The building was not nearly as impressive as Leonardo imagined. If he was left wandering the village himself, he would have passed it up completely. There was no fancy decorations, no gold trim or bright red walls. The Wu Kwan was the same muddy, brown color most of the village buildings were. The only thing that distinguished it from the homes was the absence of a porch which was replaced by a short flight of steps into the building. Leonardo and Venus stepped lightly as they approached the door. It was very sturdy with hard paper covering the cut out squares. Venus reached for the knob and turned it. Very steadily did she let it open, not omitting a single creak from its hinges. The two poked their heads into the room. There was a woman sitting on the floor. Her back was turned to them as she sat in a criss-cross position. In front of her was an array of candles before a mural of a metallically colored dragon on the wall. Beside her was a small, colored teapot and teacup. Leo did not know nearly anything about Chinese tradition, but as a Japanese-reared boy, it appeared she was merely enjoying herself and taking in the fine detail of the art before her.
"Hexie." Venus spoke, disturbing the silence. The woman stopped. The cup's rim barely pressed up to her lips before she calmly set it back down beside her. Silence followed.
"Meinu." The woman finally spoke. Surely, she stood up and turned to reveal her face. She was a middle aged, Japanese woman. Her outfit was all black, like a true ninja, complete with yoga-like pants and a long sleeve turtleneck. Her hair and makeup were the most interesting. Her haircut was blonde underneath and a natural black color overlaying it. Her tresses were short with the exception of a single strip on long, black hair on each side dangling down to the middle of her neck. Black eyeliner carved out her small eyes with an edgy flavor to them. Lastly, a splash of red lay underneath the ends of her eye wings. She was most interesting indeed, but such an abnormal creature was no less a beautiful, older woman. This must be Miwa, but the tension of the room made no assurance of that.
Her hand whipped out from her side with the form of a Frisbee thrower. Flying from her hand, three familiar, shape-pointed discs were whipped into Venus' direction. The turtle girl made no move to the side and out of the way, as Leonardo did. Instead, she stood perfectly still. She appeared to be waiting for the shurukin to come to her. Speedily, the discs came for her. Suddenly, her three-fingered hands slowly rose up to her vision. Her hands began to glow and an irritated look on her face grew. The shurukin came near her face until they began to glow with the same, blue aura of her hands. The course of the discs was changed, rounding themselves near her face before heading straight to the woman who threw them. Leonardo was not sure that the other woman was magical as well, but he knew she'd be in for a flurry of cuts in a matter of seconds. The woman did not move either. Instead, she picked off the shurukin as they came close, throwing them down to the ground and stopping their deadly movements.
"Couldn't catch them today?" The woman's defensive posture dropped. She became loose and comfortable as she strode towards the two.
"They came in too fast for me." Venus shrugged, leaning on her left side. "I'll get it down soon." The woman let out an audible 'Hm', smiling. The turtle girl removed her hat and left it and her robe hanging on an available hook. Funny enough, there were only two hooks up to her reach as compared to the rest of the hooks underneath that were meant for the rest of her normal sized students. Venus tapped the back of her finger on his shoulder, telling him to hang his hat and coat up. Miwa must have been a stickler for having outerwear in the Wu Kwan. Leonardo obeyed, wanting to remain on the woman's good side, even if it compromised his identity. He didn't see it, but Miwa held on a look of surprise. Instead of addressing it directly, she treated it as if anyone could look like that and did not let her curiosity get the best of her reunion with her old student.
"You're repelling abilities are getting stronger." She complimented. Her voice was smooth and soothing for such a rock-hard woman.
"Oh yeah. If anybody throws something at me less than an ounce, I'm so in there." Venus spoke sarcastically, using outrageous hand gestures to prove her point. The woman giggled before they both bowed to one another.
"Nice to have you drop by." Both let up and embraced one another in a warm hug. Underneath her black long sleeve, Leonardo could see the muscling in the older woman's arms. It wasn't even a tight shirt yet the bumps of her arm were still apparent. He continued to watch, as he has been since they got there. They released one another's embrace. "What brings you to the backwoods?"
"Miwa," She reached behind her, gripping Leo's shoulder pad. "He seeks your assistance." It was her. The woman he'd been so anxious to meet. He bowed graciously.
"Hello, Great martial arts Master."
"Oh, you speak Japanese? What is it that you want?" Her tongue was quick, too quick for Leonardo to register.
"Um," He had to think of something smart to say. This is her first impressions of him and he had to make this right. "Hello, great martial arts master." He repeated, internally cursing himself. He could feel a bead of sweat trying to form on his brow. It meant everything to him that he impresses this master of martial arts and so far, it wasn't going the way he planned it to be. Miwa nodded.
"I guess I should continue in English?" She asked. Leonardo looked up from his bow. She was still smiling. This is going good.
"Yes, please." He replied. He tried to make his rise from his bow not so hasty that he appeared more desperate and nervous than he already was. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. What is it that you want?" She repeated, keeping her kind nature. He cleared his throat to introduce himself.
"My name is Leonardo. I come from a family of ninjas and have traveled all this way from New York City to be guided under your wing." Leonardo showed her his crest-worthy smile.
"Ninja?" She spat out fiercely. Suddenly, a fist came up to the Master's mouth, followed by her blowing a dust into Leonardo's face. It did not sting or blind him as it tried to get into his eyes, yet it proved a great distraction. Somehow, he was down on the ground. She had him underneath her; his arms crossed behind his shell as she used her arms and body to pin them there. "Mei! How could you associate yourself with an assassin?" She shouted. Venus took a step back. She was just as confused as Leonardo when Miwa's "Dragon Lady" side surfaced. "Where is Mona?" She asked. Before Venus could try to explain, she held Leonardo tighter. The pain was only a pinch feeling as she came close to his ear, forcing him to listen to her. "Are your ninjas keeping her hostage while you force Venus here to dig into the secrets of our craft that your kind have disgraced?" She accused. Leonardo wanted to shake his head no, but with so much restricted movement, the attempt turned into a body shake. Miwa saw this as a way to escape her grasp and pushed down harder. Leonardo winced from it.
"No! It's not like that!" Venus cried.
"Then, what is it like?"
"They are honorable beings who value the ways of bushido. They've saved the world at least once or twice, sabotaging the villain's plans. But, back home, they must stick to the shadows as Mona and I have while living with them. If they came into the light, the people will fear and come after us. That is why they call themselves 'ninja'." Leonardo could feel the woman's grip loosen up on him. Naturally, he would have taken the chance to escape from her grasp, but he feared that if he tried and she caught him again, the pain will only ensue. Instead, he remained underneath her, hoping his patience will last Venus' coaxing.
"Then, where is Mona if she is not here?"
"Back home with them, they are brothers of four." The turtle girl explained.
"By now, all four of them are probably playing 'Just Dance'." Leonardo forced out with his chest still compressed into the floor.
"I see." Miwa admitted. A rush of relief flowed through his arms as they were released and his attacker got off of his back. He looked up for a second and picked himself off the ground. Venus helped him up halfway by puling him up by the arm. "My apologies, young one."
"None taken." He said truthfully. From how his sensei would treat a potential attacker, Miwa was just a mother bear to her girls. Although he wasn't sure what types of relationships other senseis and students had with one another, his theory made more than enough sense. "You are really strong, Miwa." Leonardo took into account as he rubbed a tortured part of his arm where her grip was the strongest. He expected that she would joke with him like she had with Venus, but the woman did not laugh.
"As my student, you must address me as 'sensei'." She ordered. Leonardo's smiled quickly faded into worry.
"S-sorry, sensei?" He took a second to realize what she had said. "You're taking me?" He asked in disbelief. This was probably one of the most exciting moments of his life, even bigger than when he learned that there was a 'Finding Dory' coming out.
"Only if you prove your allegiance to me and dare not question my methods of teaching." Her terms could not be more spot on to what Leonardo intended to do. His head nodded dumbly, his lips sucked into his mouth.
"Miwa! Miwa!" A voice shouted from another room. It was high pitched and lame-sounding. "Where is that kumquat?" Miwa sighed, but Venus lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Is that?" Her voice trailed off with her question. Miwa gave a single nod before ushering them to follow her. Her place of rest was just as impressive as the outside. Miwa seemed to live simply with plain walls and meager decorations. It strongly contrasted the junk-filled, poster plastered place he and his family called home. Venus, on the other hand, reminisced in her surroundings. The views of her home brought many childhood memories being trained under her. She and Mona would run down these halls when she would "baby-sit" and battle for dumplings in the kitchen the way they were trained to do. They were approaching the kitchen and could hear the tearing of bags and boxes and repetition of drawers opening and closing.
"Miwa! Miwa!" The voice called again. The three got into the kitchen. It was a slight mess with every drawer and cabinet open. Boxes and bags of food were left on the kitchen counter. The refrigerator was open to a very elderly man. He was short, his face groomed with long, white strips of facial hair on each side of his lip and hanging off his chin. A similar hat to Venus' sat on his long, silky white hair. He had himself covered in a robe of light green with gold trims. Venus' arms stretched outwards, quickly advancing towards the old man.
"Ancient One!" Venus exclaimed. He closed the refrigerator and missed Venus completely when she made a grab for him. His small stature rolled from underneath her. He didn't seem excited at all in her presence. Venus unwrapped her arms from her body and nodded her head t must be a behavior the old man often expressed.
"Hi, Venus." He said nonchalantly and he approached who he was calling. "Miwa!" He screeched into her face. The woman appeared calm, smiling and humoring him.
"Yes?"
"What is this?" In his hand, he pushed a round, yellow object into her face.
"An apple, Ancient One."
"Where are the cookies? Where are the chips? There's nothing but trash in here." Miwa, continuing to humor him, pushed the apple down from her view of him.
"It's called 'health food', Master." She answered sarcastically. "It is also something you should eat once in a while to live longer." The Ancient One scoffed at her.
"I didn't get this old to eat rabbits' food!" He shook the apple in her face before making a trip to the counter to set it down, adding to his mess. "Besides, I am too old to die." The other three of the room exchanged glances. Both Miwa and Venus had to silently assure Leonardo that it was best to just roll along with the old man. "Aha!" He screeched, pulling a red bag out of a cabinet. "Jerky!" He pulled out a couple strips for them all to see his prize. Next, his prizes were sloppily consumed with his wrinkled lips.
"Ancient One?" Venus cocked her head to the side to see his face underneath his wide brimmed hat. His small brown eyes looked up, yet he continuously continued to eat like a pig. Venus pushed him nicely on the back to approach Leonardo. Venus may have been a large figure beside him, but Leonardo suddenly became King Kong. "This is my friend, Leonardo." His slitted eyes reviewed him critically. His munching stopped, following a swallow. The blue clad turtle knew not what to do but bow respectfully to the man.
"Greetings, Anc-." He was cut off abruptly.
"Why'd you bring a green monkey boy?" He asked, rudely. Then, a familiar but not at all welcoming sound expelled from the man. Venus, who stood behind him, walked away abruptly, holding her nose. He turned to the retreating girl. "What? It is only air." But his explanation kept Venus at bay beside Miwa, who was fanning her off. A flush of red crept onto Leonardo's face, unsure of how to react to even that, or at least, politely.
"I'm here to take Miwa as my second sensei." He explained for her, lifting himself up high in hopes that the stench of his gas would not reach his nose.
"Ha! Good luck!" Ancient One chortled, and then continued his snacking. "He won't be able to survive real Kung Fu out here."
"Actually, he is trained under bushido." Venus clarified. Instead of listening, he slipped a piece of jerky out and pointed it t her menacingly.
"He is in China, so it is called Kung Fu." The turtle girl gave up her further explanations. She was right, there's no need to explain yourself to the people out here who make their own assumptions. "Look at him. Much too large to be sneaking around. You need less bulk on the top." The old man circled Leonardo. The leader kept himself upright as the older man criticized and judged his looks. Stay nice, even if they act like Raphael with a stick up his butt. "You not wrestler?"
"Well…"
"Shoulder pads, wrist wraps, wrapped legs…" His fist knocked on the bare caps of his knees. He reacted to the unexpected knock by stepping backwards to avoid it. No need for the surprisingly strong old man messing up his knees. "Do you even win your fights? You look like the loser if you ask me."
"I do have some piece of work on my hands." Miwa added; her arms folded over her chest as she shifted her weight back. The turtle was pulled forward once the man tugged on the strap crossing his chest.
"What is this on you?" It was meant to be a rhetorical question. Then, he realized that Venus, too, was wearing it in the same fashion. "Belts belong on your waists, kumquats." Leonardo slowly became annoyed with the rude, old man. All he's done so far was insult him, and to top it off, he was already attacked. He didn't need this. Yet, he remembered his training and tolerated such behavior. Only a blank slated face came from him.
Miwa took a hold of one of Venus' belt straps. She smiled, complimenting how she liked the idea to colorful replace the black ribbon she used to wear. Then, she admired the rest of Venus' wear. The same old, traditional skirt remained with the addition of a sweatband on her arm, an adorable turtle beaded necklace, along with jelly bands on each wrist. Looking for more, she crossed over to Venus' other side. As she did, she stood in awe to her painted, yin yang fish shell. It gave her much pride to the growing turtle that even in America; she still kept her Chinese roots. It was when she viewed the other side of her that her smile faded.
"Venus! You have a tattoo!?" Miwa grabbed her green, muscled arm with the stick-persona of the Wonder Woman tattoo on her bicep. The Ancient One took hold of Leonardo's arm as well. Just as he thought, he scorned the checkered bands and the large, tropical styled pizza cutter tattoo.
"So does the boy." He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Such a bad influence." He then began to think how Mona Lisa was doing. As mentally unstable he knew she was, the girl must have tattoos all over her body with difficult and useless piercing. The thought of it disgusted him.
Venus looked away from the judging Miwa and to Leonardo. To another, he was perfectly calm, but she knew better. That blank slate in an uncomfortable state only meant that he was bottling himself up.
"Okay. So, while we let you figure out what you are going to do, I guess we will get back home." Miwa released Venus, letting her trot away. Leonardo wanted to sigh in relief so badly, but knew that he should no continue to be so rude. It was best to do it when they were away from them.
"You are staying at your home?" Miwa called. Venus nodded slowly. "Come by tomorrow morning for breakfast. I've got food to spare, as long as that old pile of mush over there doesn't eat it all." Her thumb cocked over to the older man. He continued to give Leonardo threatening looks as he continued to eat. He took his eyes off of the annoyed, hulking figure.
"With what's in your cabinet, not a chance." He retorted. Miwa giggled slightly.
"We'll be here." Venus promised. Then, she bowed before her and looked for the exit. After her, Leonardo took a step forward and bowed.
"Thank you, for your hospitality, sensei." He thanked, keeping all of his thoughts of their judgment away. Miwa appeared pleased and bowed to him as well.
"I will see you tomorrow, Leonardo."
