Note to the Readers: Who here like Naruto? If so, do you read the manga, or do you just watch the show. If you are on chapter 423 like I am, then I respect your commitment. People who claim they are true Naruto fans have yet to read any of the mangas. If you want to get into it, they update every Friday on onemanga, check it out! And tell me if you enjoy Sage Mode like I do!

Now, since I'm done with mindless promotion of a website that doesn't even know my name, let alone pay me, I think we get into the new Chapter, this is the longest I ever committed to a project! LOL

Chapter 14: The Cave of Trails

The four brothers sat in a circle, deep within the chambers, as they watched their father, pile sticks together, and start a flame. The flame rose to the top of the cavern, and illuminated the room. " My sons, I am proud to see how you have grown. You no longer need any more teachings from me. You have grown strong each in your own way."

"Donatello," Splinter pointed out. "You may seem to be a follower, but I could never worry that you will never follow my directions, which makes you a leader among your brothers. You always choose the right path, and this is what makes you not only a excellent ninja, but a wonderful person as well. I guess I don't have to get into your intelligence, do I?"

"Yes master," Donny grinned. "I am very grateful of your words."

"Now my son, Michelangelo," Splinter looked to his younger brother. "You are full Elite now. You have abilities that I could never channel. You were capable of doing the most complex of attacks, but you were never interested in learning them. It took a fear of losing what you wanted most, that makes you succeed. Now we know what drives you."

" And you helped me understand what I want the most," the youngest brother replied. " Thank you master."

Splinter nodded. "Raphael," Splinter called. " I am most proud of you my son. You have found your way back from the darkness. You have shown your true colors and I trust you won't betray your brothers." Raphael took the comment uneasily, but cracked a smile at his master.

"Thanks, Master." He smiled.

"Leonardo," Splinter turns to his oldest. " I expected nothing less from you. I trust you will be able to lead them into battle. Throughout your life, I have seen you excel and shine among your brothers. You have surpassed most ninjas I have seen. You are skilled enough to handle a mission alone." Raph couldn't help but sulk at that comment. Leo looked over his brothers, and noticed how they all looked at him with anger. He couldn't cipher if it was envy or pure hatred. "But I feel that if you need your brothers. You have the skill, but you do not have the drive as the four of you together."

" I wouldn't want to go in a battle without them," Leo said, grinning at his brothers. Their angry faces shifted and they grinned back. "Are our trials over?"

"Indeed they are." Splinter said. "This will be my last mission as well." The brothers looked at him with shock. " I have conducted my own missions without you. I apologize for my silence, but I believe this was the correct time to speak on this."

"You've been risking your life," Raph growled. "What if you failed and we never saw you again?"

"This is why this is my last mission." Splinter interrupted. " I have grown old. I won't be able to survive these missions no longer. I have been fighting the Foot since I lived in Japan. Even when I was just a rat, I was noble to Yoshi."

"Why are we going into a battle with them?" Mickey asked.

Splinter let out a breath. "When I was Yoshi's pet, he had a best friend named Oroku Nagi. They fought over the love of Tang Shen. When she fell for Yoshi, Nagi attacked him. Yoshi was forced to kill Nagi."

"Master," Leo said. "We know that story."

"A part of it," Splinter said. "You do not know that The Foot was planning to go to war with Tang Shen's kingdom. When they asked Yoshi to lead them, he refused. He loved Tang Shen and he didn't want to fight her home. We fled to New York. When Nagi's younger brother was trained, they made him leader and they destroyed the Shen Kingdom and killed Yoshi and Tang Shen." The brothers looked shocked at their father. "We must defeat him. If we don't, the Foot will live on, and it will never be safe."

"I'm with you," Mickey said. " I don't know about these shell for brains." The brothers stood to their feet.

Splinter smirked. "Then it's settled."

The Foot Headquarters

The chamber doors opened, as Hun and Stockman walked into the room. At the thrown, Oroku Saki sat, his four elite ninjas next to him. They wore red capes, and carried large double bladed spears. Stockman held up a canister that was glowed green. "It is finished. You bathe in this, and you will quickly regenerate and refresh your body cells, and will ultimately give you the body of a 28 year old at his prime." Stockman held up a second canister that glowed blue. "With the DNA of your elite ninjas, I made a steroid that will put your body on par with them. All we need is a little water."

"You heard him," gasped the limp body of the aging old man. "Get a tub in here." They brought them a tub into the chamber, followed by a by buckets of water. They poured them into the tub. The elites helped their master down his thrown, removed his robe, and dropped his decaying body into the tub. He slid deep into the water, the water reaching his chin as he closed his eyes. Stockman poured the first green canister into the tub, and the water turned green. The old man eyes shot open and he let out a gasp of air, causing his elites to jump back. The old man dunked his head into the green glowing water.

"Get him!" Hun roared. The elites gripped Stockman and pinned him up against a wall, raised his shirt, and one readied himself to gut him. "What have you done?"

"I am doing what he asked!" Stockman whimpered. "I didn't say it won't be a painful experience. Now I have to add the steroid before he resurfaces!"

They release him, and he rushes over, and pours the blue canister into the water. It begins to bubble and the water glows bright blue, and the water exploded out the tub. There sitting, in the center of the empty tub, was the new body of the most fierce ninja of the foot clan, The Shredder.