Moonlight Mutation (A TMNT Fanfic)

Chapter 22: Future Kunoichi

Another week passes with Destiny spending her time in pretty much the same way as before. The only exception is that she's trying to be a better house guest now that she's agreed to stick around.

The wolf mutant sits in the dojo, eyes locked on her t-phone as she scrolls through images on the screen. She keeps glancing at her ankle, which is unwrapped and, according to Donatello, healed up. Destiny is free of the bandages that she obtained when she first arrived in the lair a month ago, and it's an amazing feeling.

Leonardo walks into the room, stretching his arms as he walks. Destiny looks up, her ears perking as she gets to her feet and hurries over to him, clutching her t-phone tighter.

"Hey Leo, when will I become a real kunoichi?" she asks.

He disregards her question for a moment in lieu of his own scolding. "Des, I told you to start warming up."

"I did, but then I finished and you were still drinking tea with Splinter in the kitchen," she retorts. "Besides, I was busy researching."

He glances at her phone for a second before his eyes flit back to her face. "What kind of research?"

"Ninja terms. I keep getting the names of all your equipment mixed up so...yeah." She shrugs. She flicks her wrist back, hiding her phone from view. "About my question?"

His face falls into rather neutral position. "You're eager, huh?"

"Just wondering."

"Considering my brothers and I have been learning since we were little, I'd say you've got at least five years of work ahead of you before you can be considered a kunoichi."

An instant frown adorns her features. "Oh...that kind of sucks."

"If you want it bad enough, you'll work for it," he answers simply, brushing past her as he begins rolling his shoulders again. "Still, you're doing well so far. Five years will fly by like nothing."

She tries to picture where she'll be in five years, imagining a gorgeous twenty-year-old with no awkward bumbling and a bright confidence gleaming in her eyes. Destiny sighs, finding it hard to even think of what next year might be like.

She runs a hand through her loose curls as she turns around. "Yeah, I suppose so," she says with a tiny smile. "I guess I just really wanted my previous work to speed the process up."

"Nothing can speed it up. It takes practice, hard work, precision..." Leonardo purses his lips and shakes his head. "Ninjutsu isn't just something you can wake up and master in a day. You know that, right?" He gives her a pointed look.

"Hai Sensei," she utters teasingly, lowering her voice to up the dramatic flair.

He moves in front of her and grasps her wrists carefully, staring straight into her eyes as he drags her closer. Her fingers tighten around her t-phone.

"I'm serious. If you're willing to actually put a whole lot of effort into your studies, I'm willing to help you," he reiterates, as if he's given her this speech a thousand times. "You'll become a kunoichi eventually, it'll just require patience."

She nods, captivated by his intense gaze. A coy smile lifts her lips. "Well, I'm living here now anyways. I need a hobby other than reading."

He releases her wrists and rolls his eyes. "You can be impossible sometimes. Ninjutsu isn't just a hobby, Des."

She laughs, poking his bicep. "I'm teasing you, Leo."

"You know what I think?" His eyes sparkle with amusement. "You're spending too much time with Raph. You sound like him, but more teasing and less angry."