There are a few things I want to mention about this story.
First, there will be tcest in later chapters, so if that's not your thing, well I'm afraid this story isn't for you. I had been debating for awhile to have it or not, but the end case of this story being more for me won out.
I've been working on it since last year, writing for a couple months but then taking several months break. As of right now, I already have about 40,000 words written up. That's pretty big for me, and I don't plan to have a designated schedule for updates, but I'll probably try to update at least once a month, hopefully twice. Chapters will run about 3,000-7,000 in lengths, at least from what I've got written right now. The only exception being this first chapter.
Another thing I'd like to mention is that this story is going to somewhat follow the actual show, that being TMNT 2012. I'll try to incorporate the episodes into this, but as it goes on, it'll follow the show less.
Also, I started writing this back in September of last year I believe it was, and at that point a certain character hadn't been announced for the show yet. So that means I'll be using more of the IDW character. I liked how the story was going too much for me to make adjustments to match up with the show.
The last thing I'd like to mention is I do have an OC in the first couple of chapters. She is strictly for some background and to have things make a little more sense, but that's it. I'm not a huge fan of OCs but I needed to have one for plot purposes. If you don't like OCs, fret not, she won't be here for long.
Well this was a long introduction, but I wanted to put out some things I thought were important for you readers to know. And with that, enjoy.
Holding the child close to his chest, Oroku Saki slowly walked away from the house burning behind him. The orange and golden flames lit up the dark night like a beacon, and the thick smoke billowed up into the air. It was difficult to miss and authorities were sure to show up soon enough, despite how far off the house was from a town. But none of that mattered to him. He would be gone long before anyone showed up to investigate.
The small child let out a small cry and he gripped her tighter, as if she was a lifeline. He looked down into her golden eyes as she opened them up. They looked so much like her mother's... Raw anger and grief rushed through the man's body at the thought of the woman he loved.
Silver blades slashed through the air, coming upon the downed man. Suddenly a flash of white and the blades met flesh, ripping through the soft skin. He heard himself shout, but time seemed to slow down.
Blood spurted out of the wound, staining the blades crimson as the woman collapsed. Yoshi let out a cry of despair and nearly fell upon Tang-Shen, desperately trying to stop the blood from pouring out of her body. But it was to no avail. A large pool of blood had already formed beneath her and steadily grew as each second passed; the man's cries became more frantic.
Saki stood watching the whole thing, his hand shaking. The silver gauntlet on his arm felt heavy, trickles of blood running off its tips and onto the ground. But he ignored it. The only thing he could see was the light fading from the woman's eyes. Yoshi's cries turned to anguished sobbing as Tang-Shens's breathing stopped.
The heat pouring off of the advancing flames awakened Saki from his trance, and with new fury raging through his veins, he shot towards the man still on the ground. He let out a cry of rage, alerting Yoshi who quickly reacted and kicked him away. Saki stumbled, his eyes blazing as he moved to attack again.
Suddenly a portion of the burning roof collapsed, falling onto him. He let out a screech of pain, the searing embers burning into his flesh as he fought them off. His face felt like it was on fire, but he opened his eyes only to discover Yoshi had gone. Letting out a final scream, full of fury and sadness, he swiftly heaved the burning wood laying on top of him and left the sweltering, unstable house.
The cool night air kissed his burning face as he stumbled out of the house. Saki turned back towards it, watching as another portion of the roof collapsed under the fire's brutal attack. He stood for another moment to catch his breath, when a small sound made him tense up. Turning towards a chair several feet away from him and moving towards it, he discovered something that made his blood run cold.
A small baby lay under the chair, its face scrunched up in discomfort as it let out a wail. He slowly picked up the child, slightly calming its cries at being encircled in warmth. His burning face was no longer felt as he stared down at her. Nothing but the crackling of the fire behind him bled into the night air. Saki held her close as he began to slowly walk away from the house. The blood continued to fall from his gauntlet.
Tears ran down Yoshi's face as he sprinted away from his home. His throat felt raw as his breaths caught into sobs at the thought of his beautiful wife lying dead in their burning home. Their daughter, Miwa, was no where to be found. Losing his wife was incredibly painful, but to think both of them, the two people he loved the most in this world, were ripped away from him in one night was too much for him to bear. And by the man he considered his brother.
He wanted more than anything to just collapse, but something kept him moving, running from the ones he loved. The ones that were dead. After the roof had collapsed on Saki, Yoshi had sprinted out to avoid meeting a similar fate. Part of him had wanted to stay. To lay down beside his wife's body and perish along with her. But he had moved, leaving the place he called home with a family that he loved more than anything.
Yoshi's pace decreased as he left the forest, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. Slowly he turned back in the direction of his home. The bright flames were just barely visible now, only peaking over the top of the trees. The black smoke was barely visible in the dark night, only illuminated by the fire they were rising from. His heart ached at the sight. How could he have lost everything in one night? Go. Move. His father's words echoed in his mind. Yoshi reluctantly turned his back towards the flame and continued walking away from his life, his hands trembling by his sides.
He didn't know how long he walked, but eventually light began to light up the sky as dawn approached. Yoshi didn't look behind him. There wasn't anything to see. There wasn't anything left.
He came upon a small stream, collapsing beside it as his legs gave out. Yoshi was incredibly exhausted and bent down to gather some water in cupped hands, struggling to drink any with his hands shaking uncontrollably. His eyes found his reflection, and he barely recognized the face staring back at him.
Bloodshot eyes stared back into his, raw grief shining in them. His face was covered in soot, giving him a haunted look as he studied himself. Small tracks ran down his face from where his tears had washed away the soot, adding to the sorry state he found himself in. But he found that the look all but fit him. There was nothing left of Hamato Yoshi as he gazed down into his reflection, he realized. He had died alongside his wife after all. There wasn't anything left of him...
Slowly the man rose from his pitiful state. Hamato Yoshi was dead. Numbness ran through him as he stumbled away.
1 Year Later...
The door slammed behind Oroku Saki as he entered his apartment, startling the nursemaid who had just gotten baby Karai to fall asleep. Karai's shrieking cries ripped through the adults' eardrums as she awoke and the nursemaid quickly began rocking the little girl again to calm her. Saki let out a small growl before stalking past the woman, who watched him pass with slight unease. He, however, ignored her troubled look and entered his bedroom.
The nursemaid, Hatsumi, eventually quieted down the small child while sending a worried glance towards the closed bedroom door. She had been hired by the man almost a year ago to care for his daughter while he went off to work. She knew that his wife and mother of the child was killed by some freak accident, but she didn't know the full details. However, Hatsumi had never been one to pry and she could tell the man still struggled with losing his wife. Her heart ached for him, knowing the pain of losing the one you loved. She had struggled with depression afterwards, but she knew the man had severe anger issues.
It slightly bothered her, knowing that he often lost control of his temper and she feared one day he might strike his daughter. But she always quickly shook the thought away. The man had offered her a job that paid well and as long as she cared for his daughter, she was good for life. She glanced back down to the drowsy child and she smiled. Karai was troublesome but truly special. Sometimes she often thought of the girl as her own. Hatsumi walked over to the child's room, quite large for a child her age, and gently laid Karai into her crib. Hatsumi picked up the child's favorite toy, a stuffed turtle, and put it beside her. Small hands latched onto the toy and Hatsumi let out a small laugh as the child cuddled it. Stroking the girl's head fondly, Hatsumi quietly left the room.
The woman was surprised to see Saki standing outside the girl's bedroom. She knew he was ninja, but sometimes he surprised her with how quiet a man of his size could be. "Oh hello Oroku-san. I just put Karai down for the night." She gave him a small bow, to which he seemed to ignore.
Saki looked over Hatsumi's shoulder, as he easily towered over her, and gazed at his daughter. Hatsumi noticed his stern glare slightly soften at seeing his daughter, and the woman couldn't help but smile. She knew he was a very dangerous individual, known for being quite cold, but she could tell how much he loved his daughter. The man's gaze quickly met hers and the stern glare she was familiar reappeared as quickly as if left. "I will be leaving early tomorrow morning and will busy most of the day. I expect Karai to be watched over the whole time."
Hatsumi gave another small bow. "Of course Oroku-san. She will be taken care of as always."
"I have also noticed we are running low on supplies here and they will need to be restocked." Hatsumi nodded, already knowing that she would have to go to the store and buy more groceries for the apartment. Most were used for Karai and herself, as she spent most of her days here, but Saki was rarely in his home. Instead the man was working long hours. When Hatsumi thought about it, she had never seen the man eat a thing in her 8 months of knowing him.
"Hai Oroku-san. I will do that as soon as I can tomorrow."
He nodded and turned, heading back to his bedroom. "You are dismissed for the day. Leave."
Hatsumi bowed again, habit really, and gave one last glance towards the sleeping Karai. Content with the girl's status, Hatsumi grabbed her jacket and apartment keys, wishing the man a goodnight, and went on her way.
The next day around 6am, Hatsumi arrived at Saki's apartment and used her spare set of keys he had given her to enter. It was quiet and dark. He had likely already left for the day. The woman walked to Karai's room, smiling warmly at seeing the girl still clutching the turtle toy and went to prepare breakfast for the both of them.
After Karai had awoken, the two ate and Hatsumi gave the child a bath. Content with her young charge's cleanness, Hatsumi quickly packed up several snacks for being in the market for a few hours. Saki had left some money on the counter for her to use, and she tucked it away into her bag before picking up the giggling Karai and leaving the apartment.
It was a rather dreary, cloudy day as the two made their way through a grocery store and a street market. Hatsumi had always enjoyed walking the market and seeing all the little trinkets and produce for sale. The young Karai loved it as well, pointing her chubby fingers at whatever interested her and giggling. Hatsumi fondly rolled her eyes. That girl was going to be trouble one day.
As the two came upon a stall with fresh carrots, Hatsumi set the struggling Karai down, and picked several of the vegetables and handed over some money. It had only been about five seconds since she last glanced down to make sure the child was nearby, when Karai was no longer there. Panic rushed through Hatsumi as she whipped around, franticly searching for the child in the growing crowd.
A sudden cry quickly caught her attention as she saw the child she was looking for trying to reach up to a table and grab whatever was on it over in a corner of the market. Letting out a quick sigh of relief, Hatsumi practically ran over to where Karai was. She was about to chide the child for scaring her like that, when she noticed what Karai was adamant about getting. A rectangular glass container sat on the table, holding a small turtle inside. It was incredibly small, no bigger than her palm, with leafy green skin freckled with some lighter spots on its head.
Karai began to whine when she couldn't reach the creature, prompting a chuckle from the man Hatsumi hadn't noticed sitting in the dark behind the table. "She's very interested in him isn't she?" He was an elderly gentleman with graying hair and kind eyes.
Hatsumi smiled at him. "Indeed. She's always been very fond of turtles. Her favorite toy is a stuffed one and she can't sleep without it." The two laughed, watching Karai continue to aimlessly reach the turtle. Tears started to pool in the girl's golden eyes and her lip began to puff out. Hatsumi knelt down beside her. "Now now Karai. I know you want this turtle but I don't think your father would like it."
Karai turned her glassy eyes toward Hatsumi. "Want!" She demanded, pointing at the creature. "Want it!"
Hatsumi shook her head. "I'm sorry Karai but we cannot take care of him. I do not even know how to take care of a turtle."
"They don't really take much." The man spoke up, gaining the girls' attention. Standing up from his chair, he reached into the container to pick up the turtle. He smiled at Karai and held the turtle out to her. The girl's eyes widened and sparkled as her lips curled up into a large smile. She eagerly reached for the animal, causing the man to laugh. "Now be careful with him. He's still very young." Karai nodded and was handed the turtle. Her mouth opened in awe as she gently stroked the creature's shell, as if holding a precious jewel.
Hatsumi smiled fondly at Karai's enthusiasm. She turned back to the man. "Thank you. I don't know if we could have left if she didn't get to hold it."
The man shook his head. "It's my pleasure. Rarely do I see young ones getting so excited over baby turtles anymore." His eyes dimmed slightly, causing Hatsumi to frown in concern.
"What is wrong?"
The man gave her another smile, this one smaller however. "I raise turtles to sell since they are such a popular animal to have as a pet. However there have been less people wanting them, and this year has been especially hard." He frowned, the sadness evident on his face. "Five eggs hatched this year to give me four very strong turtles and this little one." He said nodding at the turtle Karai was still enamored with. "I feared he would not make it."
Hatsumi looked at the small turtle in confusion. "Excuse me for asking, but if this turtle has survived why do you call it a hard year?"
"There was some sort of sickness that the turtles all had." He explained. "The four, though they seemed big and strong, did not make it. This little one however, managed to survive." The man sighed. "I've been thinking of stopping selling turtles, and after this year I know that this will be my last group. I decided to sell this little one even though he is very small for his age, but no one has wanted him. My wife does not want him, and I fear that if no one takes him I will have to let him out in the forest." Hatsumi's eyes widened. A turtle this size in the forest wouldn't last a day. Predators of any kind would easily pick him off and have him as a snack. The thought made her sad. No one wanted this little baby?
A squeal of delight broke Hatsumi's somber mood as she glanced back towards Karai, whose face was filled with absolute joy. She had brought the little turtle up to her face to gaze into his eyes, and he had licked her nose. The man chuckled, his previous mirth back. "He seems to like you." Karai beamed at him, obviously excited by the thought.
Hatsumi's heart melted at the sight. She continued to watch Karai laugh in joy as the turtle licked her nose again. Turning back to the man, also watching the child and turtle, Hatsumi made up her mind. "So how much does a turtle cost exactly?" The man's and Karai's smiles could not be matched.
Entering the dismal pet shop, Yoshi did not know what to expect. It had been almost a year since his life had been destroyed. For months he had done nothing but stay in a small, dingy apartment and work whatever jobs he could find back in Tokyo. It was extremely exhausting getting up each day with nothing to live for, but he had kept going. For what he didn't know, but a part of him believed to preserve Tang-Shen's and Miwa's memories. Eventually he had saved up enough money to move. As much as he loved Tokyo and all of his homeland, the pain was too unbearable staying where his life had ended.
His new home was practically on the other side of the globe, in the large city of New York City. It was loud and rambunctious, but he did not mind. The noise was almost a relief, being too loud for his mind to wander to darker thoughts. He had chosen this city because it was similar to Tokyo, but far from any of the memories that hurt to think about. It wasn't anything great, but it was enough for him.
However after living in the city for several months now, Yoshi couldn't help but grow lonely. While his loss still felt raw on his soul, he craved some sort of companionship. Befriending new people was out of the question for him. People were too curious, and they would hurt him more than they would help. He didn't particularly want someone to talk to, but something to share the space of his quiet apartment would be wonderful.
And that was how he found himself walking into the small store, with a small bell ringing to alert employees of his presence. Yoshi stopped for a minute, hesitating. Did he really want a pet? How would he take care of it? In fact, he had never even had a pet before. Unease was growing within him, and considered walking back out the door. It was at that moment, that a young man, no older than 25, walked out of a back room and greeted him.
"Hello sir and welcome to Eastman's Pet Store. Are you looking for a pet or some supplies for one you already have?"
Yoshi blinked, still unsure. "I was interested in adopting something." He admitted quietly.
The young man nodded and yawned, seemingly bored. "And what were you interested in adopting?"
"I was just interested in looking." Yoshi was surprised his voice didn't shake as he felt his nervousness growing. What was he even doing here...
The young man sighed. "Alright well all animals are over to the left. If you need me I'll be in back." With that, the man strolled back into the back room doing whatever he had been doing, leaving Yoshi on his own.
Yoshi was still tempted to just turn and walk back out, but hesitated. He was a ninja once, not afraid of anything. This should be nothing right? And what was the harm in just looking? It wasn't like he even had to buy something. His mind made up, Yoshi walked over to the various enclosures set up. Dull covered fish lazily swam in their slightly dirty looking tanks, as a group of frogs circled around in water in another tank. His eyes wandered over the animals, nothing really catching his attention. He was about to deem his search fruitless and leave, when a final enclosure caught his eye.
It was smaller than the rest, nestled away in a dark corner. Yoshi walked over to it, peering inside. Three small turtles caught his attention as they strolled their small home. They were of various sizes and colors he noticed. The smallest of the trio was also lightest green and looked as if it was attempting to catch its own tail, though it was difficult when it could barely turn fast enough. The largest turtle was a shade of emerald and seemed content with snapping at several leaves hanging over its head. The final turtle, sized somewhere between the two, was olive green and staring back at Yoshi. It startled him, seeing the small creature watching him almost as intently he was to it. The two held each other's gazes.
Tentatively, Yoshi reached into the tank and stroked the turtle's shell. At first, the turtle shrunk back into its shell, but when it realized Yoshi wasn't a threat, it shyly poked its head back out. A smile formed on Yoshi's face, which surprised himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled. Suddenly the larger turtle rushed over and snapped at the invading finger, hissing at Yoshi as he withdrew his hand. The man chuckled. "Do not fear little one. I mean your friend no harm." The larger turtle hissed again while the olive green one continued to watch him. His voice startled the smallest one out of its antics and it lumbered over to the group, chirping up at Yoshi as if trying to talk.
In that moment, Yoshi's mind was made up. He hadn't really thought he'd find a pet, let alone three, but these turtles were much too precious. In the back of his mind, he vaguely remembered Tang-Shen's adoration with the reptile. He smiled fondly at the thought, but he didn't feel as downcast as before. "I will be right back little ones." He promised before going to get the young man.
At seeing Yoshi's choice of pet, the young man laughed. "These three little guys sure are a handful. Guess it runs in the family."
Yoshi turned to him. "They are family?" He questioned.
"Yep. Three brothers." The young man shook his head. "It'll be good to get rid of em though. I don't think I can deal with their troubles anymore." Laughing again at the thought, the young man ran up the prices of them.
Yoshi studied the turtles again. Brothers? It was surprising, thinking that the three were still all together in the pet store. It filled him with warmth though, knowing that they would be able to stay together, as a family.
"Oh you should probably get a new tank. One sec." The young man said absentmindedly. He quickly went back into the back room, bringing back a round, glass container. "If you just want to put em in there I'll go grab some food for em."
Nodding at the instructions, Yoshi carefully picked up each turtle, placing them in the tank. The small turtle chirped and shook its legs at being transported while the large one hissed and tried biting the hands holding him. The olive green made no sound, but slightly withdrew back into his shell.
Paying for the turtles and their necessities, Yoshi left the pet shop feeling much lighter than before, despite the darkening sky above him. He hadn't truly thought he would find something, let alone three somethings, but he felt happy. Happier than he had been in a long time.
Sighing in content, he failed to notice a man in a black business suit walking towards him until they bumped into each other. Yoshi stumbled slightly and gripped the bowl tighter so he wouldn't drop it and turned to apologize to the man. But the man paid him no mind, continuing past Yoshi and into an alleyway. Curious and slight annoyed at being dismissed so quickly, Yoshi followed. Stepping into the dark alley, he noticed the man he had bumped into was not alone. Two identical figures were beside him, one holding a large vial of some glowing green liquid.
Yoshi felt uneasy at the sight, and turned to leave the alley when he accidentally stepped on a rat that he hadn't noticed. It squeaked loudly and scampered off, its tail whipping Yoshi's leg in the sound alerted the men behind him of his presence. One of the men spoke, prompting Yoshi to turn back around to face them. "Halt. The one that is not Kraang must not leave the place of Kraang with seeing Kraang." Stepping back in surprise and confusion at their strange way of speaking, Yoshi quickly studied them. They looked the same, too similar. And their faces were emotionless. Nothing was portrayed on them, as if they were wearing a mask. Two of the men started walking towards him while the one holding the vial stayed where he was.
Tensing up knowing he would have to fight, Yoshi shifted the bowl of turtles so he had one hand free to engage. The first man to approach attempted to grab him, but years of training had Yoshi moving out of the way and grabbing the man's outstretched wrist. Yanking the man towards him, Yoshi swiftly raised his knee and sent the man flying. Stumbling backwards from the sudden pain shooting through his knee, Yoshi glanced down to the man he had just attacked. Was he wearing some kind of metal armor under that suit?
But he didn't have time to think about it when the other man advancing towards him tried grabbing him, obviously not learning of his companion's mistake. This time however, Yoshi stepped backwards and kicked out a leg to unbalance the man. The man went down, hitting the ground with a loud 'thunk' when Yoshi noticed the gun being pointed his way. It was large and didn't look like any weapon he had ever seen, but fear rushed through him as the blank eyes of the man holding the vial pulled the trigger.
A bright purple flash and Yoshi moved, charging towards the man. Some sort of lasers shot out of the gun as the man attempted to shoot Yoshi, but adrenaline rushing through the older man had him knocking the gun out of the man's hand in a flash. Quickly Yoshi punched the man's sternum, pain rushing through his fist at the hard contact, and the man stumbled back slightly. Stunned by the pain running through his hand, Yoshi failed to move fast enough when the man suddenly attacked him using the vial.
Unbearable pain flashed through him, blinding him as he screamed. The bowl he was carrying fell as Yoshi desperately tried to get the green liquid off of him, scratching at his face and body, anything to stop the pain. Too absorbed in his torture, he didn't notice the three men talking briefly to each other before leaving the alley. Collapsing, Yoshi curled in on himself, whimpering at the excruciating pain. It felt like hours to him, but only mere seconds had passed when his body began to change.
Minutes passed, and the pain started to recede. Tentatively Yoshi pried open his eyes. He slowly pushed himself off of the ground, the world spinning around him. Bringing his hand up to hold his pounding head, shock rushed through him. Quickly bringing down the limb, Yoshi felt his blood run cold. He was staring at some kind of paw. It was pink with long, sharp claws. But there was fur on his arm. He brought the trembling paw up to his head and felt more fur. And he had a snout with whiskers, with a pink noise protruding off the end. Turning towards a silver trash can he noticed at the wall of a building, his eyes widened in horror at what he saw. He was a giant rat. What was happening?
A small cry made him whip around, stunning him even further. In the pool of green liquid beside him, surrounded by shards of glass, were three babies. Where did they... One of them brought up a small hand, and Yoshi's heart stopped. It only had three fingers. Blinking several times, Yoshi finally noticed that while they were in fact infants, they were green and had...shells?
Realization flooded through him as he continued to gape at them. These were the turtles he had just bought. More than triple the size they were before and incredibly human looking. The one staring at his hand noticed Yoshi, turning its attention towards him. The turtle stared at him, its auburn eyes filled with curiosity.
Another of the turtles cooed, alerting Yoshi as he turned to look at it. It smiled as it began to crawl around. Yoshi noticed it was about to step on a piece of glass and he quickly snatched it up so it wouldn't harm itself. Squealing at suddenly being off the ground, it giggled and turned its baby blue eyes towards Yoshi. Reaching out its small little hands, the little turtle attempted to grab at the rat. Something growled beside him, and Yoshi moved his attention to find stormy green eyes glaring at him. The turtle in his hands continued to struggle in his grip and gently he set it down. The green-eyed turtle instantly turned towards the smaller one and practically leaped onto him, causing him to squeal as they tussled.
It was strange. An hour earlier he had been debating whether he should get a pet or not and now he was watching three turtle children as a giant rat. He sighed, burying his face into his hands, though it felt extremely awkward with thin fingers and snout. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't just walk around as a giant rat. It had been a year since he felt his life had ended alongside the death of his wife and daughter, but slowly he had begun to build himself back up, back into a shadow of the man he had once been. But now? Now he was nothing once again. His humanity had been taken now too.
Something touched his leg, and he lifted his head out of his hands. The olive green turtle had one of his small hands on Yoshi, tentatively touching the rat. His auburn eyes lifted shyly to Yoshi's and smiled, showing off a small gap in his teeth. But it was the eyes that caught the former man's attention. They were just so human. All three of the turtles' eyes were.
Slowly Yoshi moved a paw towards the turtle. It shrunk back into its shell a bit, but when realizing it was safe pulled back out and let the paw run over its head. The turtle shivered at the warm paw against its cool skin, and Yoshi realized with a frown that it was rather cool out. No doubt the little creatures were getting cold. He gently picked up the turtle and brought it to his chest, hugging it to warm it up. It let out a happy little sigh and snuggled in, warming Yoshi's heart. The blue-eyed turtle suddenly appeared in front of him, obviously done with wrestling with his brother, and chirped at him. Yoshi set the olive green turtle onto his lap and picked up the smaller turtle, setting him by his brother. The two snuggled together, obviously content. Another growl, though it sounded quite whiny, brought his attention to the third turtle who looked as if it was pouting at being left out. Yoshi chuckled and picked up the turtle, who he noticed was quite heavier, and set him beside his brothers.
Smiling down at the suddenly drowsy children, Yoshi felt something he hadn't in almost a year. Love. Though they may be turtles and he a rat, he knew that there had to be a reason they had all changed. He may never have been a firm believer in destiny, but this just felt right. Gathering the children, his children, close, Yoshi sighed in content. "Sleep well, my sons."
Building up the Foot Clan back to its former glory and power was no simple task, but Oroku Saki had never backed down from a challenge before. Day after day, hour after hour, he worked to bring back his Clan. Even if it meant he had to leave the care of Tang-Shen's daughter, his daughter, to another.
Today's hours had been even longer. A group of his men had heard about some sort of strange technology in an old warehouse in the slums of Tokyo, and went to go investigate whatever it might be. Saki had waited back at the building that served as the Foot's Headquarters. It wasn't anything fancy, but soon enough they would get what they deserved.
When his men had returned, they had brought back a strange briefcase that piqued the ninja master's interest. Apparently some strange group of men had been working in the building, using the strange technology for experimentation. When the ninja had arrived, the men had seemingly been alerted of other party's interest in their equipment and had already begun to evacuate the warehouse. Most of the technology was gone, only some things left that the ninja saw were quickly removed and taken away in white vans. The men in the warehouses all wore business suits and masks, as they all looked like the same exact person. The Foot ninja decided to intervene and were quickly shot at by large guns with purple lasers, to which they easily dodged, but the strange men had escaped in the white vans, leaving no trace of ever being in the building in the warehouse. Except for a briefcase one of them had left behind.
The briefcase had not been opened yet by the ninja, ordered to return with anything left untouched. Saki examined the briefcase. It didn't seem like anything special, not unordinary at all. But he knew better than to judge something by how it appeared. He dismissed the ninja so he could see the contents. Saki slowly pried open the brown case, intrigued by what he found. One small syringe of some sort of glowing green liquid sat inside, seemingly harmless. He picked it up, narrowing his eyes at the strange liquid.
Saki had no idea what it was, though he assumed it was part of what the men in the warehouse had used to perform their experiments. He could take it down to where he had several scientists working, no doubt they would want to study its contents. But something inside of him wanted to keep it for himself, to use it. Glancing towards the clock, Saki growled seeing how late it was. Placing the syringe back into the briefcase, he swiftly left with it in hand.
Hatsumi stole another worried glance at the clock. She knew Saki was supposed to be home late, but 3am seemed a stretch. Usually she left around 10pm each night and returned around 7am the next day to watch over little Karai. Oftentimes she stayed later or arrived earlier, but never this late. Sighing and running a hand through her hair, she fought to keep her eyes open. She was still technically working and she forbade herself to sleep on the job, even though the one she was in charge of had been asleep for several hours now.
Standing to keep awake, Hatsumi wandered back over to Karai's room. The little girl hadn't moved since she had last been checked on, still clutching onto the turtle toy. Hatsumi smiled. Karai had been overly excited at getting to take the small turtle home, smiling so widely the whole way Hatsumi was afraid the girl's face was going to crack. Though she was more than happy to make the little girl so overjoyed, a small part of the woman felt nervous. A new pet without the father and owner of this apartment's permission? Hatsumi shivered a bit, thinking of the man's intimidating glare. But he wouldn't mind too much knowing his little girl was happy, right?
Shaking her head, Hatsumi moved back to the living room, not noticing the dark figure against the wall. Hatsumi let out a large yawn and was about to sit down when a deep voice spoke, nearly frightening the woman to death. "Karai is sleeping well?" Saki asked, though he said it so it didn't sound like a question. He didn't seem impressed by her drowsiness.
"Y-yes Oroku-san." Cringing at her stutter, Hatsumi quickly bowed. "She is doing well right now."
Saki made no sign of responding, and Hatsumi was about to ask if she could leave when she noticed the man's eyes narrow. The scars on his face twisting, the shadows catching them in a way that made fear run through the woman. "What is that?"
Following his gaze, Hatsumi felt her heart drop. The small turtle was moving around in his little enclosure, tapping lightly against the glass. Hatsumi turned back to Saki, freezing when he met her gaze. His golden eyes were cold, glaring at her. She swallowed nervously. "I-it is a turtle Oroku-san."
"I can see that." He growled, making the woman flinch. "Why is it here?"
Trying to hide her growing fear, Hatsumi answered. "While at the market, Karai saw it and I had a short conversation with the man that owned him. He mentioned that he was not able to sell it and was afraid he'd have to release it into the forest, where it would no doubt die. I-I couldn't allow a baby to just die Oroku-san, especially not when young Karai was so enamored with the creature." She swallowed again, trying to hide her trembling hands. "She very much likes him."
"And you just thought to bring it here? If it couldn't survive on its own it doesn't deserve to survive at all." Saki snapped at her.
He started moving towards the small turtle, causing Hatsumi to fear what he might do to it. "Wait Oroku-san!" Her sudden cry surprised herself and Saki, making the man stop and turn his glare back towards her. And though she was afraid, she couldn't allow such a small creature to die. Not when it was still so young and couldn't do anything to get away from danger. Not when the little girl that loved him was sleeping in the room next door. "I know that I should not have bought him, but when I saw how happy he made Karai, I could not help it. I have never seen her so happy Oroku-san, and it made me happy. And while I know this little turtle seems small and weak, he has already fought off death that took his siblings. He is strong Oroku-san, I can tell. So please, I will take him to my apartment if I must, but please do not harm him."
Her words seemed to have some sort of effect on the man, as he turned his glare back onto the turtle, studying it. His eyes did not betray his thoughts, but Hatsumi could tell he was mulling over what she said. "Very well." He finally said, making relief flood through the woman. "I will allow it to stay for now." Fixing his glare back on the woman, he growled at her. "But do not do anything like this again or there will be consequences."
And though the words sent a spark of fear rushing through her, Hatsumi let out a relieved sigh and bowed again. "Of course Oroku-san. I promise not to do anything so rash again."
"Good. Now leave."
Hatsumi didn't need to be told twice, quickly gathering her belongings and leaving.
Alone, Saki sat down on an armchair, picking up the briefcase he had set down and pulling the syringe out of it. He twirled it around his fingers, studying the strange liquid. His gaze landed on the glass container sitting on a table set off to the side of the room. The small turtle inside walked around its enclosure, often tapping against the glass, unaware of the almost predatory eyes trained on its every moves. Saki narrowed his eyes at it.
Standing up, he stalked towards the creature, still holding the syringe in his hand. Being closer to it, Saki noticed just how small the creature was. It was pitiful really, how this small creature survived. Sending a quick glance to the syringe still in his hand, Saki moved his hand to hover over the turtle. It seemed to notice the extra shadow above him, and trained its dark eyes upward. Gold met dark blue. Reaching down, the man picked the creature up. It wiggled a bit at suddenly being lifted off the ground, but didn't seem as scared as Saki assumed it would have been.
The man continued to study the small turtle that seemed to examine the man as well. It didn't look like anything special, and Saki couldn't fathom why his daughter would want it so much.
Melodious laughter filled the air, making his heart beat slightly faster. Chocolatey eyes met his golden ones, and Tang-Shen beckoned Saki over to the small pond she was kneeling by. He looked to where she was, noticing several turtles swimming around in the clear blue water. She laughed again as they chased each other around the lilypads, making Saki smile at the wonderful sound.
"Aren't they lovely Saki?" She asked him, her eyes shining brighter than any stars he had ever seen. He nodded at her, making her smile grow as she turned back towards the reptiles. Though he wasn't so impressed by the creatures, he would do anything just for her to smile at him. Tang-Shen let out a small sigh. "I've always loved turtles Saki, though I've never taken one as a pet." She traced the water's surface with her pale fingers. "They always seem so happy together and I never want to break them apart."
Noticing her sudden solemness, Saki laid a hand on her shoulder. He hesitated, before talking. "Maybe I'll buy one from a store for you one day." The smile beamed at him sent shivers running down his spine.
Tang-Shen's smile softened. "I'd love that very much Saki." The two turned their attention back to the turtles. It probably wouldn't happen, but anything to make her smile.
Closing his eyes at the sudden memory, Saki let out a ragged sigh. Tang-Shen had dearly loved these creatures as well. No doubt Karai got it from her. Turning his attention back to the small turtle, Saki felt his heart harden. This wasn't the past. The woman he loved was dead, leaving only her small child and him behind. The turtle began to struggle, feeling the change in emotion of the man holding him.
The syringe's contents seemed to start glowing brighter. It was a means of experimentation was it not? And what better way to find out what exactly it did than by testing it? Maybe then he wouldn't see her beautiful face as she watched the turtles, wouldn't hear her final gasp of breath as she died.
With nothing but hatred burning through him, Saki plunged the syringe into the turtle's arm. It let out a pained screech and struggled franticly against the squeezing hand. The glowing substance began to diminish as it entered the turtle's bloodstream. Suddenly it managed to wiggle enough in Saki's grip that is bit into one of his fingers. With a growl, he dropped the turtle back into its closure, pulling the syringe out of it as it fell.
The small turtle hit the ground hard, but it didn't seem fazed by it. Instead, it let out another pained cry and struggled against the pain. Saki watched its pain without a care. It continued to cry out and fight against the invisible enemy, the thing inside him. But then it started to grow. Saki's eyes widened as it changed. Doubling, then tripling its size, the turtle grew longer. Its legs and arms stretched further from its body as the small toes on its front feet began to elongate, forming three fingers on each of its hands. Its head grew larger, more rounded, and its shell grew less pronounced on its body, only covering its back instead of most of its body. The whole change happened quickly, maybe only a minute, and then Saki was staring at what looked like a mix between a human infant and a turtle.
Saki brought the syringe up to his face, interested in what the green substance was to change the turtle so much. Whimpering caught his attention, and Saki glanced back down at the turtle. Ocean blue eyes met his, and shock flooded through him. They appeared incredibly human. But there was something else. Deep in them, maybe only a fragment, Saki recognized them. Something in those blue eyes reminded him of beautiful brown. The small creature lifted one of its hands up to him, pointing at the syringe he was holding and then rubbing its arm where the needle had pierced his skin.
Intrigued by the resemblance of something in those eyes to the intelligence it seemed to have grown, Saki set a hand onto the creature's head. It flinched backwards slightly, surprised by the sudden contact, before leaning into the warm hand. Saki growled and brought his hand back to his side, walking away from the turtle. It let out a small cry at the loss of warmth, but Saki paid it little heed.
The next day, Hatsumi arrived around her normal time to the Oroku apartment, still slightly tired from the late night. She entered and took off her coat as always, hanging it on the stand near the door before making her way into the living room. It was quiet, and she assumed Saki must have already taken off for work. Hatsumi moved to enter Karai's room, when she remembered the small turtle from the day before. Curious, she turned towards where the glass container was for it. She felt her mouth dry when she saw it was empty. Rushing over to the tank, she frantically looked around the area to see if it had somehow escaped. Fear rushed through her. He wouldn't really have gotten rid of it when he said he wouldn't, would he?
"Hatsumi." Saki's voice startled her, and she whipped around to face him. She felt her jaw drop and eyes widen. In Saki's arms was what looked like a giant humanoid turtle. Its dark blue eyes wandered around the room and met hers, surprise rushing through her as she realized it was the turtle she was looking for. "From now on I will pay you double. Karai and Leonardo are to be taken care of as she always needed to be." Hatsumi's startled gaze moved to his. Saki narrowed his eyes at her. "And you will not tell anyone of him, understand?"
Nodding absentmindedly, she turned back to the turtle child. "Hai Oroku-san." She whispered.