GO : BEST DESTINY

Leonardo and the Shredder faced each other on the cemetery grass, skeletal oak trees towering above them on all sides. What had been a mild drizzle became a steady downpour of rain that drummed against their bodies and began to wash the blood from their weapons.

The helmetless Shredder, his damp hair sticking to his back, gripped his swords tightly as he held a battle stance, looking for any sign that Leonardo would advance upon him. Leonardo did the same.

The waiting game.

"Your move... gaijin," the Shredder said, his voice almost serene at the moment.

Even as Leo prepared to go at him, Shredder made a move of his own.

"Hut!" Leo uttered, countering a sideswipe from the Shredder with a pincer move. "Hai!" As the Shredder caught one of his katana between both of his own, Leo brought his other sword across, cutting hard into his opponent’s ribs.

Grunting, Shredder went for his head, swinging high and parrying low. Leo was able to repel every swing, but the kick Shredder delivered to his face caught him off guard. Rolling with his fall to the grass, he somersaulted himself back to his feet, stopping only to reach for the sword he had dropped.

Shredder took the opportunity to advance on him, forcing Leo to give up on his other sword for now and deflect the swing coming toward his neck. The oncoming blade grazed his shoulder before he could shrug it off, but a forceful lunge put the Shredder back on the defensive.

With only one sword to defend himself with, Leo couldn’t stop Shredder’s attack. Bringing both of his swords down and across, Shredder caught Leo across his side and thigh. Even as the pain began to set in for Leo, Shredder kept it coming, catching him across his shoulder and forearm. Striking Leo across his face with the handle of a sword, he swept the Turtle off his feet with his leg, the blades of his shin armor rending him on the way down.

Leonardo deftly rolled out of the way as Shredder’s katana buried itself into the grassy ground beside him with only a moment to spare. Vaulting to his feet, he parried a scissoring lunge from Saki with his remaining katana and attempted to deliver a straight kick to his opponent’s face.

The Shredder saw it coming, lithely side-stepping to rake his wrist and forearm blades across the back of Leonardo’s head with great force.

The Turtle dropped his katana, toppling to one knee.

"You have nothing! And now…" Hovering over his nemesis from behind as the rain continued to pummel them, the Shredder sheathed one sword and raised the other over his head, preparing to bring it down on Leo’s neck, "you die!"

Leo’s eyes were set on the ground. He knew what was coming. He was beaten in honorable combat and now he would die by the sword. It was bushido, and he had lived his life by it.

When the final blow of decapitation did not come, Leo turned his head to look at his adversary.

The Shredder began to lower his sword, uncertainty played out across his face. "Victory is mine. I defeat you at last, and yet…" Shredder turned away a notch. "You and your brothers are not my enemies. You were never my enemies."

"You murdered the master of our sensei," Leo retorted.

"And he murdered my brother. But where will the bloodshed end? When will this conflict cease?"

Leonardo paused, meeting the Shredder’s icy gaze. "Will… will it end now?"

The Shredder seemed lost in thought. "My path… my destiny… it was decided long ago, cruelly thrust upon the innocence… of a seven year-old boy."

"A boy… named Saki?"

The Shredder’s silence was answer enough. "Ironic that I would come seeking retribution and vengeance… only to find myself instead…"

"Then let it end, Oroku Saki."

Shredder paused before nodding resolutely. "Yes. Yes, it ends tonight." He seemed to be examining his katana, studying its shape. His eyes danced along its edge. "Perhaps it is time I accepted your offer, Leonardo."

Leo winced. "What... what offer?"

"When I first confronted you and your brothers, when I lay dying at your feet. You offered me your sword, giving me one more chance to redeem my honor."

His eyes widened as he understood what the Shredder was considering. "But I was…"

"Miyoko, Heitchi, Minya… I will fool myself no longer. I can find no peace in life." Turning his sword on himself, he looked at Leo one last time. Then, with one sharp movement, he drove it all the way up to the hilt into his chest. Blood draining from his wound in a rush onto the grass, he collapsed on his stomach.

Seppuku.

Michaelangelo and Raphael appeared from the mausoleum, helping Donatello to stand. After awakening, they had found their brother unconscious outside the mausoleum, taser lines trailing from his chest plating. They found Leonardo a short distance away, kneeling before the body of Oroku Saki.

"Leo!" Donatello called, standing on his own now as he saw his brother. "You got him!"

"No," Leo spoke. His voice was empty, almost mournful. "He committed seppuku."

"No shit?" Raphael walked closer, about to turn the body over with his foot.

Leo’s hand clamped around Raph’s foot. "Don’t touch him."

Raphael yanked his foot back. "Okay, man. I was just—"

"Turtles, this is not over yet!"

The four whirled around at the voice to see Pimiko appear from behind an oak tree, wakizashi sword already in hand and four of her personal kunoichi guard accompanying her. After a hand motion she approached the body of her father.

"I shall personally slay every one y—"

"Your father is dead, Pimiko."

The identity of the body before the Turtles finally registered with Pimiko. "What—you… I will avenge him!"

"It was seppuku."

"It was… what?" Pimiko stopped in her tracks, her tone of voice dipping as the anger left her. For a long, awkward moment, she stared at the body of her father. Then, her head hung in hidden sorrow, she returned to her kunoichi and disappeared back over the hillside.

Raphael laid a hand on Leo’s shoulder, squeezing gently. "It’s over, bro."

Leo nodded, patting the hand of his brother. He gave Raphael a painful glance, speaking softly, "He wasn’t evil, Raphael. He wasn’t evil."

"I know, Leo. I know."

But he didn’t know. None of them did.

With one last muted crackle of thunder, the downpour of rain ceased. The storm was over.

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