WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #118 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Sophie Campbell, Nelson Daniel, Ronda Pattison, Shawn Lee, and Bobby Curnow, on sale now.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have just gotten through some of their worst days yet, thanks to one of their allies visiting from a not-so-distant future. Now that the dust has settled and all battles have been won, it's time for the adult Lita to return to her own era. On her way back to the future she left the others with a shocking revelation, specifically the impending return of Oroku Saki, the former Shredder. While the Turtles now know to expect him, the truth is that Oroku Saki has been by their side for a long time already from the cover of the shadows.
The latest issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gives a glimpse of Lita's arrival in the Splinter Clan's present. The time traveling, adult Lita that first appeared several months ago had come literally sprinting into the Turtles' lives after arriving at the O'Neil family farmhouse under the impression that they would still be there at the time of her arrival. Unfortunately, she had undershot her time jump, finding the farmhouse about to be abandoned by the last person watching over it: Oroku Saki. The former Shredder has been quietly watching over the Turtles since his resurrection thanks to Splinter's ultimate sacrifice. Although he hasn't yet approached the Turtles, he has been happy to do what he can for them from the shadows. As far as Lita is concerned, that is exactly the kind of thing he needs to keep doing. She reminds him that it is the little things that truly matter the most, which is more true than he realizes, even though he has already proven it once by rescuing Michelangelo's cat, possibly saving the life of the turtle in the process.
Klunk, Michelangelo's cat, first appeared in 2020's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #101 by Sophie Campbell and Ronda Pattison. The kitten came into Mikey's life sometime in the six months between that issue and Splinter's tragic death in the one preceding it, and in that time Michelangelo became fixated on Klunk to a concerning degree. As Donatello describes it in his journal, Michelangelo's entire life became centered around protecting and doting on Klunk, to the point where the only moments shared between his brothers became awkward silences.
Mikey's fixation with Klunk became a serious problem for the Turtles a couple of issues later after the cat wandered off into the snow. Donatello helped Michelangelo look, and it became apparent that Mikey had been projecting onto Klunk the sense of control that he had seemingly lost entirely with his father's death. By having Klunk nearby, Michelangelo was able to protect someone in a way that he felt he had failed to for Splinter. Thankfully Klunk showed up at the front door of the farmhouse no worse for the wear, although now it seems that Klunk didn't find his own way home. Rather, it was Oroku Saki who retrieved Klunk from the woods and brought him back, and in doing so gave the Splinter Clan the first moment of real happiness that any of them had felt for the better part of a year.
As Lita said, it's the little things that matter the most, and in the case of Klunk's return she couldn't be more correct. Much like the Battle of the Bands being a key part in saving the Turtles' future, it wasn't ever about winning the contest.
The less significant moments the Turtles experience are the kinds of things that steer the very courses of their lives, and ultimately help to shape their identities. While not every favor can have the same impact as returning Klunk did, there is no doubt that Oroku Saki is on the right track to coming back into the Splinter Clan's lives as a friend rather than a foe.
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