I decided to post this earlier than I had previously planned, mostly because we actually get to meet Leo.

5 Years Later...

Crouching down as far as he could, Leo tried to quiet his heavy breathing. His cover was small for his size and wouldn't hide him very well, but it was the best he had at the moment and it would have to make do. Pushing down the urge to peek over and see if his follower was nearby, he instead tried to listen as hard as he could. The only noise he could hear was the faint sound of traffic on the streets below and the clinking of something in the kitchen. Curious as to where his chaser was, he slowly poked his head over his cover only to...

"GOTCHA!"

The little turtle squealed in surprise as he was tackled by the larger figure. Landing back on his shell, Leo sent a pout up at the laughing girl who couldn't seem to control herself. "No fair Karai." He whined as he attempted to shove her off.

Unfortunately she was much heavier than he was strong, and Karai remained on him as her laughter filled the air. "Y-you should have seen your face!" She attempted to say through her laughing fit.

Still pouting beneath her, Leo couldn't help but join in. "Yeah, yeah. You just got lucky. Now get off me."

Finally giving in, Karai rolled off him as her laughter receded. The two lay side by side breathing heavily. Karai pushed herself up and poked the turtle. "That's 3-1 now. Guess I do win."

Leo stuck his tongue out at her. "Only cause I let you." He tried to ignore her laughter at his poor attempt to justify his loss, pushing himself off of the floor and running to the kitchen.

The smell of soap filled the air, prompting the little turtle to sneeze. A quiet laugh alerted him to Hatsumi's presence as she sliced fruit on the counter. The woman turned to him and smiled. "Did you have fun playing?"

"No." Leo pouted, sticking his bottom lip out and crossing his arms. "Karai's being a meanie."

Hatsumi laughed again, waving the little turtle over. When he was closer, she bent down and poked his nose. He squawked at the sudden touch and she chuckled, standing back up to continue slicing. Leo rubbed his nose and scrambled up onto one of the stools to watch her work. He seemed fascinated by the handiwork and reached out to grab another knife she had laying on the counter. Gently slapping his hand away, she chided him. "That's too sharp for you Leo. Just let me handle it for now."

Groaning he placed his head on his hands, a scowl that looked significantly more like a pout on his face. Hatsumi rolled her eyes fondly at his antics. He was nothing if not determined, she mused.

Suddenly Karai raced into the kitchen, eyes brightening when she saw the apple being sliced. "Is that for me?" She asked innocently, though her eyes danced with mischief.

"For later." Hatsumi said, making the girl frown and Leo laugh at her. "Are you all ready for you first day of school?"

Nodding frantically, Karai smiled. "Yep! I got my bag all packed and everything!" She proceeded to rattle off all of her packed items, making Hatsumi roll her eyes as she placed the fruit into a bag for the girl.

"I wish I could go." Leo pouted. "School sounds fun."

"Just wait another year Leo. You have to be six remember?" Karai said, making the turtle perk up. "Then I'll win at that too!"

Leo gawked at her. "You can't win at school! That's not fair!"

Hatsumi chuckled as the two bickered, though a pang of sadness filled her heart. No matter how much Leo wanted to join his sister in adventuring out into the world, she knew that he would never be able to. The thought made her want to hug the curious little turtle, but she didn't want to ruin his happy mood. "Now now you two. Remember your father will be here soon to take you to school Karai."

Both children instantly brightened, nodding frantically as their eyes sparkled. If Hatsumi knew anything, than it was that these two children absolutely adored the man they called father. They didn't get to seem him very often, usually only if they woke up early enough or stayed up later than their bedtime. But it was more than obvious how enamored they were with the man.

Karai obviously loved the man who was her biological father. She tried to copy how he stood and moved, once even attempting to mimic his voice. (A memory that always made Hatsumi and Leo tear up while the little girl blushed furiously.) Little Karai wanted more than anything to be like her father, and it warmed Hatsumi's heart to see the young girl so happy.

Leo on the other hand, was not at all related to the man. The day Hatsumi had first seen the small turtle she had bought suddenly transformed into a humanoid turtle child was still incredibly clear in her mind.

Holding the small child as he slept, Hatsumi's mind was racing. What happened to him? Oroku Saki had left 30 minutes ago, leaving Hatsumi alone with the turtle with basically no explanation to his sudden change. She glanced down at him, slightly frightened of him. He was still a turtle but more human-like as well. It was unnerving to her, a woman who had never seen anything this strange.

Suddenly the turtle moved in her grasp, causing Hatsumi to tense up. Dark blue eyes lazily opened, blinking several times to adjust before meeting Hatsumi's brown orbs. She gasped as he watched her, as if studying her. Reaching up one of his three-fingered hands, she leaned back from it. The turtle blinked at her, but continued to try and grab at her. He cooed, giggling as she furrowed her eyebrows at him. The sound melted her heart. Hatsumi felt laughter bubble up inside of her and she let out a small chuckle at him, prompting his giggles to grow louder. His blue eyes shone brightly, reminding the woman of a clear sky.

Gently she stroked his head, prompting the turtle to lean into her warm touch. He chirped happily and smiled up at her. Shame filled the woman's gut. How could she be afraid of this harmless little child? She leaned in and kissed his forehead, making the turtle cross his eyes to see what she was doing. Laughing again at him, she touched his cheek. "Hello little Leonardo."

Hatsumi smiled at the memory as Karai and Leo continued to chatter on. Leo was a complete sweetheart. Always curious to new things and more than happy to comply with whatever anyone wanted to do. He dearly loved and admired his older sister, doing anything she was and following her lead. The two were practically inseparable. And for his father, well Leo did anything the man wanted him to do. Hatsumi could tell the little turtle wanted desperately to make his father proud, often scaring her with how far it seemed he would go.

Shaking her head at the thought, Hatsumi heard the front door faintly click shut. The two children, oblivious to the arrival of their father continued chatting away, only stopping when Leo noticed Saki enter the kitchen. "Father!" He exclaimed happily, his blue eyes sparkling. Karai quickly whipped around and shouted the same, running to encircle his legs. (She couldn't reach any higher.)

Scrambling to jump off the stool, Leo practically fell onto the ground. He quickly recovered and hurried to where Saki was, but stopped a foot away. The little turtle bounced excitedly on his heels, watching his sister embrace their father.

Saki grumbled and pushed Karai off of him, but the girl's mood didn't dampen in the least. "I'm all ready for school father!" She declared.

Leo nodded furiously from where he stood. "Yeah! She got her pencils and book and-"

"Enough." Saki snapped, effectively stopping the turtle who quickly shut his mouth. Hatsumi felt a twinge of anger at the man when she noticed Leo's shoulders slightly drop. "Come now Karai." He left the room quickly, Karai following after she grabbed the bag of lunch Hatsumi had packed for her. The pair's footsteps receded as Karai entered her room for a moment before the two left the apartment.

Silence filled the kitchen's space as Hatsumi worriedly watched Leo. He hadn't moved since his father snapped at him, staring at where the two had left. "Leo?" She called out to him. The small turtle turned to her, expressionless except for a tinge of poorly hid sadness in his eyes. Hatsumi kneeled down and held her arms out. He hesitated for a second before rushing into her arms. She held him tightly, trying to show how much she loved him.

He sniffled once before prying himself out of her grip, making her frown. "Thanks Sumi." He whispered. In a flash his previous smile was back on his face, but she could tell he was still hurt by Saki's dismissal. "So what do I do now without Karai to play with?"

Hatsumi laughed. It never failed to surprise her how even when he could be feeling down, Leo was always ready to make her smile. "I guess I'll just have to keep you entertained."

Leo beamed at her and poked her shoulder. "Tag then! You're it!" He laughed loudly as he sprinted away, making her chuckle as she followed after.

Hatsumi smiled down at Leo as she stroked his head that was nestled into her lap. The poor turtle had been wiped out after a long game of tag, of which he was extremely fast for a turtle, and had practically fallen asleep as soon as he laid down beside her on the couch. She chuckled quietly at the thought of his antics. He never failed to make her laugh.

The sound of the door to the apartment brought Hatsumi out of her thoughts as she looked up. Saki stepped into view with a very sluggish looking Karai who looked as if she was about to keel over from exhaustion. Alarmed at the girl's appearance, Hatsumi was about to shoot up off of the couch and examine the girl, but Saki shooed the girl off to her room. Karai readily obeyed, trudging to her room without sparing Hatsumi a glance. Stunned by the girl's actions, Hatsumi turned to Saki, who was studying the turtle sleeping beside her. Golden eyes met hers as the man moved his glare upwards. "You are dismissed for the night."

Still confused, Hatsumi obeyed, gently moving the turtle off of her and standing. She sent a quick glance to Saki and was about to pick up Leo to take him to his bed when Saki growled at her. "I will get him." Roughly shoved out of the way, Hatsumi frowned but quickly scurried to leave. She pulled her jacket on and checked to make sure her keys were in the pocket when Saki appeared from around the hall's corner.

She turned towards him, hesitating when her eyes met his. Leo was curled up in the man's arms, obviously content in his current spot, but Saki gave the turtle no notice as he glared at her. "There will be no need for you to be here tomorrow. I will be taking Leonardo with me." Stunned by his words, Hatsumi couldn't manage to nod. Saki paid her confusion no heed as he moved out of her view, but she was frozen where she stood.

The little turtle, oblivious to what was happening around him, sighed happily and cuddled further in Saki's arms.

The next morning, Leo woke up extra early to see his father and Karai off again. Though it still hurt a bit that his father had gotten mad at him, the turtle wanted to be the first to say good morning to the man. Scrambling out of bed, Leo quickly but properly fixed up his bed and sprinted out of his room. It was pretty small, much smaller than Karai's, but he didn't care. It had all of his stuff and he was never in it very much.

Skipping to the kitchen, the turtle was surprised to find Hatsumi was no where to be found. He shrugged to himself, knowing often the woman didn't come until later, and ran to Karai's room. He knocked loudly on it several times. "Karai wake up! You have school!" He shouted. Pressing the side of his face against the door, he heard the girl grumble out something as she began to move. Excitement rushed through the turtle, the thought of the two playing a quick game before she had to leave on his mind.

"Leonardo." Practically jumping out of his shell with a loud yelp, Leo swiftly turned to see Saki standing behind him. The man looked rather angry as he glared down at the little turtle, but Leo paid it no heed.

"Oh hi father!" He chirped happily. "You scared me!"

Saki narrowed his eyes at the little turtle before growling out. "You should be more aware of your surroundings Leonardo. Fortunately, you will learn soon enough."

Leo furrowed his nonexistent brows in confusion. What did his father mean? He was supposed to learn something? Surprise filled the turtle. Wait, was he going to school? A large smile appeared on the turtle's face as excitement charged through him. "Am I going to school father?"

"Hm." Saki regarded the small turtle in front of him. "I suppose you could think of it that way."

If the turtle wasn't excited before, than he was now. Squealing in delight, Leo began to hop around. "Really? Oh wow! I can't wait!"

"What's going on?" Karai suddenly appeared as she opened her door to a very happy turtle. She blinked several times to expel her drowsiness, confused by her brother's joy. What was he so excited about?

Leo turned to her, his blue eyes shining brighter than the sun. "I get to go to school Karai!" He exclaimed happily.

Karai's jaw dropped as her golden eyes widened. "What!?" She quickly turned her attention to her father who was watching the two with his arms crossed. Not seeing any resistance in the turtle's exclamation, she turned back to her brother. "Really? But I only started yesterday and I'm older than you."

"I know!" Leo squealed, holding his hands up to his face in an attempt to contain his enthusiasm. His joyous smile turned suddenly mischievous. "I guess that means I win at school then!" He laughed at the girl's shock.

"Enough." Saki's deep voice startled the two as they turned to look at him. "Get ready to leave soon." The man turned and walked back to his room, closing the door behind him.

Karai turned back to the turtle and gave him a light punch in the arm. She smiled when he whined at her. "I was at school yesterday so that means I win. You had to wait another day."

Leo pouted at her, rubbing his arm where she had hit him. "But I still get to go when I'm younger."

Rolling her eyes at him, she tugged him back to her room. "Well you better get ready then! You can have some of my stuff." Leo beamed at her as the two scrambled to make a small pack for him, excited to think they would get to go to school together.

15 minutes later and the two were all prepared. Karai was dressed in her favorite jeans and a gray shirt, holding her red bag filled with the supplies she needed for school. Leo wasn't wearing any clothes, since he really couldn't, and had his brown messenger bag packed with some of Karai's extra pencils and whatnot. He could barely contain his excitement when their father entered the living room. The man glanced down at the two children, who he thought looked far too happy for something so frivolous.

"Okay father!" Leo piped up. "We're all ready for school!"

Karai nodded beside him. "Yeah! I helped Leo pack for it." She nudged him playfully with her shoulder, and the two shared a blinding smile.

Saki however ignored them and turned. He started walking towards the door. "Come." He demanded, not sparing them a backwards glance. The children shared one last excited glance before quickly following, keeping close to their father.

The trio had lived in the same apartment for years, a rather small thing that was farther in the outskirts of the city. This was incredibly helpful, making it rather easy to hide the fact there was a large humanoid turtle living in the building.

It was still early enough in the morning that Leo could slip past all of the other apartments without having to worry about being seen by another of the building's residents. Leaving the building, he stayed close to his father's side to keep hidden.

The turtle didn't leave the apartment very often, only a few times in his whole life when he would become too restless staying indoors. Leo loved his home and his family, but he hated not being able to leave it very often. He had always wanted to walk under the sunlight like his sister got to. He wanted to talk to the people at the market like Hatsumi said she would. He wanted to go places like his father did. Oftentimes they wouldn't see their father for several days when he would go faraway, wherever that was.

Saki stepped up to a waiting limousine, opening the door and pushing Leo inside with Karai jumping in after. The turtle scrambled onto one of the seats beside Karai as their father closed the door. Instantly the vehicle started moving, making the little turtle laugh. He'd only been in a car twice before, and it always excited him when it began to move.

Leo turned in his seat, ready to peer out of the window when Saki smacked his shoulder before he could. The turtle winced and instantly slouched back down, biting his lip at the sudden pain. Saki glared at him and turned away, ignoring the children. Karai gently laid a hand on Leo's other shoulder, giving him a friendly smile that he couldn't help but return.

The rest of the drive to the school was quiet, the only noise coming from the loud city life outside the vehicle. However, Leo could feel his excitement gradually begin to grow again the more they drove. Karai seemed the same as she moved beside him.

The vehicle began to slow, making the children perk up as Karai turned to look outside the window. Leo watched her as her eyes brightened, and she turned to face him, flashing him a large smile. He instantly returned it as his giddiness grew. He couldn't wait!

Karai practically leapt out of the limo as it came to a stop and Leo was about to follow, when a hand tightly gripped onto his wrist, pulling him farther back into the vehicle. The turtle quickly turned to face his father, confused as to why he couldn't go. "Only Karai will be here." Saki said.

Karai, who had stuck her head back into the limo when she realized her brother hadn't been behind her, furrowed her brows. "But I thought Leo got to go to school with me?" Leo nodded slowly, watching his father nervously.

"Leonardo will be coming with me." Karai and Leo shared a quick look, confusion evident in both of them.

"But father-"

"Go Karai." Saki snapped. The girl hesitated a moment longer, before stepping away from the limo and walking towards the school. She shot another glance backwards just as the limo started to pull away.

Still confused, Leo watched his father as the man closed Karai's door and settled back down. He opened his mouth to ask his father why he wasn't going with Karai, but quickly shut it. He shuffled in his seat and fiddled with his hands. Tension hung in the air the rest of the ride to wherever they were going. From what he could see, Leo noticed them enter a building of sorts and the vehicle stopped. Saki opened a door and stepped out, holding it open. Blinking once, Leo scrambled out, wincing when the door slammed behind him.

Saki began moving, Leo quickly following behind. Curious blue eyes wandered around the new surroundings. It was a dark garage filled with a variety of vehicles, but no one else was around. Hovering slightly closer to his father, Leo looked up at him. Saki paid him no attention, making the turtle's frown deepen. Suddenly the man stopped, and the turtle nearly ran into him. Saki pushed a red button in front of a set of doors while Leo shuffled beside him.

The little turtle had never been in a place like this, wondering why the doors didn't open when his father pressed the button. He was about to ask his father when suddenly a loud 'ding' and they slid open. Saki stepped inside and turned, Leo quickly jumping in beside him. The doors slid shut, and suddenly they were moving upwards. The turtle froze, looking around in slight fear. His father merely stood, glaring at the set of doors. Leo swallowed nervously, ecstatic when the doors slid back open to reveal a new view.

Saki stepped out and continued walking down the hallway, with the turtle behind him. The turtle struggled to keep up with the man's long strides, but looked around in awe. The hall was huge! The carpet beneath them was a dark red and the walls around them were painted black with some sort of red symbol on them. It looked like a foot, but he wondered why his father would have that on the walls.

The two came upon a larger room the hallway opened up into. It was so much bigger than Leo had thought a room could be. The walls were painted the same black with the red symbol on each side. A long red rug ran from the hallway up a set of stairs to what looked like a giant chair. Leo cocked his head in confusion. Where was the table for it?

"Leonardo."

Leo jumped slightly, startled from his thoughts. He looked up to his father curiously. "Yes father?" The turtle had so many things to ask his father about why they were in this strange place but knew better then to interrupt whatever his father was going to say.

"No doubt you are wondering why we are here." Saki said, turning to face the turtle. The small child bit his lip, and nodded. "It is simple. This is your new home."

The little turtle gasped, blue eyes widening. "W-what do you mean?" How could this be his new home? It was so different and not at all like his home! His father wasn't trying to joke was he? But no he never did that...

"You will be living here from now on." Saki stated as if it was simple.

But the little turtle had never been confused. "But father..." Leo felt tears prick his eyes. What was going on. "Am I...Will I be..." Shaking his head, the turtle bit his lips to stop the tears from falling. He hated crying and his father always got mad when he did. "Will Karai be here too?"

Saki nodded. "Yes. The three of us will be living here from now on." The turtle nearly fainted in relief. He managed to dispel the tears in his eyes as he smiled. His father turned away and motioned to the chair. "This is where I will be most of the time here working. You are not to disturb me here unless I call for you." Leo nodded, still slightly confused, but much more at ease. "I will show you where you will be training and living from now on. Come."

Once again following behind his father, Leo couldn't help but smile. This place seemed nice and super big. He wasn't too sure what his father meant by training or why they were suddenly going to live here, but as long as he was with his family, he was happy.

Training ended up being the hardest thing the little turtle had ever done. His father had brought him back into the elevator, but this time it went down and let the two out at a different area. It looked somewhat like the other hallway, but it was smaller and had several rooms on each side. They went into the largest room, making Leo's eyes widen at what he saw. It was only a little smaller than the first room they had been in, but it looked incredibly different.

Tatami mats lined the floor and crimson painted the walls. The same symbol was on one of the walls, huge and painted black, looking almost eerie in the dark lighting. Too absorbed in his surroundings, the turtle didn't notice when Saki left. One moment the man was beside him, and the next Leo found himself alone. The turtle whipped around, frantically trying to find his father. He let out a small whimper, the sound echoing around him. Trying to calm himself, the turtle didn't notice the figure lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly something flew at Leo, making him jump out of the way. He turned towards where the things had come from but didn't see anything. Tense, the little turtle turned to see what had been thrown at him. He tentatively reached out to grab whatever it was, pulling it from the ground. It was thin and sharp. He twirled it around experimentally, curious to what is was.

"It is a shuriken." His father's booming voice surprised Leo, and he almost cut himself on the shuriken's sharp point. His father moved out of the shadows. Leo blinked, confused. He hadn't even seen his father hiding there. Saki held up another in his hand. "It can be a powerful weapon to use for distraction or injury. Depending who you find yourself fighting, it can leave a small scratch..." He threw it at the turtle's feet, making Leo jump backwards in surprise. "Or be extremely lethal." The turtle looked up, still confused. Why would he need a weapon?

Saki pulled something else from his side, holding it out for the turtle to grab. Cautiously, Leo picked it up, studying the small blade in his hands. It looked a little like a kitchen knife, but it was missing the jagged side. He looked back up at his father. "What is this called?"

"That is a tanto blade. It can be hidden easily, making it very dangerous in the right hands. There are many different kinds. Some are larger like that one, but others are much smaller to be hidden easier." Saki seemed pleased at the turtle's interest in the weapon as he ran his small hands against it. "There are many other weapons here, but it will take time for you to learn to master them."

Leo nodded, still confused but incredibly fascinated by the weapons. "Am I going to learn them?"

Saki chuckled, surprising the young turtle who had rarely if ever seen the man smile. Leo perked up, happy to have made his father laugh. "You will Leonardo. I will teach you what it means to be a ninja. I have no doubts you will become a very powerful one."

Smiling widely at his father, the turtle nodded vigorously. He was still so incredibly confused, but this day was turning out to be so much better than expected. He couldn't wait to be a ninja!

"But it will take time and hours of training. You must be prepared." Leo nodded at his father, but stopped smiling at the sudden change of mood. Saki held out his hand, and Leo quickly returned the tanto blade to his father. Frowning as his father put the weapon back wherever he had it, the turtle couldn't help but miss the feel of it in his hand. "We will begin now." His father stated.

And with that the man moved, too fast for Leo to see until the turtle was on his back, wincing at the pain that radiated through his plastron. Saki was suddenly looming over him, glaring at the turtle. "Up." He commanded, to which the turtle complied. Again his father came at him, too fast for the turtle to react and he was smacked down again. Leo felt tears prickle in his eyes, but Saki was upon him, his golden eyes blazing. "Up."

Biting his lip, Leo pushed himself off the ground. He had barely steadied himself when down he went again, hitting the ground with a loud 'thunk'. Letting out a sharp cry, the turtle desperately tried to stem his tears.

"You are weak Leonardo." Leo winced at his father's booming voice, but the words pierced his heart. "Too small, too slow. You are nothing." Leo looked at the ground in shame. "Do you like being nothing Leonardo?" The turtle hesitated before shaking his head. "Do you like being weak?" The turtle shook his head again. "Then stand." Slowly Leo complied, still training his eyes below him. "Look at me."

Trembling, the turtle met his father's cold glare. "You are weak now, anyone can see that." Leo shrunk back slightly at the harsh words. "But that will change." Slightly surprised by the sudden change, Leo gazed at his father, confusion evident in his blue orbs. "If you do not want to be weak or seen as nothing, than you must work for it. Train harder and longer than others until you surpass them. This is what I will teach you. Do you understand?"

The turtle nodded, still confused, but determination began to flood through him. He could work hard. He knew he could. If his father wanted to teach him how to be stronger, than he would do whatever it took. Saki nodded at him. "Then we will be done for now. I will teach you more tomorrow. Come, I will show you your room."

Saki started towards the exit without a backwards glance. Leo hesitated, watching his father's looming figure retreat. Shaking his head quickly, he ran after his father. It was at that moment, that Leo made a promise to himself. He would do whatever he had to, whatever it took to make his father proud.

Quite a promise for the young one. In the next chapter, a new but maybe somewhat familiar face will show up. Also, if you do enjoy this story, please do support it in anyway. I'd love to get feedback of any kind.