The atmosphere in the lair was tense all throughout the day. The siblings barely said a word, throwing themselves into their training and into ensuring their weapons were in top condition. While the teens what they could to prepare themselves, Splinter spent most of the day meditating, trying his best to calm his turbulent spirit and raging emotions. He knew that if he was to stand any chance of victory, he would need to be sound in both body and mind.
About an hour before sunset, the family sat down for dinner, nobody willing to admit it might be their last. Mikey made his famous beef stew, but barely anybody touched it at first.
"You all should eat." he insisted. "You will need your strength for the coming battle ahead of us."
Reluctantly, they all began eating, the silence broken only by spoons clinking against the bowls.
"My children," Splinter began, hoping to alleviate some of their worries. "I know you five are fearful for my safety, but you must have faith."
"No offense sensei, but one Shredder almost killed you." Mikey pointed out. "And these guys..."
He didn't need to finish his sentence.
"I understand, but we have come too far to allow fear to control us." Splinter informed them. "We must be strong, not just for ourselves, but for Miwa as well."
Hisako gave a small nod.
"She's suffered enough because of Shredder." she declared. "He's gone now, and we can't let his dishonor claim her life any longer."
This steeled the turtle's resolve.
"For Miwa." Leo declared.
"For all of us." Donny reiterated.
With that, the turtles and Hisako put their hands together. Splinter's paw joined it as all of them exchanged glances.
"Shredder's reign over our family ends tonight." Raph proclaimed. "One way of the other."
They all nodded, then resumed eating.
…
Sunset came as the Foot High Council stood on the roof of Saki enterprises. They were all in their full armor, each with a hand on their katana hilts dangling by their sides. Kneeling in front of them, looking more than a bit nervous, was Miwa. Her hands were shaking as she looked out at the cloudy sky, a storm threatening to roll in as the grey clouds marred the fading sunlight.
"Where is Hamato Yoshi?" Chikara demanded. "It is the appointed time."
"Perhaps he has fled our judgment as he did before." Hisomi guessed.
"He truly is nothing more than a cowardly rat." Mashimi remarked.
"A rat, yes." Splinter's voice called out. "But never a coward."
The council turned to see Splinter standing in the door leading onto the roof, his five children surrounding him. Miwa's face lit up at the sight of her family, even if it was marred by a seed of fear.
"Father!" she called out.
"Release my daughter at once." Splinter demanded.
"As you wish." Juto declared.
Miwa wasted no time scrambling over to Splinter, throwing her arms around him.
"Father I am so sorry." she sobbed. "I never should have gone. This is all my fault. If I had just listened to you-"
"It is alright." Splinter interrupted, returning her hug. "You are safe. That is all that matters."
"So, the rat Shredder informed us about was none other than Hamato Yoshi himself." Kon remarked, giving Splinter a glance. "You've looked better."
Splinter released Miwa, ushering her behind him. Leo slipped her a katana, one she threw over her shoulder as all eyes fell on the Council.
"All I wish is for me and my family to live in peace!" Splinter insisted. "I ask only once, let us leave before any unnecessary blood is shed!"
"You should have thought of that before you betrayed your clan." Mashimi snapped. "The Foot took you in, gave you a home and a family, and you chose treason?!"
"I never meant to betray you!" Splinter replied. "Saki spread lies about me! He wanted me destroyed! He came to Kyoto and tried to take my life! He stole Miwa from me for seventeen years!"
"Lies!" Hisomi shouted. "Saki is the most honorable warrior the Foot has ever known, and we will not allow a dirty street urchin like yourself to taint his memory with your falsehoods!"
"So, nothing I would say would sway your wrath?" Splinter surmised.
"You've made this bed, Yoshi." Juto answered, calmly drawing his katana. "Now it's time for you to lie in it."
The rest of the council drew their swords, aiming them right at Splinter and his children. The six Hamato siblings all readied their weapons, looking up at their sensei. The rat gave a sigh, looking older than he had in a while.
"So be it." he said, gripping his walking stick.
For a moment, the two groups circled each other, as if daring the other to try something. Then, Chikara made the first move, her blade raised to strike down Splinter. Splinter quickly brought his walking stick up, sliding the top part free to reveal a hidden sword. The sound of the two blades clashing caused everyone on the roof to spring into action. Leo and Raph ran towards Kon, both with sword and sai at the ready. Kon blocked both attacks with his sword and shoved them off. Raph was the first to run back in and continued to clash with Kon's blade, the master never faltering.
"One would think that you would have learned your lesson after your previous defeat at our hands." Kon remarked. "Stay down, little ones and perhaps we will spare your lives."
"Fat chance pal!" Raph replied, continuing to lash out with his sai.
Juto faced off against Donny, forcing the brainy turtle to move faster than he'd ever had to move before. Unfortunately, this kept the turtle on the defensive and unable to get a single attack in. as Donny ducked under a sword swing, he activated one of the blades on his staff and tried swinging it at him. Juto easily dodged the blow, at least until Donny activated the piston extension, catching him in the gut. He stumbled back, a dent in his armor and a smirk under his helmet.
"An impressive weapon." he complimented. "Never have I seen a bo staff with such additions. I assume you are its creator."
"You'd assume correctly." Donny confirmed, spinning his staff. "Call off this crazy fight and I'll show you how it works."
"That I cannot do." Juto answered. "It is a shame though. The Foot could use a creative mind like yours."
"Not in this lifetime!" Donny cried out as he leapt into the air.
He tried swinging his staff at him again, but Juto just ducked under it and brought his elbow down hard on Donny's neck. He fell hard, but rebounded quickly, delivering a double kick to Juto's chest plate to give himself some room.
Mikey meanwhile was duking it out with Mashimi, swinging his Nunchucks at him at every opportunity. Sadly, the council member was able to dodge and evade every attack, with not even the tiniest sign of fatigue.
"Sheesh, what are you made of?" Mikey questioned. "Are you a robot or something? Because normal people would be tired by this point."
"We have dedicated our lives to perfecting our physical prowess." Mashimi told him. "To become the greatest warriors possible."
"Uh huh, and what do you do when you're not doing that?" Mikey questioned. "You have to have a life outside of being one of five complete douchebags."
Mikey's words threw Mashimi for a loop, which provided Mikey with a chance to attack. He brought his Nunchucks down on his helmet, rattling the metal hard. Mikey then took advantage of his disorientation and swept Mashimi's legs out from under him. Unfortunately, Mashimi caught himself with his hands and sprung backwards onto his feet.
"A clever trick, but it will not save you." Mashimi told him.
Mikey just gulped before spinning his Nunchucks and readying himself for what came next.
Hisako was having her own problems against Hisomi. She knew from the last time that her powers would leave her vulnerable, forcing her to rely solely on her tessen and her physical strength. While her weapons were strong, Hisomi greatly outmatched her in the strength category.
"You cannot win this, little girl." he told her. "Give up now."
"Not… Gonna… Happen..." Hisako grunted, straining to keep Hisomi's blade away from her.
Before the strain became too much, Miwa came in and kicked him away from Hisako, helping her sister to her feet.
"Hands off my sister." Miwa warned.
Hisomi rose to his feet, glaring at the two girls as they prepared their weapons.
"You have a warrior's spirit." Hisomi commended. "But spirit alone will not be enough."
"It was enough for me to kill Shredder." Hisako retorted.
Hisomi growled at the mention of Shredder's name and charged at the two girls. Miwa's Katana and Hisako's tessen blocked the blow, but neither of them were prepared for Hisomi's kick to Hisako's stomach. She slid back, coughing as Miwa tried to disarm Hisomi.
"Did we strike a nerve there?" Miwa taunted, putting on a brave front. "Guess you're a little sore that your supposed 'best soldier' was taken out by a bunch of freaks."
"Hey, you're part of this family too." Hisako reminded her playfully.
"I know, besides, freak is a compliment." Miwa replied, "Who wants to be normal, right?"
Hisako smiled at that as she got back to her feet, ready for more.
With the other four Grandmasters busy with his children, Splinter was able to focus on Chikara.
"I know you are a wise and just leader Chikara." Splinter told her. "Do not let anger and hatred cloud your judgement as it did Saki."
"My mind is clear, Yoshi." she spat, attempting to cut off his head. "And once you lay dead at my feet, the stain of dishonor you have left on the Foot Clan will finally be eradicated."
Though her blow to his head failed to connect, she was able to knock off his balance. He stumbled backward, hitting the edge of the roof. Hisako looked over and saw this and acted on instinct, reaching out mentally to stop him from potentially falling. Unfortunately, this left her wide open for attack, something Hisomi took full advantage of.
"Never turn your back on your opponent!" He shouted as he brought his sword down.
Lucky for Hisako, Miwa moved fast enough to shove her out of the way, even if it did break her concentration, and thus her hold on Splinter.
"I got this Hisako," Miwa reassured, readying her sword. "Go! Now!"
Hisako bolted forward just as Chikara sent Splinter over the side. Shoving the Grandmaster Kunoichi aside, she dove over the edge of the building, grabbing her sensei's arm and surrounding them both in a halo of green power, slowly their descent so they could land safety, if somewhat hard. They rolled for about a foot before coming to a stop, both of them groaning a bit.
"Sensei, you okay?" Hisako questioned, remembering what happened last time.
"I am alright." he reassured.
"That will not remain the case for long." Chikara declared, landing in front of the two. "Your student lacks discipline and respect if she believes she can get away with brushing me aside the way she did."
Hisako got to her feet and readied her tessen for the battle before her. Chikara wasted no words swinging her sword at her. Hisako barely brought her tessen up in time to block the attack. When the sword came around for another strike, Splinter stepped in the way, catching the blade with his own.
"You will not harm my daughter Chikara." Splinter declared.
"You act as if you have a say." Chikara retorted.
"We all do, sister!" Mikey yelled as he and the other turtles landed in a protective circle around their sister and Splinter.
Miwa joined seconds afterwards, and right behind her was the rest of the council.
"This fight is far from over, creatures." Kon informed them.
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Leo agreed.
Leo then sprinted towards Kon and clashed blades with him again. Having watched his sensei fall, Leo was emboldened not to allow history to repeat itself. His grip on his sword hilts was so tight, his knuckles were a light green color. His strikes were fast, now forcing Kon on the defensive, much to the Grandmaster's surprise.
"You fell easily before, and yet now you hold your own." he noted. "What changed?"
"I thought I lost my father one, and I sure as shell am not going to let that nightmare become a reality." Leo answered, pressing forward.
Raph and Donny went after Mashimi. Donny swung his staff at him, but he quickly ducked under it and blocked Raph's oncoming sai.
"Damn, two on one and we're still getting our shells waxed!" Raph shouted.
Donny extended both blades on his staff and swung it at Mashimi repeatedly, but he seemed to miss with every strike. Finally, Mashimi grabbed the staff and pulled Donny in close, kicking him in the chest. The force sent him sliding into the street just as the storm that had been brewing above them finally began to rain.
"Cease this useless battle, young ones." Mashimi insisted. "You need not die this night."
"The only thing dead right now is my patience for any bozo wearing that stupid helmet!" Raph yelled before kicking him in the face.
Mikey used his Nunchucks to stop Hisomi's blade, the deadly edge managing to cut a few strands of his wild orange hair.
"Yikes!" he yelped, pushing the blade back. "I don't need a haircut, thank you very much."
"You act as if this is a game." Hisomi accused. "Do you not realize the severity of what is at stake here?"
"I know what's at stake, believe me." Mikey answered, twirling his Nunchucks in a defensive manner. "But if I got scared every time things looked bad for me and my family, well, then I would spend my entire life afraid. And believe you me that is not a life I wanna live."
He pressed forward, his Nunchucks coming down on Hisomi and forcing him to block with his wrist guards.
Hisako and Miwa were left with Juto since Chikara seemed dead set on finishing Splinter. The two kunoichi dashed towards the councilman and swung their weapons at him, only for them to be blocked by his sword. Juto then brought their weapons down and formed a spin kick, hitting them both in the face. Miwa recovered first as she spun around and swung her sword at him again. He quickly blocked the attack before shoving her off and swinging at her. As she blocked the strike, Juto kneed her in the gut, causing her to stumble back as he tried bringing his sword down again. Fortunately, Hisako ran up and deflected the blade with her tessen before using the other to strike Juto in the face. Miwa then kicked Juto in the chest, sending him stumbling back as the two ran towards him again.
Splinter meanwhile was locking blades with Chikara. The scene between them was a barrage of rapid sword swings between the two masters. Chikara continued pressing her attack, her anger fueling her strikes.
"Why do you keep fighting?" Chikara pressed. "Surely you realize that you stand no chance against us."
"I recognize your skill, Chikara." Splinter admitted. "But I have far too much to lose should I fall to you."
"You mean the monsters you dare to call children, and the majo?"
"They are my children. My family!" Splinter declared. "And I am willing to fight for them with my last breath!"
With that, Splinter pulled a hand free and punched her in the face, send her back a bit and knocking off her helmet. It bounced across the ground, revealing the face of a middle aged woman of Japanese descent. Her hair was bleach white, done up in a tight bun with a few strands hanging in her face. She had bright green eyes that were brimming with fury.
"How dare you!" She screeched.
"My patience with this game is through." Splinter stated, pointing his sword at her. "End this ridiculous conflict. Now!"
"Be careful what you wish for, rat." Chikara spat out. "Fellow Grandmasters, kill them all!"
The Grandmasters gripped their swords and pressed their attacks on the turtles, as well as the two kunoichis. Hisako winced visibly, feeling the sudden weight of the combined hatred and animosity felt towards her family. It began to physically hurt her, her hand going to her head.
"Too much..." she whimpered.
Donny saw her strain and immediately ran over to her. Leaving him open to Mashimi running up and kicking him in the side, sending him flying. Donny bounced hard, then went flying through a glass window, landing in the floor of a familiar noodle shop.
"Oww." Donny moaned.
"Turtle-san?" Mr. Murakami's voice called out, approaching the fallen turtle.
Donny slowly sat up, searching for his Bo staff for a moment.
"Mr. Murakami, you need to get out of here." he told him. "There are some seriously skilled people out there, and they mean business."
Mr. Murakami's glassy eyes narrowed as he turned towards the now shattered window, the sounds of the fight outside filling his shop.
"I will return shortly." he declared suddenly, turning and walking towards his counter.
Donny finally found his Bo staff and grabbed it, quickly returning outside to rejoin the fight. As expected, it was not going well. With Hisako down from her mental assault, Miwa was forced to defend her as well as hold her own against Hisomi. Leo and Raph had been forced back to back, dealing with Kon and Juto and just barely holding out. Mikey was keeping Mashimi at bay, but even he was starting to give. And to make things even force, Chikara had Splinter up against a wall, her sword pressing down on him.
"Your strength fails you, rodent." Chikara taunted. "You will fall, and soon the rest of your brood will join you."
"That outcome is inevitable." Splinter admitted. "But not this day!"
Splinter then shoved her off and leapt into the air with his sword drawn back. As he brought it down on her, she twisted out of the way, bringing her hand down for a precise chop on the back of his neck. The strike caused him to drop his blade as he fell to the ground. As he tried to reach for it, Chikara's foot stepped on his hand. He looked up to see her blade pointed at his face.
"Father!" Miwa cried out.
Everyone turned to see the fallen Splinter, but before any of them could react, their weapons were knocked from their hands, the remaining Grand Masters grabbing them and holding them all back. Kon grabbed both Leo and Raph, Juto held Donny, Hisomi put his boot down on Hisako while holding Miwa by the hair, and Mashimi kept Mikey safely pinned in his grasp.
"Now your so-called children can watch as their 'Father' is dealt with." Chikara sneered. "Any last words, filth?"
Splinter just turned to his children with a sorrowful expression. He closed his eyes and looked down. The screams of his children echoed in his ears as Chikara brought her sword down upon him.
However, the sudden sound of ringing metal caused his eyes to fly open. He looked up, shocked to find a katana blocking the deadly blade. The wielder of this saving grace, Mr. Murakami of all people, who was staring in the direction of Chikara with what almost appeared to be an annoyed expression.
"What does an old man have to do to get some peace and quiet?" he asked.
"Mr. Murakami?!" the turtles and Hisako all let out.
"This has nothing to do with you, old man!" Chikara shouted.
"Nothing to do with me?" Murakami repeated. "You damage my shop, assault my most valued patrons, and now you threaten my former pupil? What part of that has nothing to do with me?"
"Former pupil?" Leo questioned. "What the-"
Before he could finish his thought, he and the rest of his siblings were all cast aside, the council moving in on Murakami. Murakami quickly shoved Chikara off, bringing up his sword to defend himself.
"You call that an attack?" he chastised. "Sloppy!"
Kon took a swing at him, but Murakami quickly ducked under it, elbowing him in the back before spinning around and kicking him in the butt. Hisomi tried attacking him from behind, but Murakami brought his sword up to block it just in time.
"You give your moves away!" Murakami berated. "I thought I was fighting ninjas, not street thugs!"
"We are the Foot High Council!" Juto declared. "And we will not be bested by you, old man!"
"I know who you are." Murakami informed him. "But it seems you have forgotten me. Perhaps this will refresh your memory."
As Juto ran up, Murakami used the hilt of his sword to strike him in the gut. Taking advantage of his disorientation, Murakami used his free hand to grab a shoulder and bring him down so he could elbow him in the head. His metal helmet only amplified the blow as he grabbed his head in pain. Murakami then swept his legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground.
"Now, are the rest of you going to continue to attack me and end up like your companion here, or are you all going to drop your weapons like reasonable beings?" Murakami questioned.
Hisomi and Mashimi said nothing, they just gripped their weapons as they stepped forward. Murakami sighed, gripping his own sword before getting into an offensive stance.
"Kids." he muttered.
Hisomi and Mashimi rushed at Murakami, swinging their respective blades at him. Murakami brought his own blade to block them. They then tried swinging at his head but he blocked them there as well. As they tried swinging at him again, he quickly ducked under them, causing their blades to collide. He then grabbed their shoulders and brought them together. While still in their dazed state, Murakami tossed them at the other council members, causing them all to fall into a massive pile. Splinter, the turtles, Hisako, and Miwa were all in shock at the display before them.
"Whoa." Mikey let out.
"Murakami, you kick butt." Raph complimented.
"My thanks for the compliment, Raphael-san." Murakami replied, sheathing his sword before offering a hand to Splinter. "Are you alright Yoshi-kun?"
Splinter was in shock at the sight before him. Not necessarily the fight, but the man. For this was a man he knew from a lifetime ago.
"... Sensei?" Splinter finally let out.
"I was wondering when I would meet you again, Yoshi-kun." Murakami replied. "Though I must admit, I did not expect it to be like this."
"N-nor did I." Splinter admitted, taking the hand up. "I just… cannot believe you're here."
"You think you are the only one who fled after Saki made his move?" Murakami questioned. "The seed of hatred had dug its roots too deep in that boy, and when he came back with his tale of deceit and treachery, I knew that something was amiss."
"And you came here?" Splinter asked. "Why?"
"Tang Shen spoke of wanting to visit New York, and I knew that if you were to disappear, that is where you would go." Murakami explained.
By this point, the shock had worn off on the Hamato Siblings, allowing Leo to stutter out the question floating through all of their minds.
"What the shell is going on here?" He asked.
"My sons," Splinter addressed, turning to them. "It would seem that the old noodle shop owner you have come to know, is my old master."
"What?!" they all let out.
"Mr. Murakami is the old man you saved years ago?" Donny exclaimed.
"Why didn't you say something?" Mikey asked of Murakami.
"Honestly, I did not know." Murakami replied. "I believed Yoshi-kun to be dead after all these years. And yet, not only is he alive, but he has fathered six extraordinary children."
The turtles, Hisako, and Miwa all smiled at that compliment. As they did, the five members of the council began to stir. This got all members of the Hamato Family on edge, scrambling to recover their weapons. However, Murakami ushered them to calm down.
"Relax, young ones." he told them. "The High Council will not attack again, lest they wish to be reminded of who taught them everything they knew."
Mashimi looked up at Murakami, seeing him clearly for perhaps the first time. He removed his helmet, revealing a younger face with a black bowl-cut, before sinking to his knees.
"Master." he whispered.
Murakami chuckled a bit as he looked up to the other council members watching the actions of their friend. One by one, they all did the same, removing their helmets and bowing. Kon had black hair styled similarly to Raph's with streaks of white along the base of his skull. Juto had his hair in a top knot, with a long mustache and beard that seemed to be tucked into his armor. Hisomi was completely bald, his tanned head shimmering slightly in the light of the shop. When Chikara saw her fellow Grandmasters bowing, she slowly sank to her knees as well.
"Think you could teach me how to do that?" Leo asked walking up to Murakami.
"I helped my fellow Grand Masters train these whelps to take over our positions in the wake of our deaths or retirements." Murakami informed. "But it would appear that they are not worthy of the mantles they carry, especially if they take the word of a lone man as gospel without learning the entire story."
The council lowered their heads in embarrassment, though Chikara was still far from cowed.
"If Yoshi is innocent, then why did he run?" She questioned.
"Perhaps because he knew that something like this would happen." Donny guessed. "You guys jumping to conclusions and not letting him explain his side of the story."
"Well, I will have none of that." Murakami declared. "We will all go into my shop and discuss this like rational adults over some calming jasmine tea and some of my famous noodle soup."
"Sounds good." Mikey agreed. "I'm beat… literally."
Murakami chuckled.
"Then come along, Michelangelo-san." Murakami told him.
…
After sweeping up the shattered glass from the window, Murakami had all eleven members of the fight sitting at one of the larger tables in the shop. It had taken two pots of tea, a pot and a half of soup, not to mention quite a few servings of Pizza Gyoza before the council had finally learned the whole story. Recounting the treachery of Oroku Saki had been difficult, and Hisako had excused herself a couple of times during a few specific chapters of this difficult tale. By the end of it, the council was feeling more than a bit foolish, as well as sickened by the actions of the man they had fought to avenge.
"I… I can't believe it." Juto let out.
"And to think, we believed you to be the traitorous monster." Mashimi muttered.
"How could we be so foolish?" Chikara questioned, her fists clenched in anger. "We let that snake trick us into believing his lies."
"You would not be the first the Shredder has duped." Splinter told them, putting a hand on Miwa's shoulder.
"The Shredder had me believe I was his daughter and that dad had murdered mom." She explained.
"We never even gave your existence a second thought." Hisomi said, looking down at his cup. "All the signs were there and we were too blind to even look."
"Maybe a DNA test would be in order next time." Raph remarked.
"Yoshi-san, words cannot begin to express how sorry we are." Kon told him, lowering his head. "The actions this council… no, the Foot Clan have taken against you and your family is unforgivable."
"You were deceived by Saki," he told them. "You wanted to believe his words were true. Besides, no permanent damage has been done today. All of us are alive and well, that is all that matters."
"More than that, Shredder's no longer a problem." Leo pointed out. "He's dead, and with him, his threat on our family."
Perhaps that is for the best after all." Chikara remarked.
"Indeed." Murakami agreed. "Now, who wants more tea?"
As the group drank their tea and mended fences, none of them were aware of the shadow lurking in the alley across from the shop. It eyed the twelve warriors with narrowed eyes before vanishing into the night.
…
Down on the Manhattan shipping lanes, a lone vessel was docked in a darkened corner of the pier. A well trained eye would be able to spot the occasional motorhead dotted along the perimeter, as if guarding the ship. Within the bowels of the massive vessel, Dr. Chaplin toiled away in his lab, monitoring a many number of experiments. These experiments ranged from robotics to genetics and beyond, and yet his skill was put to the test with one project in particular.
Reviving his fallen master.
Oroku Saki lay in a large pool full of the healing mixture from Saki Corporations. He had remained suspended in the pool ever since Hun had pulled him from the wreckage of the Wolf Hotel, trapped in a comatose state.
Dr. Chaplin checked on him for the 18th time that night, his eyebrow furrowing at the lack of change in his Master's condition.
"Why won't you wake up?" he muttered.
"Still no change I see." Hun noted, walking up to Chaplin.
"His vitals are stable, and physically, he's fully healed, but no matter what I try, I can't pull him from his coma."
"Well it maybe for the best he's not awake to hear this." he told him. "We just got word from the city, the council is in town."
Suddenly, Saki sat up in the vat, sloshing the contents everywhere as he gasped like a man pulling himself from a watery grave. Hun and Chaplin turned towards him in shock, pulling him from the pool.
"Master!" The two practically shouted.
Saki grasped Hun's shirt, pulling the behemoth closer to him. His eyes had a glint to them, like a madman's. It was a glint that made Hun gulp in fear.
"The council..." Saki said, heaving somewhat. "You said… the council… was here..."
"Yes." Hun confirmed. "They are here… and they seem to be allied with the turtles."
"What?!" Saki exclaimed.
"That's not all Master..." Hun continued, almost reluctant to. "It would seem that… That the rat still lives."
Saki's eyes went wide, then he shoves Hun aside, stumbling to his feet and growling like an animal.
"How can this be?!" he screamed.
"We're not sure." Hun quickly supplied. "But he was present when the turtles and their friends went to confront the council."
"All of our surveillance data shows that the Council was seconds away from ending the Hamato family for good." Chaplin explained. "But then… an old man came to his defense. My research indicates that he's Murakami, the proprietor of a local Japanese noodle shop."
"The old grand master." Saki recalled.
"That old man was a Foot Grand Master?" Hun questioned.
"Yes… he was the one that brought Yoshi into the Foot in the first place." Saki snarled.
"Well Master, I do have some good news." Chaplin interjected. "As far as the city is concerned, the turtles and the council included, you perished in the Wolf Hotel collapse."
"Hmm… then perhaps we can use that to our advantage." Saki pondered. "We have the element of surprise on our side, meaning our enemy would be vulnerable to an attack."
"Of course Master, and I have just the thing to do it." Chaplin informed him. "I still need to do some finishing touches, but-"
"Do what you must." Saki interrupted. "It will give me the time I need to prepare a proper demise for not only Yoshi and his 'pets' but the wretched high council as well. Soon all my enemies will be no more."
Both Hun and Chaplin bowed before leaving to do what they needed to. As they did, Saki approached a stand where his armor lay waiting for him. He put it on piece by piece, feeling as though he was piecing himself back together once again.
"Soon, all will bow before the Shredder!"
