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Chapter 16

After several hours of surveillance, Karai blew up her bangs in frustration. Another night of surveying the streets of NYC yielded absolutely no leads to the location of the Turtles or their two annoying girlfriends. She expected the search would be fruitless, but there was no persuading the Shredder to do otherwise.

Karai turned to address the squadron of shinobi she led. "Let's head in. We're not gonna find anything tonight."

While the majority of the Foot ninja heeded Karai's orders and began to retreat, only one remained, pinning Karai with his gaze. She did not back down.

"You got something to say to me, you talking tuna?" she asked, her hands on her hips and her tone defiant.

Xever said, "Not at all."

"Then fall back with the others like I told you to," she ordered.

Instead of complying, Xever smirked at the teenaged kunoichi. "I don't take orders from you, Karai. You may be Master Shredder's daughter, but your command isn't as secure as you think. Don't try to take on more than you can handle."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Karai asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She didn't attempt to hide the fact she thought she didn't agree with her father's continued focus on Hamato Yoshi and his mutant pupils, she didn't expect anyone to call her out on it.

"I know you're plotting something," he clarified, "I don't particularly care what you do in your free time, but, if you go against Master Shredder's wishes, consider my words your only warning."

"You're right. I am planning something," Karai answered with a sneer, "I plan on chopping off your robot legs and flushing you down the toilet with all the other trash if you even think about getting in my way. Got it, Fishface?"

Unfazed by the threat, the fish mutant snorted before he turned his back on Karai.

"Like I said, it was only a warning," he said without turning around, "Whether I act on it is entirely up to you."

Karai rolled her eyes as she watched Xever retreat back to the Foot Clan's base of operations. No matter what he or anyone else said, she'd get her way soon enough.

-O0o0O-

Safely concealed within the Kraang's the main research facility in TCRI's New York headquarters and unaware of the Foot Clan's retreat, a Kraang droid quietly processed the long sequence of data generated from several ongoing tests. The Kraang's latest strategy to gather more information for the execution of their upcoming Mutagen experiment was once again thwarted by those impertinent turtles.

However, this defeat was very different from previous ones. An unexplained phenomenon occurred on the battlefield. Two specially engineered plasma cannons were found by reconnaissance droids abandoned and surrounded by emptied Norman suits, both in close proximity to each other. After thorough analyses, the recovered Norman suits possessed no conclusive data in their internal memory components regarding the attack that resulted in such an odd scene. The only evidence they managed to recover was a fine light gray powder. A sample was collected and sent to TCRI for analysis as well.

Another Kraang robot approached the other who was still deciphering the results.

"Kraang, have you determined what the strange substance found by Kraang in that place is identified as?" it asked.

"The strange substance collected by Kraang in that place yields results that show Kraang the chemical composition of the strange substance Kraang collected contains high percentages of the elements known as calcium and phosphorous in the form of the compound known as calcium phosphate. Kraang also reads results that indicate the presence of salts in the strange substance known as the elements sodium and potassium," the droid explained, "Based on the results that resulted from the analysis, Kraang concludes that the strange substance collected by Kraang is identified as ashes created by the incarnation of large amounts of biological matter."

"Does Kraang know from what organism the substance known as ashes was derived from?"

"The results of the analysis of the substance known as ashes indicated the presence of another substance that is not ashes. This other substance is fragments of the substance known as silica, a substance found in the interior of Kraang's Norman suits. Therefore, the presence of the substance known as silica in the substance known as ashes indicates that it is highly likely both substances came from Kraang."

"If the ashes came from Kraang, what method was used to produce ashes from Kraang, and who possesses this method of destroying Kraang?"

Although the droid's voice didn't change pitch or volume, it was still clear it was enraged.

"Kraang does not know who that person is, but Kraang will find out."

-O0o0O-

"Hey, Leo!" Donatello called out from his lab, "Come here for a sec."

"Sure," Leonardo answered and walked inside to see him.

"What's up, Donnie?"

"Do you remember the night you brought Kagome here?" he asked.

Leo snorted. "How could I forget? A lot happened that night."

"That's true, but do you remember when you first called me and told me the meet you at the lair? There was something I wanted to tell you," Donatello reminded him, "Now that Kagome is doing better, I thought it would be a good time to bring it up again."

"Oh yeah," Leo replied as he recalled what his brother said when he called him, "So you actually found something when we were fighting the Kraang, huh? What was it?"

"Once I beat the droids I was after, I decided to investigate the area to see what they were up to," Donnie began to explain, "I spotted a huge piece of Kraang tech out in the open. Looked like a weapon and a powerful one.

"When I get closer, I saw a bunch of empty Kraang robots surrounding it. From the looks of it, they were all attacked and taken out at the same time. The only one I can think of with that kind of firepower is Shredder and even that sounds like a stretch."

"Something attacked them at once?" Leonardo repeated, but he already had an idea of what that something was.

It's gotta be Kagome, he reasoned, recalling the way she took out the Kraang in one fell swoop before she collapsed against him. He should have expected Donatello would find the scene and begin inquiring about it. Now seemed as good a time as any to ask her how Kagome managed to do it.

It didn't look like she had a weapon on her. In fact, she used my katana to take them on. The power must come from her, he decided.

"Leo, you alright?" Donnie asked his silent brother.

Leonardo shook his head and said, "I'm fine. Just thinking about what could have caused that."

"Right," Donnie remarked, "By now, I suspect the Kraang probably salvaged what they could from the scene, but maybe we should go back anyway to look for clues. We can resume our usual nightly patrols tonight."

"You really think so?" Leo asked, "Kagome just woke up a few weeks—not even a month!—ago. I think we should wait a little longer before leaving her alone for so long."

Donatello sighed. He expected this response. As admirable as it was that Leonardo along with Raphael assumed the role as Kagome's main caregivers, but it was starting to get out of hand. He, Michelangelo, April, and Master Splinter looked after her as well, but Raphael and Leonardo were convinced Kagome still couldn't lift a finger to help herself.

"She's not going be alone. Splinter will be here, not to mention April when she shows up for training," Donnie asserted, "Besides, Kagome isn't as helpless as you make her out to be. Between you and Raph, you'd think she's in a coma or something. Talk about overprotective."

"I am not being overprotective!" Leo protested, "In case you forgot, Kagome fought both the Foot Clan and the Kraang in one night. She's lucky to be alive."

"I can't argue with you there, but Kagome's recovering at a fantastic rate. It won't be long before she's literally back on her feet. She won't keep getting better if you and Raph don't lighten up."

"Fine," Leo relented and stood to his feet, "If we want to head out tonight, I'll grab Mikey and Raph. We can talk to Kagome when we get back to see if she remembers something about that night that could help us."

"Sounds like a plan," Donatello said and began to put away his equipment, "Last I saw those two, Kagome was showing them how to play mahjong."

Knowing his niece would be indisposed for a while, Murakami sent Kagome many care packages of food and other necessities through April. With one set, he packaged a shogi setup and mahjong tiles to keep Kagome entertained. Michelangelo quickly became bored with the lengthy explanations of shoji gameplay, so Kagome began teaching him the basics of mahjong.

Leonardo snorted a laugh. "Michelangelo playing mahjong? How far did they get?"

"Let's just say they don't need a fourth any time soon," Donnie commented before going back to work.

Chuckling to himself, Leonardo left the lab and quickly found the others in the kitchen seated with their separate hands and the other mahjong tiles.

"Alright, boys, show me what you got!" Kagome said.

"Okay," Michelangelo said and revealed, "This is what I got. Whatever this is."

Kagome hummed as she appraised Michelangelo's hand. "Looks like you have four quadruple chow."

"Yeah, son!" Mikey exclaimed, "Let's see you suckers beat that!"

"Since you asked so nicely," Kagome said before she revealed her hand, "Two dragon triplets and one dragon pair. That's three little dragons."

"Does that mean I still win?" Mikey asked, hopeful.

"I'm afraid not," she answered with a grin.

"Aw man!" Michelangelo said with a pout, "You've won every game tonight! It's not fair!"

"Not this time," Raphael said, smirking as he showed them his tiles, "I think you called this four big winds when you had it."

"What?" Kagome cried, surprised, "You got all of the wind tiles?"

Raphael nodded, self-satisfied. "Sure did, princess. You should already know I pick up on things a little quicker than Mikey."

"So I see," Kagome muttered, "I guess I'll stop going easy on you."

"Go for it, princess."

"Might wanna get a raincheck on that," Leonardo said as he approached the group.

"Hey, Leo," Michelangelo greeted him, "Pull up a chair. You can be our fourth."

"Maybe later," he replied, "Right now, get ready to move out. I discussed it was Donatello, and, since Kagome's better, we can start up our nightly patrols again. We've been laying low for a while, so we might find something this time."

"Great. We're finally doing something I'm good at!" Michelangelo reached out and pet Kagome's head, "Watch the lair while we're gone, kay?"

"Sure thing," Kagome said and leaned away from him, "Happy hunting to you guys."

"Hold up, princess. I'll take you to the living room," Raphael said before he stood.

Kagome squeaked when Raphael lifted her up without warning. She huffed and punched him in the arm.

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

"Oops. Forgot," Raphael said as he plopped her down on the sofa.

"Well, I'm all set, so I guess you better join the others and get ready to go," Kagome said.

"What for? I'm not going anywhere," he told her.

"Didn't Leo say you're going out tonight?" Kagome asked, confused, "You can't patrol much by staying down here."

"Except you," he remarked.

"Excuse me? I'm not an invalid. I can take care of myself for a few hours," she asserted.

"I'm sure you can, but this way I'll be here when you need me."

"I won't need you," Kagome complained before she turned away from Raphael to pout, comically puffing out her cheeks to several times their normal size. Raphael quickly moved to the other side of her so she was facing him again. She didn't change her expression.

"Don't look at me like that," he told her, aggravated, "I'm not going. I told you I'm not going. Nothing you can say or do will make me change my mind about going, so drop it. I'm staying with you."

"Raphael, you're being ridiculous," she retorted.

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Am not!"

Kagome paused and took a deep breath before she spoke again. She had to otherwise her next response would undoubtedly be, "Are too!" Then she and Raph would go back and forth so long that the purpose of their entire argument would become irrelevant.

"Listen to me, Raphael, and don't interrupt me!" she warned when she saw him opened his mouth to interrupt her. He grumbled and folded his arms over his shell but kept his mouth shut.

"I know you're only trying to look out for me, and it's really sweet of you"—she didn't pause when Raphael blushed and sputtered a string of unintelligible excuses like he always did when someone accused of anything that went against his bad boy persona—"but you have got to give me room to breathe. My wounds are almost healed completely, so you don't have to hover around me all the time."

"Excuse me. Didn't know I was in your way," he retorted clearly upset. Although he would never admit it out loud, he liked having Kagome so close, much more than he expected.

Kagome frowned and softly said, "I didn't mean it like that, and you know it."

"I know, I know," he replied, turning away from her with a light blush on his cheeks, "I just don't like leaving you alone, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you if I'm not around."

"But nothing is going to happen to me!" Kagome told him. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder, so he would turn back around.

"You and the others are protecting me and already made sure of that," she continued, smiling sweetly, "And, on the off chance something actually does go wrong, Master Splinter will be here with me, and he's more than capable of taking care of it."

"Fine," Raphael relented. He knew he could rely on his sensei to keep Kagome safe until he returned.

"But don't overdo it!" he added, "If you need something, ask Master Splinter for help or hold off on it until me and the others get back, got it?"

Kagome snorted, rolling her eyes. "Raph—"

"I mean it!" he said, "You said yourself that you're not at a hundred percent."

"But that doesn't mean—"

"Kagome, promise me."

"If it'll make you feel better, I promise," she agreed, sighing, "I mean it."

Even though she didn't want Raphael to worry, Kagome had no intention of taking it easy, not completely. The injuries to her feet finally repaired enough for her to walk on her own, but Raphael and Leonardo rarely let her do so. They insisted one or the other carry her whenever she went—not that she had far to go while she was confined to their lair. Michelangelo and Donatello went along with they said even though the latter openly disagreed with it.

Kagome absently wondered if it was such a good idea to convince the brothers to make up. The two of them working together was a powerful force to be reckoned with. Donatello repeatedly told them she was healing far beyond what he expected, but Raphael and Leonardo still kept her from doing things for herself. At this rate, Kagome feared she would be permanently restricted to princess hold, and she put in far too much work to be demoted back to damsel-in-distress.

Work, huh? That gives me an idea, Kagome thought.

If she appealed to Master Splinter while the Turtles were away, Kagome was sure he'd help her regain her strength. That gave her even more incentive to get the boys out for the night. Kagome doubted Raphael and Leonardo would openly oppose their father figure if he decided to train her, but they would definitely voice their opinions against the idea. Knowing that, she wanted to get this over with as painlessly as possible, and that meant doing it while the Turtles were away.

"What are you up to?" Raphael asked, narrowing his eyes.

"What makes you think I'm up to something?" she countered.

"For one, you answered my question with another question." Raphael smirked when Kagome's back stiffened.

"And two, you can't tell a lie to save your life. So why don't you try again and tell me the truth this time?"

"I'll have you know I'm much better at lying when I'm in a pinch! Besides, don't you have a place to be, Turtle-chan?" she asked, her voice dry, "Get out there and crust some Kraang."

"Alright, but not because you told me to," he said, "Before I leave, want me to bring you somewhere else to camp out while we're gone, princess?"

"I'm fine where I am, thank you," she said, glaring at him for the use of that hated nickname, "You better get going before the others leave you behind, and I'm stuck with you all night."

Raphael grinned and plucked Kagome in the forehead. "We won't be gone too long, so, when I get back, wanna hang out? Just the two of us?"

"Sure," she answered with a quick nod, "Be, careful, Raph."

"You got it."

Raphael continued to sit with Kagome until the other Turtles came to retrieve him. After saying goodbye with the promise to return safely, the Turtles left Kagome in the living room to her own devices. Kagome laid back on the couch and picked up where she left off in one of the Space Heroes comic books Leonardo lent her. Raphael may not like the series, but she thought it was pretty entertaining. She still wanted to speak with Master Splinter but didn't want to rush things. She wanted to be as calm and collected about her approach as possible.

By the time Kagome made it through three issues, she decided to talk to Master Splinter.

Alright, she said to herself after taking a deep, calming breath, Let's give this a try.

Kagome stretched out her legs and slowly placed her feet on the ground for the first time in weeks. The sudden pressure on her soles was uncomfortable but not unbearable. It took several minutes, but she eventually stood on shaky legs, using her outstretched arms to maintain her balance. Breathing heavily, Kagome put one foot on foot in front of the other, shuffling her feet or waddling more than walking normally, as she made her way to the dojo.

By the time she reached the sliding doors, Kagome's forehead was dripping sweat and her every muscle felt like it was on fire. She leaned her back against the wall to rest for serval seconds before she gathered what remained of her strength and slid the door open, pushing herself to keep going. Despite what little progress she made, she was completely exhausted with tears of pain and frustration pricking the corners of her eyes. She never felt so pathetic before, not even when she first entered the Feudal Era.

Now's not the time to cry. I'm almost there. I can make it.

Kagome continued moving forward with her palms flat and pressed against the wall to give her more leverage. She only advanced a few more inches before her sweaty hands slipped, and she was sent crashing to the floor. Kagome closed her eyes to brace herself for an impact that never came. Before she hit the carpet covered concrete, she was caught.

"Thank you, Master Splinter," Kagome said as she tried to catch her breath, "I hope I didn't disturb you."

"Of course not," he replied, "The boys told me before they left that I should keep an eye on you."

"Sure they did," Kagome grumbled, "but, if you're not busy, there's actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

Splinter nodded and, instead of picking Kagome up and carrying her like one of the Turtles would have done, took her hand and folded it into a fist before wrapping his free arm around her waist. Once Kagome was sufficiently supported, Splinter helped her stand tall and walk to the center of the dojo right in front of the tree with small, deliberate steps. He then patiently helped her sit cross-legged on the floor before he took a seat in front of her. By now, Kagome managed to compose herself and will her tears to subside for the time being.

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders, not entirely sure where I should begin. "There's a few things actually. Honestly, it's kind of difficult to choose one to start with."

Splinter nodded, understanding. "Speak whenever you are ready."

Kagome smiled, grateful, and used a few moments to collect her thoughts before she spoke again.

"When I spoke to you about what happened to me after I woke up, there were some things I didn't tell you." Kagome waited for Splinter to nod before she continued.

"For starters, the reason the Shredder thought I was connected to you was because one of his affiliates, I'm guessing it was the Purple Dragons, brought him a shuriken with the Hamato clan symbol on it that I had used. Raphael started training me about a week or so after we first met, and he gave them to me so I can practice without him," Kagome explained, "I apologize for being so careless. I should have never lost them in the first place."

"There is nothing to apologize for," Splinter assured her, "You used it to defend yourself and your uncle, correct?"

Kagome answered affirmatively.

"Then you are not to blame," he said, "Please continue."

"Right," Kagome said before moving on, "Another thing I didn't tell you was what happened when I was being pursued by Karai of the Foot Clan after we ran into the Kraang." She paused again and took a deep breath. Although she knew the Turtles' father was a kind and understanding soul, it was still hard to share a part of her past that almost no one else, even her loving uncle, did not know.

If I'm going to stay here, I have to come clean, Kagome told herself. Master Splinter took care of her and trusted her, and it was time she repaid him.

"Once I realized that the Kraang weren't human, I knew there was something I could do to end the fight quickly before anyone got hurt," she confessed, "I'm not sure if you'll believe me or not, but I have certain abilities that are useful against beings that aren't human. I'm a Shinto shrine maiden also known as a miko."

"I see," Splinter said, "To be honest, I had my suspicions."

"You did?" Kagome replied, "But I didn't even tell Raphael about that."

"In addition to teaching my sons, I have also started to train April," he explained, "She possess a very rare sensitivity to her surroundings, and, after she met you, she told me she notice your pinkness."

Kagome blinked owlishly and repeated, "My pinkness?"

Splinter grinned, lifting up his whisker. "That is how she described what she witnessed to me. I explained what she saw was your aura, an ambient represent of your innate spiritual power. I was born and raised in Japan, so I had my theories about your nature when April told me of the color and clarity of your energy."

"I knew there was something special about April!" Kagome explained, a bit happier than she was before. She didn't expect this revelation to go over so well and without incident. Even if they were of the same nationality, she still feared Splinter would think she was insane.

"But does that mean you can see my aura too?" she inquired.

"Somewhat. I cannot see it as April does, but I can sense your energy is active, much more so than others and particularly when you were asleep and recovering from your ordeal," Splinter answered, "When I was human and living in Japan, I heard legends of Shinto priestesses with powers of healing and protection, but I never imagined I would see a miko with my own eyes and a powerful one at that."

"Thank you," Kagome replied, her face hot with embarrassment, "but I haven't practiced my art for a very long time. Taking down the Kraang like I did took a greater toil on my body than it should have. That brings me to something I wanted to ask you."

"Go ahead," Splinter encouraged her.

Kagome lowered her head and clenched the fabric of her pants tightly in her fists when her earlier frustration returned full force. "You and your family have done—are doing—so much for me. I know I shouldn't ask for more than that, but I only walked from one room to another, and I'm still completely drained! I feel so weak and useless!"

She shut her eyes tight to stop her crying and bowed her head until her forehead touched the ground.

"Please take me on as your student, Master Splinter!" she begged, "I don't want to be burden anymore! I don't want to be kept away and protected all the time! I promise I'll work hard and train as much as I can! So please! Please! Please…please…help me…"

Kagome stopped sobbing when Splinter placed a soft hand on their back of her head. She looked up slowly, blinking the tears from her eyes. He gently coaxed her to lift herself up and helped her wipe her tears away.

"You are not weak, and you are not useless," he told her, "You are a strong, intelligent young woman who faced more trials than anyone should: you allowed yourself to be captured to protect your uncle and your friends, you were fearless and unshakable before a man who will do anything to break his opponent, you escaped his custody, you fought aliens from another dimension and, in doing so, saved my son, and, what I consider your great triumph, you befriended Raphael." Kagome couldn't help but giggle at that.

"None of that shows you are weak or useless," he continued, "I will help you regain your strength and train you as a kunoichi. It will be very difficult, but I know you can do it. You are more than worthy of being my student."

Before the rodent mutant could react, Kagome threw herself at him and embraced him tightly around the neck.

"Thank you, sensei!" she exclaimed, "Thank you so much! I promise I'll do the best I can."

Splinter smiled and returned her hug. "You are most welcome. We can starting your rehabilitation as soon as you're ready. For now, would you like some tea? The boys do not particularly care for it, but I enjoy it on occasion."

"I'd love some," Kagome answered before she paused, wearing a strange grimace.

"Splinter-sensei, do you have to tell Raphael and the others about this?" she asked, "Or can we at least wait until everything's underway?"

Splinter said, "I know the boys have been—"

"Overprotective?" she cut him off with a dry look.

"—concerned about your recovery," Splinter corrected, "They may be resistant to the idea at first, but they will realize this will only help you. Eventually.'

Kagome sighed. "Right."

-O0o0O-

On the surface of New York City, the Turtles surveyed the streets and alleyways from the rooftops. Back at the lair, they debated taking the Shellraiser but decided against it. Donatello still had some adjustments to make to his Kraang tracking equipment. Despite their recent absent, everything about the large city seemed peaceful.

"Talk about boring!" Michelangelo whined when they came to a stop, "No Kraang, no Foot Clan, no nothing!"

He turned to Leonardo, hoping his pathetic appearance would appeal to him.

"Can we go home?" he pleaded.

"Not yet, Mikey," Leonardo admonished him, "We haven't gone on patrol in days, so we have to be thorough or we'll miss something important."

"He's right," Donatello added, trying to be helpful, "But I still think one of our top priorities should be finding out who or what took down the Kraang that night. There had to be some serious hardware involved to do it, and there's no telling what else it can do if we don't find it."

Leonardo sighed, exasperated. "Okay, I get it. Let's just tackle on thing at a time, okay?"

That was the second time tonight Donatello brought up the bizarre attack on the Kraang, one Leonardo knew Kagome perpetrated. He hoped she was ready to talk about it by the time they got back if not sooner. He didn't think he could keep it a secret much longer.

"Good idea, Leo," Raphael quipped, "Let poindexter handle the mystery tech will we handle the Kraang and the Foot."

Raphael leaped to the next building and continued on without waiting for word from Leonardo. He was initially hesitant about leaving Kagome alone, but he hated being cooped up in the lair for the past several weeks. He thoroughly enjoyed her continued company, but a cooped up and restless Raphael was not a very pleasant Raphael to be around as everyone, especially Michelangelo, found out.

In addition to that, Raphael was eager to hunt down the Foot Clan, one member in particular. Karai was already on his shit list because of the stunt she pulled with Leonardo, but she was now enemy number one.

Then he came to a sudden, screeching halt with the others quickly joining him.

Speak of the she-devil, Raphael thought, clenching his fists as he stood only a few feet away from the smug Foot kunoichi leaning against the door to the building's roof access staircase. The only thing that kept him from attacking her head-on was Leonardo's tight grip on his shoulder.

"I see you guys finally slithered out of your precious sewer. I've been bored for days," Karai stated as she pushed herself off the door and sauntered toward them, "But enough about me. How's your lady friend? Still alive I hope."

"What do you want, Karai?" Leonardo asked, effectively cutting off whatever Raphael had to say.

Karai was the only other person Leonardo knew who saw Kagome's brilliant pink burst of power against the Kraang. If she sensed the others didn't know about that, Karai would waste no time telling them all about it just to stir the pot.

Karai rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Geez, straight to the point. Very well. I propose a temporary truce."

"Truce?" Raphael repeated, outraged, "Give me one good reason why the hell we should work with you and not take you out right here and now?"

"Because our family feud means nothing if the Kraang destroy the entire city," she remarked, "The Foot Clan has the firepower you need to take out those slime bots fast and for good. Once they're gone, everything can get back on track."

"No way!"

"Hold it, Raphael!" Leonardo told him, "As much as I hate to admit it, she does have a point."

"Are you kidding me?" Raphael asked, "Did you forget the Foot Clan kidnapped Kagome then sent her to bring her back? We can't trust her!"

"Now Raph's got a point. What are we gonna do?" Michelangelo asked. Personally, he agreed with Raphael. He didn't trust Karai especially when he considered Kagome, and the kunoichi didn't seem fond of April either. Teaming up with her would not bode well for his female friends.

"Look, I don't have time for this," Karai said, annoyed, "Here's the deal. The Shredder is expecting a shipment of military grade weaponry from an old acquaintance of his at the docks. The exchange is scheduled for midnight in three days. I'll volunteer check out the merchandise and set aside a few things for you to pick up."

Karai smirked when she saw Leonardo and Donatello relax and start to consider her plan. It appeared she was getting the leader and the brains of the group to come around. All she needed was the approval of the other two.

"It'll be easy," she continued, "You get in, get out, and destroy the Kraang without drawing attention to yourselves or getting your two pretty pet kunoichi involved. So we got a deal?"

"Not yet," Leonardo said, "We have to discuss this before giving you an answer."

Karai shrugged her shoulders and started to walk away. Time was running short, but the seed was planted. All she had to do now was wait.

"Alright," she replied, "Meet me back here tomorrow night with your answer. Until then, see you around." With a wink over her shoulder directed at Leonardo, Karai left.

When the kunoichi was gone, Raphael looked at Leonardo with an expression of confusion and rage.

"What the fuck are you thinking?" he shouted.

Michelangelo gasped and covered his mouth in shock. "You swore!"

Ignoring Mikey's comment, Leonardo told Raphael, "Don't be so rash. When are we going to have another chance like this?"

"But working with the Foot Clan? How is that even an option?" he implored.

"Here's an idea," Donatello interjected, "Why don't we continue this discussion back at the lair before we wake up the entire block?" Admittedly, he was skeptical about the idea but knew now was not the time or place to discuss especially if Karai was still close by.

"He's right," Leo agreed, "We'll finish up then head back in and discuss this with Master Splinter."

Raphael snorted but still followed Leonardo's lead as they left. It seemed like Mikey was the only turtle on his side about this new development with the Foot Clan and Karai. He was all for pulling one over on the Shredder, but trusting Karai was not an option. Everything she did so far aside, someone who was willing to sell out their own leader and sensei wasn't a credible ally. If Karai could betray the Shredder, there was no telling just what else she was capable of.

And, for all we know, this could be an elaborate trap, he considered, Even after everything that's happened, Leo still thinks Karai can be trusted.

Even though he didn't want to work with her, Raphael hoped Karai didn't abuse Leonardo's trust again and that the right course of action will become clear after they conferred with their sensei.

-O0o0O-

"You almost got it!" April encouraged Kagome as she tried to walk across the dojo with her hands flat on the wall to keep her balance.

When she showed up for her training session with Master Splinter, she found her sensei and her friend in the kitchen drinking tea and playing a game of mahjong. As soon as she heard Kagome would begin training and working to regain her strength, she eagerly volunteered to help. After the tea was finished, the trio relocated to the dojo where April and Splinter helped Kagome with some basic exercises and tasks to help her move around more independently. It was still exhausting, but the fact Kagome was finally up and about was exhilarating.

"Just a little more," she told herself but ultimately lost her balance. Before she fell, April was at Kagome's side to hold her up the way Master Splinter instructed her to.

"Don't worry. I got you," she said with her arm firmly placed around Kagome's waist.

"Thanks, April. Sorry you had to help me with this," Kagome replied, sheepish.

"No problem!" she replied, "As far as I'm concerned, getting you better is top priority. Then we can train together. Right, sensei?

Master Splinter nodded as he approached his two students. "You're already making progress, Kagome, but that is enough for now. We will resume in the morning."

"Hai, sensei," they both answered in unison and left the dojo with a respectful nod of the head to their sensei.

April and Kagome continued walking until they reached the kitchen. April helped Kagome sit down at the table before sitting beside her.

"Tomorrow, I'll bring you some spare crutches from my house," April said, "They'll help you get around better."

"Thanks, but you really don't have to go out of your way to do that. The fact you're helping me out is enough," Kagome insisted.

She squeaked when April playfully thumped her on the forehead.

"It's not like that!" April insisted, "I broke my leg a few years back, so they should be laying around somewhere. Besides, sensei said you're not a burden so stop acting like you are."

"So you're gonna beat me up until I comply?" Kagome retorted, joking.

"Yup," she answered with a quick nod, "Until you're in sparring condition, I can get away with it."

April laughed when Kagome began pelting her with mahjong tiles.

"We're back!" Michelangelo announced as he ran ahead of the other turtles, "Gome, where are you?"

Kagome grumbled as she heard them approach and lowered her handful of tiles. After speaking with April and Master Splinter, she decided it would be better to let the guys know about her rehabilitation which would lead to her subsequent training as a kunoichi under Splinter. She wasn't sure how well she would be received, but, if she wanted to get through this, she had to get started on the right foot.

And Splinter-sensei didn't think it was very funny when I said I couldn't stand on both feet let alone my right one.

"Hey, guys," April said when they appeared in the kitchen with Michelangelo taking the lead, "Find any good leads out there?"

"I wouldn't say 'good'," Donatello muttered, looking pointedly at Leonardo.

"So what did you find?" Kagome probed. She giggled when Michelangelo pulled up a chair and hugged her around the shoulders.

"Well, we may have run into someone—" Leonardo began to explain until Raphael interrupted him.

"Someone? I think you mean Karai of the Foot Clan, the same clan that wants to destroy us all!" he shouted.

"We all know who she is, Raph," Leonardo interjected, glaring at him for his outburst.

"Really?" Raphael retorted, "Could have fooled me, shellbrain!"

"Raphael, please let Leonardo finish," Kagome requested, gently pulling the irate reptile to the empty seat beside her. He grumbled by chose to remain quiet. He might as well let Leo dig his own grave.

Once Raphael was placated, Kagome looked at Leonardo with an expectant look and encouraging smile.

"So what did she want?" she asked.

"Probably generic villain stuff," April quipped before Leonardo could speak, uninterested, "Nothing too major."

Despite April's remark, Leonardo sighed in relief before he returned Kagome's grin with a shaky smile of his own. On the way back to the lair, Raphael and Michelangelo made it clear they weren't on board with considering Karai's plan let alone trusting her. And, considering how adamantly April regarded Karai before the Foot Clan attacked Murakami's restaurant for a second time, she would definitely side with them.

Donatello was still on the fence about it, but his rational mind would likely lead him to accept Karai's proposal. To convince the others to agree as well, Kagome was his trump card. She was an intelligent, sensible girl, one of the things he liked about her. He could also tell she was very forgiving, not the type of person who would hold a grudge. If she could get passed whatever role Karai played in the incident several weeks ago, Kagome would certainly see the merit in going through with Karai's plan and help encourage the others to accept it especially Raphael.

"Actually, she approached us with the idea of a temporary truce," Leonardo explained, "She thinks we should team up against the Kraang."

"Don't tell me you're actually considering teaming up with her? This has to be another trap!" April exclaimed.

"That's what I've been trying to tell him~!" Michelangelo sang as he nodded his head in agreement.

"We don't know that for sure! She only suggests we work together long enough to destroy the Kraang then things can go back to normal," Leo emphasized, "The Shredder is supposed to receive a shipment of weapons we can use to take those bots down permanently."

"Or it's an ambush to take you down permanently!" April countered.

"I have to admit it does sound too good to be true," Kagome admitted, "No matter how sincere Karai's intentions seem, we can't rule out the possibility this is all an elaborate ploy to get you guys off guard."

Leonardo frowned. "So you don't think we should trust her either."

Kagome pursed her lips together in thought. Her first instinct was to reject Karai's offer outright. One thing she had experience with was an opponent who was an expert in deception and employed every trick in the book to mess with her and her comrades. Karai's proposal seemed to be completely in line with that line of thinking.

Not only that, the Shredder is willing to do anything to reach his final goal without regard for anyone else, she mused, He even kidnapped me based on nothing but pure speculation and rumors. I'm not entirely sure if we can trust someone affiliated with him. Unless—

A fleeting image of a raven haired woman with eyes like glittering rubies came to her mind, one who only desired to be as free as the wind she commanded.

"Not exactly," Kagome replied, "Do you think you can trust Karai's offer?"

"Are you serious?" Raphael growled in disbelief, "After everything that's happened, you of all people want to do this?"

"I'm not saying that either," she retorted, "If Leo thinks there's something you can gain from all this, it's worth discussing, hot head."

"Fine, discuss it," he quipped, "Hell, let's bring the she-witch to our lair so she can join in."

Kagome rolled her eyes. She was having flashbacks of another person from her past with an affinity for red who liked to jump to conclusions before he heard all she had to say.

"Raph, stop thinking about what the Shredder stands to gain and start considering what we can," she told him, "And, for the record, just because I want to hear Karai out, doesn't mean I'm ready to completely forgive the Foot Clan or anyone else involved for what happened to Oji-chan, April, and me because I definitely am not."

She paused and added with cheeky grin as she tapped Raphael's cheek, "Except for you."

"Ha-ha," he dryly said, "So discuss away."

Donatello took the initiative and said, "Assuming Karai follows through, we can have high-powered weapons and an experienced kunoichi on our side against the Kraang. That's a big plus for us."

"Hello? What about me and Kagome?" April asked, "You have us on your side. What does Karai have that we don't?"

Kagome cringed and hoped no one read into what April said. She didn't want to reveal her training yet, not when everyone was already fired up by this topic. Call it chickening out on her part, but she wanted to wait until everyone else was as calm as possible.

"I didn't mean anything by it!" Donatello insisted, fearful he escaped April's good graces, "Karai just has actual fighting experience other than training with sensei or goofing off with Raphael."

April huffed. "Great. Let her join the team. Never mind that same experience's been sued to kick your shells. And, hey, she's purdy!"

"No way!" Donnie protested, "You are way prettier."

He blanched and tried to backpedal from his verbal blunder. "That's not what I meant! That is—! What I meant to say—!"

Without any hesitation, Raphael stood up and grabbed Donatello by the elbow before he ushered him out of the room.

"You'll thank me for this later," he assured him in a whisper.

"Anyway," Kagome said to gloss over what just occurred, "I'd say Master Splinter might be able to help you figure out what to do. As far as I'm concerned, it'll all work out as long as you're careful where this is a trap or not."

April nodded. "If Karai is telling the truth, for once you guys know exactly where the Shredder will be. Use that to your advantage."

"Are you saying we should attack him while he's off guard?" Mikey suggested. Off guard or not, the Shredder still scared him.

"Not exactly," she clarified, "Even if he's not expecting you guys to attack, Shredder's not an idiot. At the very least, he's going to have some ninja patrolling the area during the exchange."

"But he's not just getting a shipment of guns and ammo for the heck of it," Kagome said, "He has to have something planned. This might be the best opportunity to do a little recon and find out what that is."

Although he was apprehensive about, in a sense, betraying Karai's trust to gain an advantage with the Shredder, Leonardo was grateful he spoke with Kagome and April beforehand.

"You're right. Thanks, Kagome. You too, April. I'll go run this by Splinter before we make a final decision. Karai's expecting a response tomorrow."

April and Kagome watched the turtle leader leave, the former rolling her eyes.

"And he thinks an experience kunoichi is more useful than us," April remarked.

Kagome grinned and said, "To be fair, the guys are hopeless. They need all the help they can get."

"Hey!" Mikey protested with a pout, "I'm not the one who wants to work with her."

"Of course you don't, Mikey," Kagome replied, "We didn't mean you."

"As long as the record's straight," Michelangelo said before turning to April, "So April, ever hear of a game called mahjong?"

"Yeah, I think there was a demo or something preinstalled on my laptop. Why do you ask?"

"Thought maybe you'd wanna see how the pros do it then see if you can last a few rounds," he suggested, "Don't worry. I'll go easy on ya."

"Gee thanks, Mikey," April halfheartedly stated, "Sounds like fun."

"Don't worry," Kagome told her, "Beginners always get my couching until they're up to speed."

"Seriously?" Mikey cried, his enthusiasm instantly depleted, "But you always win!"

"But Mikey! Even noobs like me deserve to have a fighting chance against an expert player like you," April said, grinning, "It's only fair."

"Alright, but, if we're playing on teams, I call Raph!"

Kagome giggled as Michelangelo left to retrieve Raphael before she gave April a quick rundown of the game and the two of them set up the tiles for their game. They both agreed losing to Raphael and Mikey was not an option.

Mikey soon returned to the table with Raphael smirking right behind him. Kagome held his gaze and nodded once, more than ready to take him on. She'd tell him about her training tomorrow.

-O0o0O-

punkish furball – That's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed that. More updates are on the way!

Until next time, TCB! =(^o^)=

(edited 08.12.2015)