The Mutant Ninja Turtles
Donatello's Biography: Part 2
By B.C.
The Favor
Donatello's eyes became sore from staring at the screen. He reached up and rubbed them with the backs of his hands in hopes of stopping the itching. The constant sounds of Mikey and Raph grunting from sparring was beginning to annoy him. At that moment he didn't want to think about tonight. For now he wanted to lose himself in memories.
"Hey guys. Is there anyway I can get you two to spar up stairs in the dojo?" he said with a pleading tone of voice.
"Yeah sure" said Raph. "Hey, what chya typin' anyways?" Raphael walked closer to Donatello's desk so he could see the screen.
"Well, actually it's .. kind of a biography."
"Really, what chya been saying about me huh?" Mikey asked as he bounced over to the computer.
"I'm not to us yet. I'm still talkin' about Splinter."
"Hey, what makes you wanna type a biography now? We should be practicing ya know." said Mikey.
"Yeah I know. Just let me finish this and I'll be up in a minute." Raph having read the first three paragraphs then said "Just let him alone. We'll kick his butt later. I'll see you upstairs."
"I'll be there." Said Donnie a little relieved, and to his pleasure Raph and Mikey both headed up stairs. Donatello suspected that Raphael knew he was really typing an obituary. He assumed Raphael didn't want Mikey giving Donnie a hard time or cracking jokes to try and make him feel better, which he knew would only make Donatello feel worse. Obviously, Donatello is the worrier of the four. They knew this. We all have our way of dealing with things thought Donatello. When Raph is upset, he works out. When Mikey is upset, he cooks. When Leo is upset he trains. When I'm upset I usually fix something. But tonight I need this, he thought. Donatello leaned forward and began typing again.
Master Yoshi woke up in a hospital handcuffed to the bed. His head was light and dizzy from the drugs. He then remembered that when prisoners are hospitalized they are usually given extra treatments to keep them submissive. I'm a prisoner, he thought. He then fell back into unconsciousness. Early the next morning his supervisor, Mr. Katsuhiro Otomo, came to visit him.
"Ohayou gozaimasu Hamatosan (good morning). Ogenki desuka (how are you)?"
"I've been better Otomosama."
"Yeah I figured. Look, I didn't come here for pleasure. I came here on business." He said as he pulled up a chair next to master Yoshi's bed.
"I know what you are going to say, and it was Nagi who set me up." Master Yoshi said as he sat up despite the drugs.
"Nani (what)?"
Master Yoshi spent a good hour explaining what had happened; the Foot, Nagi, Shredder, the Yakuza, and their possible migration to a different country. Luckily for our master Yoshi, Mr. Otomo was a close friend of his, and believed what master Yoshi said.
"Yoshisan we already checked for an Oroku Saki."
"How did you know to look?"
"You were conscious for a while. You probably don't remember because of the drugs. I heard you mumble the name Oroku Saki. I thought you were trying to say Nagi, but being the detective that I am, I checked."
"And?"
"And there was an Oroku Saki. He was Nagi's younger brother, but he died almost five years ago in a terrible car explosion."
"Did they burry him?"
"No. His body was burnt beyond recognition, so they had him cremated."
"Well there you have it. It is plausible that he faked his death the same way Nagi was plotting to."
"But if Saki were alive, he'd only be nineteen years old."
"I've seen younger do worse Otomosama."
"You are right, you are right, and yes I believe you, but you don't have to convince me. You have to convince them." Otomo said as he pointed to the door where two guards stood. Master Yoshi exhaled in frustration. He knew he would not win, and the fact that he still hadn't seen his wife was starting to get to him. "Is Tang Shen alright?" Master Yoshi asked.
"She is fine. She is staying with me of course, and she is being treated like a queen." There was a short pause. Master Yoshi was relieved.
"Yoshisan, you have money. You have a pregnant wife. You cannot go to prison because of Nagi. I'm going to set something up, but in the end you are going to have to leave the country. I know you have friends in America. Why don't you take Tang Shen and go there. Your money is worth more there anyway, and you can live happily. You know English right."
"Hai (yes). I know Dr. Tofu. He was my sister Kaori's husband before she died of cancer."
"Great. You worry about getting to America. I'll take care of everything else. You hear me? Don't worry." Mr. Otomo left the hospital. Master Yoshi, exhausted from the discussion, fell back asleep.
The next morning everything was in chaos. The papers and the television were a buzz with the reports of what they were calling "the most mishandled case of the century". Files were missing, evidence was lost, and computers in banks crashed all over Japan. Simply put, the courts and lawyers had no case due to lack of evidence. Master Yoshi knew it was his comrades who were behind this for only a ninja could cause such chaos without being caught. But Mr. Otomo was right; master Yoshi's name was still disgraced, and people were calling for his blood and for him to perform Seppuku. Treason is not taken lightly in Japan. With Tang Shen at his side, master Yoshi gathered his money and headed for a new country; America.
Once there he worked quickly. Master Yoshi found a relatively large abandoned warehouse in a neighborhood that was not so terrible, and that was easily affordable. After only four months of remodeling and construction, he had his dojo, and he was open for training. Master Yoshi was a smart man and knew how to start a name for himself. He headed out at night dressed in his ninja attire armed only with a wakizashi, and looked for trouble. After defeating a few punks and local riff raff, the word got around that master Yoshi was a skillful fighter. Soon after that, people traveled great distances to train under master Yoshi and money became plentiful once more. The neighborhood had profited from his prosperity as well. Master Yoshi donated to many schools parks, and assisted local businesses. Even in a foreign country, he had respect and honor once again. And now he had his greatest treasure, a son. 1977 was the year of his son's birth and this became one of the greatest days of his life.
Three years of joy and happiness had gone by. With the help of his friends, Dr. Tofu (who was their personal doctor), Miss. Akane Hibiki (who owned the Japanese grocery store, and was an old friend of the family), and Jubei Tsunoda (who owned a martial arts supply store), the neighborhood was completely revived. New schools and buildings were everywhere and life was good.
One day Master Yoshi's son, Kohaku, fell of a jungle-gym and got a very deep cut on his forehead. When Kohaku returned home, Yoshi sat on the couch and applied a cold rag to the wound to reduce the swelling.
"That doesn't look good Kohaku. You may need stitches." Said master Yoshi as he pulled Kohaku up on the couch to sit next to him.
"Hai chichi (yes daddy)." Said Kohaku.
"Okusan (wife)." He said while inspecting the wound.
"Hai!" She replied from the kitchen.
"I'm going to go to Hibikisan's store to get some peroxide. I'll be back." Master Yoshi left for the store. It was nice having a store within walking distance, he thought, and within moments he was home.
"Tadaima (I'm home)!" Master Yoshi said as he approached the door. He looked up and froze in his tracks at the sight of the torn front door of his dojo. He then sprinted his way inside where he then froze again. Only this time he froze beyond frozen. He became paralyzed. He calculated the time in his head. Maybe two minutes, he thought. He felt his knees get weak and for a moment he thought he might puke. Slain were his wife and son. Slain and decapitated. The only light that could be seen was that of the moon and it reflected the horror of the blood soaked living room.
"Saaakiii!" He screamed so loud his throat hurt. And, as requested Saki appeared. He was wearing his Shredder outfit, and holding a four foot staff with a foot long blade at the end (a Kwandao). Master Yoshi could see the blood of his family on the blade, and could feel his own blood begin to boil. Thoughts of what to do flashed through his mind, and then suddenly he decided. Master Yoshi bolted to his right, and burst through the paper walls into his room. He lunged at his cabinet, and he could hear Shredder coming up from behind. With all the speed in him he grabbed his father's katana the ka'ge no ha (shadow blade), unsheathed it, and clashed with Shredder's Kwandao. The two knew they would fight to the death. They fought in every room of the house; not saying a word to each other the entire battle. Unfortunately, master Yoshi couldn't get through Saki's armor, and was bleeding badly from many wounds. Finally, weak from blood loss, his sword was knocked from his hand, and Shredder ran his blade across master Yoshi's throat, cutting deep. Yoshi gagged and fell on his back with a thud. Shredder, staring down on his defeated foe, left the dojo, and felt he had avenged his brother.
To be continued…