Grace stood straight and still, watching her mother with apprehension. The older woman had turned toward a nearby window, frowning in thought. Finally, she spoke.

"You took a great risk revealing yourself."

The teen pressed her lips together and looked down. Of course, she had to point out what Grace had done wrong… she always did.

"Yes, Mother."

Her mother's voice was thoughtful when she spoke again.

"But this may work in our favor. Our clan is in need of allies in this city… this turtle and whatever clan he belongs to may serve that purpose."

Despite herself, Grace felt a flurry of excitement.

"If I may, Sensei," she said, keeping her voice calm. "He would likely be more inclined to speak with me. I would be glad to learn more."

Her mother turned, and she saw uncertainty in her eyes. Grace liked to think part of that was concern, but there was no way to know for sure.

"You would be the best choice," the older woman said slowly, then her look grew stern. "But remember, we must observe caution. Whatever impression this turtle has left on you, he is still a stranger. You cannot always believe the best of everyone."

Grace nodded.

"Hai, Sensei. We agreed to meet again tomorrow night if you would allow."

Her mother kept her eyes trained on her for a moment, then nodded in return.

"Very well. Two of our clan will accompany you to observe and intervene if necessary. You may go now," she said before turning back to the window. Grace bowed her head before turning and striding out of the room. Despite herself, a small smile was tugging at her face. She'd had only a small impression of Michelangelo and was hardly able to draw a complete conclusion about him based on their brief meeting, but honestly, she liked him. He seemed amiable, even fun, which was a welcome change. She cared for her friends in her clan, of course, but they were all so stiff-backed.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she entered the hallway outside her mother's office and one of those friends, Hamari, stepped out of the shadows. Hamari was a new recruit to the clan, still in training. Though they were close to the same age, Hamari looked up to Grace.

"What did Sensei say?" she asked, her tone controlled but with a trace of eagerness.

"She agreed," Grace replied, still smiling. Hamari smiled too, falling into step beside Grace.

"I just can't believe it," she murmured, her eyes wide. "You don't suppose he was a yokai, do you?"

Grace shook her head.

"I don't think so. He'd have a more traditional name if he was."

Hamari looked at her with a hopeful look.

"Do think Sensei would let me shadow you?"

Giving her a small smile, Grace patted her arm.

"I can ask, but I think she wants full-fledged ninja to do it."

Her friend pressed her lips together, looking disappointed.

"Master Akira approved me for missions… how can I become a full ninja if I don't get any?"

"Don't worry," Grace said reassuringly. "You will… my mother wants to start scouting out the city. I've heard there are a lot of street gangs here."

Hamari's smile returned as she flexed her fingers.

"Excellent."

Grace felt a grin come to her face; she knew her friend was eager to prove herself and could sympathize… she often felt the same way. She hadn't volunteered for this assignment just because she wanted to learn more about Michelangelo.

"So, tell me," Hamari said, drawing her attention. "Where do you think this turtle is from?"

"Michelangelo," Grace replied automatically. "I'm not sure… I know no one in our clan has heard anything, so he's clearly stayed out of sight. He might be new here too, but I didn't get that feeling from him… he seemed easygoing. Nice, too."

She glanced over at Hamari to see her friend giving her a thoughtful look.

"Grace," she said slowly. "Do you like him?"

That took Grace completely by surprise, and for some strange reason she felt her face heat a little.

"I only talked to him for a little while, certainly not long enough to know him very well," she said, then crossed her arms as her brow furrowed. "But like I said, he seems nice enough."

She heard Hamari hum in thought, but she didn't push it any further.

"Do you think there are others?" she asked instead.

Grace bit her lip in thought, grateful for the relative change of subject.

"I'm pretty sure he's not alone… but whether the others in his clan are like him, I can't say."

Hamari's look grew thoughtful.

"It's strange though. If he's not yokai, where in the world did he come from?"

Grace shrugged, gazing ahead.

"Who can say? Maybe I can find out when I talk to him again."

The two girls walked in silence for a while, then Hamari spoke up again.

"Everyone will be talking about this when word spreads. It would be good to have allies in the city, especially with so much crime on the streets."

That made Grace frown.

"I know… so many people are getting hurt. I don't understand how the people who do it just don't care."

Hamari let out a quiet sigh before looking over at Grace with a small smile.

"Well, that's why there are people like us," she said. "Who do care."

That made Grace smile too.

"Yes, I suppose that's true."

She found herself thinking about Michelangelo again and wondering if him and whoever was in his clan felt the same way. Somehow, she was sure they did.