Darkness returns to Mizukage

[Vincent]

Every curse word Vincent knew ran through his mind as he peered through the dense forest which surrounded Mizukage, his old home. Each was reserved for just one being...Seraphiel. Only he could get the shadow shinobi to return to a place he swore to never step foot in again. Too many memories, both bad and good, every single one painful. How many years had it been? Six? Seven? Ten? He'd lost count. But here he was, nonetheless, about to wreck havok on a place he'd once called his homeland.

"Ember...This is your last chance to go back to the citadel before anything bad happens..."

What was he saying, of course she wouldnt go back. They had already made their promises to stay together, no matter what. Still, he would have to be extra careful this time. He knew what the shinobi were capable of, even the youngest could prove troublesome. If he had to, he would get them both out of there, no matter how much Seraphiel punished him for it.

After hearing Ember's obvious response, Vincent simply sighed and moved his hands into the proper symbols, molding chakra to his will. The shadows of the forest surrounding them suddenly began to take shape, becoming clones of their creator. About a hundred were formed by the time he was done. Each held only about an eigth of their creator's power, yet their sheer number would most likely cause quite a bit of trouble. This was the distraction, the chaos that would allow Vincent the opportunity to slip into the village and head straight for his main target: the Hokage himself. Seraphiel had told him that the current hokage might be away, thus whomever was in charge would have to do. Sighing once more, he nodded to the clones, each nodding in return. Within moments, all but the original emerged from the trees, ready to strike.

"What the...Argh!"A passerby had noticed the clones emerging. He was quickly subdued before any sort of warning could be given. Like a red-cloaked army, the Vincent clones began their march into the village, deadly kunais clutched in their hands. Vincent turned to his beloved, finding her hand. He looked at her, his red gaze showing obvious regret for what he was about to do. This was the only way to rid himself of his curse, and the irony of it was that in order to do so, blood would be spilled.

"...If I...you know...lose it...I want you to run from this place as fast as you can. Remember, Ill never forgive myself if anything happens to you, especially if I am the cause. Now...lets go, the hokage awaits..."

With Ember's hand holding his, the two emerged from their hiding spot, the carnage already beginning. The cries of paniked villagers filled the air, making the distraction a success. The clones would not last forever, but they would last just long enough to allow the two to hopefully reach their destination. It was Amon Zoru all over again. This time, Vincent hoped, there would be no interference before he reached his target.

[Ellerin -Ember-]

Ember had made it with him this far. They had a bond, somehow forged between what was thought to have been a demon and his scarlet-eyed angel. They were inseparable, forever gazing into each other's eyes and wishing for a better life on both their parts. Still, Ember refused to leave his side and would see this through until the end. That is why she was going to Mizukage. And that is why she would watch it all as calmly as she could.

She knew this would be risky...and she knew that he would protect her. And even as the stood outside of the village, the hairs on the back of her neck rose. Something was going to happen tonight. She could tell...the air was thick and the leaves had stopped falling. Tension was evident everywhere and not a soul uttered a breath. Is this what the people of Mizukage felt? Or were they oblivious to this attack?

"Ember...This is your last chance to go back to the citadel before anything bad happens..."

She shook her head, a small but flickering smile on her face. "Not a chance, Vincent. Not a chance in the world. I'm not running away now. Not after we've come this far without problem. Just don't forget...who you are..."

She squeezed his hand tightly, listening to his sigh. Within moments he took action, his hands flying into a number of strange signs. She felt the power melting off of them and before long was staring at many Vincents. She did not have to know which was the real one...the real one still held her hand. Her wide eyes blinked, long lashes dipping low, her head swiveling to look around her. This was going to be one of the most awful things she would ever have to watch. And why did it feel like she was prepared?

"...If I...you know...lose it...I want you to run from this place as fast as you can. Remember, Ill never forgive myself if anything happens to you, especially if I am the cause. Now...lets go, the hokage awaits..."

She was about to respond with a curt, 'bullsh**!', but was tugged onward into the village. She narrowed her eyes at what was beginning to take place. How could anyone look at this and live with themselves? She shut her eyes, relying on Vincent's hand to lead her where they needed to go. The screams, however, where not blocked off. Ember felt her heart began to race and the stone around her neck burned bright, searing pain spreading over her chest. Vincent would have felt the heat radiating from her skin, the fire-fox within her crying out. This was murder...

Her eyes flashed open, bright orange, and yet she kept control of herself. She would not run away and she would not leave him. Not even the blood that dripped down the windows could change her mind. She would do this with courage. After all, she did not have much else. And then again, she had the only person that she had ever lov-

She bit her lip, not making eye contact with anyone they passed. To them, she was holding the devil's hand. And then again, they would not be able to understand what went on here. None of them would ever be able to.

[Jasmy]

Grasped in her hand was a sharpened blade, substituting where a rosy letter for a certain man had once been. The butterflies that swirled inside her at the thought of revealing what was in her heart…..all died as the copper taste of adrenaline pulsed in her throat. That sea-scented breeze now clawed at her skin, trickling blood down her arms and cheeks, an omen to tell of what was to come. Setting lilac irises towards the horizon, the smirk of death was barely visible under red skies. A thousand red skies in your name….

The letter now lay under her clothes, near her bosom where it belonged and the hopes of telling him that he meant much more than a comrade in battle, than a sensei….well, they drifted away and towards the storm of red and black reigning hell on such a day. The others had arrived and that horrible sense of being in war was pushed away as the need to protect until your very last breath coursed through each and every one of their veins.

Perched up at the edge of a roof, Jasmy skimmed the waves of red to find the one leader, wanting to the find the source and suck it dry before it destroyed her homeland. Never had she been in such a world and to be honest, it was a bit frightening. But blame her father’s soul for her focus and will, for she eliminated that fear by embracing it. The very same hand signs that the enemy had long ago fingered, Jasmy breezed through and jumped down to land with a hundred of replicas at her side.

Maybe it was unwise to throw herself into a situation she did not know about, if she lived to see it through, maybe Nagashi would scold her for such a naïve tactic and then she’d have her rank degraded from Jounin back to chunin. But the consequences weren’t being thought about at that moment as she brought forth her own army, letting it disperse as groups of clones left to attack from other sides.

And she was sure that the kunai whizzing past the ear of the ruby eyed woman was another silly tactic. But she liked it. It got her the attention. “Hey.” Residing in the spot where one of the opponent’s clones used to stand, the kunoichi looked towards the real threat. “Mind telling me why you’re here?”

And the clone standing beside Ember softly brushed back some of her hair and faded his appearance into Jasmy’s. “Or should I ask her?”

[Nagashi]

Just this morning, all had been serene. It was a beautiful day, the sakura blossoms floating magestically across the sky, falling like a soft pink rain upon the denizens of Mizukage. Perched atop the highest rooftop was a man who rarely saw peace. His dual-colored gaze looked out across the land. Only he knew that this peace would not last long. Constantly, a single name rang forth in his mind

Seraphiel...

Jasmy was off training, leaving her sensei to his own thoughts. For hours he remained upon his perch, never uttering a word, never moving a muscle. When the invaders came, it was if he was expecting them all along. Where one moment he was crouched motionless, the next he was gone, vanished into a cloud of mist. As the clones began their assault, the mist began to fall across the shinobi village. Even while epic battles of ninja-vs-ninja unfolded, it grew in volume. Suddenly, the number of clones began to decline rapidly. From the mist came deadly kunai, cutting into the fakes, causing them to dissapear in a burst of shadows. One by one they fell to the mist. One by one the invasion was thwarted by the silent guardian of the shinobi people.

Eventually, the mist reached the source of the clones. Wheras there had been two individuals before, now only one remained. Frowning from his hiding place in the mist, Nagashi looked closer at the female which his studen had seemingly halted. Suddenly, he saw through the ruse. Emerging from the mist, he grasped a single kunai, pointing it at the imposter.

"Jasmy, you may want to keep your guard up. This isnt the female who was following the leader of this little invasion. Its the leader himself...Ill handle him, you search for the woman..."

As soon as his words left his mouth, Nagashi saw that his statement was indeed true, as the female gave a slight smirk, dissapearing in a cloud of shadows only to reappear as the red-cloaked shinobi, the source of the invaders.