Grace watched Hamari bow to her mother, unable to keep a proud smile off her face. Tonight, at last, her friend had been declared a full-fledged ninja of the Gawa clan. As Hamari straightened, she caught Grace's eye. Knowing Sensei wouldn't see with her attention on Hamari, Grace nodded. Since she was facing Sensei, Hamari didn't smile back, but Grace saw her happiness and the gratitude in her eyes.

"Tanaka Hamari," Sensei declared. "You are tonight welcomed as a jenin of the Gawa Clan. May you serve our clan with distinction and pride."

"Hai, Sensei," Hamari said crisply.

It wasn't until the induction ceremony was over that Grace was finally able to talk to Hamari, without all the formality. Grinning, she reached out to give her friend's shoulder a friendly clasp.

"There, see? I knew you could do it."

Hamari finally allowed herself a grin in return.

"Thank you, Grace," she said sincerely. "For being there… and believing in me."

"How could I do anything else?" Grace replied. She found herself wondering how the turtles would react to this news. She was sure they'd be glad… they hadn't known each other long, but she felt they were well on their way to being friends. Of course, she knew Michelangelo already considered her a friend. She found a smile coming to her face at that thought, then blinked and refocused her attention on Hamari.

"So, tell me," she said. "Are you looking forward to fighting with our allies as a full ninja?"

Hamari nodded, still grinning.

"I can't wait to see Raphael's face."

Grace laughed at that.

"Oh, he'll be impressed, even if he won't admit it. and I'm sure Michelangelo will be happy for you."

Laughing herself, Hamari shrugged.

"Well, it doesn't seem to take much to make him happy."

Despite her hum of agreement, Grace found herself pondering those words. There was certainly no denying that the orange-masked turtle seemed to be the most upbeat of the four brothers, but in truth, Grace wasn't so sure he was as much as he seemed. She didn't really know why she thought that… as she had told Hamari, it was as if she could look at Michelangelo and sense things about him. She couldn't help but wonder if he could do the same with her.

Suddenly realizing that Hamari had been talking, Grace blinked and came back to herself.

"Um, I'm sorry, what?"

Her friend looked at her with an expression that was a strange cross of thoughtful and sly.

"So…" she said, her voice teasing. "Since you seem eager to learn more about him, next patrol, shall we leave the two of you alone for a few minutes?"

Grace knew she was just teasing, but still her face went hot, a sure sign that she was blushing furiously. She coughed, trying to appear as if the words hadn't rattled her. The continued amusement on Hamari's face suggested she wasn't managing that too well.

"Th-that's fine. Really no need."

She heard Hamari stifle a chuckle and pretended not to have noticed. Thankfully her friend had left her teasing tone when she next spoke.

"So now that we know them more, what do you think of him and the others?"

Setting her jaw in thought, Grace considered Hamari's question for a few moments.

"It's pretty clear they're fighting for the same reasons as us," she said slowly. "Although I have to admit, it's interesting how smoothly they work together even though they're so different."

She felt Hamari nudge her shoulder and looked over at her to see her smiling.

"Well, being family usually helps in that, don't you think?"

Grace immediately returned Hamari's smile and nodded. It was true, after all… the two of them may not be related by blood, but in every way, Grace considered Hamari the sister she never had. Her look then grew thoughtful again.

"There's just one thing… Michelangelo seems perfectly accepting, but I can't help feeling like his brothers are… keeping their guard up around us. I don't know if I'm imagining it or if they're just like that with every new person they meet, but I just can't shake it."

"I've felt like that too," Hamari admitted, a slight frown creasing her brow. "But I don't think we should be too judging. Our clan is cautious with meeting strangers, and I'm sure it would be especially dangerous for the turtles… they're not human, after all."

"That's true," Grace said, nodding. A feeling of sympathy then rose in her, and she continued in a soft voice. "I can't imagine how lonely it must have been for them, having no one else in the world to turn to."

"Yes," Hamari murmured, her own expression growing sympathetic. "I may not be as close to everyone else as I am to you, but I know there are people in the clan I can always count on."

A smile tugged at Grace's face as she gave her friend a gentle nudge with her shoulder, just as Hamari had done with her. Neither of the girls spoke for a while as they walked, heading for the roof of the building. Soon they had reached their usual spot, and both sat on the edge of the roof. Gazing out over the city, Grace found herself reflecting on this new home. It was so different from the one they left behind in Japan, but she found it was growing on her.

"I've been wondering…" she said softly. "When do you think we'll see combat with this Foot clan the turtles told us about?"

She looked over at Hamari to see her friend chewing her lip in thought.

"Who knows. I just know I have a feeling they'll know about us soon if they don't already. We'll face them before long."

Grace leaned back, bracing herself with her hands as she glanced up at the sky. If there was one thing she missed most about the clan's old home, it was being able to see the stars. There was so much light pollution here that you could only see a few of the brightest ones.

"Do you ever miss Japan?" she asked, looking over at Hamari. Her friend looked thoughtful for a few moments before meeting Grace's eyes.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But I try not to let it bother me. This is our home now, and you can't stop change. All you can do is make the best of it. After seeing more of this city, I admit there are things that'll take some getting used to, but I think I could come to like it."

Grace hummed in agreement, returning her gaze to the city below. She thought the same thing, honestly… and she couldn't deny that meeting the turtles might play a large role in that. They might be a little startling at first appearance, but they all seemed to be decent individuals. She remembered her surprise and unease when she first met Michelangelo, but his easygoing personality had eased her discomfit quickly. She felt she could count him as the first new friend she had made in this new home, and knew he counted her as one too.

As soon as she completed that thought, Grace felt a smile spread across her face along with a strange sensation in her chest. It was an entirely new feeling, and try as she might, she couldn't identify it… but it wasn't a bad feeling. If anything, she liked it.

Blinking and shaking her head slightly, she returned her attention to Hamari. As their casual banter continued, the strange feeling was soon put out of her mind, replaced by her eager anticipation of their next patrol and how their new comrades would react to Hamari's heightened rank. She wasn't sure if they counted her and Hamari as friends just yet, but she was sure they'd be glad… especially Michelangelo.