my god," Dante gasped. "Raph is turning into Leo!"

"Shh!"

The brothers watched as Leo made short work of the ninjas. Then they watched as a newcomer exited the shadows: an Asian man with short black hair and wearing a white robe with the dragon's foot on the back. They watched as Leo and the man talked to each other, but they couldn't hear what was going on.

"What's he saying?" asked Donny

"Something about onions," said Mikey. "Or maybe pepperoni and sausage. And a deep dish crust." Raph slapped him. "What? It's hard to hear! And I'm hungry."

"Shh!" said Dante. "I think they're finishing talking."

They watched as the man handed Leo a katana in a red and black scabbard. Then the man bowed and left. "Gee," said Mikey. "And I thought Master Splinter said never to take swords from strangers."

"He's leaving," Dante said. "Let's move ahead him and confront him."

"I was thinking the same thing," said Raph.

(!)

None of of them were aware that they were being watched by two men in black trench coats, the same ones that watched their battle for the sword at the pier. "He is leaving," one of them said. "We better report this back to the council." He pressed a button on his wrist and live footage of the three men appeared.

"Yes?" they asked in unison.

"One of the turtles, Leonardo has spoken with Saki. But we do not know the outcome."

"Find out what the turtles will do," the three men said. "If they are with Saki, we may be forced to destroy them." The footage ended.

(!)

On the rooftop near their home, Leo marveled at the sword Oroku Saki gave him. "This is beautiful."

Then his brothers dropped in front of him. "Oh, Leonardo," Mikey said, imitating Ricky from I Love Lucy. "You have some explaining to do."

"Nice letter opener," Raph said. "Is that the price to sell out these days?"

"It's not like you think," defended Leo. "I was invited!"

"To join up with them?!"

"No! Mean, yes! But it's different than we thought! They're not the enemy! At least, I don't think they are. Everything that Master Saki said..."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" shouted Dante. "MASTER SAKI?!" He grabbed Leo by the shell. "You already have a master! Our dad! Master Splinter!"

"Remember him, Leo?" asked Mikey. "Real hairy guy about this tall? I don't think we can just ditch him."

"I'm not talking about ditching anybody! I'm only talking about another group of ninjas in a fight against evil! Mikey, you're always going on about how we should do some good, serve a greater purpose. Well, here's a greater purpose."

"I dunno."

"What's this thing got," Raph said, reaching for the sword. "Some sort of mind control device in it? Cause you're losing it Leo."

"Hey, give that back!"

Dante snatched the sword away from Leo. "It's just a stupid sword, Leonardo!"

Then Leo got mad. He tackled Dante to the ground and the two started wrestling over it. And then Leo flipped him over the building. His eyes widened when he realized what he'd done. "Oh, no, Dante!" He looked over the side to see Dante using one of his tonfas to hang onto a flagpole. Then he hopped back onto the roof.

"And you think katanas are the best ninja weapons," Dante growled at him.

"I am so sorry. I am such an idiot," Leo said. "You could have been hurt."

"Yeah, that's right. You are an idiot. But I don't hurt that easily. Physically anyway."

"So what are we gonna do, Leo?" asked Donny.

"What I should have done in the first place: Talk to Master Splinter."

(!)

Down in the lair, Leo did just that. He also presented Splinter with the sword Saki gave him. Splinter sighed in sadness. "My sons, I had always hoped this day would never come."

"You do know who these ninjas are, do you," asked Dante.

"Yes. I know who these people are. I have always known." He showed them the image of the red dragon's foot. "This is the symbol of the Foot Clan ninja. Their leader is Oroku Saki. But he has another name. He is the Shredder." Splinter's face turned grim. "I have often told you of my beloved Master Yoshi, but now it is time I told you the whole truth.

"As you already know, my master was a ninja of great power. One of the greatest practitioners of ninjutsu in many centuries. I was his pet rat, and I learned ninjutsu by mimicking his moves. For many years, I was happy. We were a family.

"But that life ended when the Shredder sent his Foot Ninja to attack my master. My master battled honorably, but through their dishonorable ways, the Foot Ninja overpowered him. Then the Shredder himself entered. They accused my master of working for their enemies. They wanted information. They were relentless. But my master only said one thing, 'He who lives without honor, will end without honor.'

"Impatient, the Shredder ordered Hun to finish him off. I tried to save my master, but my efforts were in vain. Though I did leave my mark. Then the Shredder..." Splinter paused, and tears flowed down his face. "The Shredder had taken my Master Yoshi from me. From the world. Not long after that, I found you, my sons, and you all know the rest."

The brothers listened with heartache. "Oh, dad..." Dante said sadly.

Splinter wiped his tears. "I never told you all of this because I did not want your training to be tainted by the poison of hatred. I did not want you to feel the sorrow that is still in my heart. But now, you need to know who Saki, the Shredder really is. He serves no great purpose. He fights no great evil! He IS great evil! Any endeavor he undertakes, he does it for his own selfish gain!"

Leo slapped himself. "Man, I am such an idiot!"

"I could have told you that," Mikey said, nudging him.

"You've been played, bro," said Donny. "He saw you coming a mile away."

"So what are we gonna do about it?" asked Raph.

"Shredder wants an answer, I think we give him one," said Leo. "Turtle style."

The boys bowed to Splinter and were dismissed.

(!)

The next night, the brothers waited on a rooftop, one where the Shredder was expecting Leo's answer. They didn't have to wait long. A group of Foot ninjas appeared. Leo held out the sword Shredder gave him and tossed it aside. "Tell your boss the answer is no, and he can have the sword back."

As if on cue, it started to rain. That was the signal needed for the Foot to attack the brothers. "Let's dance," Dante growled.

The brothers fought back. Despite the lack in numbers, the brothers were taught to fight even when the odds were against them.

"Check it out," Mikey called out. "Nunchucks are not only good for playing the drums..." He bashed the group of ninjas that surrounded him. "But they're also good for getting a leg up to a fellow turtle!" He used the nunchucks to give Donny a leaping jump.

Donny then used his bo staff like a baton and spun it, knocking the next group of ninjas' weapons before striking them in the head. "You said it Mikey, but a bo staff sure comes in handy when a teenage turtle finds himself in a circle full of angry, ugly enemy ninjas!"

"You guys are still going on about weapons?" joked Leo as he slashed another group of Foot ninjas. "Weren't you listening to Master Splinter? It's not the weapon that matters. It's the ninja who wields it."

"I couldn't," Dante said as he bashed some more ninjas with his tonfas. "Agree." And a few more. "More!" Until all the ninjas were on the ground groaning in pain.

"Well," said Donny. "All in a day's work."

Then the brother's high fived each other. "Turtles rule!"

Suddenly, the roof access door was kicked down and out stepped Hun.

"Not him again," said Donny.

"We beat him before, we'll beat him again," said Leo.

"Yeah," growled Raph.

Hun cracked his knuckles. "I've been looking forward to this rematch."

"Bring it," said Dante. "If you've got the guts."

Hun roared and charged the turtles and Dante. The turtles fought back. Donny got punched in the face by Hun. Raph did a few kicks but Hun grabbed him and tossed him away. Leo tried to slash him with his swords, only to be kicked into Dante. Finally, Mikey swung his nunchucks at him, but Hun grabbed him and tossed him into Donny. Raph snuck up behind Hun and smacked him the face, but Hun grabbed him and slammed him into the ground multiple times before Leo kicked him away from his brother.

Then Hun saw the sword Leo tossed away. He unsheathed it and ran for the turtle, crossing his blade with Leo's. The two clashed until he knocked Leo's swords out of his hands. Then he raised his own sword...only to be headbutted in the gut by Dante, making him fall into a skylight.

Dante groaned. "Oh, man what're that guy's bones made of?" He rubbed his temples as he helped Leo pick up his swords.

Mikey smiled. "I think we'll sleep well tonight."

"That was not easy," said Donny.

(!)

On another rooftop, the two men in black watched the whole fight. One of them contacted the council. "Your report?" they said.

"Council members," said the man. "It appears the turtles and the boy are against him."

"Good," they said. "But it remains to be seen if the enemy of our enemy is our friend. Monitor them further and keep us informed."

"And what of the boy's programming?"

"We gave you the suppressants, did we? Use them should he see you."

"We will."

(!)

Dante rubbed his head again. "Oh, man, wicked headache." Then he looked up. "Oh, shell, you've got to be kidding me!"

More Foot ninjas jumped onto the roof. And there was another figure with them. A man wearing silver samurai armor with spikes on the shoulders, a horned helmet with a faceplate, and armed with a clawed gauntlet. This was Oroku Saki. This was the Shredder. "Those who are not with me are against me! And I crush anyone who stands against me!"