Mei was having a very bad day. No, scratch that. Mei was having the worst day of her life. The day had started well enough with her finalising the details of their ambush on the Mizukage. After 5 years of guerrilla warfare, the rebels had finally got their hands on some intelligence that would enable them to ambush the Mizukage and end the Bloodline War in one decisive stroke. It was an excellent opportunity, except Mei's had a strange feeling that something was not right. A feeling which Mei against her better judgement, ignored.

Everything had gone downhill since then. True to Mei's feeling, the supposed 'ambush' turned out to be a trap. Even then Mei had things under control since what the rebels lacked in numbers they made it up in skill. A few of the rebels died but Mei alongwith her two bodyguards, Chojuro and Ao, were cutting down the Mizukage's forces faster than the Hiraishin. Then Yagura, the Mizukage himself joined the fray and within seconds laid waste to it. The fact that Yagura turned out to be the container of the Three Tailed Demon Turtle Sanbi who had abnormal control over water and that the fight was happening on a large boat which was surrounded by water, didn't help matters either.

Presently only Mei, Chojuro and Ao were still fighting. The rest of the force she had brought with her were all dead. Ao and Chojuro were engaged in battle with the remnants of Yagura's forces while Mei engaged Yagura himself. The auburn haired woman was regarded by many as the most beautiful woman in the Water Country. However, at the moment she looked but her usual beautiful self. Her battle dress was torn and frayed in multiple places revealing more skin than was used to. The exposed portion of her body was covered with numerous cuts and some deep lacerations and blood could be seen seeping from within her dress. She was panting heavily from constantly dodging the innumerable water bullets whizzing about around her. She knew that she was totally outmatched since Yagura didn't seem to have broken a sweat from all the fighting. Mei realised what must be done.

"Ao, Chojuro, retreat. NOW!" Mei shouted as she flipped herself in the air gaining some distance and elevation from Yagura and overall battlefield. As soon as she reached the zenith of her jump, she went through a series of handsigns and shouted, "LAVA RELEASE: VOLCANIC DESTRUCTION".

The result was instantaneous and devastating. Red hot magma erupted from the river bed and a portion of it crashed into the underside of the boat and tore through it while the rest emerged all around the boat and enveloped it burning and crushing everyone on it.

Mei landed some distance away from her handiwork and was brought down to her knees immediately by exhaustion. Ao and Chojuro who had already reached the safety of the shore rushed towards her but stopped dead as someone appeared behind Mei.

Mei, who was still on the water, turned around even as her eyes widened at the realization of who appeared behind her. As Mei fully faced the slightly burnt Yagura, she noticed that he was already going through a series of handseals. Summoning every dredge of chakra still in her body, she cried out, "Lava Release: Dome of Lava", at the same time as Yagura finished calling out his jutsu, "Water Release: Obliteration Wave"

The lava dome, while stopping the worst of the water jutsu, still collapsed causing Mei to scream in agony as she felt her body being shredded by hundreds of water blades. Her last thought before darkness enveloped her was that even after so many years she was still not strong enough, just as she wasn't when she'd failed to save him all those years ago.

Author Note: So, how was it? This is a reboot of sort of my story The Guardians of the Eternal Phoenix: Wolf Calling.