Bittersweet Love UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING (ON HOLD)

Chapter 1: Secrets

Today started out like any other day, from waking at dawn, and mediating, to started the training for the day. Although training can sometimes be tedious, as well as difficult, it would have seemed almost impossible without a teacher to call your own. But for Yuki, a girl's best friend also happened to be the guidance she needed. To fight with honour and to learn the ways, for it was all that she knew.

"Yuki, a Kunoichi's best weapon is deception. But you must also fight with honour as well. A true ninja must never provoke, and never seek out opponents, only defending themselves should they seek you." Her mother would always say.

Since today had been a repeat of many others, night patrol seemed to be nothing but a bore that hung over her like a stormy cloud. Although refusing the patrol remained at the forefront of her mind at all times, she would have always pulled herself passed it, always remembering it to be a ninja's duty to always be alert, to protect their territory, die for it if necessary. Besides, she hadn't seen much activity from the mysterious vigilantes lately and she was secretly hoping that they were still lurking, to cure her boredom.

She had found herself upon her favourite roof, not too far from her familiar surroundings of the her apartment, watching the Foot Building, observing comings and goings from the place she had always called home. They were up to something and she was determined to find out what it was. Her backside had almost gone numb from the cold slabs of brick and tile she rested upon, when at last she saw the Foot arriving, three of them, Chris Bradford, who seemed to be more of a large bag of bones, held together by minimal flesh than a giant dog able to stand upon his back legs, his partner Xever, a large pink fish encased in metal legs, and the heir to the Foot Clan, Karai, a fellow Kunoichi who appears to have a vendetta against one of the vigilantes. Yuki never had the pleasure of meeting Karai until now...

She effortlessly jumped down and started fighting Bradford and Xever at once. A few blows, and the two had been downed, before Karai stepped in and begun her assault as well. "You call yourself a Kunoichi? How pathetic! I'm ten times the Kunoichi you'll ever be! And you know why? It's because my sensei wasn't a mother whose love for her daughter was forced!" The words stung like poison in her blood stream, forcing to keep fighting. Fighting for the truth that her mother had indeed loved. It was never forced. How she had known, Yuki would probably have never known, other than the consequences regarding her mother's sudden and albeit, tragic end, only found with her throat slashed by a dagger in a darkened alley, deep in Foot Clan territory.

Embarrassment and hatred were the things that drove her now as her sword clanged once again against Karai's, the screech of the metal's clanging echoing through the emptied streets. Her mother's final words always echoing in her mind as she continued, slicing away desperately at Karai's defence. "Should you ever find yourself without me, seek out the one known as Hamato Yoshi. He was quite a good friend of mine, and will set you back on the path to greatness should you ever lose it."

She never found him, even to this very day.

"You know nothing about my mother! Her love may have appeared forced but she did love me! I know that the Foot killed her!" She spat as the weapons clashed yet again. Karai could only flash a venomous smile as she forcefully kicked Yuki away. Skidding across the ground, Yuki quickly found her footing as Karai spoke back. "You're right. I don't know anything about your mother but my father does. He took her life and now he wants you on his side for some unknown reason." She scoffs. She charges, swinging her blade for a direct attack, but before it can connect, a discreet, but instant flash of silver zoomed past Yuki's eye, smashing into Karai's blade before it could make contact with Yuki's temple. "That's enough Karai." A new voice spoke, ringing out loud and clear against the cobbles of the empty streets. "I don't know what Shredder wants with her but I would suggest you leave her alone."

Karai slyly lets loose a once pronged laugh, before sheathing her blade. "Well, well. If it isn't the fearless hero." Her gaze flickers towards Yuki, if only for a brief moment, before returning to whence it came. "If the two of you didn't look so cute together, I'd gut the pair of you right now, but Father wants the honour himself, so you're safe... for now." With that Karai leaves with Bradford and Xever in tow, who helplessly tried to limp behind in a ways of trying to keep up to her.

Yuki aimed her blade at the shape before as a means of defence, If she was going to die, she would never have done it without a fight. It was what her mother would have wanted her to do. However, as he stepped forward, her eyes immediately widened at the sight that happened upon her. She happened to be standing face to face with one of the mysterious vigilantes that Bradford and Xever had spoken of on numerous occasions, who just happens to be a turtle wearing a blue mask, with a pair of katanas strapped on his shell, his most beautiful feature deep blue eyes that go well with his blue mask. Almost as if they were swimming in a sea of elegant blue. She looked above and noticed three others, similar to him, but with different weapons to their back, masks over their eyes, and shades of green that coated their skin and shells. Their eye colors were all different as well. Even their heights differentiated between them.

"Thank you very much for the assistance, vigilante." Yuki said, as she sheathed her blade.

"No problem. I'm always happy to help someone in distress." The blue wearing vigilante returned his sword to its sheath across his back before offering her his three fingered hand. "I'm Leo."

"Yuki." She offered, her hand almost instinctively finding his. As soon as his skin grazes against hers, she expected to feel nothing but cold, but instead, quite the opposite occurred. His touch was warm, welcoming. Friendly even. "I'm looking for a friend of my mother's. Do you think you can help me find him?" She asked, barely glimpsing towards him, only keeping her gaze at their now clasped hands.

"What's his name?" Leonardo asked her. "Master Hamato Yoshi. He comes highly regarded by my mother." She says. As she said that, a ripple of mumbles echoed amongst the other three vigilantes, as Leo stared at her dumbfounded at her, before quickly collecting his thoughts.

"I-I think we might be able to help you with that."

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