Author's Note
Hello Universe! Palkia's back with Chapter 14! Yee! But before we get into that…
Guest: Ah...I had a feeling this would come up. Okay then...As I've said before, I have my reasons for not shipping them (also I really don't have that much experience with shipping, to begin with, so there's that, so unless you want a semi-meh love story, then okay). Karai won't be seen much more after this one chapter. I'm doing the Leo-focused episodes as well as ones where I believe I can make them Leo-centered. We just happened to be going on a bunch of Karai episodes now.
One major reason will come up later on in the story, but I'll explain just a little bit about that previous chapter. About why Leo trusted Karai about his secret.
As we all know by now, Karai is actually Miwa. While Leo didn't know this at their first meeting (as in this story he figures it out at the docks instead of Splinter telling him), he feels a sense of familiarity coming from her. Now it is sometimes noted that siblings will have this "bond" if you will. Of course, Leo isn't biologically related to Splinter or Karai (in this series at least), but he can feel other people's life forces, especially those that are similar to other people he knows (he's a sensor after all, again while this world doesn't have chakra, everyone has something comparable to it, Ah and I'm rambling, the life force thing will be explained in a future chapter).
Long story short, Karai felt similar to Splinter, was also not deceiving him at the time, and she felt trustworthy (also she followed him into downtown NYC and figured out he could transform into a human). Also, you have to remember, Leo's a teen. He's not perfect, so was it really a good idea for him to share his secret? Probably not (this may or may not come back to bite him). In the show, Leo was willing to go a little farther for Karai than his own brothers at times, and this was before he knew she was Miwa like he was definitely a bit too dead set on telling her she was Miwa, nearly getting killed by a falling brick smokestack.
I mean, don't like don't read, I suppose? Forgive me for the long explanation. A friend of mine said that I write too much for my own good sometimes lol.
Anyways, here's the music list:
(1) Confrontment - Naruto OST 2
(2) Sasuke's Theme - Naruto OST 2
(3) Naruto's Daily Life - Naruto OST 1
(4) Kakashi's Theme - Naruto OST 1
(5) Nervous - Naruto OST 1
(6) Emergence of Talents - Naruto Shippuden OST 1
(7) Mountain Haze - Naruto Shippuden OST 2
Now let's get on with it!
I do not own Naruto and I do not own TMNT.
Chapter 14
Noodle Shop Vendetta
"One order of Miso Ramen," a spiky blonde haired teen handed a bowl to an older woman at a table.
"Why thank you dear," the woman thanked him, and Leo felt a bit of heat on his face from being put on the spot.
"N-no problem, Ms. Hana," he answered, his hand rubbing the back of his head. "Really, it was nothing."
She chuckled at his flusteredness. "Murakami has you working hard, doesn't he?"
"Hai, he puts me to work, but it's nothing too hard," Leo commented. He bowed to her. "Enjoy your meal, Ms. Hana."
"Thank you, Minato."
After working at the noodle shop for a few years, Leo got to know a few of the more recurring customers who came often. Many of them were Japanese like Mr. Murakami, who knew them well as a friend of his. It made Leo feel good that he was able to be friendly with other people.
Walking away towards the counter, the jinchuriki felt a smile growing on his face. It felt nice to be thanked for once. Unlike the times when his brothers would constantly complain about his orders. The bit of praise left a good feeling inside of him. And secretly he wished he could get more, despite how bad it sounded.
Leo leaned back on the counter and sighed in content. 'This is nice,' he thought. 'I definitely needed this.'
"It's been a while since I've seen you feel relaxed."
'Yeah...I'll have to thank Shishigami for the idea.'
Thinking back on it now, he owed the deer god a lot.
Six hours earlier...Early morning…
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!*"
From his outward stretched right arm that he swung forward, there formed a blade of wind that shot forward towards the deer god. It was fast and powerful, yet Shishigami was able to block without sustaining a single scratch. The humanoid deer brought down his arms away from his face, only to see a blonde teen rush at him with astonishing speed.
"Wind Waves!*" Leo shouted.
His left hand shot forward, fingers spread apart. He struck at the deer god, small blades of wind appearing from the tips of his fingers. They launched at Shishigami, but he seemed to have disappeared from Leo's line of sight. The jinchuriki felt him move and quickly moved his right arm to defend.
"Lightning Release: Thunder!*"
Their attacks met, sparks flying from Leo's wrist. One bolt of lightning rapidly spreads up Shishigami's arm, shocking the humanoid deer. He didn't flinch but took the shock head-on. It lasted for a few seconds, lighting up the area with blue light, but ended soon afterward. Shishigami backed away from the teen.
(1) "You were able to take advantage of my attack, and retaliated quickly," the deer god commented. "You are becoming faster. Well done."
"Arigato, Shishigami-sensei."
A puff of smoke appeared, and Leo was soon back in his normal turtle form. Off to the side sitting on the grassy plain was Kurama, who had been watching the fight. To say that he was impressed, as well as a little bit surprised, was an understatement. His jinchuriki was improving, that was definite.
"Next time I bring you here, we will work on improving your fighting style. Now that you know more jutsu, I believe that your way of fighting is beginning to show, as well as the fact that I'm beginning to understand what your chakra affinity is, but now is not the time to check up on that."
"I see that you often resort to Wind or Lightning style, and very rarely you will resort to Fire style. You value speed over attack and defense, which is why you don't want to use hand seals during a fight."
Leo nodded. "I'm not the greatest at Water or Earth Style," he admitted. "Wind is the least noticeable out of the five as far as being visible, so it's easy to use without being seen. Lightning is also fast and can be unnoticeable depending on how you use it. It's better if I use techniques that aren't as noticeable considering how we're always fighting in the city, and we don't want people to see us."
"That's why I want to focus on speed and stealth. So that way we won't be seen while our fight is going on. Otherwise, it wouldn't be the greatest thing for people to know of our existence, or for my relationship with Kurama to come to light."
"I see…" Shishigami responded. "Shinobi are often formed into subgroups, such as medical shinobi. For you, because of the sensory abilities of the Nine-tails, you will most likely want to become a Sensor Type. Sensors are able to feel the presence of others, more precisely someone's life energy or chakra. With your emotion-sensing, enough training will result in detecting lies, the hidden meaning behind thoughts, words, feelings, etc."
"We'll focus on both your fighting style and your sensory skills at another time. For now, it is time for you to return to your home."
The excitement drained from the turtle's face. "Oh...right…" he said, his head down.
He didn't feel like returning home just yet. After the incident at the docks, Leo still felt hurt by what his three brothers did. He could understand that they didn't know Karai as well as he did, but they had formed an alliance with her at the time. For them to go and not tell him anything about it…
"You are upset," Shishigami noted.
"His family decided to go behind his back a few days ago," Kurama answered lazily, somewhat not caring, considering the number of betrayals he's seen.
"Hmm," the deer god hummed. "How is your control with Shadow Clones?"
For a moment, Leo thought about it. "I've gotten a lot better control over my Shadow Clones," he answered. "They don't dispel after a few minutes like they used to, and they can take a few punches. I used a clone with my family once when we were out with April hunting a pigeon mutant, but I was in the vicinity and it dispelled when it hid in a dumpster. And I was able to form connections between the clones I make. Why?"
"If you do not feel that you can handle them for a moment, have you thought of using a Shadow Clone?"
"I…I always thought it would be too risky."
There was always that possibility that the clone didn't last as long as he wanted it to. If Leo sent a clone instead of himself on a mission, what would happen should the clone dispel? It would be a dead giveaway to what he was really capable of. And even though a clone behaved and acted like him, there was always room for suspicion. It was something that Leo did not want to put at risk.
"For our best interest, it may be time for you to start playing with those risks," Shishigami offered. "While I have been training you, Shadow Clones can also help increase training. On some nights, I might ask you to send a clone instead of yourself. Has the lack of rest become noticeable to your family as of yet?"
One thing that wasn't unavoidable was the sleep deprivation that came after training on Talbot Peak. Leonardo and the deer god would train for almost the entire night, with breaks in between of course. But since the turtle could not openly use his abilities, time was used to the utmost extent within the peak's large inner chamber. That was why these sessions were so long and grueling. He could not practice at home, so he had to practice here.
Unfortunately, as time went on, Leo's lack of sleep was becoming very apparent. His focus during training with his brothers was becoming lackluster, and at some points, Kurama would have to take over. Sometimes there were dark circles under his eyes. The worst part was that even Master Splinter was beginning to notice, and would ask him if he was alright.
"I believe so…" Leo answered.
"Then we will start using Shadow Clones at some point. I will suggest you start either today or tomorrow, considering your overall mood with your family and your current lack of energy. Perhaps you could go and work at that noodle shop you are fond of for a day."
It was a good idea, he had to admit. For one thing, Leo hadn't seen Mr. Murakami for a while, and it had been longer than that for when they could just talk about anything and everything. It was the perfect opportunity and excuse to go out and escape.
"I'll see what I can do then," he answered. "The next mission we go on, I'm going to send a Shadow Clone instead."
"Good, see that you do that then," Shishigami approved. "We will be able to use that to our advantage."
"Yeah, and-" Leo was cut off, as the deer god put a hand on his forehead, making the turtle fall asleep. (1!)
"Hmm?" Kurama hummed.
"I have some information for you that is for your ears only," he informed the fox.
"Something that he is not allowed to hear?"
"It is better for him to not get concerned. While Leonardo has some knowledge of your world, there is much more that he doesn't know. The amount of information he possesses is comparable to an overview than an actual in-depth situation. Regardless, Leonardo does not need this information at the moment."
"As if he'll ever need it, to begin with."
The possibility of the jinchuriki never getting to go to the Shinobi world was there. What were the chances of finding a way there were very slim? Unfortunately, it was a possibility that Kurama almost accepted at this point, seeing as trying to locate an exact portal to get there would most likely be impossible.
"So, what is it?"
"The Akatsuki have taken Shukaku and Matatabi."
His eyes widened. As much as he hated the tanuki and his mixed feelings on the fire nekomata, this was extremely bad news.
"What happened?" Kurama demanded.
"I am not fully aware of the entire story, but according to what I have heard, their jinchurikis were kidnapped and killed, dying through the extraction of their tailed beast. Shukaku's jinchuriki was brought back to life after a human sacrificed her life through the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu*, however, Matatabi's jinchuriki is dead."
"Extraction...then that would mean…"
"Somehow the Akatsuki have obtained that statue."
There was silence between the two for seconds. The last thing the kitsune wanted was something like this to happen. The revival of the Ten-tails. While he would not consider himself and his brothers and sisters monsters, that thing that was once all of them was definitely a monster. It was out of control and could destroy the entire world.
"As of right now, the Akatsuki do not know of your whereabouts, to my knowledge. At most, they would most likely think that you had been sealed inside of the Yondaime's son. Otherwise, they have no information on your current situation. Regardless, I will provide you information should anything else come to light."
"Hmm…"
The giant fox bowed to the deer god, before he disappeared, returning to the inner depths of the turtle's soul. So Shishigami sent both of them back home. It was early in the morning after all, and the blue masked turtle would need all the sleep he needed for the day ahead. Shishigami just had a feeling that today would be busy for the jinchuriki.
They arrived back home quietly, with Leo sleeping for a few hours and getting a much-needed rest. Even though it was a short amount of time, it was just enough for him to recuperate from the training that night. Once he woke up from being put to sleep by the deer god, Leonardo was ready for the day ahead.
(2) After a brief sparring session in the dojo with Donnie, and watching April spar with Splinter (which Leo noted that the former had improved significantly in the past few weeks), he and his brothers with the exception of Donnie decided to watch some TV. Since his brothers did not know his interest in anime, it was best for him to just put in Space Heroes. Mikey was eating pizza, while Raph was feeding Spike as he turned the TV on.
'I think I remember why I don't enjoy this show as much as I did when I was younger…' Leo thought.
"Oh? Too stupid and lackluster for you?" Kurama commented snidely.
'It's just that the episodes feel too...coincidental…'
"What are you, a psychic now?"
'No! No! At least...I don't think-'
"Hey guys," Donnie interrupted, with an excited look on his face. "Guess what April and I've been up to?"
"Love, I suppose?" Kurama took a wild guess, and Leo forced back a chuckle as best as he could.
There was silence for a few moments before Donnie decided to continue. "Thaaaat's right! Analyzing sewage!"
Leo bit back his disgust look. 'Oh...well that's great…'
"Love and sewage are not too far from each other. Hehehe."
'Oh SHUT UP!'
"Who says you don't know how to show a girl a good time?" Raph commented sarcastically.
The purple masked turtle ignored the comment and gestured for them to come into the lab. They got up and followed him in. Leo noticed April standing over by Donnie's lab table, who immediately walked towards wherever the purple masked turtle was going. He and his two brothers sat down, while Donnie and April came back with a huge beaker filled with teal colored water.
"April and I were going through some files on the Kraang storage device," he began, setting the beaker on top of a few pizza boxes. "We found out that they're using a special process to change Earth's water into Kraang water."
"They've already started the process," April spoke up from behind him. "We found a low concentration of Kraang chemicals in the sewage."
"Woah…" Mikey said, staring at the water.
"And I take it that's a bad thing?" Raph asked.
In response, Donnie picked up a slice of pizza. "Watch what happens when I dip this slice of Mikey's shrimp and sardine pizza into pure Kraang water."
Slowly but surely, the purple masked turtle dripped the slice into the teal-colored water. The further it went in, it began to disintegrate rapidly, spreading up the slice of pizza. Mikey watched in horror, letting out a yelp as he saw it get destroyed in front of his eyes. Immediately he stood up.
"How do you sleep at night?!" He yelled at Donnie.
"Presently, there's only a tiny bit in the water supply," Donnie went on, choosing to ignore his brother's outburst. "But the concentration is increasing, which means-"
"Every slice of pizza in New York will be destroyed?!" Mikey interrupted, sulking back into the table.
"Along with anyone who uses water," April explained in an annoyed tone.
"I don't want to live in a world without pizza!" The orange masked turtle declared, pulling a box of pizza from underneath the beaker. Unfortunately, this caused the Kraang water to go flying, right towards April.
"Look out!" Donnie yelled.
It was too late by then, as some of the water splashed onto April's arm. She screamed for a second, and the four brothers also yelled. However, after a few seconds, nothing seemed to have been happening to April's arm. There was no pain in the slightest that she could feel. So the human girl opened her eyes and found that her arm was fine.
"Huh?" She asked.
"Nothing happened to you," Donnie came over to her.
"That is not normal."
'Something isn't right…' Leo thought. 'Her arm should've had some sort of effect from the Kraang water. So why didn't it do anything?'
"Perhaps it is one of the reasons why the Kraang want her?"
He remembered when they came from TCRI that night, and Mikey had stolen the Kraang storage device. The information on that device showed that the Kraang are after April. Why they want her is still unknown to them. But with the incident that just occurred now, it led to some speculation.
"Maybe it's cause she's not made out of pizza," Mikey reasoned.
A beeping noise was heard, originating from the purple masked turtle's computer. Donnie went over to it, seeing a map of the East River. A certain area was highlighted and flashing.
"The scanner's picked up the Kraang facility transforming the water supply!" He exclaimed. "Which is right here. We gotta stop it!"
"Looks like we got a mission," Leo noted aloud.
'And the perfect time for me to test out my Shadow Clone,' he mentally added.
This was the opportunity Leo had been waiting for. A mission had suddenly appeared in front of them, and now he would take the chance to send a Shadow Clone instead of himself. Sure, it would be a little risky, considering it was a Kraang base. But as long as his placement of chakra in the clone is perfect, it shouldn't dispel if it was hit once.
"You coming April?" He asked her.
"Sounds like a blast, but unfortunately it's at the bottom of the East River," she mentioned. "And equally unfortunately I have an essay due. Plus, I wouldn't mind a little human food." April began to walk away.
"Pizza's human food," Mikey tried to convince her.
"Not the way you eat it," April chuckled.
"Woah, woah, woah, you're going topside?" Donnie asked warily, climbing over the table and failing to get over it miserably. "You got your T-Phone right?"
"Donnie, don't worry," she reassured him. "I'll be fine." April walked away and out of the lab. But she didn't leave without Leo noticing her grabbing her arm.
'It feels like she's confused about what happened, which is normal,' the jinchuriki thought. 'If something does happen topside, I'll be able to take care of it...hopefully anyway.'
There was also that issue. Should something arise on the surface, he couldn't just show up and not expect her to question as to why he was there and not at the bottom of the East River. Leo would have to be disguised, either in his human form or his lion form. But he also wanted to discourage a meeting with these alternate personas, as who knows what could happen afterward. In the end, it could get too complicated. Though he supposed, Shadow Clones always came in handy.
"So Donnie, how are we going to get out there?" He asked his brother.
"Don't worry guys! I've been working on something that's pretty awesome," Donnie gestured to the giant scrap metal mech above them. Leo sweat-dropped.
'Oh, I'm so glad I'm not getting into that thing!'
"Alright team, go grab whatever you need for this mission and be back in ten," he ordered. "Donnie, get that thing ready. Go!"
With that, the four turtles dispersed, each going off into their own area. Donnie continued to stay in his lab while the other three ran towards their room. As soon as Leo got into his room, he shut the door behind him. Gathering his chakra and forming the clone hand seal, he quietly willed the clone to come into existence.
A puff of smoke appeared, and from within it, there was an exact doppelganger of Leonardo. Once the smoke disappeared, the clone spoke to the original.
"What do you need me to do?" It asked.
"I need you to be with the guys today," Leo informed the clone. "We need to stop the Kraang from contaminating the water supply any further. I would go, but Shishigami requested I try this out. This is going to be a trial run, to see if I can send clones to train with him instead of myself personally. Not to mention missions depending on the risk factor. And the fact that I need sleep. A lot of it."
"We both have bags under our eyes," the clone informed nonchalantly, pointing to the real Leo.
"That's why this needs to work," he answered. "Otherwise you know how the guys will get over my lack of sleep."
"They'll force you to rest for weeks on end and try to figure why you're losing sleep," it said.
"Exactly, and that's the last thing I need. So do your best out there. Go to the bottom of the East River and stop the Kraang with the guys. Try not to dispel. If you do, I'll come up with some sort of excuse."
"Understood," the clone nodded.
"Good. Now get going," Leo told it.
Seconds later, the clone left his room. Ten minutes had passed. Then twenty. He no longer felt the presence of his brothers, knowing that they already left. So quickly and quietly, Leo left the lair and ran towards Murakami's Noodle Shop. Henging into his human form, he walked into the small restaurant.
"Murakami-san! Do you want some help?" (2!)
End of Flashback
(3) Yes, he would most definitely have to do something for the deer god in the future. But what could he do? Send him some candy and ice cream? Leo really didn't know if Shishigami had any sort of preference towards something or not, considering her was a god after all. He could possibly not have any sort of attachment to material things. Regardless, Leo would do something to make up for it.
When the jinchuriki arrived at the Noodle Shop, it was somewhat busy. Lunch hour was coming up quick, so Leo needed to work fast in order to get things situated. Thankfully he had been through this type of thing before, having worked secretly at Mr. Murakami's place for three years. It was a good job to have, as he not only got paid, but it was also time away from his family.
Mr. Murakami also appreciated the help as well. The old man had been running the shop for quite a few years, so the occasional arrival of Leonardo (well, he had known him as Minato for those three years) was very much appreciated. And Leo didn't mind doing this either. It was a distraction from his life, yet also a task that he somewhat looked forward to doing.
Speaking of which, it was becoming more difficult as time went on to come to the Noodle Shop. Crime and other things never stopped in the city, and with the most recent activities from the Kraang and the Foot Clan were keeping him and his brothers on their toes. With this, it meant Leo never had much time to come and see the old man. He had mentioned this to Mr. Murakami after the jinchuriki properly introduced himself after he reduced the old man from Xever.
Yet he did not mind Leonardo's infrequent visits now. The incident in which he was kidnapped showed how much the young boy was currently involved in. Not to mention what else Leonardo was hiding after he talked to the kitsune within his soul. While Mr. Murakami could not empathize with the specific circumstances, the best he could do was try to understand the pressure that was mounted on the jinchuriki's shoulders, which was a lot.
Time had passed at a fast rate. Customers came and went. Leo served them, and they ate their food. There were some he knew, and some new customers as well. Overall, lunch hour progressed on and eventually left. The shop became quiet, with no customers coming in or out. Leo took a breather, relaxing a little as he cleaned up the floor with a mop. This was a break in the action, for now. More people would come in for dinner.
"So how are you today, Leonardo-kun?" Mr. Murakami asked. No one was around, so he could refer to him as such. "It has been a while since you came by here."
"It's been…" he trailed off, trying to think of the words. "Busy. Definitely stressful. I wanted to come by here today to get my head straight."
"Ah, I see. And do you feel better then?"
"In truth, I really do. My…" Leo didn't want to say Shishigami, as Mr. Murakami would most likely know who he was. "Mentor suggested I do something to make up for my lack of rest. He's the one who is teaching me to control my abilities. So I don't get much sleep at night unfortunately hehe."
"But we've figured out ways to get around this, so I will be getting more sleep soon. And I'll probably be able to come by more often from now on."
"That sounds very good," the old man commented. "And how is your family doing?"
He stiffened slightly. In reality, the reason he came here was to escape having to deal with his brothers today. Leo had a feeling this would come up since he hadn't come by the Noodle Shop with them since their first time here. In spite of this, Leo answered the question.
"They're doing well," he gave an honest statement. "All of us have been really busy with the number of events we've had to deal with. Other than that, my brothers are doing fine."
Soon afterward, Leo opened up his sensory abilities to search for any people nearby. There didn't seem to be any person walking by who had the interest to eat in the shop, so the jinchuriki decided to take advantage of the lack of customers at the moment.
"Murakami-san, since there are no customers and I do not feel any potential ones either, may I have my break?"
"You may, Leonardo-kun," he answered. "Do you wish to make it yourself?"
"Hai, I do."
The jinchuriki went behind the counter and began to grab the necessary ingredients and tools to make what he wanted. Whenever business was slow or there weren't any customers around, Mr. Murakami taught Leonardo to cook. It was a simple task, but the jinchuriki wanted to learn about it (his real purpose was to avoid eating pizza every night).
So the old man showed how to cook meat so that it's editable, how to cook various types of noodles and pasta, how to cut up vegetables and serve them, etc. This led to him practicing cooking at him, making somewhat complicated yet easy to serve meals for his family. Splinter seemed to have caught on to this mysterious interest, and he just answered with the same reason above. The rat master could also agree that eating pizza every night was not a good idea.
Today, Leo decided to make Okinawa Soba Ramen, which was one of his favorites. He began to boil the soba noodles, as well as cook the pork. With those in the works, the jinchuriki chopped up some scallions to place on top. Once the noodles and the meat were done, he threw all the items he gathered into a small bowl, throwing the scallions on top. The broth from the pork added in more flavor to the noodles.
Realizing the meal was done, he walked over to the other side of the counter, grabbing a pair of wrapped chopsticks. Leo took them out of the paper covering and broke them apart.
"Itadakimasu," the jinchuriki stated.
Before he dug into it, he placed his left hand over the bowl. Blue-colored chakra appeared, changing half of the bowl of ramen into chakra as well. This flowed back into his hand. Within his mindscape, a bowl of ramen appeared in front of Kurama, large enough to feed the giant fox.
"At least you did not forget me," he commented.
'That was ONE time! I was exhausted!'
Leo then began to use his chopsticks to eat. He was very satisfied with the way it turned out. Even Kurama was pleased with the taste. The fox had to admit, his jinchuriki was becoming good at cooking. Slightly good anyway. There were still some things he needed to improve on.
'What do you think?'
"Hmm...it's not Algae and Worms bad…"
The blonde slumped slightly in fake humiliation. 'Of course, you would say that…'
"It is...what do mortals call it? Decent."
'Better than saying it's outright bad. I'll take the compliment.' (3!)
Suddenly, Leo began to feel a familiar presence outside, over by the vending machine that Mr. Murakami recently installed to use for ordering. A chill seemed to go up his spine. He knew who it was. Of course, she would come here. She must've finished her essay already and decided to come and eat here. That's what she implied by human food. He listened in, feeling her confusion.
"Hmm, this is new," he heard her voice. "What is this thing?"
'Okay Leo, do not panic,' the jinchuriki reminded himself, trying to eat. 'The last thing you need is to panic.'
"Oh that's how you order," a new voice spoke up, and another chill went up his spine. "They have these in Tokyo. You give this to the chef."
'Please tell me I misheard that voice…' Leo thought.
"Oh...thanks," the first voice answered.
"Mind if I join you?" The second voice asked.
"Sure, why not?" The first voice responded, and seconds later, the two opened the door.
Leo froze as he heard the door open. It was a good thing he was facing away from the door, otherwise, they would've seen his very surprised expression. Glancing off to the right, he saw April O'Neil enter the Noodle Shop. Why was she here?
(4) "Hi Murakami-san," the redhead greeted.
"April-chan," Mr. Murakami said to her, as she sat down. "How are you?"
Playing it cool, Leo turned around to see April come in. That was when he choked on a piece of pork and awkwardly dropped his chopsticks on the counter, his already spiky hair standing on end. He hadn't imagined the second voice. For in walked Karai after April.
'What the heck is she doing here?!' He thought.
It then occurred to him that the redhead had never seen Karai. Never interacted with her. Never encounter her. Nothing. This was bad, and if it weren't for the fact that he was still eating, bile probably would've risen in his throat. It was definitely a good idea for him to be here. Yet what could he do? If Leo said anything, anything at all that would hint to who he was, she would figure out. April was no idiot, she was smart.
Karai noticed him quickly after his initial thought. She smirked. "I didn't know you worked here, fox-boy."
He paled significantly. 'ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME CAUGHT?! WHAT HAPPENED TO TRUST?!'
Quickly Leo regained his composure and began to plan out a procedure. 'Alright, I'm going to have to go along with the situation. Making things up is the most viable option. And I'm going to have to not use Karai's name, since April may see me as an enemy.'
"I didn't think you would come here from Japan," Leo answered. "It's been a few years since I saw you."
Off to the side, April finally noticed the new voice. She turned to the right, and saw a young teen at the counter, with a bowl of ramen in front of him. He had spiky blonde hair and wore a white sweatshirt with green trimmings along the sleeves and blue jeans. The most noticeable feature, however, was his shocking blue eyes.
"Are you two friends?" She asked.
Leo glanced at Karai, and she glanced at him. He could feel from her emotions that she hadn't expected him either. Yet one look at her composure clearly stated that Karai didn't want her name to be said yet. So Leo came up with the quickest explanation he could.
"We're acquaintances…on a good day," he answered, and felt that Karai was satisfied with it as well. "Do you come around the shop often? Because I swear I've seen you come in before when I work behind the counter."
"You couldn't come up with anything better than that?" Kurama questioned.
'What else am I supposed to do?! Say, 'Hi Karai, how's it going? Why are you here with April?'?!'
Suddenly, it occurred to the redhead that she somewhat knew who he was. "Oh, you're Murakami-san's apprentice?"
"Ah, he's told you about me, that's good," Leo commented. "My name is Minato. Yours?"
"April," she answered, giving Mr. Murakami the wooden token from the vending machine outside. The old man stroked it with his thumb, somewhat reading it and could tell what it was.
"Ah! Pizza Gyoza!" Mr. Murakami answered, somewhat eager to make the meal.
"Hai, Chou Oishi," April said, which meant, "Yes, it's very delicious." Leo was somewhat pleased.
'So she's been practicing Japanese… looks like a few of the lessons Splinter gave her are starting to show."
Soon afterward, Karai sat in between the two. "You speak Japanese?" She asked.
"I picked up a few words from...my brothers." Leo noticed the hesitation in her speech, but it made him feel good.
'April thinks of us as her family…'
"It would appear that way."
He knew of course, that April did like hanging around them. It wasn't just because they had saved her from the Kraang months ago. No, she actually enjoyed their company and appreciated them. With this, hearing her refer to him and his brothers as family felt satisfying and reassuring. April loved them as if they were her own family. And that was something that made him happy.
This response prompted him to ask a question. "You have brothers?" Leo said, even though he knew so much about them already. "What are they like?"
"Oh, heh, you know...just crazy…"
Leo could tell that she hadn't been expecting the question. He knew that he would most likely get vague answers, as April had promised to not inform anyone of their existence. But that didn't mean she couldn't say some things.
However, the last word caught his attention, and he could feel his eye twitch. 'Did she just-'
"Call you crazy? Yes, hehe."
"Animals?" Karai interrupted.
April blinked, noting how scarily close the other girl had gotten to the description. But the redhead quickly shrugged it off, continuing to speak as if nothing happened.
"Pretty much," she answered.
Something seemed to have clicked in Leo's mind, and he tried to hide his realizing expression. 'Karai knows who April really is...as well as our connection to her.'
"She has an alternative motive for being here. I have a feeling that April is her objective?"
'But why would she go after her? Could it be to get to us?'
"Either that or Shredder ordered her to capture her."
'Still, that doesn't make sense. First of all, how did Karai learn about April? She never saw any of us with her. Second, why would Shredder need April? The only ones who are after April are the Kraang…"
A slight sense of dread seemed to have overcome him. Did Shredder somehow come in contact with the Kraang? He tried to picture a scenario. Perhaps the Foot Clan leader had managed to capture one of the Kraang and interrogated the brain alien. Shredder did have a threatening aura to him, so if a Kraang did spill the information, he wouldn't have been surprised.
'This is bad. I need to find out why Karai's after her.'
"Although I've never heard of Pizza Gyoza back in Tokyo," the Foot kunoichi continued.
"That's because Murakami invented it," April answered. "You should try one."
"It's become quite the popular menu item," Leo decided to say. "A good amount of customers like it, so now it has a permanent place on the menu."
The jinchuriki wanted to laugh at his own words. To think that something that Mr. Murakami came up for his brothers was starting to become insanely popular. Truth be told, he did actually try one Pizza Gyoza once, and while they weren't his favorite item, he had to admit they were good. Heck, anything Mr. Murakami made was good.
"That sounds great," Karai answered, a little too convincing for Leo's liking. "You should try some of mine."
"Done," April answered, chuckling a little.
Now realizing that his bowl of ramen was now empty, Leo got up and walked behind the counter, empty bowl in hand. "Since you'll both be getting food, how about I take your order then?"
He reached for Karai's wooden token before Mr. Murakami could get to it. The jinchuriki figured that the old man would be busy with April's meal, so he could at least help out. Although, looking down at the black symbol on the token made him slightly regret the choice, and not to mention annoyed.
'She can't be serious,' Leo thought in disgust. 'It's just to tick me off. I mean come on! I'm right here!'
"Or it was intentional in another way," Kurama mentioned. "Karai did not know you were here, to begin with. Perhaps a form of confrontation between herself and April?"
'Maybe she really is after April then…Regardless Karai's not getting this. I refuse to serve this.'
"Is this a good idea?"
'It's Karai. She isn't a normal customer. Murakami-san usually handles this order anyway, since...well, you know why.'
Turning away with the token in hand, Leo went to work, deciding to make something entirely different than what the kunoichi ordered. He heard the conversation between the two girls pick up again, and the jinchuriki couldn't help but find himself listening. There was something peculiar about it.
"So, what's your name?" Karai asked.
"I'm April," the redhead answered.
"My name's...Harmony."
Had Leo not already known who she really was, he would've been questioning why Karai chose that specific name. However, he was instead finding the situation slightly humorous. Leo tried his best to hide it, throwing himself into making the meal.
'Oh if only she knew what that name meant…'
It wasn't every day that you unintentionally went by your true name in this situation. In Japanese, Leo most definitely knew that the word for Harmony was Miwa, which was rather ironic. Still, saying anything now would just lead to disaster. There was a time for it, but it was definitely not now.
For the most part, Leo tuned out the conversation between the two teens sitting at the counter. Starting up the burner, the jinchuriki began to cook some pieces of chicken. He threw some noodles onto a boiling pot and watched as they tossed and turned in the water. As those continued to cook, he brought out some vegetables and began cutting them.
"What is bothering you?" the kitsune asked.
'I'm still trying to figure out why exactly the Kraang need April,' Leo answered, sliding the cut vegetables onto a plate. 'They kidnapped her dad who she stated was a psychologist, which would have nothing to do with modifying the mutagen. As far as I know, April doesn't have as much scientific knowledge as her father, and yet again it wouldn't be the type of knowledge they would need.'
'Then there is the issue of what happened a few hours ago. April seems to have not been affected by the Kraang water that landed on her arm. Even now she looks fine since there's no bandage or injury on her arm whatsoever. Could it possibly be that Kraang water has no effect on humans? No, because it worked on the pizza. And it probably would work on any other human.'
'So why her then? Could the Kraang have done something to her to make the water not incinerate her? Or is it something else? Argh, and we still have no answers!'
Checking on the noodles, he dumped out most of the water and threw them in a bowl, leaving a soupy entree. The chicken was done, so he took that off the burner and threw it and the vegetables in with the noodles.
"So what brings you to New York?" Leo picked up on April and Karai's conversation, with the redhead asking the question.
The kunoichi broke apart her chopsticks. "I'm with my dad," she answered, rubbing the chopsticks together as if she were sharpening them. "He's trying to close an old deal."
'Well that's a rather simplistic way to describe a clan feud,' the jinchuriki couldn't help but think.
"Oh, what does he do?" April asked.
"He's into kitchen utensils," Karai answered. "Knives mostly."
'Ain't that the truth,' the blonde thought, grimacing when he remembered having a blade at his throat from the man.
"What about you Minato?" He got a question from April. "You're from Japan too, right?"
'Ohh joy here goes nothing,' he thought in horror.
"I am, but I haven't been there in such a long time," Leo answered. "My parents died when I was young, so I was sent over here by my uncle and I live with him now. I'm homeschooled, but I work here occasionally."
Both the Pizza Gyoza and the meal that Leo made for Karai were done. Placing a spoon in the bowl, he and Mr. Murakami put the food in front of the two customers. Karai placed her hands together and bowed.
"Itadakimasu," she said.
April seemed to have also caught onto this, somewhat inferring that it was a way of saying, "thank you for the food," in Japanese. So she too put her hands together and attempted to say the same words as Karai did. However, the accent was a little off.
"Itatakimas," she tried saying, earning a silent chuckle from Leo.
"Alright, let's see what these pizza potstickers are all about," Karai stated, grabbing one with her chopsticks and eating it. "Mmm, best dumpling ever!"
"I know right?" The redhead answered.
'I'm pretty sure she's tried other gyoza, but you can never go wrong with Murakami-san's cooking.'
"Now you try mine." The kunoichi pushed her bowl in front of April.
"What is it?" Said girl asked in interest. She dipped the spoon into it and blew on the liquid contents.
"Suppon nabe," Karai answered. April brought the spoonful up to her mouth and ate it.
"Turtle soup." (4!)
(5) Leo looked slightly horrified. 'Ohhhhh thank deer god I decided to not make that,' he thought in relief. 'This is so not good!'
April too looked extremely horrified and realized immediately who was with her. "Karai."
"In-person," the kunoichi smirked.
Slowly but surely, April backed away from the counter. Her eyes were still focused on Karai, still with a terrified look on her face. She was almost at the door when the kunoichi suddenly stood up and turned around to face her. There was a sinister look in her eyes.
"Uh, I gotta go!" The redhead said nervously and quickly. But Karai stopped her, grabbing onto her bag strap.
"I was thinking you'd come with me, April O'Neil. My father would love to meet you." Karai pulled her back, holding her by her shirt collar.
"Let go of me!" April yelled.
'Damnit! Of all times!' Leo thought, proceeding to jump over the counter.
"BAKA! What happened to not blowing your cover!?"
'There are more important things now!'
He jumped into the air and kicked Karai away from April. The redhead was thrown to the ground, but quickly scrambled to her feet and ran out the door. Off to the side, Karai was just getting up from the blow she received from the jinchuriki.
"Did you order Turtle Soup just to tick me off or to scare April?" He asked seriously. "And just for your information, that wasn't what you ordered to begin with."
"The latter. You being here was a slight inconvenience," she commented.
"Why does Shredder want her?" Leo questioned.
"Why else? Let's just say he wants a little ransom for both you and someone else," Karai answered.
"Of course he knows about the Kraang," he groaned, slamming his fist against the countertop.
"Well, I gotta go fox-boy," she smirked. "I need to bring someone home for dinner tonight." With that, Karai ran out the door.
"Dang it!" He cursed, sighing slightly.
"She knows you, Leonardo?" A voice spoke. He sometimes forgot that Mr. Murakami was still here.
"Hai...Murakami-san. It's a long story. Karai knows about me and my secret. And she's our enemy. Long story. Yes, it was a stupid I'll probably pay for it in the future."
The jinchuriki was about to pick up the dishes at the countertop before a hand stopped him. "Go and help her," Mr. Murakami insisted. "I will clean here."
Blue eyes shone with silent shock and curiosity, but nonetheless, he took the opportunity. "Arigato, Murakami-san."
As soon, he too ran out the door. (5!)
Five minutes later…
(6) "So, are you going to stop Karai?" Kurama questioned.
'I'm just following them,' Leo answered, jumping across yet another rooftop at high speeds in search of a girl on a pizza motorbike being chased by another girl on a motorbike.
'My best case would be for April to fight this on her own. While it isn't the best choice, I don't need to be jumping into any more things that I shouldn't be getting involved in more events while in this form.'
"And what if she tries to kill her?"
'Then that's when I really do interfere.'
The blonde-haired teen jumped over another rooftop and could see how traffic seemed to have been messed up at an intersection. He turned the corner, seeing people who looked like they jumped out of the way of something. This led him down an alleyway. There was no sign of them, but Leo continued to follow the invisible path they left behind.
He then noticed an abandoned motorbike in the alleyway. 'Looks like she's going after April on foot now. No time to waste!'
Going straight ahead, Leo finally noticed the silhouette of the Foot kunoichi. She disappeared soon afterward, most likely jumping down into another alleyway below her. Picking up the pace, Leo was soon right above that specific alleyway in no time. He soon hid away, making sure he wasn't noticed.
The first thing Leo saw was that the pizza delivery motorbike was abandoned, with Karai looking at it. April soon came out of nowhere, attempting to hit the other with her newly acquired helmet. This failed, as Karai was able to dodge her swings with ease. April soon resorted to throwing the helmet at her, but she dodged that as well.
Karai put her helmet down. "You've got guts," the kunoichi stated with a smirk, cracking her knuckles. "Let's see if I can pound that out of you."
In response, Leo saw April reveal her tessen, a gift from Splinter. Ironically, said weapon was supposed to go to the girl who currently was her opponent. Even so, April just started her training. She wasn't that skilled as of yet. Yet Leo had faith that April could handle her own against Karai to some extent. He would have to trust his input in order to not get caught.
"A tessen...beautiful," Karai commented. "Unassuming, but very powerful. In the right hands."
"Ohhh that was a low blow," Kurama sneered.
April sprinted towards her quickly, swinging her weapon. Yet again, Karai dodged her strikes, seeing how much the other girl was struggling. In response, she flipped April to the ground and was able to take her tessen away. The redhead struggled on the ground but eventually got up and into a fighting position. Karai tossed her tessen away.
Once again she rushed at the Foot kunoichi, only to find that none of her attacks were landing. April punched at Karai, only to see a dodge in response. Said kunoichi was smirking and chuckling at how pathetic the scene was. That is until April landed a kick to the face.
'Karai's definitely mad now,' Leo thought, a slight smile of praise for April's ability to finally land an attack.
"Good one," the kunoichi commented dryly.
"Glad you like it," April sneered, not faltering with her fighting stance.
"Now it's my turn," Karai said, and the redhead just had a feeling that the person in front of her was holding back significantly.
'This is not going to end well,' Leo thought, prepared to jump down into the alleyway.
He noticed Karai getting into a fighting stance, while April rushed at her once more. Unfortunately, she was met with a kick to the stomach, sending April flying back onto the ground. She rolled back on the ground, recovering and standing quickly, but was soon met with another kick from Karai, forcing April back into the wall.
From his perspective, Leo almost knew that the fight itself seemed hopeless. Karai's fury of kicks landed swiftly, then changing over to punches. She was roughing April up, he realized. To Karai, the redhead wasn't much of a challenge. Or, she was very infuriated with April, and it really showed through her emotions.
One jab to her left shoulder sent April to the ground. It took her a few seconds to get up, and when she did, Leo noticed that she was struggling to stay up. April was swollen and bruised, and probably more injured than what he saw.
Slowly did she move forward, making Karai back away. But there was no fear on the kunoichi's face. So when April swung a punch at her, she grabbed the girl's red hair and swung her around, throwing her on a trash can. April's stomach area was wide open, so Karai did a quick blow with her fist, sending the other girl to the ground again.
Worry began to plague Leo's features as he saw April barely getting up. She groaned in agony, clutching her shoulder. Nevertheless, she got up again and into a fighting stance. Yet the jinchuriki just knew that if this continued on for any longer, he would most likely have to interfere. And that was when Karai kicked April out of the alleyway and onto the sidewalk. She was trying yet again to get up.
"What makes you so special?!" the kunoichi sneered, putting her foot on April's head and shoving her down. "You're the center of an alien conspiracy. Protected by mutants. And trained by a great ninja master. Why?!"
Immediately, Leo saw April stand up and attack Karai from behind. She grabbed her head, which led to the kunoichi grabbing the other's head. The two struggled in each other's hold.
"I don't know!" April cried out through her pain. "I'm flunking trig ...argh… my friends are mutants ...urgh… aliens got my dad…"
She was soon flipped to the ground by Karai. Unfortunately, Leo managed to hear the sound of a dislocated right arm. This was not good. He felt himself getting up and ready to jump down. The jinchuriki would've done so if it weren't for a nine-tailed for stopping him.
"Wait," the fox commanded.
"...and I lost my mother!" April yelled.
Leo was surprised by this. Although it shouldn't have been too shocking for him. April never spoke of her mother. Not once when she was down in the lair. Oftentimes, her dad would come up. But never her mother. At first, Leo thought it may have been a divorce. But he didn't imagine April's mother passing away.
Also surprisingly, this got a reaction out of Karai. "What? You lost your mother?"
He just knew that the sentence had struck a chord with the kunoichi. After all, Karai had told him that she had lost her mother. Most likely the death of Tang Shen was caused by the very man who raised her. Yet Leo had a feeling that there was now a reason for Karai to sympathize with the person that she was fighting. They weren't that different after all.
However, what really shocked the jinchuriki next was the sight of April O'Neil taking advantage of the situation by grabbing the front collar of Karai's jacket. She dragged her down and kicked the kunoichi. This sent her down the subway stairs that the two were right next to. (6!)
"Not bad for a nobody," April stated sarcastically.
As she was about to get on the pizza delivery motorbike, April felt a twinge in her arm. Instinctively she grabbed it, wincing as she did. The redhead tried to focus on something other than the pain, and somehow, she felt someone nearby. And it wasn't the kunoichi that she just recently threw down the stairs.
"Who's there?!" she yelled.
Her mind told her to look up, right to the exact place where Leo was. April saw a slight flash of blonde, and she immediately knew who it was. Bringing out her tessen, the redhead pointed it upward.
"Come out!" April stated. "Ah!" Then she felt the pain in her arm once more.
'How did she know I was here?!' Leo thought. 'Dang it, this is going to cause even more problems. However…'
(7) One look at the teen showed the jinchuriki that she was very injured. 'I can't just leave her there…' He came out from where he was hiding.
"What you ate earlier wasn't Turtle Soup by the way. I refuse to serve that stuff."
A sigh escaped April, and the jinchuriki could tell that she was relieved. After all, how exactly would you explain to your friends that you just ate their species, even if it was an accident?
"I'm surprised you found me," Leo said, jumping down into the alleyway. He noticed April stiffen. "Don't worry, I'm not here to fight. Do you want a ride back to Murakami-san's place?"
He felt her hesitate. 'Of course, she wouldn't trust me right away. After all, I was there when Karai decided to attack her.'
"You're her friend, aren't you?" April questioned. "You would probably bring me to Shredder for all I know."
Gesturing to her arm, he spoke. "First of all, do you really want to attempt to drive home with a dislocated arm? At least let Murakami-san and I treat it. And you haven't eaten anything either."
"Second of all, I said we're acquaintances...on a good day. And today…" Leo walked over to the motorbike and sat down, making some room for an extra person. "...happens to be a bad day."
"You are the absolutely worst human in existence at this very moment. Just...please. For the sake of the sanity that I have left, please revoke the words and gestures you just did." Kurama faked-gagged.
Leo sweatdropped at the words.
April looked between the street and the person who was offering her a free ride. At first glance, this wasn't really a good idea. Why would she go off with some sort of person she just randomly met who happened to be frie-no acquaintances, with an enemy? It was not right at all. But staring down at her arm, April really had no other choice.
"Fine," she answered. "But if you go back on your word, I'll kick you off the bike."
"Duly noted," he said with a smirk.
The ride back to the noodle shop was quiet. The reason being that April was just too tired to answer anything. Leo was fine with this. He preferred to not answer anything for the moment, as he too was tired from the amount of stress the day decided to give him. The jinchuriki at least thought that a day at Murakami's would relieve some stress. Unfortunately, he was wrong.
It didn't take that long to reach the shop, only a few minutes. Once the bike stopped, Leo found that he had to carry in the redhead, as the pain from her injuries was starting to show. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she was tired, and most likely needed something to eat at least.
He opened the door to the shop, with April on his back. "Murakami-san! Do you have any ice packs and bandages?" Leo yelled.
Almost as if he had been expecting the two to come back, the blind man came out with a set of bandages and other assorted medical items. April did not need all of this, as the worst was her dislocated arm, which Leo had to, unfortunately, help set in place. But there were a few cuts and bruises that needed to be situated.
Minutes later, April's phone began to ring, playing the oh so familiar tone that Leo was too familiar with. But, he still had to act oblivious, so he decided to ask who was calling on the other side (though the jinchuriki had a good feeling as to who it was).
"Someone calling you?" Leo asked.
"Oh! That's my brother," she answered quickly. "I may or may not have called him while I was being chased by Karai.
This got a chuckle from Leo, but he then turned slightly serious. "You want me to…" he gestured to the door, indicating that he would leave for the moment.
"Yeah…" April mentioned.
So Leo left her in one of the back rooms, and join Mr. Murakami in the main dining area. He was exhausted, so the jinchuriki sat down at the counter and put his head down. On the other side of the counter, the old man was making some more Pizza Gyoza for April in order to bring back home for not only herself but for himself and his brothers.
"Oh deer god," Leo moaned. "And I thought today was going to be an easy day instead. Arigato, Murakami-san, for the food. I think I speak for my family when I say that."
"It is no problem at all," Mr. Murakami answered. He handed Leo a bag. "Please give this to April-chan when she comes out. You can go home if you like, as well."
"Arigato, and I will."
Soon afterward, April came out from one of the back rooms. She looked a little better than she did before, having rested for a while. Her eyes focused on the paper bag that was on the countertop, then moved to the blonde that was sitting next to said paper bag.
"This is for you and your family," Leo grabbed the bag and held it out in front of her. "Murakami-san made you some more Pizza Gyoza. Since your brothers are crazy animals, I'm sure they'll enjoy this. Hehe."
"You realize you just called yourself crazy, don't you?"
'SHUT UP!'
Somehow he managed to get a chuckle out of the redhead at the "crazy animals" comment. "Oh, he didn't have to," April said.
"You didn't get to properly eat your meal while you were here, so he figured to make you some more. That's what he told me anyway."
The girl reached for the bad and took it from his hand. "Thank you so much, Minato," April thanked him. "I'm sorry about earlier."
"It's no problem," he answered, heading towards the door. "I'll be heading home for the day. So enjoy the food. I'll see you around?"
For a moment, April hesitated, and Leo immediately became nervous. He shouldn't have said that. He didn't want to make connections while he was under the persona of "Minato." Especially with April, the very person whom Leo and his brothers saw practically every day.
But, the mood seemed to have changed, as the redhead in front of him put on a smile. "Thank you Minato," she said to him.
"Take care of yourself April," Leo told her, walking out the door. "Let me know if anything happens!" And he was gone.
Those words, however, left an impression on April. An image of a certain blue masked turtle came to her mind as the blonde teen spoke. It was as if the two were the same person. Could he…? No. There was no way. She had heard his voice on the other side of her call earlier. The possibility was most certainly impossible.
If only she knew how possible the possibility was.
Ten minutes later...in the lair…
"And then, when her guard was down, I flipped her down the subway steps and bolted!" April finished her epic account.
There was silence for a moment, as her small audience took in the information she had told them. Well, most of the audience anyway. One of them happened to witness it first hand. What happened was shocking, to say the least. Once the shock settled down did the silence break.
"That is...awesome!" Donnie exclaimed.
"You rock!" Mikey shouted.
"Kick butt!" Raph approved.
Off to the side, a certain blue masked turtle, who had ditched his human form a while back, chuckled at their remarks. The responses from his brothers were to be expected after all. Leo was most certainly impressed by what April was able to do. It wasn't every day that she was able to beat someone. Her improvement was showing significantly.
Earlier, he had arrived home shortly before his brothers. Hiding within his room, the jinchuriki sensed when they headed into the lair. Leo's clone could also feel the presence of the original within one of the bedrooms, so the clone made an excuse to grab something and went in his direction. The door opened and was shut behind him.
"Good job," Leo commented to the clone. "You can dispel now, there's no need for anything else."
With his command, a puff of smoke appeared around the shadow clone. In seconds, it disappeared. However, what didn't disappear were the memories that the clone experienced. These instead went into Leo's mind, giving him an account as to what happened while his brothers were at the bottom of the East River.
"Well...it could've gone better…" he sighed. "But at least they stopped the Kraang. Now I know that a clone can handle this type of situation, which is a good thing."
"You can now send clones on missions and to Shishigami."
"Now that makes me very happy," the turtle answered, knowing that he'll be able to get more sleep at night.
Minutes later, April had made her way into the lair. By that point, the jinchuriki was already up and about, though he expected her to come shortly after him. Donnie had immediately somewhat flung himself towards the redhead, which nearly made him laugh at the sight. He knew his brother had been very worried about her. The clone's memories had shown him just how often he tried to call her during the mission.
She told them of the events earlier that day. But to his surprise, Leo noticed quickly how April left him, or rather "Minato," out of the story. Perhaps it was just for protection purposes, or maybe it was for something else. Regardless, the choice was April's and April's alone. He couldn't ask about it, for if he did, she as well as his family would question as to how he knew that.
"Impressive April," Master Splinter commented. "You used your training well, and you fulfilled the most important goal of the ninja; To come home alive."
"Barely," Kurama scoffed.
'April deserves a little praise,' Leo told the kitsune. 'But yes, I do somewhat agree.'
"Thank you Sensei," the girl answered. "Looks like I can take care of myself after all."
Leo suppressed the urge to hold in a sigh. The rat master, however, was able to voice his opinion for him. "Yes...and no. Karai may have failed this time, but if Shredder wants you, he will stop at nothing to find you. And with the Kraang after you as well…"
'Here it comes,' the jinchuriki thought.
"The wisest decision is for you to remain here in the sewer with us," Master Splinter finished.
Her shock almost radiated towards Leo. "What?" she asked.
"Oh, that's great!" Donnie shouted a little too excitedly. Only to take his statement back when he realized what he said. "I mean, oh that's horrible. That, you know, your life as you know it is over and um-"
Unfortunately for the purple masked turtle, he could see the stares he was getting. "I'll shut up now." He commented weakly.
"I can't stay down here!" April protested. "I mean, what about school?! My friends?!"
A bit of guilt rose within Leo's system. He knew that feeling all too well. The feeling of entrapment, of not being able to do anything freely. His life was the very definition of a secret. Only a few knew of it (Mr. Murakami found out because he just knew it was him, and for Karai it was an accident), and even then it wasn't the greatest thing to have known about.
Yet, his situation was different from April's own. Here, they all knew that the Kraang were after her. April's life was in danger. Unlike his, where his own life wasn't in danger, but rather the views of him from his family, and not to mention his own mental stability. It was something that they couldn't risk for April. The chances were just too high.
"April," Leo spoke, catching the attention of everyone for the first time in a while. He hadn't spoken once since she came, having known the events already. "Master Splinter's right."
"One of the very few times you agree with him fully," the kitsune smirked.
"Until we stop Shredder and the Kraang, this is the only place you're safe."
"You're implying that you will stop both of them with your brothers. Are you sure about this?"
'At this point, I'm too involved to not stop.'
"So once we stop them, I can have my life back?" April asked.
There was a smirk on his face that grew from her response. She had included herself in the situation. Leo knew that she was part of the family now. April had made that apparent when she referred to them as brothers back at Murakami's shop. So he responded to her question that was obvious.
"Yes," Leo answered.
A determined look appeared on April's face. "Let's get started."
'I think I speak for the both of us when I say…'
"Yes." (7!)
Jutsu Corner
Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique - The user employs their chakra or a ninja tool to manipulate or create an external source of wind or create several blades of wind.
Wind Waves - The user waves their hand and creates a large blade of wind that can be launched at an opponent.
Lightning Release: Thunder - With the flick of their wrist, the user is capable of firing countless small sparks of lightning towards a target.
Author's Note
That's the end of Chapter 14! Yee!
This chapter itself was one of the first chapters I envisioned for this story. Yes, Leo working secretly in a noodle shop was one of my first ideas lol. Apologies it took so long, school started back up which means I now have time and other things as well. But I'm still going at it!
So, April does meet "Leo" in this chapter. I had planned on this happening for a while, and here seemed very fitting. I don't believe they'll see each other often, but they have somewhat of an acquaintanceship going on at the moment. Leo was able to keep his cool this time around and not say anything. At least he didn't indirectly give April Turtle Soup. Woo boy, that would be a disaster.
Again, that'll be the last of Karai for a while. Now we're getting towards the real interesting stuff! I have a bunch of things planned for the season 1 finale and so forth. I'm still trying to determine whether or not I wish to include the Mutant Wasps or not. But I won't say what yet.
Lastly, tell me what you guys think! I love reviews! They keep me going and let me know you guys enjoy the story!
Until next time, See Ya Universe!
Palkia