Team Mutant Ninja Clan

Chapter 10

Battle of Endurance

He stood there as a slight breeze blew by twitching the hairs on his face. He waited, not very long, as the hint of the bell rung loudly in his ears. The crowd went wild, but in his eyes nothing had quite moved. It's almost as if time had frozen for that second, that moment. Then the words of Shang Tsung could be heard quite clearly.

"Fight!"

No hesitation, no second thoughts, all that mattered was the fight at hand. Splinter ran forward as Goro waited with a small grin on his face. As Splinter approached he noticed Goro clench up his fist's, he accounted for this. Just as he thought, Goro took a swing at him as he gracefully slid under his legs while jabbing him on his right ankle with a knife hand. Goro expressed little to no emotion as he swung around.

"You seem like you'll make for great entertainment Rat."

"Keep your eye on the prize, don't let his words damage your focus."

Without a seconds thought Splinter raced over as he did a diving kick hitting Goro right in the center of his stomach. Goro grunted bending over, Splinter then maneuvered flipping over his shoulder as he kicked him in the back of the head. Goro quickly stood up at this as he quickly caught his breath. He slowly turned around to face Splinter. It was strange, he didn't look angry, but rather pleased.

"This Goro guy looks tough." Ken said as he watched on.

"As they say, the bigger they are the harder they fall." Alvin added.

Goro then raced over. Splinter was quite surprised at this. Goro threw a couple punches as Splinter dodged most of his attacks. Splinter countered as he kicked Goro in the side of the knee. Before Splinter realized it Goro popped him in the left side of his ribs as he flipped back to catch his breath.

"One....maybe two broken ribs from that hit, must not let him." His thought process is cut off as Goro comes charging forward.

As Splinter try's to plan for his next move Goro jumps into the air as he try's to stomp on Splinter who easily flips out of the way. As Goro turns his head ninja shurikens can be seen coming his way. He catches the three of them at the last second. Not even a second later Goro feels a sharp pain on his lower side. He looks down to see a shuriken sliced into his side.

"The delay worked, he didn't see that one coming."

Goro yanked the shuriken out as he let it fall to the ground.

"I have to admit you're very persistent, what is your name?"

"Splinter." he replied.

"You've made for an excellent warm-up, I would not of wanted this any other way."

"Your words speak of confidence and blindness, surely you can't think of a better way to use your skills for the world of man kind."

"Me and you are two different specimens Splinter, I fight this fight for my world and future, you the same."

"I must ask why?" Splinter asked.

"For all to be one, one world, one dimension, it will be as you say a brighter tomorrow."

"I don't understand."

"That will be just about enough, finish him." Shang Tsung interrupted.

The crowd was still loud, but there was a mutual silence between both Splinter and Goro as they stared each other down. Splinter began to walk forward as he felt the sharp pain in his side. Goro noticed this as he jumped over with a leaping kick knocking Splinter to the ground.

"Must get up, he'll be all over me in a second."

Splinter slowly pushed up as he his kicked across the face as blood flows from his nose and mouth.

"To slow."

Goro lifted his foot up as he slammed it into Splinter's stomach.

"I usually dodge something like that, can't breathe, have to get back in this."

Goro continued his assault as he resulted to stomp on Splinter as he sat there with no answer.

"Weak, can't move, he's to strong, have to fight back."

Goro finally stopped as he looked down at the beat down warrior. Goro picked him up as he held him with his lower arms.

"I promise you this will be the beating of your life."

Leonardo looked away, it was to much for him to endure.

Goro continued as a clear delighted Shang Tsung watched from the side. After several blows to the face Goro could tell Splinter was fading out as he finally stopped. Goro looked down at his bloody foe as thought ran through his mind.

"I could easily pound you to death or snap your tree branch neck. But that would defeat the purpose, I want you to see the vision come into play." Goro began as he grabbed Splinter with his upper arms and held him over his head.

"No instead I will rid you of your balance, your soul, I will simply!"

Not even a second goes by as Alvin Draper jumps into the ring.

"Please, don't do it!"

Goro looked over at Alvin as he stared at him. The crowd became silent. Leo and the others were surprised at this. Goro then looked over at Shang Tsung who nodded. Goro then walked over to the side of the ring as he tossed Splinter's body to the ground right in front of Donatello.

"Winner is, Prince Goro." Shang Tsung announced as the crowd went wild.

Raphael and Leonardo immediately joined Donatello as they went to the side of their sensei.

"Let's get him somewhere quite." Leonardo directed.

It took them just under ten minutes to get Splinter and lay him under a tree. Leo quickly checked for a pulse.

"Is he alive?" Donatello asked.

"Ba......barely." Leonardo replied.

"Is there anything we can do for him?"

"I don't know Liu Kang, I really don't know." Leonardo replied.

"I don't get it, what's Shang's game here!" Raph yelled.

"I think this was him just sending us a message." Liu Kang replied.

"He destroyed master Splinter, oh please god let him be ok." Leo said.

"Goro is one tough guy, how are we suppose to take him down?" Fox asked.

"One things for sure, I don't want any of that." Naruto said.

"Huh, it's not Goro who worries me." Sauske said to himself.

"Alvin what made you step in like that?" Donatello as he turned to his side.

"What Goro was about to do, let's just say something like that happened to someone close to me."

"There's more than one way to beat someone like Goro." Ken said.

"Care to elaborate?" Neji asked.

"It's not always about the physical match up, but rather the fight."

"I'm I the only one who isn't following?" Donatello asked.

"When the time comes, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about."

Don took these words into account. They all sat in silence for the minutes to come. Suddenly Johnny Cage walked over as he tapped Naruto on the shoulder.

"Your up kid, good luck." Johnny informed.

Naruto shook his head as he followed. Ken, Fox, Liu Kang, and Neji followed as the others stayed put. They made their way through a large crowd as they approached a ring surrounded by spiky vines and sand. Naruto noticed this but didn't put to much thought into it, his opponent was what he needed to stay focused on. He slowly made his way into the ring as he looked over to see a man with three daggers in his mouth as he held two small katana blades in each of his hands. Naruto also noticed a blade sitting in the side of one of his boots.

"Round one, fight!"

He didn't move, he waited, watched. His opponent slightly shifted his stance, this was it all or nothing. His opponent ran forward, as did Naruto. As he ran forward he pulled out a ninja shuriken. He leaped into the air, as did his opponent.

"Argh."

Naruto landed on his feet knowing he had just taken a blow. His right cheek had been cut, but it was in his lower left rib which took a deep clean shot. Blood was slowly pouring out. He breathed in deeply as he held back the tears which wanted to fly out. He pulled out a blue cloth he had in his pocket as he wrapped it tightly around his ribs, yelping as he did. Surprisingly his opponent only watched and waited for him to be done.

"Nice shot." Naruto commented.

His opponent replied by shooting the three daggers out of his which came flying at Naruto who simply side flipped over them. As he lands on his feet he is quickly met by a blade which he barely dodges as he ducks under. He pops right back up with a punch to the face. His opponent comes back with quick strike of his own cutting Naruto in several places. Naruto could feel himself fading. He was losing a lot of blood and burning off much energy as well, just trying to stay alive alone.

"I better hurry and end this, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out."

As he took another slice at him Naruto ducked under as he yanked the extra blade from his boot as he quickly shoved the blade into his stomach. His opponent walked backwards as he fell out of the ring onto the vines. They immediately wrapped around him and squeezed him to death.

"I'm exhausted can't fall, not this moment, I can see the disgusted look on Shang's face, can't ruin this moment by collapsing."

It took a few moments but Shang Tsung finally stood up as he looks up at the crowd.

"Naruto wins...Fatality." Shang Tsung said.

The moment was great, but he couldn't hold himself up anymore he slowly felt himself fall backward only to be caught. To his surprise it was none other that Neji.

"Don't worry, I've got you." Neji said as Naruto's eyes closed.

"Let's take him over there, I'm certain I can stop the bleeding." Ken said.

"Of course." Neji said in agreement.

"I'll join you guy's soon, I'm going on a little walk." Fox said as he walked off.

Ken looked over Naruto's body as he noticed most of the cuts were nothing but knick's, the most damaging being the one shot to the ribs.

"You two stay here, I'll be back with the first aid kit." Liu Kang said as he ran off.

"Hang in there guy." Johnny Cage said.

He walked through the forest as he let his thoughts roam. One question still bugged him, what was Shang Tsung really up to? It was something he really wanted answer. Through all of this he had made new allies, ones which were now considered friends. Something was strange, something didn't feel right. He always had that sixth sense when he felt something was wrong, when he was being watched. His ears perked up as his eyes slowly trotted from side to side. He kept casually walking, but knew something was up. Finally it happened, the crack of a tree branch from above which followed by a poisonous arrow coming down at him. Fox easily flipped out of the way. Out of nowhere about ten men dressed in black ninja suites came out of nowhere.

"Uh oh, I suppose you guy's do realize Halloween isn't for a couple months right?" Fox joked as he got into his fighting stance.

They immediately rushed him from all sides. Fox smiled at this, he loved the odds. He jumped up as two of the assassins bumped into each other. Another threw a sharp boomerang object at Fox who shot it down using his blaster. Before he can react his blaster his knocked out of his hands by an assassin swinging a chain with a blade at the end of it.

"This doesn't look good." Fox said with a smirk.

"Sure doesn't."

Fox turned to his side to see Neji right next to him.

"How did you?"

"I saw them following you, let's just finish this shall we?"

"Of course." Fox said in agreement as the assassins ran forward.

Neji leaped forward doing a spin kick as he knocked two of them to the ground. One of them threw a punch at Fox who dodged to the side then grabbed them dislocating their shoulder.

"Neji eyes!"

Neji quickly got the message as he closed his eyes. Fox pulled a device out as he slammed it to the ground blinding their foes. Neji quickly took this opportunity as he quickly ran around hitting them all in their pressure points. One by one they feel to the ground. The two of them stood in victory as they looked over the bodies.

"I guess we can call that a job well done." Fox said.

Out of nowhere about twenty five more assassins pop out from the tree's in the distance, from all sides.

"This won't be easy." Neji said as someone jumped out of the tree's landing in front of them.

"Leonardo, I thought you were watching your sensei." Fox said.

"He....he.....didn't make it." Leo replied holding in his emotions.

"We'll discuss that later, incoming." Fox yelled as Leonardo quickly ducked dodging a ninja shuriken.

Leonardo pulled out his swords as the three of them ran into battle. Neji flipped over a couple of the ninja while kicking them over. Fox knocked an assassin to the ground as he took his sword.

"Now I'm in business."

Fox quickly swung his blade as it is met by another. Leonardo dodges attacks from an assassin swinging a chain with two blades at the end of it, kind of like an eagle's talon's.

"This is it, the fight, the drive. There are no second chances or lives in this game."

Thoughts continued to run through Leonardo's mind as he sliced the chain in two.

"To win is not to be physically superior, but to be able to outlast your opponent. It's strange in a way, how the body and soul works."

The ninja then resulted to pulling out a clean cut samurai blade. He and Leonardo both charged each other.

"The thing that links the two together, yes the mind. It's a balance of skill, body, and soul, one's endurance can only be truly be measured by their character. How far are they ready to push, how far can I?"

His thoughts closed out as he delivered the final strike to his opponent. Leo swung around to see that all the other assassins had been taken down by both Neji and Fox Mccloud.

"We did it." Fox said catching his breath.

"But why, who would try and attack us?" Neji said.

"As Liu Kang said before Shang Tsung is done playing, I think it's time we do the same." Leonardo said.

"I sure hope he's right, these ninja's didn't fight anything like Shang." Neji said as they began to walk.

From the distance someone watched from a tree.

"Excellent the Demon's Head will be pleased."

To Be Continued