Spoilers ahead for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #132!
In preparation for the coming battle against the Rat King, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are continuing training with their one-time arch enemy Shredder in a potent form of shinobi sorcery that offers them access to abilities of unimaginable power.
According to a reformed Shredder aka Oroku Saki, Kuji-Kiri is an ancient ninja dark magic that allows a practitioner to access the "mystical energies of the universe." Due to the powers it unleashes and its ties to dark magic, mastering the Kuji-Kiri is a risky endeavor. If a practitioner is not careful in learning, training, and using it, they may be lost to the dark side forever. Altogether, Kuji-Kiri comprises nine "cuts" or hand gestures — Rin, Pyo, To, Sha, Kai, Zai, Retsu, Jin, and Zen — allowing the practitioner to access the extraordinary power associated with each hand gesture. For instance, Rin is defined as "strength and confrontation," Accordingly, using the Rin hand gesture will provide the practitioner with the "courage and steeling oneself" needed for the battle ahead.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #132 by Sophie Campbell and Pablo Tunica sees Shredder training the Turtles in their new powers. Saki explains that before a practitioner can access the powers that the Kuji-Kiri offer, a connection must be made between the user and the spirits who generate the powers of the magic. In order to accomplish the connection and unlock the powers, a practitioner creates a "Gofu" or magic talisman reflecting the practitioner's true self to serve as the vital spiritual link. Once the Turtles build their Gofu, they are each placed on one leaf of a five-leafed Gobosei plant image that Saki draws in the dirt. This is to signify the connection between the Five Elements that underlie the natural and spiritual world.
While a practitioner would usually learn all nine hand gestures, in the interest of time, Saki decides to teach all five Turtles the hand gestures of Rin, Pyo, Kai, and Zen. These four hand gestures provide essential powers that all members would do well to have access to and be proficient in. Saki then teaches each Turtle separately in one other hand gesture, with his choices based on the individual Turtle's personality, character, and experience.
Leonardo is taught Sha or "against a foe" and "healing" because he will need to protect himself from his dark side while simultaneously using his dark side to protect himself and his family. Raphael is taught Jin or "information to prepare" and "reading thoughts" because he will need to control his anger and impulsiveness in order to think and react to the situation appropriately. Saki teaches Donatello Retsu or "control of space and time" and "to move in a row" so that he can take advantage of his abilities to memorize and process information. Michelangelo is taught To or "harmony" and "battle" to help him into his inherent ability to bring calm and peace to tense and chaotic situations. Finally, Saki teaches the newest member of the team, Jennika, Zai or "to appear" and "to create" to make use of her skills as a musician, which she will need to create a composition of techniques that can be used to "create falsehoods" and "expose truths."
While the powers the Turtles gain access to through Kuji-Kiri may seem random, the fact that they all learn Zen or "to move forward" is important. As the Turtles learn during a surprise visit from Splinter's spirit, the core understanding of Zen not only includes leaving what happened in the past behind so that you can develop further, but also that there is no strong force than moving forward together. By applying this understanding to their disparate powers, Zen should allow them to move forward as a harmonious whole where each power flows into one another and back again to create an unstoppable Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle force.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #132 is now on sale from IDW Publishing.