I do not own the TMNT


Chapter Eleven: Too Close


Silence.

Again.

Kit flicked her ears and listened for a moment. "Karai?" Her voice cracked slightly and Kit swallowed to try and clear it of dust. "Hey, Karai?" Still nothing. She shifted position, feeling her back and shoulder scrape against her confines as she did. "Karai!"

When still no answer came Kit crawled forward a little till she felt her hand brush against Karai's arm. "Come on, wake up!" Kit grabbed for the woman's shoulders, a sensation most warriors hated. "Karai! Wake! Up!" She shook the shoulders as best she could before she worried about aggravating the head wound. "KARAI!"

Her fingers felt for a pulse; the fact that this trained fighter didn't flinch at the touch of something on her neck made Kit's own pulse accelerate. "Come on, come on…" The beat under her fingers was sluggish but otherwise normal. A short growl rumbled in the back of Kit's throat. "WAKE UP KUNOICHI!" Kit immediately flinched as some of the debris around her shifted.

"…n…K'n'ichi." Karai mumbled.

Kit sighed and sat back on her heels before she realized that she hadn't understood what Karai had said, "Uh…What?"

"I am no kunoichi." The woman repeated louder.

Again Kit found herself staring into the darkness. "Right, you're no kunoichi and I'm not a freak of science."

"I am no kunoichi." Karai repeated again. She paused for a moment, Kit was about to start shaking her shoulders again before she continued speaking. "I am the Jonin of the clan. I am not kunoichi." Despite the fact that she still slurred her words Kit detected something bitter about the woman's tone.

"Is there something wrong with being kunoichi?" Sure there were certain aspects to traditional training for a female ninja that Kit tended to look down on, but surely Karai had grown up being taught that sort of thing was normal.

"A Jonin must be strong, ready to face all challengers in combat and to lead the clan with might." If anything this made Kit's frown deepen. Karai usually answered questions precisely. Not only was her answer somewhat off the point but from what Kit had heard about clan infrastructure the Jonin would have already proven his worth and he…

Right, he.

The Foot clan had been led by the same man… er, male personage… for the past… however long it had been since Ch'rel had first taken over or started the Foot clan. In all those centuries he had led with fear, power, and strength. That left quite a set of boots for Karai to fit, even if the average clan member wasn't aware of the truth behind Oroku Saki.

A faint mist of understanding started to settle over Kit, but she quickly shook her head and brushed away the emotion. Enemy! This is the woman who stabbed Leo! With his own sword, remember?

After Shredder kicked him at her. She looked kinda' surprised and she saved Leo later. Boy was Shred-butt ever angry... Did anyone else even see that?

Where was Shredder when she attacked the lair?

What does this have to do with her not being kunoichi again?

Once again Kit shook her head, this time to avoid confusing herself. "Karai…" Kit started, then sat back, "I don't know, I really don't know." She sighed and rubbed a fist against her eyes. Karai might be the one with the head injury, but Kit was beginning to get a headache of her own and she couldn't totally convince herself it was the gas.