A/N: I don't know if anyone realize this, but I'm getting slow on updating this story, and I'm sorry. The truth is, I'm writing another story on DA, but I haven't felt comfortable enough to post it here yet. I'm also getting busy with my job, so expect to have even slower (again, I'm really sorry) update. I'll try to write, but I can't promise anything...

After the third attempt, with constant encouragement from Tenten and Raph, Mikey was still unable to manifest his dragon avatar. The orange clad turtle slumped to the ground in defeat:

- I… I can't do this. I'm sorry – He panted, wiping sweat from his forehead - May be we should let Raph try the soldier pills again?

- No! - Tenten refused immediately - We tried it and it didn't work already. It was meant for temporary boost only. Besides, it'll cause nasty side effect if you use too much.

- C'mon, Mikey! Ya came all the way here ta save our asses, ya can do this – Raph held his shoulder and gave it a light shake.

- Please, Michelangelo-kun. We wouldn't force you to do this if Raphael-san isn't starving – The girl almost begged him.

- I know, I know. It's just… really hard without the amulet. How did you do it anyway? – Mikey asked.

- Dunno. At that time all I was thinking was to get the shell outta there, 'cause if I didn't I'd be dead meat, and you guys would be next on the plate.

- That's it! – Tenten clapped her hands – May be that's what got you motivated. You guys worry about each other, right?

- Kinda – Mikey looked up to her – We're all what we have where we live. Leo once said that if one of us goes down, we all go down.

- Then I think it's good time ya listen ta what Fearless said. C'mon, bro. I know ya can do this. Yer the second best when it comes to this stuff, remember?

Mikey didn't need Raph to remind him that. Right after when Don could activate his mystic force, he was the one impressed everyone with his. This time though, he was without the amplification amulet, and this was way more serious than just walking on a bridge, or a race with Hisomi shisho. But lives were at stake, lives that were precious to him more than his own. Closing his eyes once more, Mikey recalled the feeling when Leo pushed him to the limit, when his family was threatened and especially the feeling when he shot Lee with what's left of his ki. It swelled up inside him like tidal wave, pouring out through every pore on his skin. He felt himself levitated from the ground, and his body expanded in an incredible manner. Muscles budged up from everywhere possible. A cracking noise inside him indicated that his bones were growing and reforming themselves. Mikey suddenly felt something encasing his neck from the front and from his back, but he dared not stop, hoping that it was just the armor of the dragon.

Opened his eyes once again, Mikey saw Raph and Tenten way below him. According to his shadow looming over them, and the stunned look on their faces, the sea green turtle knew he just did it. Raph waved for him to lower his head, so his brother and the girl could settle on his giant, scaly neck. Raph gently held Tenten in his arms and leaned back to the edge of the dragon's armor, so she could take some precious moment to rest. The exhausted girl went limp even before she rested her head against his board shoulder.

With a stomp hard enough to shake the ground, the orange dragon took off toward the sky…

:::

The moment Lee and Don returned from the arena, the healer immediately rushed to them so he could take care of the unconscious turtle. Upon examining Don, he frowned deeply for there's something not right, but before he raised his head and voiced his confusion, his eyes were met by the Byakugan, and its owner quickly put a finger over his lips before turning it into a flick of his jet black hair. Leo didn't miss any of that, and he arched an eyebrow questioningly toward Neji, but the boy in white just gave a smile in respond. Lee gave Leo a wink and a thumb-up before turning his back to the turtle, pretending to observe the magic screen closely.

Meanwhile, from the darkness area of the castle, the shadow assassins swiftly advanced. The clan leader had decided that the moment to strike was upon them, so he already left the turtles and the Konoha ninjas' side. Little did he know, as he planned a surprise for them, they also have a surprise for him as well...

From the magic screen, names of the next combatants appeared:

HAMATO LEONARDO

VS

HYUUGA NEJI

Neji still had that mysterious smile on his face when Leo faced him in the ring. He didn't dare to ask why, for fearing that the assassins still kept watching them, so just frowned to convey his message. If the Hyuuga boy had any sign that he received the question, he didn't show it. Instead, Neji just motioned his head for Leo to get into position before the gong sounded. The boy's attitude started to get on the turtle's nerves, but something in that confident smile reassured him and prevented him from voicing his question.

The gong sung, and they both dashed for the other. Leo twisted his hands to avoid Neji's palms, grabbing the boy by his wrists. Pulling him forward so their shoulder clash, Leo couldn't resist the urge to ask:

- What are you planning?

- Trust me Leonardo-san - Neji said before using Leo's knee as foothold to spring away - I have a plan to subdue those creatures.

- Wouldn't it be helpful if I know about it so I could lend a hand? - Leo sent out several jabs, only to have them all blocked.

- It was a last minute change; I didn't have time to inform you, I'm sorry.

Back flipped away from the turtle, the boy activated his Byakugan, and from his palms, chakra flooded out enough to be visible by naked eye. Leo, on the other hand, still did nothing, not even draw out his katana or bring up the mystic power. As Neji lunged for his chest, Leo simply turned sideways, using his opponent's own momentum to topple him over. Pushed both hands to the ground, Neji turned upside down, spreading his leg to a straight line and begun to spin. If Leo wasn't quick enough to bent back, having his shell almost touch the ground, he might receive some kicks to his face. The Hyuuga boy wasted no time to jump straight up again and swiped the turtle's legs, sending Leo to his shell.

The blue clad turtle wasn't very high from the ground, so the impact did little damage, just enough to knock out some wind from his lungs. Neji didn't give him a moment to breathe when he dropped a kick right at his face. Giving the ground a hard kick, Leo spun on his shell and escaped by a hair's breath. Still spinning, he reached up for his katana and gave it a wide sweep, carefully turning the blunt side toward Neji's ankles. But he saw the reflection of the sun on the blade, and shot down a kunai to stop it, along with Leo's spin.

They both scrambled away to draw some breathes. Neither of them broke a sweat yet, and so far there's still no indication that the shadow clan had made any move, but the crowd had started jeering, demanding for more action from their 'performance'. Compared to this, the previous match was way more exciting. Neji threw Leo a look and received a nod, signaling him to move. The Hyuuga boy dug for the pouch behind him, launching a cluster of shuriken at the turtle. Leo deflected them all with his katana, but the last one wasn't a shuriken.

Boom!

Leo saw the smoke bomb a fractured too late. Before the smoke blinded him, he could see Neji rushing toward him, kunai at the ready. The boy was only an arm's reach away from the smoke screen when shuriken shot out from it, but he didn't flinch. Kicking off from the ground, Neji launched himself toward the shuriken, spinning as he flew.

- Hakkeshou Kaiten! - He shouted.

Chakra poured out from his very skin, enveloped him in a cocoon. The shuriken bounced off of it, clearing the path as the human drill shot through the smoke screen. The wind from Neji's chakra vortex cleared up the smoke, and the crowd gasped in shock to see Leo had blocked his opponent's attack using his very blade, his whole body shining with lightning mark. Neji slowed down to a halt and gracefully landed on his toes. But the moment he touched the ground, Leo had sent several slashes his way, one of them managed to cut his hair short. Sheathed the katana, the blue clad turtle focus his ki to his right fist, releasing it in lightning form. Swung his arm forward, Leo lashed at Neji with the lightning ki, moving them like deadly whips while his left hand kept throwing shuriken, cornering the boy in white closer to the whip. Despite all of Leo's effort, the Hyuuga boy dodged with ease and used every gap as opportunity to close up their distance, while Leo jumped out of grasp and forced his opponent back with his power. They danced around each other; each step craved mark on the ring and caused the crowd to scream, cheering on for each of them.

For a while they both managed to drag the match on for a little while, but then Neji noticed that some of the shuriken Leo threw at him were missed on purpose. With the Byakugan activated, Neji had no problem keeping track on both the throwing stars and the whip, and suddenly he realized that Leo wasn't just wasting shuriken on him. The blue clad turtle must have seen the look on his face, because he was smirking:

- I thought you must see this a little sooner, Neji-san. You're in my trap!

The boy in white could see clearly now that he was standing right in the middle of a shuriken matrix, one that Leo had been setting up without him noticing. And right now Leo was at the outskirt of the trap. Neji made a dash for the turtle, but Leo already boosted up his mystic lightning, and gave the ground before him a hard punch. This time, the ring didn't shatter. Instead, lightning bolt shot out from the turtle's fist zigzagged through it, guided by the metal shuriken as lightning rods and went straight for Neji. If he wasn't quick enough to jump, he would be shocked to unconsciousness by now. Threw down some kunai attached with exploding tag, Neji blew up some space in Leo's trap and cleared up some ground for him to land safely. The spectator screamed in awe as the lightning snake zipped around the boy's back, but since now there's some distance between the shuriken and him, Neji dodged a bit easier.

Leo was about to guide the course of his attack another way, when he felt a bang went off inside him. It was as if his body just received a huge pump of ki. Lost control of his sudden boosted mystic power, Leo saw a second too late that the trap he planned now had taken a turn to be a deadly one. The lightning bolt had spread itself, connecting with all the pieces of metal available on the ground to form a web made of lightning, and Neji was trapped right in the middle of it. Before Leo could withdraw his hand, Neji was shocked and fell face down to the ground. The boulder of ki still grew uncontrollably inside him, and before Leo found a way to suppressed it, his body had expanded and transformed itself into a familiar form, along with a roar he heard from the distance...

Raising his head high above the arena, Leo the blue dragon could see another orange dragon approached him, a turtle and a girl riding on his neck. Without anyone telling, Leo knew who they were and roared to greet them. But then several things happened at once.

The first thing that drew his attention was Raph falling down from Mikey's neck, his body glowing red and some dragon feature already appeared. Next was a series of explosion gone off in the castle, where the Daimyo, master Splinter and everyone else were staying to observe the match. And, for the crowd's shock and panic, another purple dragon rose up from the infirmary, carrying with it some splintered wood, rubble of the roof and a screaming Rock Lee. Leo still had no bearing of what's going on when a cry pierced through his dragon's ears. Looking toward its direction, the blue dragon widened his eyes to see a group of shadow assassins had surrounded the Battle Nexus ruler and those with him. The clan leader rose above them, with Ue firmly locked in his grasp. The assassin leader roared in triumph:

- Stop whatever you are doing, kame! Or this boy will die!