Chapter 12: Okita

"NO!"

Usagi and Gennosuke's eyes widened when they realized that not only were they not dead, but also that Kintaro was standing right in front of them, his chest puffed out boldly.

And to their further shock, Leo's katana blade had shattered like glass against his body.

Then, in an instant, the kanji on Kintaro's shirt glowed a bright gold while the rest of his body let out a bright blue glow, the Turtles and Sumo Kuma's stragglers forcing themselves to shield their eyes from the light.

As he continued to glow, Kintaro rose into the air as Usagi and Gennosuke continued to watch in awe. The glow given off by the Golden Boy was almost heavenly as he sat in a meditative position in the air.

"Jei, release my friends from your power, Evil One." Kintaro's voice boomed, sounding like it could be heard from miles away.

The mad wolf simply gestured to the Holy Child with his spear, signaling the Turtles to attack him.

The Turtles leapt into the air, their weapons drawn to attack.

Leo swung his remaining sword at the pug child, Kintaro caught the blade with minimal effort. Raph then tried to stab Kintaro, but the Golden Boy caught his wrist before swinging the two turtles around, knocking away Donnie and Mikey before throwing Leo and Raph into a nearby wall.

Landing softly on the ground, Kintaro folded his arms behind his back as Mikey extended his nunchucks into a kusarigama chain. The controlled party swung his chain furiously at the pug child, but Kintaro dodged each strike with ease before hitting the orange turtle with two well placed palm strikes to the plastron, sending Mikey flying.

Finally, he turned as Donnie sprinted towards him, the staff extended into a naginata blade as he lunged to stab the Holy Child. But Kintaro jumped over the blade and onto the smart turtle's staff before kicking him in the chin as he backflipped to the ground.

With the Turtles incapacitated, Kintaro turned his attention to the stragglers as the rushed towards him with the intent of overwhelming him.

However, instead of fleeing, Kintaro stood his ground even as the stragglers piled onto him. Just when it seemed like he was gone, all of the stragglers were thrown back by a sudden burst of spiritual energy, as Kintaro stood there unharmed.

But the fight was not over as Sumo Kuma stood before the Holy Child, having discarded his kimono with just his blue mawashi.

The bear let out a bellowing roar that would've caused even the bravest of soldiers to wet their pants and run away cowering.

But Kintaro did not run, instead he roared back before charging forward to meet the bear head on.

The two clashed, pushing against each other with all their strength. However, Kintaro managed to break away, landing multiple nerve strikes to stun the bear before grabbing and using his newfound strength, chucking Sumo Kuma into the air like a rag doll.

Suma Kuma landed with a loud thud as he fell unconscious.

"Are you alright, my friends?" Kintaro asked Usagi and Gen, who were still in awe at the child's powers.

"You did it." Usagi smiled, to which the Holy Child smiled back. Not a condescending smile this time, but a real genuine smile.

However, Kintaro's smile soon faded as his eyes shifted worriedly to the unconscious Turtles. "The others, are they-"

His pondering was cut off when a long black chain coiled around Kintaro like a snake, pulling him towards Jei. Kintaro squirmed and tried with all his might to break the chains, but it wouldn't work.

"Not even your great strength can break this enchanted chain, Golden Boy." Jei stated, holding his spear close to the pug child's throat, causing him to whimper.

Usagi and Gen scowled as they rose to their feet, quickly picking up their fallen swords. "Hold on, Kintaro," Usagi said, "We will-"

"You will do nothing, ronin." The mad wolf stated. "All that has happened is as I intended. I wanted you and the Turtles to teach Kintaro humility, compassion, and courage, to unleash the boy's powers." He chuckled. "You have transformed him into the perfect vessel… for me."

"For you?" Gennosuke gasped. "Then it's true…"

"Yes!" Jei grinned, his voice sounding like that of a coiled snake. "I am immortal, having traveled from body to body for so many centuries. But the Golden Boy's form will be the most powerful of all."

Scowling, Usagi and Gen attempted to rush Jei when the mad wolf erected a large stone pillar and altar with his magic, with the two samurai getting knocked back by the sudden move.

"Old gods of the New Dawn, HEAR ME!" Jei bellowed, thunder crackling as the clouds turned a frightening shade of blood red. "To serve you for eternity, grant me the power to move my soul to this new form." Kintaro whimpered as he was placed on the altar.

Jei began chanting the spell, closing his eyes in concentration as he chanted in Japanese. The red sky above crackled with thunder and lightning, as if the gods themselves were enraged by the spell.

Meanwhile, the Turtles were starting to come too as they each sat up. However, their eyes were not a ghostly white like Jei's, but instead back to their normal colors.

"Ugh, was feeling pretty evil there for a minute." Mikey moaned, holding his head. "Hey, why aren't we under Jei's control anymore for real this time?"

"I think it's because we got hit so hard by Kintaro's spiritual power…" Donnie began as he got to his knees.

"He must've smacked the evil right out of us." Raph finished in realization as he and Leo got up.

Leo looked and his eyes narrowed with anger as he saw fear in Kintaro's eyes. "And it looks like Jei doesn't know that." He whispered, already formulating a plan. "I've got an idea, put your evil eyes back on and follow me."

Raph, Donnie, and Mikey nodded before all four put over their third eyelids, essentially replicating the effect of them being under Jei's control.

Still pretending to be controlled, Donnie and Mikey grabbed Usagi and Gen, forcing them to their knees.

"Yes, hold them, my disciples." Jei stated, unaware of the Turtles' deception as he continued the ritual. "But do not finish them yet. Let them bear witness as your master ascends to power!"

Usagi and Gen could only watch helplessly as Donnie and Mikey kept them pinned while Leo and Raph held their blades at their throats.

Jei growled as his spirit began to emerge from his body, appearing as a frighteningly orange astral body bathed in an eerie blue outline.

The mad wolf's spirit then descended down to the Holy Child, who could squirm and whimper in fear as Jei got ready to transfer his spirit into him.

Usagi and Gen could still only watch helplessly while the ronin lowered his head slightly. He had failed again, like how he had failed to protect his lord's flank.

But then suddenly, Leo smiled and winked at him, surprising the two of them. Usagi looked down to the blue turtle's other hand to see him slowly pulling out a small tanto.

Just when it all seemed lost and Jei's spirit was about to enter Kintaro, in a flash, Leo tossed the tanto at Jei, who was caught completely off guard as the tanto sailed through his spirit and impaled his chest, disrupting the ritual.

"Treachery." The mad wolf growled.

Rushing forward, the Turtles attempted to press their attack as they lunged at Jei, who simply batted Raph and Leo back with his spear.

Then, he used Kintaro as a weapon himself as he swung the pug child into Donnie and Mikey.

Gennosuke joined the fight as he picked up his katana and attempted to ram the mad wolf, but Jei simply swung Kintaro into the rhino, knocking him down.

Jei then swung Kintaro overhead and slammed him into the ground as if he were nothing more than a piece of trash.

And at the very sight of it, something in Usagi snapped. What kind of person would go to such lengths to harm a child just to get what they want? To serve some higher purpose?

It made Usagi sick.

"You monster!" He roared.

Jei only chuckled as Usagi grabbed his sword and charged at the man wolf, yelling like a madman.

The two engaged in a duel of blades as Usagi slashed and hacked at the mad wolf with the intent of chopping him to bite sized pieces while Jei was forced on the defensive, blocking or dodging each of the ronin's strikes.

Usagi dodged any jabs the mad wolf tried to make at him, he ducked and jumped when Jei swung the Holy Child at him.

Their clashes of steel soon led them out to the bridge of the temple as Usagi aimed a thrust right at Jei's chest, but the wolf jumped over his blade and with the swing of his spear, Jei knocked the katana out of the ronin's grip.

Usagi could stare over the bridge as his sword, his only means of defense, plummeted into the foggy depths below.

With him disarmed, Jei slashed the ronin across the chest with his spear, leaving a long nasty scar.

"It ends here, Usagi!" The mad wolf declared. "No blade can stop me. No mortal can stop me. I will live forever!"

"JEI!"

Usagi and Jei turned to see Leonardo standing at the gates of the temple, his eyes narrowed in a concentrated glare as he gripped his remaining katana tightly.

"I'm gonna give you this last warning." The blue clad turtle growled. "Let Kintaro go… or face my wrath."

Jei simply laughed. "You? I have faced mightier warriors who have said such folly and have fallen to my blade. What could you possibly do to stop me?"

Leo didn't respond, looking like he was about to go into a flurry of rage. But then he stopped, instead taking a deep breath before taking a stance, his face looking almost peaceful, as if he were harmonizing himself with his mind and spirit.

Then like the wind, the blue clad turtle rushed forward and swung his katana at the mad wolf. Jei easily blocked a couple of strikes from Leo before retaliating with his spear.

Still, Leo kept his cool as he deflected the spear before stepping on Jei's foot and pinning him to the spot.

Jei grunted a bit as he couldn't move his foot, but he still managed to block Leo's sword again. He then performed a wide swing at the blue clad turtle, but Leo ducked under the spear before jumping up and slashing at the mad wolf as he flipped away.

The mad wolf blocked the slash as Leo came at him again, his swings graceful and yet hard-hitting as Jei was still forced on the defensive with the blue clad turtle not giving him any opportunities to retaliate.

Leo then managed to clash his blade with Jei's in a blade lock before forcing the mad wolf's blade into a circle sweep, causing the spear to slip from Jei's hands, landing far away from the two combatants.

Despite being disarmed, Jei still continued fighting as he aimed a strong kick which Leo rolled under.

Now, moving faster than he ever felt he had before, Leo leaped into the air and impaled Jei through the chest with his sword.

For a moment, there was silence. But then Jei chuckled, as if he hadn't been stabbed at all, much to Leo and Usagi's shock. Still reeling from his astonishment, Jei took advantage as he kneed Leo in the gut before uppercutting him, sending the blue clad turtle flying.

Leo landed roughly on his shell, looking close to passing out.

Jei stood there for a moment, like he was catching his breath before he walked over to his spear and pulled it out of the ground.

Stars still in vision, Leo forced himself to sit up only to be pinned down by Jei's foot on his chest with the blade of his spear aimed at his throat.

"How?" Was the only thing Leo could say, too baffled to do anything.

Jei chuckled. "Foolish child. I have lived for many centuries, with my skills imparted to me by the gods themselves. How could you possibly-"

He was cut when Leo, in an act of quick thinking, kicked his leg up and hit the mad wolf right where the sun doesn't shine.

Jei's eyes widened, his grin immediately gone as he let out a puppy-like whimper, falling to his knees.

Leo flipped back to his feet. "Oh, yeah? Well I'm sixteen, and I learned that from my little brother."

Still stunned and holding his sore manly parts, Jei shakily rose to his feet and attempted to weakly raise his spear.

Getting himself to his feet, Usagi rushed forward and grabbed the hilt of Leo's katana which was still embedded in Jei's chest.

Before Jei could do anything, Usagi ripped the blade out, which was glowing with the same orange and blue outline of Jei's soul, out of the mad wolf's chest and flinging him over the bridge.

Kintaro screamed as he was about to fall too when Leo quickly rushed forward and grabbed the chain, halting the Holy Child's fall.

"NOOOOOO!" Was the last thing they heard the mad wolf scream as he plummeted down into the abyss, vanishing below the clouds.

There was silence for a moment before they heard the faint sound of a pained howl and the cracking of bones.

They didn't need to see him to know that Jei was dead.

"Did you hear him land?" Mikey asked as he, Donnie, Raph, and Gennosuke made their way over to them. "'Cause I sure didn't."

"I don't think you're going to." Raph remarked.

Gennosuke spat over the edge of the bridge. "Serves him right."

The orange and blue glow faded from the katana blade as Usagi handed it to the blue clad turtle. "You're blade, Leonardo-san."

Leo nodded, taking the sword and sheathing back onto his belt. He and Usagi then quickly pulled Kintaro up and back onto the bridge.

Untying the chains, Kintaro launched himself at the turtle and the rabbit, wrapping his arms around them in a tight hug, surprising the two of them.

"Thank you, my friends." The Holy Child said, his voice muffled as he buried his face into Usagi's chest.

Usagi smiled, patting the child's head. "All is well, Kintaro."

Leo chuckled, lightly rubbing the Holy Child's back. "Yeah, you're safe now."

Yeah, Leo's fight with Jei was mainly based on his fight with Ra's Al Ghul from Batman vs TMNT. I decided to have both Leo and Usagi both fight Jei since I thought it would be more satisfying.