Author's Note

Hello Universe! Palkia's back for Chapter 5! Yee! Thank you everyone for the support on the last chapter. I really appreciate it. This story is getting more and more love every day and it's making me happy! And holy Arceus! The amount of people that favorited and followed! Thank you so much dudes! But before we get into it…

Caliban Super Saiyan 0: Uhhh well….I wasn't planning on pairing Leo and April XD That's pretty much Kurama being Kurama. As you've probably seen so far, the story's gonna be similar if not mostly accurate to the original episodes, with added in stuff of course since the 2012 series did not have anything Naruto. You'll definitely see that during this chapter. Other than that, the pairings will probably be accurate to the show, for instance Raph x Mona (yes I am planning on going all the way up to season 4 and beyond) and Mikey x Shini (doing this instead of Mikey x Renet since Renet only shows up for like three episodes) Also while Karai is going to come in later, it won't really focus on a relationship. Overall relationships won't be the main focus of the story, but they will be there. I'm not officially pairing Leo x April, there are reasons why later on down the line, but there will be more interactions between the two of them than in the series. And Donnie will be the usual love struck turtle he is.

Lastly, I think a more insecure Leonardo fits this story perfectly. In the Naruto anime, having a Tailed Beast inside of you literally gets you rejected and cast away immediately, as you are considered a monster. That's why Leo is having somewhat of a conflict about his secret, as well as keeping his brothers safe, because if he uses his power, there's a chance he thinks that will end up with him getting ousted from the family. And Naruto characters? They will show up later on, not in the beginning but definitely later on. I'll leave that as a surprise! And thanks for the review! Sorry for the long response XD

Here's the music list!

(1) Afternoon in Konoha - Naruto OST 2

(2) It's the training! - Naruto OST 2

(3) Daylight of Konoha - Naruto OST 2

(4) Companions - Naruto Shippuden OST

Alright, let's go!

I do not own Naruto and I do not own TMNT

Chapter 5

Daylight in NYC

(1) "Guys! Guys! Get in your spots!"

"Alright Mikey, but this is the last time!"

"Don't clip me this time!"

A low groan, or rather, two low groans could be heard coming from Leonardo's room. That is, if you were inside the room. The turtle had sound-proofed the room to begin with, but even then, it was a one way in, no way out kind of deal. He could hear what was going on outside, but no one could hear what was going on inside of his room. This was just for safety measures, so he could hear his brothers or Sensei coming before they came into his room and saw, well, everything.

Needless to say, it didn't help in this situation either way. Leo's brothers had been like that for the entirety of the day. So much so that the blue masked jinchuriki was really tempted to go out and just tell them to be quiet. At least he was actually doing something rather than whatever they were doing. Leo had heard Mikey say something about building a skateboard ramp. And the sounds of soda cans hitting the floor caught his attention as well.

In the matters of actually doing something, he was in fact training. Although in his brothers' perspectives it probably wasn't. Chakra control. Kurama was beginning to show him proper chakra control finally. Unfortunately that was the only kind of training he could do as of now, since this first training session with the deer god himself had to be put on hold because of…

"And now the kid goes for the world record!" Mikey shouted.

Well, this.

Ever since he's been made leader, his life got even more jam-packed than it was before. This made Leo irritated, as well as a certain nine-tailed fox. Neither of them were pleased to now constantly watch over the three younger brothers. Leo's already had to deal with a few incidences because of them.

A few nights ago Raph let his anger get the better of him and broke a satellite dish, causing a human to notice them and got them captured on video. And later on, the human got mutated into a giant spider. And if things weren't bad enough, Mikey had the audacity to go out and meet a friend he met on a website, which to his horror, was from the Foot Clan. His regrets of not retrieving that shuriken came crashing down on the turtle once again. Now Shredder knew they were in New York.

"He will attempt to jump two mutant turtles!" Leo heard Mikey yell. By that point, the blue masked turtle rolled his eyes in frustration, now aggravated that he probably wouldn't get anywhere tonight. He moved his legs out of a kneeling position and let them dangle over his bed, silently pleading for Mikey to stop.

"Does he ever shut up?" Kurama growled.

The fox wasn't a happy camper either. Leo's eyes were his eyes, and Leo's ears were his ears. So whatever the turtle heard from his brothers meant that the fox heard it too.

"I'm at the point of taking control of your body and stir-frying him." Leo shivered at the thought. An angry Kurama was something he didn't want. If he was angry, the negative chakra would flow out of the fox into him, making him angry as well.

'I'll just tell them to knock it off,' he said. 'I'm pretty sure Sensei's annoyed by this too.'

"Sure, and the Third Hokage can fly. That rat's most likely too deep into meditation to even notice."

Leo could practically feel Kurama roll his eyes. The fox always had his doubts about the rodent master. Still, Leo trusted and loved Master Splinter, since he was the one who raised him and all.

"BOOYAKASHA!" Mikey's yell reached them.

'Alright that's it!'

The eldest turtle made his way towards the door, determined to finally shut them up so he could get some sort of piece, as well as quell the raging fire that was probably going on in his mindscape, which was caused by an angry fox. Then, he opened the door.

"What is going on in here?!"

To the shock of both Kurama and himself, he was met with the voice of his Sensei. The rat master had just come out from the dojo to witness the event. And if things couldn't get any better, both Donnie and Raph stood up to see him.

"Sensei!" they shouted.

But what they forgot to realize was the fact that Mikey was still going down the giant ramp he had built. All three of them began to scream as Mikey collided with them, sending the turtles flying and tumbling into the ground.

"Hehehehehe….HAHAHAHA!" The giant kitsune burst into laughter at the sight.

Leo was trying his best to hide it as well. But even he had to admit that the sight itself was pretty funny. That is, until he noticed the area around them. There were empty soda cans, pizza crusts, and pizza boxes all over the main area in the lair. Leo then noticed the giant ramp that Mikey was talking about earlier. It was huge. That was when he noticed Master Splinter walk up to the three turtles.

"How many times have I told you not to skateboard in the lair!?" He stated angrily.

"None Sensei," Mikey answered solemnly, still on top of Donnie and Raph. Kurama nearly fainted at the statement.

"How idiotic is your family?" The fox groaned.

"I shouldn't have to tell you!" Splinter replied. Leo shook his head.

'Even he knows how ridiculous Mikey can be at times,' he mentally added to Kurama's earlier statements. 'He'll try anything to get his way, and that includes skateboarding in the lair.'

"Hmm," the rat master hummed.

He noticed that only three of his sons were in front of him. So where was Leonardo? Then Splinter turned and saw his eldest son over by the door to his room, trying his best not to laugh at his brothers' situation. Clearly he wasn't involved in skateboarding. An idea entered his head.

"Leonardo," he called to him.

Immediately the turtle froze up in place. What did Sensei want with him? Leo walked over to him.

"Hai Sensei?" He asked.

'I have a bad feeling about this.'

"I would like you to choose the punishment for your brothers." Splinter said. The eldest turtle's eyes widened in fear.

'Is he seriously trying to get them to hate me even more?'

"Well uhhh," Leo began, then trailed off.

He looked at his brothers, who had absolutely no intention of helping out. In fact, they even tried to make themselves look busy, like Ralph was reading a comic book and so forth. They knew he wasn't going to go too hard on them. Leo wasn't the type of person to do so. Then, he looked back to his father, who was at that point expecting some sort of answer.

"They could...clean up their mess?" The turtle said awkwardly.

Splinter just gave him a glare, like he was expecting more out of his eldest son. Leo tried not to sweat nervously.

'What else am I supposed to do!?'

Unfortunately a certain fox didn't answer him, so he was pretty much on his own. Suddenly an idea came into his head.

"And…"

He felt a heavy weight on the back of his head, and before he knew it, the turtle's voice was taken over on its own. A reddish tint grew in the turtle's blue eyes, but no one seemed to notice.

"Have them grounded for a week," Leo heard his own voice say that, only it wasn't his doing. He nearly covered his mouth in shock.

'KURAMA!' Leo yelled within his mind.

Only the fox said absolutely nothing. The jinchuriki could only imagine how big and wide the smirk on the kitsune's face was right about now. In other news, Leo's brothers stared at him, eyes widened in shock at what he had said. Course the turtle could've said worse, like solo Randori, but they never thought this would come from him.

Even more surprising was that Splinter said nothing to it! The rodent master stood there, eyes closed in concentration and hand stroking his beard. His eyes then opened as he glanced towards his three other sons.

"And do you think this is a fitting punishment?" He asked them. Splinter was trying to make some light out of the situation, as if he liked his sons getting punished.

"Nope."

"That's really not necessary."

"Maybe next time." They all answered.

"You're grounded for a week!" Splinter shouted at the three turtles in a stern and affirming voice, one that meant, 'if you disobey, you get solo Randori.'

"Awwww," Raph, Donnie, and Mikey groaned consecutively.

And at that moment, the ramp began to lean and groan. The foundation shook, and it fell to the ground, collapsing into pieces. The sound of it echoed throughout the lair. Leo's brothers stiffened up. However, one thought came up.

"Sensei, what about patrol?" The blue masked turtle asked.

Splinter thought about it for a moment. True, they still needed to patrol the city, but with them grounded, how would that work?

"Hmmm," the rat master hummed. As much as he didn't like his eldest son going off on his own, there had to be some way of patrolling the city.

"Leonardo, until your brothers are no longer grounded, you will be in charge of solo patrols," Splinter stated.

'YES!' He mentally shouted. But the only thing that showed was a smile on the turtle's face.

"However, because this is a solo patrol, all I ask of you is to stay hidden. Your brothers will not be with you. If you do notice something strange, then come get us."

"Hai Sensei!" He said in excitement.

"You may go tonight," his Sensei answered.

With that, the turtle ran to his room to gather the things he needed. Oh this was going to be the best week ever! No one constantly nagging him. And most importantly, absolutely no getting into a fight! The blue masked turtle wanted to head out early in the daylight, just to get a few things done. And now he could, since his brothers were grounded!

"You're welcome," Kurama stated. Leo forgot for a moment that the fox existed.

'Thank you,' he said.

"Let's be honest, you would've never said that," the fox admitted.

'So taking over my voice for a moment would've been the only option?' The turtle asked.

"You probably would've mentioned to have them think about what they did. Leonardo, you must stand up to your brothers. I just spoke your thoughts."

'I know, it's just...maybe that was a bit too harsh.' He heard the fox sigh.

'A..anyway,' Leo tried to change the subject. 'I should head up to the surface. It's been a few days since I last saw him.'

The turtle grabbed whatever supplies he needed and opened his door. Closing it behind him, Leo ran towards the turnstiles, but not before passing his brothers. He noticed their glares and felt ominous emotions leaking out from them.

'No doubt they're mad at me,' he thought. But they said nothing to him as he went out.

"I'm going into the sewers!" he yelled, not mentioning where he was really going.

Once he was out of sight, he ran through the sewers at astonishing speed, faster than anyone could imagine. Leo knew them very well at this point, as he had gone through them more often than his brothers have in their youth. The quietness of the area calmed him, something he hadn't felt in a while, since he's had to deal with constant complaints and nagging.

The jinchuriki loved his brothers, but he knew that sometimes they could be too much for him. Sometimes his chakra would leak into his emotions, fueling them into anger, and bringing up his stress even more. This would happen whenever his brothers decided to not listen to him. Leo never wanted them to notice this was happening to him. Of course, they didn't know that Kurama existed to begin with. But he still didn't want them to know why his "anger spells" occurred, as he was always known as calm and collected for most of the time.

Who knows what could happen if they noticed his strange behavior? Would Donnie try to examine him from the inside out? Even with all the scientific equipment in the world, the purple masked turtle would never be able to find Kurama. But, there was a slight possibility that he could find his chakra pathways. As much as he knew about how hidden the fox could be, he didn't want to take the risk.

Leo finally found the manhole cover he was looking for. It led up into the Chinatown area of the city, an area where he and his brothers have been around recently since they encountered Bradford and his underlings. However there was one place he was heading for currently. With that in mind, he lifted up the manhole cover. He made sure no one was around, and climbed up to the surface.

The coast was clear. Clearly it was daylight. Leo climbed out, then slowly placed the manhole cover back on. He stayed hidden in the shadows, not letting anyone see him. The turtle stared out into the world beyond, one where humans walked freely and no one else could. He and his brothers always dreamed of being able to walk among them. However, they knew that this was nothing but a fantasy, as their appearances could never allow them to do this. But there are always exceptions…

Without a second thought, a puff of smoke appeared around the blue masked turtle. Through some training that occurred during the past few days, Leo was fully able to use the Transformation Jutsu without the use of hand seals, which were always a pain to him since he only had three fingers, and not to mention it slowed him down. Kurama stated that he could learn some jutsu, with practice, that should be able to use without the use of hand seals. This made him feel happy. Once the smoke disappeared, another form of him came out. He made sure everything was complete, which it was.

And, not for the first time, Leo stepped out into the light…

Something that his brothers could never do but he could was occurring right now. He was walking among humans. If only Donnie could see how Leo was doing it. It would've been a scientific breakthrough in his opinion. Though, he wasn't really using science to begin with. It would be hard to explain how he does it.

Nobody noticed him. Leo just walked with them. He was one of them. If this was his first time, he might've been more excited, as well as scared and nervous. But this wasn't his first visit to the surface like this. For Leo, it was even better than the time that he spent in the sewers. However, he had a place to go, and he couldn't let the person waiting for to keep waiting.

Leo began to run through the crowds, minding his business as he rushed past them. He put some of his ninja skills into use, slipping silently by without anyone noticing him. Not that they really need to notice him. His appearance was already altered to their eyes, what humans find familiar. It felt wonderful that he could walk out in open daylight in the city without a worry. Not having to worry about anyone judging him. Not having to worry about being caught.

He turned around the block, now finding his destination in a little corner of New York City. A small Asian food restaurant. Despite its size, it was very famous for its cuisine. The finest Asian food in all of New York. That was where Leo was heading now. Someone was waiting for him, expecting him to show up. After a few days, he missed the place, and oh so desperately wanted to return here.

Leo opened the door, now beginning to smell the pleasant aroma of the place. It smelled like home, but at the same time it didn't. Him and his brothers never got any good tasting food like this, but sometimes he could smell the scent of ramen and other noodles when Sensei would rarely manage to steal some from a human who would be delivering food to someone. The restaurant itself looked very oriental, with a Sushi bar in the middle, so people could see the cook prepare their food.

Speaking of the cook, he noticed him off to the side, trying his best to mop the floor. The man who owned the place wasn't that old, probably the same age as Splinter if he was still human, maybe a bit older. He wore white clothes, things that any cook would wear, as the were a bit stained and dirty. But the most noticeable thing were the black glasses he always wore. He was blind.

"Hello Mr. Murakami!" Leo called out. The man turned his head.

"Why hello there Minato!" (1!)

Flashback, 5 years ago…

'I can transform into other things too?!'

It had been a few days since the little mutant turtle found out about his foxy friend in his head. And it seemed that his spirits had been lifted higher and higher each day, the more he talked to him. Finally, there was someone out there in the world who understood him!

Not to mention, Leo had been even more interested to learn about Kurama. Since the first day, he began to wonder why there weren't anymore foxes like him out there, or how Kurama was able to get into his mind in the first place. Of course, the kitsune wasn't used to getting a lot of questions like this. Heck, he wasn't used to be talked to in a friendly manner.

And unfortunately, Kurama didn't exactly know how to handle a ten year old, whether it be human or mutant turtle. It was a weird feeling. He didn't know whether to be annoyed or actually excited. Yes the "lots and lots of questions" as Leonardo phrased it may be bothersome, but the turtle wanted to know more about him. Maybe it was a bit strange, but the fox couldn't help but swell up in pride when asked about himself and his life.

He didn't tell the child everything, otherwise it may come out too scary and horrifying. But Kurama did tell the key points. How Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths as humans called him, otherwise known as the "old man" as Kurama called him, started his existence, his hatred towards humans, his sealing into Mito and later on Kushina Uzumaki, and finally the day he was temporarily set free.

All throughout, Leonardo listened to him, paid attention, asked questions, and they weren't ridiculous ones either! That, Kurama was thankful for. He was thankful for the fact that he was sealed inside the oldest of the turtles. If he had gotten the youngest one, oh boy, the kitsune probably would've killed that one by now. But he was indeed thankful. He understood the pain that the turtle goes through, and would help him get through it.

When it came to the question, the kitsune was in a little predicament. It was obvious that the child wanted to learn more jutsu, after seeing the Transformation Jutsu for the first time. That was when he vowed that he would teach Leo at an older age. Sure, most shinobi started off at a young age, but it was too risky for Leo at this point. If he got found out, he would surely get killed, letting loose the giant fox onto the city.

So he tried his best to keep it restrained. However he accidentally leaked out the fact that there were more things one could transform into when using that jutsu. It wasn't called the "Transformation Jutsu" for nothing. But to the turtle, he didn't know any better. That is, until Kurama had said something about that.

"Yes," the giant fox stated. "Those who use the Transformation Jutsu will have the ability to transform into anything they wish. However, depending on the complexity of the being or object, it may take some time to do."

Leo was utterly amazed by this. He already knew he could transform into the lion cub, so what else could he do. Could he possibly…? No, that would be impossible. Or maybe…

'Could I transform into a human?' the turtle asked. That was when Kurama's ears stood up. He didn't expect the turtle to ask that.

"Well yes, however…"

'Please Kurama!' Leo begged. 'Can I try it out?' The giant kitsune knew this wasn't going to end well. And why would he ask about…

Oh. Now he understood. Going up to the surface the other day was just the tip of the iceberg. Leo wanted more. He wanted to see more up there. And he knew he never could because of his appearance. Kurama could empathize with him. No one really wants to see a giant fox roaming around that's as tall as a ten story building, maybe more than that height.

"Fine," he groaned, knowing this wasn't going to go well. "Run out into the sewers and we'll try it out."

'Yes!' Leo mentally shouted in joy. He leaped out of bed in excitement, heading towards the door to his room. Slowly and quietly, he opened it, making sure that his brothers and Sensei were asleep. And truth be told they were. So Leo closed the door quietly behind him, and made a break for the sewers.

The lair was out of his sight in an instant. He made sure that he was far enough away from the lair to do this. Once he was, Leo stopped running.

'This should be far enough,' the turtle thought. 'So is it the same as last time?'

"The same procedure yes," Kurama stated. "Imagine what would look like as I human, I suppose? Do the hand seals and shout, Transformation Jutsu. Also, try to put some clothes on this time." The turtle nodded, blushing at the last statement.

He began to concentrate, imagining himself being a human instead of a mutant turtle. It was a difficult task, since he didn't know what he would look like as a human. Could he have brown hair? Black hair? Perhaps he was short? What clothes would he wear? Finally, something came into his head. Leo liked it, as it seemed natural to him.

"You found one yes?" Kurama said. Leo nodded again.

Then, Leo started to form the hand seals. Dog, Boar, and finally Ram. He could feel the surge of chakra flow through his veins, like many gateways have been opened to him.

"Transformation Jutsu!" He yelled.

A puff of smoke appeared, encasing his form in it. The turtle could feel himself change, a tingling feeling passing throughout his body.

Kurama could feel it too. The sense of change. It was as if the mutagen in the turtle's system that has mutated him ten years ago was expelled from his body, giving him a normal form. But not only that, his turtle features felt expelled from his body as well.

The giant fox wondered what the boy could become. Perhaps a child of Japanese descent? Maybe somewhat like his "father" the rodent master when he was still human. Both turtle and fox had seen the image of Hamato Yoshi many times, so maybe that might've influenced his decision. The kitsune was sure of this. Then the smoke cleared.

(2) Kurama nearly fainted.

Instead of a humanoid turtle, there stood, to the kitsune's first surprise, a clothed boy. He wore a simple white hoodie with green trimmings and blue sweatpants. Fully clothed. Except for the fact that he didn't have shoes on.

But that wasn't what almost caused him to faint. The boy had spiky, yellow-blondish hair, with almost jaw length bangs coming down each side of his head, not fully grown yet. His eyes were bright blue just as they always were. And that face...he was handsome. Unfortunately it was a face that Kurama could never forget. Not to mention he was now horrified at what Leonardo transformed into. He was practically a younger version of the Fourth Hokage!

Leo on the other hand, was mystified by what he had transformed into. He no longer had three big fingers, but five skinny fingers. His shell was gone, and Leo could feel his chest for the first time in all of his life. His skin was no longer green and scaly, but now peached colored and smooth, with a few bits of hair. The toes of Leo's feet were no longer stubby, but now longer and more disconnected, and his feet in general were longer and thinner. Leo looked around, and saw a puddle of water nearby. Curious, he looked into it, and gasped at his reflection. He was human! He was really human!

His eyes lit up in excitement. 'Woooaahhhh!' Leo exclaimed mentally. 'I can't believe it! It worked! I'm human! This is so cool! What do you think Kurama? ...Kurama?'

Unfortunately the fox was still trying to recover from the likelihood of how the former turtle chose this form. How had he gotten information on this? Did he somehow see into the fox's memories? The giant kitsune was still in shock, so much so that he had fallen over and almost had foam coming out of his mouth like he had been hit in the head.

"Min...Mina ...to ...?" The fox breathed out unconsciously, like he was half dead.

Leo did not understand what Kurama had meant by that.

'Minato?' he asked. 'Is that a human name?' He only got a low groan from the tailed beast, to which in Leo's terms sounded like a yes. Hmm. The name sounded cool. Leo liked it.

'Can my human name be Minato?' He asked in excitement. That was when the fox actually fainted.

Flashback ends… (2!)

(3) Unfortunately for the fox five years down the line, the name, as well as the form, stuck to Leonardo like glue. Kurama never mentioned why he was so surprised by the name and form, and for the tailed beast he'd rather not say. He didn't want to break the kid's heart for saying that he had transformed into the fox's sealer. The jinchuriki had been so excited to actually get the transformation right the first time, and it felt so real too. Leo liked it as well. So he kept that along with his other form in his list of transformations.

Now however, just like he grew in his lion form, he grew in his human form as well. Leo was about the same height like he was in his turtle form, which was about 5 foot 8 inches. He was wearing a bigger white hoodie, with the same green trimmings. Instead of sweatpants Leo wore nice looking, navy blue jeans, and blue colored sneakers. His hair was a bit longer, now with the bangs on the sides of his head reaching his jaw, and it being more spiky and tall at the top of his head. Definitely an improvement from five years ago.

He now stood at the entrance of Mr. Murakami's Restaurant. Yes, this was the place he was heading to. Why? Because he had been working for the man for a while now, perhaps about two years, when he was able to sneak out at night and roam around the city freely without his family looking for him. That's how he's been able to make money for himself, get some cool stuff in his room, and occasionally go get himself something to eat that wasn't algae and worms.

"How are you today?" Leo, or rather, "Minato," asked.

His voice was a little bit different, deeper, not too deep, but different enough than his old voice was. He just did this as a precaution to keep his identity masked. The man turned towards his direction.

"I am fine, thank you," Murakami answered. "Could you…" He tried to gesture to the mop he was using.

"Oh yeah sure!" The blonde answered, running over to him, and picking up the mop from him. With that, Murakami went back to his cooking station.

Leo usually didn't cook. He mostly cleaned around the restaurant. It wasn't a hard job, but for Murakami it was a big help since he was blind. The now-human barely knew how to cook to begin with. However, Murakami has been somewhat teaching him to cook, though Leo couldn't exactly implement what he learned since his family would question how he had learned how to cook.

The owner of the restaurant filled him on what's been going on the past few days. Not much happened around here thankfully, since Leo had to take those few days off because of his "birthday." But Murakami was happy to see, or rather hear, from the young boy again, as he liked having company.

"How is your family?" the man asked. Leo sighed, shaking his head as he mopped the floor.

"Crazy as usual," he replied. "My brothers got grounded because father saw them attempting to skateboard in our house. So I'm really the only one who can leave the house for the week." Leo said the last part happily, knowing that it was going to be a good week.

"Do you feel happy about that?" Murakami asked.

"Well, yes and no," Leo answered. "I mean, I'm happy I don't have any responsibility over them for the time being. But I hate to say it, I was the one who told father that being grounded for a week would be a good form of punishment." He still regretted it a little. Even though Kurama said it, it was his voice, his body language, that spoke it.

"Brothers will be brothers, Minato," the man said. "I would not know much because I am an only child, but I used to have a few friends who had gone through the same experiences you have."

Leo listened to the tales that Murakami-san would tell him whenever he came around. He liked listening to him, and talking to him as well. It felt different than talking with his family, even with Kurama. It was a good feeling. Like talking to a friend.

"I know," Leo sighed. "I just...I never really said anything like that before to them. They probably hate me for it."

"Do not worry," Murakami said in reassurance. "Your brothers do not hate you. And if they do, they will most likely forgive you. Hatred does not last forever."

'Tell that to Shredder,' he couldn't help but think to himself. The human continued to clean the floor.

After an hour or so, he finished, and Murakami offered to make him a meal. Leo had to be honest, he would take anything over algae and worms, and now the newest edition to his and his brothers' diet, pizza. He swore that his brothers had at least eaten ten boxes of the stuff for the past few days, which sickened him greatly. No wonder the lair was severely trashed when he came out of his room.

Murakami finished up a dish for him. It was his favorite item on the menu. A specialty ramen. He stared down at the bowl of noodles and vegetables and meat. It smelled heavenly. If it was one thing that he would skip out on family mealtime for, it was this thing right here. A perfect blend of spices, flavor, and taste. He could practically feel his taste buds scream in delight at the sight of it.

"Itadakimasu," he said.

Splinter had tried teaching all four of them the Japanese language for a while, but he and his brothers thought of it as way too difficult. Fortunately, Kurama existed and became his literal dictionary and teacher when it came to this kind of stuff. Leo had picked up Japanese quickly, and unfortunately he picked up some of the nastier words, when the fox just so happened to curse or swear. But he knew not to swear often.

'Do you want some?' Leo asked the fox mentally.

"Hmmm yes," the tailed beast answered.

Kurama also suffered from the algae and worms as well, not having a decent meal in a while. And he didn't want to openly admit it, but he did like human food to some extent. Leo had ordered a large bowl to begin with, so there was plenty for the fox to put some chakra in it to make enough for himself.

He placed his five fingered hand over the bowl, and out of it came bluish colored chakra. Some of it covered the noodles and other contents, making them glow as well. Soon, they began to change into chakra, and then it flowed back into his hand. In Leo's mindscape, a bowl fit to fill Kurama's stomach materialized in front of the fox, with the noodles and other contents present.

"Arigatō, Leonardo," the fox replied.

'Dōitashimashite,' Leo answered back. They had just said thank you and you're welcome. Kurama dug into his bowl, while the boy used his chopsticks to eat.

"Your Japanese is getting better," he commented. "You even have the accent down." He didn't dare to say it, but the fox thought Leonardo even sounded like Minato at times. Even the voice as well. But he brushed this thought away.

'Thanks,' he said. Leo just finished his first bite into the meal. It was heavenly.

"Mmm, excellent as always, Murakami-san," the human complimented.

Even the old man decided to have something to eat. Business today was rather slow, the rush hour of people had already gone by. So he decided it was time to eat something. Murakami sat next to Leo, enjoying a bowl of ramen as well.

"You are fifteen now?" the old man asked. Leo slurped up some of the noodles into his mouth.

"Hmm Mmm!" he answered in a funny way, trying to down the food.

"A few days ago. My family celebrated all four of us turning fifteen. We got to walk around the city at night for the first time by ourselves. Though I got placed in charge of them, and it didn't end that well…"

"It was fun, I guess," Leo shrugged at the last part. "I didn't really get to have as much fun as I thought I would. Watching over my brothers takes a lot out of me. Sometimes it's too much. That's why I like coming here. I'm able to get away from them. I love them dearly, but sometimes I want to be out on my own, ya know?" He sighed at the last part, taking another bite of ramen.

"There comes a time in life where we must leave," Murakami began. "I'm not originally from America as you know. I left my family when I was about your age. I wanted to find a new life, to see what my path was. Each of us has something out there waiting for us. Even you, Minato. There is something out there waiting for you. But you must be the one to go out and take it."

"You sound a lot like my father," Leo said, but instantly regretted it. "Uhh in a good way! In a good way!" He tried to cover up his mistake. Murakami only chuckled.

"Perhaps I will get to meet your family one day…" the old man answered. Leo froze up.

"Yeah…" he trailed off, knowing that it was most likely impossible for the rest of his family to meet Murakami.

He finished the entire bowl, and Kurama finished his portion as well. Leo worked around the noodle shop for another hour, then got ready to return home. Back to where he would face more of the glares from his brothers, and once again become the mutant he was. But before he could head out the door, a hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him. Leo turned around and saw Mr. Murakami.

"Murakami-san?" the boy asked. "Is...is something wrong?"

The old man lifted his other hand, where there was a small white envelope. How he had gotten it Leo would never know. He took it from his hand and opened it. His eyes widened in shock. In it contained more money than he was usually given.

"I...I can't accept this!" Leo stated. "It's too much!"

"Do not worry," the old man said to him. "It is my birthday gift to you. Go and spend it on something you wish to have." Leo stared at the man in shock, not knowing what to say.

"Take it, Minato," Murakami said. The boy nodded, though he knew Murakami wouldn't see it.

"I...I...Thank you!" Leo exclaimed. "I'll use it well, I promise!" With that, Leo ran out the door.

He ran back into an alley, making sure that no one saw him. Opening up the manhole cover, Leo climbed down, then proceeded to close it behind him. Once he reached the bottom of the ladder and into the sewers, he released the jutsu, turning back into the mutant turtle he was. Home now on his mind, the blue masked turtle made a break for home, running through the sewers at a breakneck speed. (3!)

Soon, he hopped over the turnstiles that lined the entrance of the lair.

"I'm home!" Leo yelled. The lair itself was very quiet, quieter than usual.

'Where is everyone?' the mutant turtle thought to himself. Then, he saw Master Splinter come out from the dojo.

"Master Splinter," he greeted, bowing in front of him. Leo couldn't help but look around. "Where are my brothers?"

"They are in their rooms," Splinter said in a serious tone, possibly indicating that something might've happened. But the rat said nothing.

"How was your patrol in the sewers?" Leo became ecstatic.

"Oh it was great Sensei!" the turtle exclaimed in happiness, then it went to nervousness. "Nothing bad happened I swear!" he shook his head frantically, a nervous smile growing on his face.

"Hmm," the rat master hummed. "You seem...excited. Did something occur, my son?" Leo then thought for a minute. Well, he couldn't tell that he went up to the surface and what occurred there, but he came up with something.

"No, nothing really," Leo answered. "It's just...it's been a long time since I've been able to get out by myself, that's all. I was having fun."

He instantly regretted saying that. Master Splinter's ears lowered in confusion.

"Do you not feel happy around your brothers?" he asked. The jinchuriki felt himself go pale for a moment.

'Dangit! I shouldn't have said that!' he thought.

"No, I just...I don't know…" Leo said aloud. He looked down towards the ground. "It just felt good to get out by myself, that's all."

"Anyway, I'm going to rest for tonight's solo patrol, if that is fine with you?" The rat master nodded, knowing that his son would need rest for the patrol tonight.

"Thank you Sensei," he bowed, and immediately headed for his room. He closed the door behind him. However, the rat master couldn't help but wonder about something. Was his son changing?

The turtle flopped onto his bed, now feeling the comfort that came with it. He sighed, letting himself relax. Finally, he was at peace.

'Well,' he thought. 'That was fun. What'd you think of the food Kurama?' The fox didn't answer him. 'Kurama?' Leo called him. Once again, the fox didn't answer. So the turtle closed his eyes, and began to drift into his mindscape.

He got there in an instant. The cave hadn't changed a bit in the past few years. The moon, or what his mind projected as the moon, shone through an opening at the top of the cave, and into a small pond below. On the edge was the large barred prison where Kurama was. Only the front of it had bars, as the cave walls made up for the rest of it. Walking towards the bars of the prison, Leo could see Kurama sitting still. His eyes were closed as he had his paws together, like he was in a meditative state.

"Oi! Oi! Kurama!" he yelled, trying to get the fox's attention. Nothing happened.

"Kurama?" he asked. Again, nothing. Leo stood there for a few minutes, waiting for the fox to respond. Then, his head began to move, as he opened his mouth to speak. Though his eyes remained closed and he retained his position.

"Shishigami wants you tonight," Kurama spoke.

Leo felt his skin crawl. He only saw the deer god once, and during that encounter he had no idea who he was. Once the turtle returned home, the fox spirit informed him on the holy status that Shishigami had. Now knowing more about him, Leo was a bit terrified that the deer god wanted to see him.

"Is that what you're…" Leo trailed off.

"Doing right now?" Kurama answered, but retained his position again. "I am speaking to him. He wants your training to start tonight, since he found out about the incident with your brothers. It is perfect timing, he says."

"Oh, ok…" He was still nervous at the fact that a literal god was going to teach him more jutsu, but at the same time he could be more excited.

"He wants you to rest, once we're done with the solo patrol, he'll call you."

Leo left his mindscape, now coming back to the comfort of his bed. His eyes opened, as he shifted his position. The turtle put his head back on his pillow and threw the blankets over his body. He had gotten heavier ones than the bits and pieces of fabric that he and his brothers had to use for the past ten years. With that, Leo drifted off to sleep.

"OHAYOU SEKAI GOOD MORNING WORLD! GOOD MORNING WORLD! Good…"

The rest of the wake up call wasn't heard, as headphones went flying to the other side of the room, hitting the soft sound-proof padding. Its owner was a now angry mutant turtle.

'YOU JUST HAD TO PLAY IT DIDN'T YOU?' All he could hear was the sound of laughing fox. This is the one Leo never wanted to hear.

He eventually got up, grabbing whatever he needed for the solo patrol, such as some extra shurikens. Once he had tied his mask on, Leo opened his door and headed out. He had slept for only a few hours, but he could feel that his chakra had been replenished. The turtle went over to the dojo to see Master Splinter before going to the surface.

"I'm heading out Sensei," he told him.

Splinter seemed a little on edge. He could understand that. Having your eldest son go up top alone after all that had happened in the past was a bit worrying.

"Be safe, my son." the rat master stated. Leo nodded.

"I will. I'll come home, I promise." the jinchuriki answered. Then, he headed out, passing by his brothers. Unbeknownst to him, the three shared a similar glance, smirks growing on their faces as they went to their rooms to grab something.

Once Leo knew he was far enough from the lair, without a second thought, a puff of smoke appeared. His turtle form disappeared, and out came his lion form. He picked up speed, becoming almost faster than a blink of an eye. Leo ran north, thinking that it would be best to check around the north side of the city, as it was the quietest part. With his speed and his ability to sense any sort of trouble, he would be done in at least an hour.

After running for a bit, he found a manhole cover and decided to climb up. Leo pushed the cover up, then placed it back down once he was out. The lion climbed up a fire escape, and got up onto the roof of a building. Thus, he began his search.

It was a long and boring patrol. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. No foot, no kraang, no nothing. He even went through Central Park, finding no trace of, well, anything. He got closer and closer to the southern end of the city. Usually Chinatown had some action going on. But throughout the whole city, it was very quiet. Leo leaped over an alley, where he didn't notice a man in some not so fancy plate armor was struggling to get out of a dumpster. He leaped over another alley, where a manhole cover was being closed by a green, three fingered hand.

Even Chinatown was quiet, which was very unusual. There was at least one criminal that would be doing something. But alas, nothing was there. So Leo then finally headed out for the docks, trying to see if something was there. He reached them in no time at all, and nothing was there either. The lion could smell the seawater as a sea breeze flowed through his mane.

(4) "This is unusual," Leo thought to himself. "I didn't see or sense anything tonight. This is weird…"

Perhaps he should go around again? Then again, the deer god was waiting for him. He couldn't keep him waiting any longer. Leo stared out towards the water, wondering what could be out there. Was there anything out there waiting for him? Was that the way to Kurama's homeland?

His thoughts were calmed by the sea, but one still hung around in his mind. Leo's chakra training would begin tonight, meaning that it would become harder and harder to hide his true strength. He would have to hold back very much when sparring with his brothers and Sensei, so that he wouldn't accidentally injure them and get caught. But if he didn't begin to train, how would he protect his family from the future threats that would most likely come their way? Especially since it was his fault Shredder found out they were in New York.

'Do I do this, and begin a dangerous life?' Leo mentally asked himself. 'Or do I not do this, and have to face dangers with unbelievable odds?'

His heart knew the answer, but he really didn't want to choose. Leo would do anything to protect his family, even if it meant sacrificing himself. To not be able to protect them would mean failing his own life. He knew the burden. And as much as he hated it, he would carry it. He would become stronger if it meant that his family was safe.

The lion closed his eyes, as he felt a rush of power go through his system. Leo's mind only focused on one thing.

'I'm ready,' Leo thought.

Ready to take up the challenges before him. As Murakami had said earlier, he had to find his own path, whether it be long and hard or short and sweet. This is what Leo wanted. To find himself and what his destiny was. And if his destiny was to train under the deer god himself, then so be it.

After he had thought of those words, he felt his body being swept off of the ground. A bluish aura covered his entire being as he was transported back to the forest. Then, Leo could feel the grassy earth underneath him and the clear moonlight hitting his fur. He opened his eyes, now finding himself at the entrance of the Spirit Plane. The inside of the mountain was just as he remembered it, with the moonlight peeking in from above and the flowers blooming all around the grassy plane. Tonight was a full moon.

And there, right in front of him, was the deer god himself, Shishigami. Only he didn't look as he did the last time Leo saw him. His body shape was the same, but now he looked more transparent, his fur had become more like a starry galaxy. Like the universe itself. This was Shishigami's true form. They both stared at each other in silence, until the deer god broke it.

"Leonardo," he began.

It was as if the universe itself was speaking to him. In response, Leo knelt down on one knee in front of the god, out of respect. Then, he felt another presence beside him, as he saw the giant form of Kurama next to him. He was sitting down, his head low and eyes closed. Shishigami turned to the kitsune.

"Kurama," he acknowledged. Then, he turned back to the lion.

"Rise Leonardo," the deer god commanded. Leo did so.

His eyes locked with his own. He had a serious look on his face. Calm and collected as always. Shishigami walked towards him, his features stoic as ever. Then, once he was close enough, the deer god put his hand on the lion's shoulder.

"Hamato Leonardo," Shishigami began. "You are about to begin the most difficult challenge in your life. The path to becoming a full fledged shinobi. With no doubt, there will come times of pain, suffering, and hardships. Your strength in body, mind, and spirit will increase tenfold, but with a price. If your family were to ever discover your secret path, there is a possibility of yourself being disowned and disgraced by them."

"Yet you show extravagant potential. At the age of ten, you successfully tamed and befriended a tailed beast, something that no one in history has ever done. At your current age, your strength and dexterity outclass your father's own. With that in mind, to pass upon an invaluable chance like this one would not only be a missed opportunity, but would also put your family's lives in danger because of the fact that you are not strong enough."

"However, you have your freewill, and I have mine. You have been told before that you must set your own path. Follow what your heart believes is right. Whether you choose to train as a shinobi or not is up to you. As the eldest of the family, the situation of what the best option is has always come up in life from time to time. Now, you must choose what is best for yourself and your family. Leonardo, what will you choose?"

Leo looked up at Shishigami. "I...I want to train with you," he began.

"As a shinobi, my life isn't the most important, instead my family's lives are the most important. I want to become stronger for their sake. And if they ever find out that I trained under you, no matter how much they scold me, punish me, or even…" he choked at the last part. "...hate me...I will continue to fight for them. They are all I have to live for."

Shishigami smiled, nodding in reply. He took his hand off of the lion's shoulder, then walked away from him. Now, the deer god stood in front of the tailed beast, his expression never faulting in the slightest.

"Kurama," the deer god began. "Kyuubi. The Nine-Tailed fox. For the past fifteen years of your life, you have put your faith and trust into Leonardo. So much so that you felt the need to save his life all those years ago when he was just an infant, not knowing how the child would turn out. But nevertheless, you changed your view and gave him life."

"Are you willing to pass on the teachings that the Sage of Six Paths has taught you? Remember, you are teaching something with human sentient. Though not human, he acts like one. Teaching him may make you a disgrace to your brethren beasts, as well as pose a danger to shinobi lands if they were ever to hear of him. There is the possibility that he could be killed because of that."

"Not only that, but your freedom will be put on the line. I am not sure if you ever retain full freedom again. However, you have lived within Leonardo for the past fifteen years. I am sure you have developed your own opinion on him by now. Kurama, what will you choose?"

The kitsune could only smile. "Heh! You know my answer already don't you, Shishigami?" Kurama inquired. "While Leonardo isn't the most perfect jinchuriki out there…" He received a glare from a certain lion.

"...he has been the best one so far. Leonardo has treated with respect, something I haven't been treated with since my creation. I trust him with my life, as does he. I would be honored to teach him. Besides, the previous jinchuriki were both as…."

"Kurama!" Leo cut him off. "I think Shishigami gets it, hehe."

Either way, whether or not he had heard the course language come out from the fox's mouth, Shishigami nodded to him. He walked away from the fox, now in between the jinchuriki and the beast.

"From this day forward, Leonardo, you are now a shinobi under Kurama and myself's care," Shishigami stated. He then turned to the fox, a nod came soon afterward. Kurama knew what it meant, and pulled out a small box, which was on one of his tails. Leo looked at it curiously.

"What is it?" he asked.

"This is my birthday present to you," the fox said proudly. The lion walked up to it, lifting it up form the orange tail. It wasn't wrapped, it was just a white box. Leo lifted the cover, and saw a piece of metal. A kanji was written on it.

Shishi. In english, Lion.

His eyes widened in excitement. Could this be what he thought it was? He tugged at the metal, which pulled out easily, revealing a blue fabric that was attached to it. It was indeed, a forehead protector.

"YES!" he shouted in happiness. Leo now his own forehead protector! And it was just the right size too! "Kurama, where did you get this?!" he asked. The kitsune could only chuckle.

"I have my ways, just as you have yours." Kurama replied.

The lion brushed away a little bit of his mane that covered his forehead. Then he tied the band around his head. The back of it didn't show, as his mane covered it up, however the front was visible, with a few pieces of his mane going over it.

"I have a gift for you as well," the deer god said. He disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with a small stack of clothes.

"These are for you," he began. "They are clothes that are stronger and more durable than what you have on now. Normal shinobi wear these. A flak jacket and pants." Shishigami handed them to Leo, who looked at them with interest. "Go and change into these."

He nodded, running off to a small cave to get dressed. Kurama glanced at Shishigami.

"The forehead protector was forged yes, but where exactly did you get...those?" the fox asked.

"Don't ask," the deer said. Then, a horrifying thought came to Kurama's mind.

"Will those transfer over to his human for as well?" the kitsune asked, his voice was a bit shaky.

"They should, why?"

"Leonardo!" Kurama yelled. "Come out in your other form once you're dressed!" Irritation but also wariness filled his voice.

"Uhh alright!" a voice yelled back from the cave. Shishigami gave the fox a questioning look.

"Are your afraid of something?" the deer god asked.

"I've been meaning to ask you," he began.

"Yes, go ahead."

"How does reincarnation work in humans?" Shishigami didn't expect that. Why would the fox ask that?

"Well, reincarnation shouldn't happen, other than Hagoromo's two sons," the deer god went on. "Humans should go to the Pure Land. Why are you asking something that is such…"

"What do you think?" they heard Leo's voice behind them.

They turned around. That was when the deer god almost fainted. In front of them was Leonardo, in what he deemed his human form, with a green flak jacket on and blue pants. His forehead protector was slightly covered by his bangs. Now he understood why the kitsune had asked him. The boy in front of him looked exactly like a young Minato! The facial features, clothing, sandals, everything.

"Does it look bad?" Leo asked. Shishigami immediately shook his head.

"No no no!" said nervously. "Maybe we should stick to your normal attire for the time being."

"Oh...alright," Leo answered, and immediately went back to changing. The deer god looked back at the tailed beast. Shishigami still had a shocked expression on his face.

"Please tell me that he's not…" Kurama began, but soon trailed off. "Please tell me it's purely a coincidence." The fox was begging for an answer.

"It's just a coincidence," Shishigami said with firm belief.

"Maybe he attained a vision of the form from your dreams. While I would say Minato's dead, I can't be so sure of it. I don't talk with the Shinigami that often, but I know that no soul other than mine and a few others could never escape him. So he is most likely dead for your information." Kurama sighed in relief.

"However," the deer began. "You must never tell him whose form that is."

"Agreed," the fox stated. Leonardo then came out again.

"Is this better for now?" he asked. He was wearing his white hoodie with the green trimmings, as well as the jeans.

If Shishigami's mouth didn't drop before, it most certainly dropped now.

"A coincidence, please?" Kurama whispered out.

"I...mostly certainly...hope so…" Shishigami answered. Then he turned to Leonardo.

"Now, let us begin!" (4!)

Author's Note

Hey guys! That's the end of Chapter 5! This in my opinion has been my favorite chapter so far to write! And fun fact, this was one of the chapters that was thought of when I first conceived this story. But now let's get into some things!

Honestly the Murakami scene was the first thing I thought of when I began thinking about this story. I thought it would be interesting to have Leo go out in the world before brothers did, and having him know Murakami since he was blind and all, and he runs a noodle shop. Also some of the Japanese I got was from google translate. Unfortunately I don't know that much, so correct me if I'm wrong XD

And hey guess what for those of you who guessed about this? Leo does have a human form! And it's Minato XD I just did this to torment Kurama. But if I must be honest, I always imagined him having blonde hair. Most people say he would have black hair cause of Splinter, but I like him having blonde hair, since blonde hair and blue eyes are common, and that's what I have as well. The more you know.

Thus, Leonardo starts his training! Yay! I must be honest, I'm thinking about doing a little oneshot series about some random things that I haven't written about in this story. Perhaps how he met Murakami, and some jutsu training, and some scenes from his childhood. Let me know what you think!

Lastly, thank you everyone for the support on this story. Tell me what you think! I love reviews! It keeps me going!

I swear Kurama is just the most superstitious person lol, oh and btw, the song is from the first opening for Dr. Stone, may or may not be doing something about that in the future XD

Until Next Time, See Ya Universe!

Palkia