An Orchestrated Coup [Exemplary]

[Kakashi Hatake]

Kakashi stared in disbelief at what could only be described as carnage. Though the shinobi and his mentor had managed to fell a half dozen imps, still more continued to appear, emerging from behind buildings and on rooftops. The scamps cackled with demonic glee, raining hell on the terrified civilians with fire magic. Buildings stood ablaze, the cries of wounded citizens rang through air. They had responded almost immediately to the assault, yet still the hellspawn tore through the village with alarming swiftness. 

Before they could make to fell the imps, Kakashi heard a harsh clink as his companion deflected an incoming arrow, raising his kunai at just the right moment. Their attention immediately turned to its source, one of a small group of much larger attackers, adorn in dark platemail. Each bore ashen flesh, across which spread a web of blood red markings. The bow-wielding fiend threw his head back, emitting a harsh, distorted laugh. His hand found his quiver, drawing yet another arrow. In a single fluid motion, he let the projectile fly, causing the shinobi to dart sideways, taking the opportunity to eviscerate a pair of nearby imps with their respective kunai.

“What are they things?” Minato inquired, throwing a fist into the cackling mouth of another destructive imp. He formed a familiar blue sphere in his free hand, slamming the rasengan into the beast’s belly. The fiend rocketed forward, toppling a group of incoming imps.

The silver-haired shinobi remained silent, tossing a volley of shuriken at the next wave of attackers. He could scarcely heard the man’s words over the screams, despite being right next to him. Various Moku officials dashed through the chaos, shepherding people away from the battlezone. Deep, mocking laughter could be heard over it all as the armored demons touched down among the citizens, summoning formidable blades. The village’s militia (what little was readily available) challenged the demonic brawlers, managing only to stave off the blows as the weaker citizens fled.

“Kakashi?” the blonde kage urged, ducking a fireball and ending the life of another scamp. 

His words fell on deaf ears as the ANBU captain leered at the ensuing melee. The smell, the deafening screams, the buildings ablaze. It was all too familiar, in the worst way. In an instant he was a child again, the screams echoing in his ears as he and his fellow shinobi ended lives and waged war despite what was ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. They fought and killed for the sake of peace, though it never seemed to stop. Wherever ideals clashed, so too did blades. Kakashi blinked, and he was in Konoha. The moon hung overhead, nearly blotted out by the immense form of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Buildings crumbled as it raged, villagers-people that he had grown and served with-- were buried beneath the rubble, slaughtered. He and his peers cowered within shelters while the elite jonin assailed the beast. Among those was the man that now stood at his side, who had lost his life that day in another universe. War had slowly taken everything from Kakashi, in one way or another. He loathed it. Mokugakure may not be his home, but if it were to be met with war, he’d die to defend it. He’d lay down his life if only to ensure that war would perhaps leave some of these people untouched. If only.

Kakashi raised his hands before his chest, forming a plus-sign with his fingers. A brief moment and a simple nod later, a pair of shadow clones appeared at his side. “Sorry,” the copy-ninja uttered, drawing his chokuto from its sheathe. He cast a gaze at Minato, nodding. “I’m with you.” Minato grinned in response, raising his kunai.

Without another word the group dashed forward, carving their way through incoming hellspawn. The diminutive imps stood little chance, their black blood spilling upon the dirt as the quartet approached the armored demons. Their foes sneered as they neared, trampling minions to clash with the shinobi. Kakashi’s doppelgangers together took on one of the larger combatants, the two moving in sync as a massive axe slammed into the ground between them. The sharingan-wielder watched as Minato flicked his kunai effortlessly, his target dodging sloppily in time for the blade to sail over his shoulder. The demon’s face contorted into a jeer, falling slack a second later as his attacker vanished from his sight, appearing behind him to plunge the tri-tipped blade into his side.

“Sorry,” Minato said, ripping the kunai clean and aiming a swift kick at the fiend’s head. “I don’t miss.”

Presently the silver-haired shinobi dashed toward his own opponent, a menacing mace-wielder in inky black plate mail. As Kakashi neared, the battler raised the implement skyward, bringing it down with lethal force. The shinobi juked sideways, swinging his blade laterally at the attacker’s midsection. Steel met steel as his blade scraped harmlessly against the hellspawn’s armor, eliciting laughter from his foe as the vibrations shook the blade from his grip. Frowning, the masked ninja quickly drew a few shuriken, tossing the handful at the jovial demon’s face. The fist-blades embedded into the demon’s flesh, causing him to lose his grip and stumble backward, roaring with rage. At once Kakashi saw his opening, quickly retrieving a scroll from his pocket and slapping it on the leather grip of the demon’s weapon. He paused for a moment, channeling his chakra for a few seconds before leaping backward to avoid a fireball from his foe. 

“GRAGH!” the demonic warrior bellowed, stepping forward and taking hold of his weapon. Malice burned in his eyes as he leered at the shinobi.

Kakashi retrieved his blade, quickly snatching it from the dust and holding it at the ready. His foe had scarcely raised his own weapon before the shinobi brought a hand before his chest, forming a half-ram sign. Instantly, a ball of fire erupted before the copy-ninja, the screams of hellspawn filling the air.