The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto

The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto is the 46th episode of the 2012 Series. It aired on June 15, 2014.

Synopsis
As Leo tries to convince the team to attempt to rescue Karai, an unknown master thief steals Shredder’s helmet.

Major Characters

 * Anton Zeck (J.B. Smoove)
 * (Rob Paulsen)
 * (Dominic Catrambone)
 * (Greg Cipes)
 * (Sean Astin)
 * (Kevin Michael Richardson)
 * Ivan Steranko (Fred Tatasciore)

Minor Characters

 * Fishface (Christian Lanz)
 * Foot-Bots
 * Karai (Kelly Hu)
 * (Clancy Brown)
 * Tiger Claw (Eric Bauza)

Flashback Characters

 * Koga Takuza

Plot
The episode begins with Shredder's old friend, Steranko, who is coming to the realization that he desires to have the Shredder's distinct Helmet to go along with his own collection of trophies. He then commands one of his disciples, Anton Zeck, to come into the room, where he tells him to steal Shredder's helmet in order to be fully redeemed for injuring Steranko's eye. Zeck humorously promises that he will make the situation run smoothly, but Steranko informs him that he has sent five men to the location before, and none of them ever came back. Once again, Zeck swears to be victorious and shows off his ability to turn invisible with a Tron-like suit.

The scene cuts to Leo peering into Master Splinter's room. Leo notices that Splinter seems to be grieving about Karai being stolen once more, but Leo chooses not to bother his sensei further. He then enters the living room and tries to galvanize his brothers into rescuing Karai. Raph brings in some Pizza for his brothers to munch on, but then Mikey begins to go crazy over it, and uses a smoke bomb, causing the pizza to disappear and scatter all over the living room. Raph is astonished by Leo's persistence in trusting Karai - and Donnie is as well. Leo asks them why they don't obey one of his orders just because it's something that they dislike. This makes Raph proclaim that he is their leader 'more or less', though Leo doesn't seem satisfied with this reply. Leo states that he knows what's right and goes to check out Shredder's lair to see if he can identify any weak points. Reluctantly, all three of his brothers tag along just to keep monitor over his behavior.

Meanwhile, Karai is sitting in her cell and is dejectedly clawing at one of the doors with a minuscule weapon. Shredder then walks up to the opposite side of the cell and explains to her that the only reason she is with him now is because he thought it would be awful for her to be brought up by a scum like Splinter. Shredder says that, one day, he hopes she will comprehend him. After the villain leaves, Karai once again starts clawing at the cell door she's nearest to.

Anton Zeck locates the Foot HQ and jumps onto it's roof. He easily and rapidly infiltrates the building using a compass attached to his left hand. He slides down onto the floor and runs behind the Shredder's throne. Somehow knowing that the helmet is located in the drawer that is there, he successfully overrides all of the security codes, opens the drawer, puts the helmet in his bag and attaches it to his body. However, Bradford and some Foot-Bots then start to enter the room, having sensed that something is amiss. Rahzar is not able to spot the invisible thief, but he can still smell him and knocks him to the ground easily after pummeling him. However, just when Rahzar is about to finish him off, Anton turns the tables on him by causing Rahzar to slip on glue. The master thief then starts to project multiple energy beams from a device located on the top of his head. He then throws a detonator into a nearby wall and escapes with what he needs. Shredder then returns from the Dungeon and asks Rahzar about the current circumstances. Rahzar confesses that some one has got his helmet and he shows Shredder a business card that was just left behind by Anton. Shredder then tells Rahzar to bring the entire clan before him.

Meanwhile, the Turtles are driving across town in the Shellraiser and Leo confirms that their best bet would be to tunnel into the Shredder's lair from down below. Mikey then advises to tunnel down from above, thinking that that would baffle them. Raph appears to be dead set against all of the options that are mentioned. Soon, Donnie spots a man (the master thief himself) on his Infrared camera that seems to be running from them. However, on Donnie's ordinary camera, nothing is seen. Nevertheless, Donnie tells Leo to pause and hit the breaks, but Anton turns their way just in time to be struck by the Shellraiser. Luckily, the man seems to be unharmed, but he disappears in an instant. The brothers wonder if this is another Kraang defense mechanism, but before they can get lost within their thoughts, Raph discovers a blue backpack laying on the street nearby. He opens it up, only to unveil Shredder's helmet, which he shows to his brothers in disbelief.

Then, a gigantic squadron of Foot-Bots show up wielding Naginata and Tonfa and are ready to confront the Turtles. The Turtles then fight them until the majority of them have been terminated. The brothers then retreat with the helmet, while Anton Zeck manages to slip a small tracking beacon onto the back of their vehicle as they escape. Meanwhile, Shredder tells every one of his lackeys that they their current priority is to find Shredder's helmet and return it to him - regardless of the consequences. Fishface then questions why he couldn't just search for a different helmet. Disrespected, Shredder knocks Fishface to the floor and informs every one that the Foot Clan's founder was an expert in swordsmanship and was rumored to have the potential of being the most skilled warrior in Japan. He utterly devastated hundreds of his enemies and took their weapons as mementos. He took all of those mementos and combined them to eventually form a metallic creation that was beyond the strength of steel - Shredder's helmet. Shredder now has vowed to protect it with his life. If they fail to retrieve it, the penalties will be significant.

Fishface stakes on the rooftops alongside the airborne Baxter-Fly. Fishface resolves on getting the helmet back so that they won't need to look at their master's ugly features any longer, admitting that Shredder looks slightly worse than Baxter's current form. Elsewhere, Rahzar claims he has just picked up a vague scent originating from somewhere in the city. Tiger Claw states that he has picked up a very strong scent and describes that the man it's coming from is carrying numerous devices, electronic motors, along with ozone. Rahzar remarks that Tiger Claw's sniffing is pretty good for a cat, but Tiger Claw tells him that he should not let the feud between certain animals get in their way.

Meanwhile, in the Shellraiser, Leo believes that they should get the better of the predicament that they're in and attempt to give Shredder's helmet to the Foot in exchange for Karai. Raph, however, believes that Leo is overly delusional and that this whole mission is a waste of their resources. Anton Zeck glides from rooftop to rooftop with long rays of energy that come from devices positioned near his feet. After he eventually gets side by side with the Shellraiser, he uses the same trick he used on the Foot-Bots in order to knock the Shellraiser on one of it's sides. He then uses his motorized backpack to slide down a wall of a nearby building. However, he pauses when he sees both Tiger Claw and Rahzar together, commenting that the city has gone downhill lately. Both Mutants then notice that the Kabuto they're looking for is lying on the street down below and they battle the Turtles to claim it. The brothers actually put up a strong defense against the two brutes, but after Mikey tosses the helmet up to Donnie, the brothers take to the rooftops to try and avoid a larger fight. However, with the addition of Fishface and Baxter-Fly, things only become increasingly more harsh, especially when a billboard nearly pulverizes Donnie, Mikey, and Raph, along with Shredder's helmet.

While Raph is trapped underneath the billboard, he acquiesces on Leo saving Karai and hands him Shredder's helmet. With Rahzar and Tiger claw closing in behind gim, Leo makes the split decision of running away, while Raph and the others deal with Fishface and Baxter. Leo manages to conceal himself inside a dumpster and he throws a banana at some other trash cans, which diverts the villains' attention. Just when Leo exits an alley way, he hears the thief laughing nearby and he ends up kicking Anton onto the sidewalk, where he places a bag full of diapers over his neck (Anton believes that this bag contains Shredder's helmet). A small pursuit ensues, with Anton easily getting knocked down. However, just then, Steranko arrives in a helicopter and he thwarts off the Foot Soldiers with projectiles. Zeck then enters the helicopter with the use of a rope and Steranko questions if he obtained what he needed to. Anton responds "Of course I did", only for Steranko to reveal that the bag is filled with diapers, enraging him to the point that he tells Anton that he will pop his face like a blueberry.

Meanwhile, Leo carries Shredder's hemet all the way back to the mastermind's lair. After entering through a hole near the clock tower, Shredder asks "Why does the fly enter the spider's web?". Leo's response is that all of the spider's henchmen are out. Leo then goes through with the proposal that he mentioned earlier on. Shredder comes to an agreement suprisingly quickly and orders a lone Foot-Bot to have Karai released from the Dungeon. Leo is even more stunned by Shredder's sadism due to the revelation that Karai was imprisoned. Shredder then comments that, in any conflict, the more powerful foe is prepared to do what the weaker one could not. Karai is then brought out of a hallway with a sack over her head. Shredder soon demands his helmet, reminding Leo that there is no possible way he can avoid a fight. Thus, Leo sets the helmet down adjacent to his feet and draws a single Katana to fight Shredder with. Shredder easily pins Leo up against a nearby wall, tormenting that his sensei is a coward and that Leo should never have come here alone. However, the other three brothers soon arrive to battle as well. All four of the Turtles still appear to be incapable of defeating Shredder, but they manage to distract him long enough so that they can get to Karai relatively quickly. Donnie then stuffs a smoke pellet into the Kabuto and tosses it into Shredder's hands, only for him to get blinded for several seconds. This allows time for the Turtles to escape.

After carrying Karai onto a nearby rooftop, the Turtles revel in what they have done and Leo sets Karai down. However, after removing the sack on Karai's head, it is revealed that this Karai is nothing but a replica and her head is a bomb!! The Turtles then start fleeing in a different direction, but the device activates and thrusts them high into the air.

Quotes
"Steranko: (seeing his collection) ''Alexander the Great's breastplate. The Spear of Destiny. Excalibur. Is most greatest collection of all time, da? But is missing one thing. Shredder's helmet. The legendary Kuro Kabuto. If someone could obtain it for me, I maybe forget terrible past misdeed, huh?

Anton Zeck: So if I steal the helmet, you'll forgive me for my little mistake.

Steranko: Little mistake?! You shoot me in eyeball!

Anton Zeck: Not on purpose! Anyway, you got that new cool eye. You used to be an arms dealer, but now it's like, 'Oooh, check out the new cool eyeball guy'.

Steranko: I should pop your head like blueberry!

Anton Zeck: Relax, Steranko. I'll get you that helmet.

Steranko: Is in Shredder's lair, highest security. Tell me, Mr. Zeck, why do you think you can steal it?

Anton Zeck: See your Spear of Destiny, there?

Steranko: Da?

Anton Zeck: Lick it.

-Steranko goes to his Spear of Destiny, picks it up and licks it. He then throws it on the ground-

Steranko: Is made of marzipan!

Anton Zeck: I stole the real one, yesterday.

-he reveals the real Spear of Destiny-

Steranko: -takes back his spear- Just watch step. I have sent five men to steal the helmet, one after other. Nobody ever come back. That Shredder, he has eyes in back of head.

Anton Zeck: -laughs- Those eyes won't do much him good.

-he turns himself invisible-"

"Rahzar - (Sniffs) "The scent is faint, but I think he went this way."

Tiger Claw - (Sniffs) "This way." (goes in other direction) "He’s on foot, but he’s got-." (Sniffs) "-Devices, electric motors, faint whiff of ozone."

Rahzar - "Hmm, You’ve got a good sense of smell for a cat."

Tiger Claw - "We are warriors, can’t we fight side by side without letting species get in the way?"

Rahzar - "Absolutely! Xever is always saying, 'Oh, Tiger Claw must hate you, because you’re a dog'."

Tiger Claw - "That's ridiculous!"

Rahzar - "I know, right?"

Tiger Claw - "Although, I do want eat him because he's a fish."

Rahzar - "Eh, I would eat him just to shut him up."

"Fishface: "I believe you have something we need."

Michelangelo: "Deodorant?""

"Anton Zeck: "There are so many freaks around here. This town is really going down hill.""

"Steranko: "Why am I smelling the baby poops?"

-opens the bag to reveal a bunch of diapers. Steranko becomes angry at Zeck-

Steranko: "I going to pop your head like blueberry!"

Anton Zeck: "You know, that's to be expected.""

Gallery
The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto/Gallery

Trivia

 * "Kuro Kabuto" means "Black Helmet" in Japanese.
 * Baxter Stockman only spoke in buzzes in this episode.
 * Among Steranko's collection is Excalibur and the Spear of Destiny which are items in actual myths and legends.