A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I didn't expect this story to be so popular but I'm glad so many people enjoy it. This chapter is a bit shorter but no worries, more is definitely coming!
Hamato Yoshi, or Splinter as more people knew him by, walked through the park, as was his daily routine. His wife and daughter used to enjoy walking through the park everyday and after they had died, he just couldn't bring himself to end the tradition. It was a good day for a walk too, warm and sunny with a slight breeze to keep it from getting too hot.
He was about halfway through the trail when he heard the familiar sounds of fighting. He broke off the trail and ran towards the fight. He skidded to a stop but the scene was certainly not one that he was expecting to see. Instead of breaking up a fight, he found himself watching one, sort of.
Three young boys were fighting off to the side, or at least to the untrained eye they were fighting. As a martial arts master and dojo sensei, Splinter could tell that they were in fact sparring, and they were actually pretty good. They were raw and a little undisciplined but Splinter could tell that they definitely had talent and would go far with the right training.
As he watched he noticed that the oldest seemed to look in one direction every few seconds, away from the fight. Splinter looked in the same direction and saw a fourth boy sitting in the grass and watching them, his eyes following every movement. Occasionally the little boy would stand up and mimic one of the moves he just saw. Splinter continued to be impressed as he watched all four of them.
He watched for several more minutes until they stopped and bowed to each other. They looked up in surprise when Splinter started clapping and walking towards them. Leo's eyes narrowed at the strange man and he pulled Mikey close to him. He never even sensed the man watching them. He obviously needed to keep training.
Splinter noticed their wary glances and slowed but didn't stop. "I didn't mean to startle you," Splinter offered as an apology. "I couldn't help but watch. You are very impressive for ones so young, especially you," he said addressing the oldest.
Leo studied the man curiously. He was middle-aged and Leo could tell that he was in very good shape from the way he held himself. His black hair was cut short and was streaked with the occasional gray and his eyes were a warm brown. He didn't seem to be dangerous but Leo kept his guard up nonetheless. "Who are you?" he asked.
Splinter bowed. "Forgive me. I am Hamato Yoshi but many of my students call me Splinter."
"Students?" Don asked.
Splinter nodded. "Yes. I own a dojo."
All wariness disappeared and suddenly the boys looked interested. If he was a dojo sensei he had to be honorable and trustworthy, at least, that was what the boys had learned from their own training. "I'm Leonardo and these are my brothers Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo," Leo introduced, "but everyone calls us Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey."
Splinter blinked in surprise. The boys had certainly seemed close but he never would've pegged them for brothers. Leo had short black hair and dark blue eyes. Raph had short and spiked dark red hair and green eyes. Don had short shaggy brown hair and hazel eyes. Finally, Mikey had longer wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and freckles. They didn't really look alike at all.
Ignoring this, and the unusual names (their parents were obviously fans of the Italian Renaissance), Splinter asked, "How long have you been training?"
Leo and Raph looked at each other. "About two years," Leo answered. "Mikey hasn't started yet though, but he watches us."
Splinter's eyes widened as he looked at the youngest and smallest boy. Mikey grinned up at him with a toothy smile. Leo might've been a natural but now Splinter realized that Mikey probably had the most potential. Splinter had never had a student who was able to mimic a move nearly perfectly without any prior training. He looked around. "Where are your parents? You're not out here by yourself are you?"
The boys suddenly grew solemn. Leo put his arm around Mikey and hugged him. "They died in a fire a month ago. We live at the orphanage."
Splinter's heart went out to them. Losing a loved one was never easy, and he couldn't imagine what it must be like to lose both of your parents at such a young age. Suddenly, he got an idea. "Can you show me?"