Well, this is the second to last chapter of this story.
I just want to say how happy I am that you all stuck with me. Without your support, I wouldn't have gotten this finished in time.
*scoffs* What am I saying!? You still need to read two chapters!
(I don't know anything about learning ninjutsu. So I'm sorry if some of this is incorrect!)
Leo looks at the door to the dojo. In preparation for the coming duel, he had donned his belt and pads. He feels a little exposed, since he is used to wearing clothes, but with his brothers in the same position, he feels alright. He takes a deep breath and takes a step. He slides the katanas onto his back as he walks closer. When he enters the dojo, he slides them out of of their leather prisons.
Splinter sees the gleaming swords and scowls. He had not counted on Heather finding a way to give them to him. But they are here now, and he believes he can still beat the spoiled slave. "Tell me," Splinter says in Japanese, "How do you plan to kill me?"
"How do you plan on forcing me to surrender my freedom?" Leo answers, fluent in Japanese. Splinter smirks.
"She taught you a language. Of course."
"That is not all I was taught," Leo says, still in the previous language, even if Splinter had changed to English. "I have my katana, what do you choose?" Splinter takes a moment before revealing the emerald staff. It is the same staff that he had hit Leo with when he was younger, when he messed up.
"I do not need much to defeat you." Then he disappears. Leo looks around and feels a strike on his shoulder. He falls to the floor, not anticipating the pain. "You're master must have been an idiot."
Leo holds his shoulder, needing to drop a sword. But then he gets up and looks around. Splinter can't be seen. His brothers are in the doorway, watching. 'Win for them.' He closes his eyes and thinks back to what Master Bācharu had said.
"Any ninja is a dangerous foe, whether or not he follows the Bushido Code," Master Bācharu says. Leo has a blindfold on and is standing in the middle of the sim dojo. "Do not trust your eyes, for they deceive you."
Leo listens to the room. He picks up a sound and acts on it, moving his stance so the rat passes by him. He listens again. He catches a fist before it embeds itself into his gut.
"You must be quick and be unseen by your opponent. You must be silent."
Leo opens his eyes and throws a smoke bomb. Splinter rubs his eyes and looks around. "You think that can stop me?" Leo comes up behind him and sweeps his legs out. The master twists and never hits the floor. He sweeps Leo's feet out, he heard him coming.
"Do not let his experience beat you. Learn from him. Your enemy will teach you just as much as I will," Master Bācharu had taught him much.
Leo looks at Splinter, readying his staff. He charges and Leo meets him. He counters, parries, and tries to add in his own attacks. But there is no room through his opponent's onslaught.
"Trip up your opponent. A ninjas best weapon can be his mouth and the knowledge he possesses."
Leo looks at Splinter and locks his swords so Splinter's staff can't go anywhere. They push at each other, trying to knock them off balance. "You'll fight me, but not your sons?" Leo asks.
"I love my sons. I loathe you!" Splinter says.
"That's something you fail to see," Leo says, "I am one of your sons."
"That's a lie."
"No, it's the truth. I am one of your sons. The true eldest son. Raph can see this, too." Raph nods from the doorway. "And I came back. Because I love my family, even if one was cruel to me. I wanted to please you before, so I wouldn't get punished and maybe be allowed to be part of the family." Leo sees Splinter's thoughts break through. He's confused him.
But before Leo can do anything about it, Splinter recovers and knocks him back. Leo falls on the floor, his swords leaving his grasp. He looks up at Splinter.
"Anything can be used as a weapon. Use what you can find. Even a pebble can fell a giant."
Leo takes a second to look around. The edge for the rug that Splinter is standing on is right at his hand. He pulls it, forcing the rat onto the floor. He kicks him in the face as he flips to stand up. He grabs the handle of one of his katanas and waits for his opponent to stand up. Because Master Bācharu had said, "Never attack a fallen opponent."
He waits until he is ready and then attacks with the same fury as Splinter had before, but with something Splinter had lacked. A purpose.
"Do not fight unless provoked to, but use caution. Do not stoop to your opponent's level. If you do, you have already lost... Fighting for honor is a reason most ninja find themselves in to fight. But losing your honor to win is not worth the fight."
Leo gets the upper hand, keeping Splinter on the defense. But then Splinter jabs him in the plastron, forcing him back against the tree. He jumps into the branches, but with a swift arch of the emerald staff, he falls out. Splinter had picked up the katana that Leo had left lying on the floor.
He's on Leo the second his shell touches the rugs. He pins Leo to the floor with the blade, causing Leo to cry out in pain. "You can't beat me, Leo. Yield and you will escape more humiliation at this time."
"Never!" Leo yells, using the pain to strengthen the decibels of his voice, "I'll never surrender! You thought I'd do that, after all I've been through!? Think again." Splinter seethes as Leo defiantly stares at him. "You'll have to kill me!"
Splinter raises his staff, but is pushed over by an unseen force. He looks over at it and sees Raph. The red ninja draws his sais and stands between his father and his fallen brother. "Ya have ta go through me first."
"And me," Donnie says as he joins Raph. Mikey, who has no weapon, stands behind them.
"You won't hurt him, Sensei!"
Splinter stares at them, surprised. He did not expect them to interfere. Heather had arrived earlier in the fight and could only watch. But now, she steps forward and takes out her shield. She steps up to Splinter, feeling his staff hit the vibranium the moment he sees her.
"You did this!" He yells, striking again and again. "If you never arrived, everything would be different!"
"It would be as you want," Heather says, going on offense. Raph pulls out the katana and Donnie and Mikey help him stand.
"Leo, you don't have to do this. You've proved yourself," Donnie says. Leo shakes his head.
"No," he gasps, "I need to do this." He stands up and looks at the fight between the super soldier and the master ninja. He limps over. "Splinter," he commands. The duel stops and they look at him. "Your fight is with me." Heather steps back, looking at Leo with concern. He waves it off and looks at Splinter.
Master Bācharu is standing in the center of the rock garden. Leo is kneeling underneath him. "Remember this, Leonardo..."
"You will be different," Leo recites, attacking, "you will have to stick to the shadows." Splinter has to block. "But when you do meet someone, you have something that the right people. Will. See!" Leo triple jabs to emphasize his point. Splinter falls to his knees, holding his abdomen. "That you have honor, integrity, and respect them as a person. The way you want to be treated."
Splinter stands up, leaving his shattered staff on the floor. "..Who.. who trained you?"
Leo backs him into the wall. "Leonardo.. killing is wrong," Master Bācharu says, "But in some cases, it is unavoidable."
Leo speaks Japanese, saying, "To kill is dishonorable, unless it is unavoidable. To leave wounded is immoral, whatever the situation." The room is silent for multiple moments. Then Leo stabs his sword into the wall right next to the rat's head. "I will be doing neither today."
"Then this will never be over!" Splinter says.
"I have honor, something you have lost a long time ago." Leo takes back his sword and turns away. Splinter follows him a few steps, but Raph is there first and sucker punches him in the mouth.
"Leo's proved himself enough, Splinter," he says. The four turtles and Heather leave the dojo and Donnie has Leo sit down in the infirmary. Mikey hugs Leo when he starts to stare too long at his swords.
"You did good," Heather says as Donnie looks at his leg, "Master Bācharu will be proud, I am too."
"Leo?" Mikey asks, "Who's Master B?" Leo smiles.
"Master Bācharu is my sensei. He taught me all I know. Heather couldn't because she doesn't know ninjutsu."
Raph puts a hand on his shoulder, "I'd like ta meet this, sensei. How about you guys?" Orange and purple nod in unison.
I feel like this one needs some work.
Honestly, I was going to kill Master Splinter. But, Leo disagreed with me.
Next chapter is the epilogue!
And then..
Sentōki.