A missing scene from the third episode of "The Big Brawl" storyline of the 2003 series.
Donatello continued watching the rabbit staring down at his brother. He was beginning to feel veeeeeerrrrry guilty. This fellow warrior might have just saved his brother's life, and even if he didn't, it "might" be because he had chased him away so long. Now that Donatello thought about it, there really wasn't much reason to have suspected him in the first place. The pairings of warriors during the "Battle Nexus Tournament" seemed randomized. Leonardo battling this guy when he was poisoned might have been the best luck they'd had all day.
The rabbit's next words startled and angered him. "Donatello … is the Daimyo's son a good friend of Leonardo's?"
Donatello flinched and sat up. "No! Well, at least, not until today. He challenged my brother to a mortal duel!"
It was now Usagi's turn to jerk in surprise. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Donatello. "He what?"
Donatello glared at Usagi, though the expression wasn't for him any longer. "He came to earth saying he'd been planning to battle "The Shredder." I wish he had, because it might have saved us having to deal with him, but he didn't. Leo had already taken care of Shredder, so he decided to battle Leo instead."
Usagi's eyes were wide as he stared back at Donatello. "And your brother beat him in this duel."
"Leo, yeah."
"Without killing him."
"Obviously."
Usagi looked back down at Leonardo. "Then your brother is more honorable than I thought. And in far more danger." He looked back toward where the Daimyo rested beyond the parting screen. "We all are …"
Donatello gazed back at him. He rested the back of his hand against Leo's brow. It was cooler. Then, he checked his pulse. It seemed stronger. He looked back to the rabbit and then pointed toward the ceiling. "Maybe we should talk further 'up' there."
The rabbit raised an eyebrow at him.
. . .
A short time later, Leonardo still lay on a mat in the main area of the healer's pavilion, but Usagi and Donatello sat in the rafters above him. "Now," Donatello continued, "what did you mean about my brother, and 'all of us' being in more danger than you thought?"
Usagi looked down at the floor far below them, but he seemed more ashamed than afraid. "I do not like talking about this, he is our honorable host's family."
"The Ultimate Ninja?"
"The Daimyo's son. I do not like thinking of him the other way."
Donatello decided to ignore that. "You think he had something to do with this?"
Usagi looked back up at him. "I think he had everything to do with this. The assassins who attacked your brother earlier were very ninja-like and very good. I imagine the rich, powerful, and connected are the most likely to have hired them."
"And the Daimyo's son is all three," Donatello replied, again ignoring the reference to ninja.
Usagi nodded. "As the father is, so is the son in many respects. The Daimyo has wealth, connections that span worlds, and the power to wield them all well. If he entrusts so much to the son … or …" Here the Samurai looked to the sliding walls hiding the Daimyo from them, "if the assassins were assured the Daimyo's son soon would be in control of all these things … they might have been eager to render their services to him."
"It's just a theory, a hypothesis really." Donatello looked down at the floor too.
Usagi nodded, "Not much to take to the Daimyo himself even if he were in the condition to hear it."
Donatello raised his head. "Still, it makes way more sense than anything else that's happened since we got here."
"But how to prove it?"
Donatello looked down at the floor again. "I think we only have to wait for them to prove it for us. The Daimyo's not dead, yet. Neither is Leo. They'll come back." He looked to Usagi. "You … don't have to wait with me for them to. You should probably go home."
Usagi had bent down to look at Leonardo still lying seemingly helpless to the eyes of anyone who walked in without looking up. His hand holding onto the beam to brace himself as he leaned down tightened its hold. He looked back up to Donatello. His glare was as hard as any Donatello had given him. "I will not leave the master of this realm that has welcomed me 'or' my new friend to be assassinated, not if I can help you prevent it."
What do you think?
God Bless
ScribeofHeroes