Taken under the wing of their arch enemy Shredder, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles learn powerful new techniques with one surprising limitation.
Through training with their nemesis-turned-ally Shredder, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have learned a new form of shinobi sorcery that comes with a limitation fitting for any ninja, human or turtle.
Foreseeing the Turtles' defeat at the hands of the Rat King, Shredder aka Oroku Saki decides that he's going to train the Turtles in the art of Kuji Kiri or the Nine Cuts. Kuji Kuri is composed of nine or hand gestures that "pull on the mystical energies of the universe." Learning Kuji Kuri is a dangerous endeavor and the techniques have close ties to black magic, potentially harming the user if the techniques are performed incorrectly. From one of their arch-enemies to great teacher, Oroku Saki is the only person who can teach the Turtles what is necessary to defeat the Rat King and save the world.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles m131 by Sophie Campbell and Pablo Tunica shows Shredder training the Turtles in the nine and explaining the various advantages and limitations of each technique. A ninja works best in secret, in the shadows, and the techniques of Kuji Kuri are no different. According to Shredder, The Kuji Kuri work properly only in the shadows. The direct gaze of an outsider will cause the magic to go awry." Kuji Kuri also extracts a personal toll, as using the techniques too much can be debilitating to the user and those around them. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles must become true ninjas to use their new powers and techniques of Kuji Kuri and the Nine Cuts to their full potential.
Shredder has experience in the shadows with years of experience as leader of the Foot Clan, but it is something the Turtles must learn to master. It will take great patience and much practice for the Turtles to abandon their boisterous ways and learn to work in shadow, but the techniques of Kuji Kuri are well worth the limitations, and they may be the only way they can defeat the Rat King. Partnering with an old enemy to defeat a new one is a storyline fit for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and an exciting new direction for the current comic series.
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