Author Note

Esh. So very, very sorry that this took so long! My hubby and I recently inherited a house, and it turns out that remodeling two houses while trying to move takes up a lot of time. Go figure! We're not quite done yet, but with the season of freezing cold white stuff upon us, much of the work we want to get done will probably have to wait until the weather gets warmer once more. So yaaay, more time to write hopefully?

Sadly, this is a short chapter, but it felt too abrupt to combine it with the next chapter, so I'll content myself with proper story flow instead of lengthy chapters. I'll hopefully have the next one up soon as well, and then the story will really start to take off. I wasn't planning on spending so much of this story on Leo's time on the island.

Leo couldn't believe what he had just heard. He.. He had to have misunderstood the old man.

Maybe he had hit his head when falling out of the tree? Perhaps this was all just... just some sort of lucid delusion brought on by a nasty concussion.

Because, of course, auditory hallucination would make far more sense then... then THIS!

His mouth gaped open and closed several times as he tried to process this, and then he finally just hoarsely asked, "What?"

"Hamato Yoshi, of the Hamato Clan. Your father, of course." The Ancient One said calmly, and then warned Leo, "I'm going to pour some more disinfectant on your arm, Kumquat. This is going to sting."

"Huh?" Leo only had time to blink, then he stiffened and gave a low hiss as more stinging liquid was poured over the scratches and gouges on his arm.

"There, that should be the last of that for now. Let's finish wrapping you up, and then you'll be as good as new in a few days, I think." There was a click of glass on a wooden surface as the Ancient One turned away to set aside the glass bottle, and then the old human's warm, aged hands were back on his scaled arm, gently wrapping soft bandages around the scratches. He was acting as if he hadn't just dropped a verbal bomb on Leo seconds earlier. "Not too bad for falling out of a tree, eh?"

"But... How... I... You..." Leo felt like his brain broke. He didn't even know how to respond to this! He started to twist about to 'look' in the Ancient One's direction, but before he could move too far, Pangur Ban's small paw pushed down on his snout threateningly. Obviously the cat wasn't done bathing his nose yet, and was willing to fight Leo over this. Leo gave a little huff, but lay obediently on the ground and instead merely tilted his head as much as the cat would allow him."So wait. Let me get this straight. You... you're saying that you actually knew my father?! Hamato Yoshi?"

"I used to call him Little Shishi-chan.." the old man confirmed, then Leo heard him chuckle. "Oh, how he hated that nickname!"

Leo blinked rapidly, then hesitantly echoed, "... Shishi-chan?"

"Yes. And I came to learn that as he grew older, that name was most effective when unleashed in front of pretty girls and adoring fellow students." The Ancient One chuckled. His tone of voice made Leo guess that he was smiling fondly as he shook his head. The human finished bandaging up Leo's other arm, and examined it carefully with his hand to make sure it was adequate. "Heavens know it was difficult enough to keep that boy humble. Always was such the little prince he was, so full of himself. Yuuta always did spoil him far too much, I fear." He set Leo's arm down, and moved to stand up on his short legs. "Well, I think you're patched up as much as we're going to get you. Would you like some tea, Kumquat?"

Leo had been so absorbed in the Ancient One's words that he had almost completely forgotten about his injuries. "What? Oh. Uh... sure." He swallowed hard, settling his chin back on the stone floor as the fluffy warm cat body continued to drape across his snout, resolute in his self appointed task to thoroughly bathe Leo's nose. "You... you knew Master Yuuta?"

"Oh, yes." the Ancient One waddled off across the room towards the water kettle that Leo knew he had set on earlier. "Your grandfather, Hamato Yuuta, and I went way back. We grew up alongside one another, and often fought and played together as children." There came the slight rustle of a kettle being moved off a fire, the clink of porcelain cups being set out, and then sound of water being poured. "We were as close as brothers, him and I."

Leo blinked, and then paused to inwardly try and do the math for a moment. Master Splinter had told them many stories about his father and the head of their clan, and from what Leo understood, Master Yuuta had waited until later in his life to marry and have children. He had been quite elderly by the time he was tragically murdered by his own adopted son, Oroku Saki.

An event that happened over twenty years ago.

And if Yuuta had been that old back then, and the Ancient One was the same age...

"Wait..." he wondered in disbelief. "Just... just how old are you?!"

"Ha! I told you!" the Ancient One cackled in glee, apparently quite pleased to be validated, as he waddled back towards Leo. "I'm old! Older then you can imagine!"

Leo reached up and gently pushed Pangur off his face, putting an end to the sandpaper tongue rasping across his snout much to the cat's displeasure, and dazedly sat up, flexing and feeling the bandages almost absently, before numbly taking the warm tea cup offered to him in his hands, feeling the heat radiating through it into his sore, bandaged fingers.

He still couldn't believe what he was hearing. This... this short, fat, rather crass old human who sang songs about burping... He had really been his father's Sensei?! How?!

"So... Are you Hamato Clan as well then?" That was a weird thought. He had spent his whole life thinking that his family were all that was left of the Hamato Clan. As far as he knew, all traces of the Hamato Clan had all been wiped out the day the Shredder had betrayed the clan, that only his father remained and, through him, Leo and his siblings. It was actually quite strange concept realizing that there might possibly be other Hamatos clan members out there that had survived Oroku Saki's betrayal.

But the Ancient One merely settled into his own cushion with a sigh. For a moment, his voice almost sounded... sad. "No, I was from another clan. The Kuremachisu Clan."

Leo blinked. The Kuremachisu Clan? He had never heard of that clan before.

Pangur stretched, then wandered across the floor to leap up onto the Ancient One's shoulders, rubbing against him with a purr. The Ancient One reached up and gave him a fond pat, then turned back to Leo. Leo hadn't known before now that his human companion's voice could sound so wise or solemn.

"The Kuremachisu had always been a small clan, nestled high in the mountains in our temples and libraries. But though we were always much smaller then the clans that neighbored us, we were a much older clan, with ancient traditions and knowledge built up over many centuries. While not physically strong, we were known far and wide for our spiritual strength and wisdom, and were respected as the unrivaled masters of our own spirit, our ki. Our closest neighbors, the Hamato Clan, were always more numerous and physically stronger, but they always held a level of appreciation and deference for our clan. In return, we grew to respect their strong sense of honor and loyalty. Over time, our two clans became close friends and allies for many generations, until we became as brothers to one another. So, to our brothers, we offered knowledge and spiritual training, while, in return, they offered us numbers, physical strength, and protection." The Ancient One paused, holding his cup of tea in his hands and pondering it for a while. He eventually said with a hint of bittersweet sadness. "Our clans shared more than friendship. Our children played together. Our teachers traveled freely between our clans. We shared our sense of honor, our resources, ..." He paused for a moment, then added sadly. "and... even enemies."

Leo exhaled with realization. "The Foot Clan."

"Yes." the Ancient One slowly stroked the purring cat who had climbed down and settled in his lap. "The Foot Clan was always covetous and fearful of the secrets that my clan held, and at the same time contemptuous of our small size." He gave a sad chuckle and shake of his head. "I assume your father told you the story of how, when he himself was just a few months old, his father Hamato Yuuta, your grandfather, led a mighty war against the Foot Clan, and nearly wiped them out, save for a single infant child, who he had pity upon and took into raise as his own?"

Leo remembered that story. That infant child had been Oroku Saki. The Shredder.

The Ancient One seemed to sense Leo's unseen nod, and continued sadly. "Did he ever tell you what prompted such a sudden and violent assault? What led the entire Hamato Clan to rise up and completely annihilate their neighbor so thoroughly, after centuries of uneasy coexistence? "

Leo swallowed hard, and shook his head. "No... but..." He already realized where this story was going and winced. He spent a moment fingering his cup of tea, before quietly asking, "You're the last of your clan then?"

"I was the only survivor, yes." the Ancient One suddenly sounded wistful and...and old. Very old. "For years afterwards, I often wondered why they never finished me off that terrible day. Maybe they thought I was no threat. After all, I was only an elderly blind man. Perhaps they were just careless, and overlooked me." He gave a sad, humorless chuckle. "Perhaps... perhaps it could've even been a sudden impulse of pity. I honestly do not know." He sighed, and continued. "But for two days, I lay grievously injured among the smoldering ruins of what had once been my home. When the Hamato clan finally arrived, there... there was nothing else left to save. "

"I'm... I'm so sorry." Leo leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.

In this never ending cycle of revenge... just... how much blood had been shed? The Hamato Clan had taken their bloody revenge on the Foot Clan. And so, when he became an adult, Oroku Saki turned against his adopted family and took his revenge on the Hamato Clan. And, because of their slain father, Leo and his brothers in turn took their revenge on the Shredder. Leo himself had been the one to deliver the final blow, taking off the Shredder's head. Now, with both clans left reduced to mere shadows of their past selves, the war still continued to rage on, with the Neo-Foot determined to take their revenge at any cost.

Would... would it ever end? Or would both sides end up destroying one another in a never ending cycle of revenge?

...

And... and was there anything other then himself left of the Hamato Clan left to destroy?

...

Please...

Please let them be okay.

The Ancient One gave a wry chuckle. "Yuuta-san had always been fiercely loyal to his friends and family." he mused. "He always had a strong, deep ingrained desire to protect and provide." He paused for a moment. "I could see his spirit in his son, Yoshi. And... I can sense that same spirit in you."

Leo's unseeing eyes opened at that, and he sat back up and swallowed hard, not sure how to react to that.

Pangur's rumbles intensified, and he gave a sleepy, appreciative murr, apparently getting petted. The Ancient One continued softly."Yuuta himself took me in, and tended to my wounds. I had lost my home, so he opened his own for me. His family became my family." There was a pause. "And that is why, Leonardo, when your father's spirit appeared to me with a similar request, I was very happy to return the favor."

"I... I... But... H-how...?" Leo stuttered, completely stunned and confused. Multiple layers of questions crowded through his brain, creating a traffic jam and leaving all his thoughts fragmented and jumbled. He didn't even know where to begin! He knew that Master Splinter's spirit still watched over him and his brothers, he had seen that for himself, but... but had he really appeared to this human? How had he known which island Leo would wash up on? Did... did his father's spirit somehow guided him here? Where he knew Leo would find help and comfort in his literally darkest moment?

And, for that matter, how had the Ancient One even gotten here? And when? This was a deserted island in the middle of the ocean! A bird sanctuary, from what he had been told. The Ancient One kept saying that he was just a guest, that it was really Pangur Ban's home, his island, but... there had to be somebody here taking care of the cat. From the look and feel of the ancient temple-like hut they were using as a house, it had been lived in for a long time, so why was it here? Who lived here? Where were they now?

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that nothing about this made any sense!

And then a purring ball of warm fur was dumped into his lap, interrupting his thoughts and startling him.

The Ancient One turned away, dusting off his hands as he walked across the room. "Okay, I think that that's enough exposition for the time being!" His voice was once more back to its more familiar, flippant tone, losing any semblance of a wise, sad old man and once again coarse, cheerful, and somewhat irreverent.

"Wh-what?" Leo stammered, taken momentarily by surprise, but then he quickly pulled himself together and set the happy Pangur off to one side on the floor, quickly trying to scramble to his feet, wincing in pain as he did so. "Hold on just one moment! You... you can't just... How can you even... I... What?!"

The Ancient One laughed, apparently highly amused by Leo's confusion. "Just calm down. You're over thinking things again!" He shuffled off to the cupboards on the other side of the room and started putting away the first aid supplies. "Worry not, everything will be revealed soon enough, when the time is right. For now, though?" Leo gave a surprised yelp as a kumquat fruit bounced off his snout, and had to scramble to catch it before it fell to the floor. "Rest up, Kumquat. Tomorrow we start the real training."

Leo held the round piece of fruit in his hand dumbly, feeling it roll between his fingers, and could only glance in the direction of the old human's voice and echo hoarsely, "Training?"

"Yup!" the Ancient One sounded pleased as punch and quite smug as he closed the cupboard door. "Training. Son of Hamato Yoshi, you definitely need lots and lots of training."

Leo stood there for a minute, wondering how to even process all this. Then he felt a furry head bump up against him, and a lithe body wound its way against his bandaged ankles. Numbly, he transferred the kumquat to one hand and reached down to scoop up Pangur with the other.

"Don't you even..." he muttered to the cat, but it was too late.

Delighted at the attention and perched securely in Leo's bandaged arm, purring Pangur reached up to start happily bathing Leo's nose once more.