Trudging through the forest was not how Mei had imagined spending her time, two years after the brutality of the Fourth Great Ninja War. Yet, here she was. Her heels crunched mound after mound of dead leaves underfoot as they continued their journey. Mei would have thought that she would have at least been married by now, but after two years of waiting for a suitable candidate to just appear, she was starting to give up hope of ever finding a handsome guy to sweep her off her feet. She looked over her shoulder and her face just dropped. The two men who were accompanying her were… less than ideal when compared to her very high standards.

One of those two men was the ever so grumpy Ao. Old and bitter were the first words that popped into her head whenever she was asked to describe the ex-Head of ANBU in the Hidden Mist Village. Always cautious with each of his movements, Mei found that his stern face beginning to seriously annoy her. Every chance he got, he was complaining that about one thing or another. And these problems were usually so minute and irrelevant that his whinging was pointless.

And the other, was Chojuro. He was a sweet boy, sure, but he was hardly worthy of marrying a beautiful woman such as the Mizukage, and he knew it. If all went well, then Chojuro would find a sweet girl from the Hidden Mist to marry and settle down with. But Mei wanted a gorgeous husband who could keep her on her toes as well as turn the tables on her.

Her thoughts strayed to the men she had actually been acquainted with these past few years. The Raikage, Ay of the Hidden Cloud? Too old. The Kazekage, Gaara of the Hidden Sand? Too young. The Tsuchikage, Onoki of the Hidden Stone? Way too old. She shook her head to escape these worrying ideas. But one shining image stood out from among the crowd. The sight of one the Hidden Leaf Village's finest shinobi popped into her mind. She cursed the Fifth Hokage for how lucky she was for having Kakashi Hatake under her command. Mei had heard rumours of what lay beneath his mask and she was desperate to find out if they were true. A perfect mix of sharp masculine and soft feminine facial features combined with those gorgeous dark eyes. And the natural mess of spiky cloud locks only added to his mysterious appeal.

Sighing at her dream man, she picked herself back up at the thought of getting to see Kakashi at the Five Kage Summit. The contents of the summit ran themselves ragged through her mind. The Akatsuki. And how to finally go about dealing with them. She wasn't entirely sure how the Hokage would go about such a task, but Mei still had faith that the kunoichi of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade Senju, would be able to work out some sort of a plan. After hearing the news about his sister, Mei suspected that the composure of the Kazekage may falter, and she knew that they would need his calm nature to help.

Thinking about it, the Five Kage were in a sorry state from what she could remember. The Raikage only had one arm. The Kazekage had lost one of his most trusted advisors along with his older sister. The Tsuchikage seemed older than time itself and he couldn't even take a step without his back almost breaking. The Hokage had lost three of her village's most capable shinobi, including Naruto Uzumaki himself, the hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War. And the Mizukage herself, although she didn't like to admit it, was probably the weakest of the Five Kage in terms of strength. It was certainly going to be an interesting summit this time around.

"Stop!" a commanding voice shouted, snapping Mei out of her thoughts.

She turned to Ao, confused. He looked back at her with a serious look, a hardened face that showed all his experience as a veteran. And he seemed frightened, like a cornered animal as the veins of his right eye bulged and pulsed with the use of his Byakugan. Upon hearing his tone, Chojuro had swung his arms behind his shoulder and drew his sword as fast as possible. The huge mass of metal that was the Hiramekarei followed his gaze as looked around nervously.

Mei followed suit. As she checked out her immediate surroundings she noticed that the usual noises of natural forests had been replaced by an eerie silence. Straining her ears, she thought she could hear the sounds of twigs snapping in the distance but Mei was confused as to why this would alert Ao.

"What is it, Ao? Enemy shinobi?" even as she said it, the idea sounded strange. For the last few years, the relations between the Five Great Nations had only improved since the war. People moved freely between each Land, bringing with them their cultures and new opportunities for trade and commerce. They had even banded together to help the rebuilding efforts of the Hidden Cloud Village after it was destroyed by the Ten Tails in the war. Only one nation had struggled to recover after the Fourth Great Ninja War and it didn't even participate in the Allied Shinobi Forces. The Land of Rain could only be described as a decrepit wasteland as it tried its best to recover from Pain's tyrannical rule of the nation.

"I… I'm not sure" his breathing became increasingly more strained as he tried to focus his Byakugan's vision. Even after obtaining it so long ago, his mastery of the kekkai genkai was still nowhere near that of the Hidden Leaf's Hyuga clan's ability to use their visual prowess.

A shiver ran down Mei's spine. Something, or someone, was watching her. She couldn't tell how she knew, but she was certain of that fact. There was just something wrong with their current situation. Every few moments, Ao would switch his gaze all around the trees, almost as if he was following something. Minutes passed and… nothing. Ao didn't say another word, but he didn't need to; the number of lines increasing on his face told the others how direr the situation was becoming.

Then, without warning, he froze up. His face became pale. A bead of sweat fell from his brow, tracing its way down his gaunt cheek, dropping off his chin onto the forest floor below.

"Ao? Say something!" Mei growled at the veteran shinobi.

"R-Red" he stuttered.

Mei frowned, confused by his response. "Red? Red what?" she asked.

He took a deep breath. "Red… clouds"

'Red clouds?' Mei thought about his words meticulously. But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't make heads or tails of Ao's response. Yet, for some reason, alarm bells were ringing in the back of her mind. She couldn't understand why, but she was certain that she should. And then it hit her. Thinking back to the last Five Kage summit, the topic of discussion sprung into her mind. A rogue shinobi, from the Hidden Leaf Village, who had joined a threatening group of the world's most dangerous rogue shinobi. A group whose signature feature was the long, billowing dark robe and its unique design. Red clouds. The realisation dawned on her. The Akatsuki.

Now that name was unfortunately attributed to the heroes of the Fourth Great Ninja War. The Demon Fox's jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki. Hinata Hyuga, the Lioness of the Hyuga. Temari of Hidden Sand, the Cruellest Kunoichi. Shikamaru Nara, the Lazy King. And Sasuke Uchiha, the Avenger of the Uchiha. That last name sparked an image to come to the forefront of her mind. A beautiful man with sharp, dangerous features and crazed eyes. The perfect mix of angelic looks and a devilish personality. She remembered when she went one on one with him. His crimson eyes were fractured, barely held together by the thirst for revenge he sought from Danzo Shimura. Mei could recall all the exciting details of the Uchiha boy, and now he had become even stronger. If he was here now, then she had to do something.

"The Akatsuki? Where are they Ao?" she ordered, falling back on her commanding Mizukage character. Even as he went to work, Mei tried her best to use her own sensory jutsu. An ominous presence assaulted her immediately. When she heard Ao describe the looks of the chakra, she knew immediately. Golden blond hair, bright cobalt eyes. Both features led to the owner of the demonic chakra of Naruto Uzumaki. Even underneath the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra, a sinister aura of the insane shinobi was enough to terrify the Mizukage herself.

"About eight hundred metres west northwest" he pointed in the direction he stated. Chojuro rushed to put himself between Mei and the enemy with the point of his sword carefully trained in that direction. Mei knew that the distance that Ao gave her was approximately the limit to his stolen dojutsu's power.

"What about the others? Where are they?" she asked him. If Naruto was around, then the others shouldn't be too far behind him. Naruto alone was enough to send a shiver down any shinobi's spine, but with the others with him then their chances of victory were slimming by the second.

Ao breathed heavily. "I can't see anymo…" he stopped, gasping for air. "But that doesn't… what?" he asked, his nonsensical tone confusing the others.

"Ao! What the fuck are you saying?"

"There're dozens of them… of him!" he said, incredulously. Ao spun around frantically, listing different directions and positions of the enemy, all to wildly varying degrees. But one thing was clear to Mei. They were getting closer, and quickly. In the distance, a cruel cackle rung throughout the trees.

"Look out!" Mei felt her body tackled to the ground. Where she had been standing, a kunai flashed past. When it hit the ground behind Chojuro, he had enough time to react to the sound of the paper bomb lighting and dived to his side.

Boom!

The explosion rattled the trunks of the nearby trees, all the way up to the highest branches. More dead leaves fell to ground. Mei's eardrums were filled with a constant ringing. Only after Ao had gripped her shoulder did she snap out of the discombobulation from the explosion.

She thanked him when she pieced together the events. As they stood up, the three shinobi found themselves back-to-back. The same laughter continued to reverberate off the bark. Its confusing sources annoyed Mei, who jerked her head in complete opposite directions, looking to pinpoint its owner. She thought about using her Boil Release kekkai genkai to force Naruto out from wherever he was hiding. But with Ao and Chojuro next to her, it would be dangerous.

Every so often, a kunai, with a paper bomb attached, would appear from the treetops. Each time they came from a different point in the trees. They all seemed to be directed at one specific target. Ao was becoming increasingly more frustrated as he had to dodge every kunai himself. Yet the margin was slowly starting to decrease as he barely managed to avoid the projectiles. As Mei watched him, she focused on the kunai's trajectory. The pattern that she discerned worried her. Forcing Ao to dodge at the last second, the kunai all seemed to be aimed directly at the back of his neck. She thought that was a fairly normal target but the fact that every projectile was aimed at that spot worried her. Mei recalled what she had learnt about the Byakugan from both Ao and Hiashi Hyuga. The latter had once mentioned that the dojutsu actually had a blind spot, contrary to popular belief. And that spot was just above the first thoracic vertebrae. Exactly where the kunai were headed.

She grimaced at her realisation, especially after seeing the schemes results. Ao's movements were now more sluggish than before, and the veins around his right eye were beginning to fade slightly.

Then… nothing.

Everything went quiet. Only the sound of their haggard breathing filled the void of silence. Mei looked around carefully, taking in her surroundings. Burnt craters plastered the clearing, dotted all around the three Mist shinobi. Chojuro's knuckles were bone white as he gripped his sword's handles tighter with every chilling breeze. Ao's throat was beginning to sound hoarse, and his body looked worse for wear. Twitching limbs spasmed with each of his laboured breaths, a pools of sweat dropped from his scrunched brow. His right eye had returned to its normal state, meaning that Mei and the others could only see what was right in front of them. A whistling sound drew Mei's attention to the patch of grass between her and her bodyguards.

Thud!

She looked down to see a kunai stuck in the dirt. Flapping in the wind above it, a rectangular length of paper sparked into flames. Watching it burn, Mei had just enough time to shout "Move!" before she dived as far as she could away from it.

Boom!

Looking back, a new crater occupied the spot where she had just stood. On the other side of the clearing, Ao and Chojuro were just starting to get back up. Her eyes widened at the sight behind them, in the trees. Crimson eyes glared through the darkness of the forest's shadows. Mei knew, immediately, that they spelled danger and rushed to help them. She made it halfway through the clearing before she stopped in her tracks. A shiver ran down her spine. All the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, as if an electrical charge had passed through her body.

The next moment, a wall of black flame appeared in front of her eyes. As tall as the trees and spanning as far as her eyes could see, the midnight flames hissed in the cool autumn air. She stumbled as she backed away, careful not let the fire touch her. The colour was solid, giving her no way of seeing how Ao and Chojuro were doing.

"Ao? Chojuro?" she called out.

For a few nervy moments, she didn't get a response. Only the sound of the wall of flame scorching the grass could be heard.

"Milady? Please, you need to get going" Chojuro's worried voice shouted back.

Mei clenched her fists. "I'm not leaving you two!"

Ao's voice responded. "You'll be safe once you get close enough to the Hidden Leaf Village, we'll do our best to draw the enemy to us, so we'll see you there!" he explained.

"Bu—"

"Get going! Now!" Both their voices commanded her, not allowing her to object.

Trusting them both, she turned and ran, following the trail through the thick forest of the Land of Fire. She hoped that she would see her two bodyguards again, but she knew that the chances were smaller than she would have preferred.

And so, that's how Mei Terumi found herself alone on the grim forested route, far from the Hidden Leaf Village as well as her home. Her panicked breathing didn't stop until the sounds of those dark flames had been drowned out by the whistling of the leaves. She was worried about the others, but as the Mizukage she knew that worrying about them wasn't going to provide any shred of help. Taking a deep breath, Mei composed herself. She looked upwards, determining that it was now about the last hour or so of daylight, as a few amber rays peeked through the forest's canopy.

Mei looked around for any sign of the Hidden Leaf's shinobi. She had been told that the security would have been amped up for the Five Kage Summit, but she couldn't see any evidence for it. 'Maybe I'm just too far from the Leaf" she thought. She wished that a dashing, strong man would come and sweep her of her feet now. A real knight in shining armour.

But when she saw him, Mei froze on the spot. Because he wasn't any kind of heroic knight; he was a nightmarish monster.

Stood in the middle of the path, was a raven-haired man. A sharp jawline and prominent cheekbones gave him an almost royal presence. And a pair of piercing eyes, one dark as the wall of flames and as deep crimson as blood, the other a reverent violet shade that glowed mysteriously, roved over Mei's stiff movements.

"Sasuke… Uchiha" even as the name reverberated through the forest, Mei couldn't quite believe that he was actually there. But this bloodthirsty presence, that her most primal instincts demanded her to run from, was unmistakeable from the one she had sensed two years ago, at the last Five Kage Summit in the Land of Snow.

His expression never changed as he responded. "Mizukage" he said the title with a contempt hint in his tone.

"Do… you really think it wise to attack me, the strongest shinobi of the Hidden Mist? And to do it so close to home, you are making a big mistake" she clenched her fists in defiance, doing her best to put on a calm exterior.

Her smirk faltered slightly when she saw Sasuke simply cock his head in response. Mei got the feeling that he wasn't even looking at her, rather he was staring at a spot behind her. She didn't dare look back, however, as she knew that she had to be on guard around the rogue shinobi.

"Actually…" a different voice called out from somewhere far behind her. She noticed that this one was sterner than Sasuke's. "We're just far enough from the Hidden Leaf that you won't be getting any sort of help from them, and your own bodyguards should be too busy with friends of ours, so… it looks like you're on your own" the voice spoke very matter-of-factly.

Mei risked a peek behind her and recognised the distinct features that the Nara clan's successor shared with his family. With both Shikamaru Nara and Sasuke Uchiha surrounding her, Mei's situation became all too apparent to her now. Realising the danger she was in, Mei spread her feet into a wider stance, readying for a fight. As she knew that Shikamaru's smug observations were unfortunately correct, Mei chose to take the initiative.

Forming the hands signs as fast as she could, Mei infused her chakra to activate one of her kekkai genkai. In her chest, she felt her body heat rise dangerously fast as the pressure built up. The intense heat moved upwards, shooting up her throat. The temperature was almost unbearable, forcing Mei to open her mouth wide as she aimed for Sasuke in front of her. She watched as Sasuke recognised her jutsu, a dangerous glow sparking in his left eye to match the torrent of fiery orange shot towards him. Mei thought that he would have dodged her Lava Release jutsu, but what she was met with made her take a step back.

A giant suit of armour, compromised entirely out of chakra, stood where Sasuke had just been. Her lava merely hissed against one of its enormous legs. Craning her neck, she looked up and gulped. A demonic mask looked down at her like she would look at an insect in her office. Sasuke floated just above its eyes, over one hundred metres above Mei. Looking at it, Mei's fingers trembled as the memory of Madara Uchiha's Susanoo in the Fourth Great Ninja War. She hoped that Sasuke wasn't able to produce more of them like his ancestor; that feeling of helplessness continued to haunt her in her nightmares. Mei was pretty certain that the other Kage still suffer from the memoires of that battle, two years ago.

"Don't you think that's just a little bit over the top Sasuke?" Shikamaru's annoyed voice called out.

For a second, Mei was starting to think that Sasuke was going to attack him for his interruption. The glare that he sent Shikamaru's way could have given new meaning to the phrase 'Staring daggers' as his pupils resembled the point of his sword with how sharp they were. "I don't see you doing anything useful, Shikamaru" his angered tone seethed out from his gritted teeth.

Mei turned her head to Shikamaru, entranced by the casual argument that was playing out like a sports match between the two rogue shinobi. Shikamaru shrugged as he stepped back, making it clear that he wasn't really going to get himself involved in a fight between two powerful shinobi like the Mizukage and the Last Uchiha. Leaning against the stump of a tree, he watched carefully. Mei hated the feeling of his shadowy eyes observing every single one of her moves. To her, it seemed as if he was always thinking a step ahead. And if that was the case, then letting him scheme whilst she fought Sasuke would only prove troublesome. But Mei knew that she didn't really have much of a choice in the matter; she had to face one of the most powerful shinobi ever.

She watched as the last few remnants of her Lava Release hiss against the armour of the Susanoo, barely affecting its condition. A specific memory resurfaced, one that sparked a useful idea. Thinking back to when she last faced Sasuke Uchiha, she remembered that one jutsu of hers managed to deal some damage to his incomplete Susanoo. And now she was on her own, without her bodyguards, then she knew that now would be the right time to use it. Her other kekkai genkai. Boil Release.

Not waiting for Shikamaru and Sasuke to return their attention to her, Mei formed the hand signs quickly. She infused her chakra, and in an instant the air turned misty. When the fog began to react against the leg of Sasuke's Susanoo, both shinobi realised what was happening. Shikamaru retreated, finding himself perched atop one of the branches of the taller trees in the forest. He squatted as he observed the Mizukage, keeping his hands ready in case he needed to make the hand signs for his own jutsu. What he didn't take into account, however, was that he would be needing them to hold onto the tree desperately.

As soon as he saw that his Susanoo's legs were beginning to crumble under the acidity of the mist, Sasuke smirked. Infusing some of his chakra, the Susanoo began to unfold its giant wings, spreading them wide like an angel. The next moment, he made them flap. Then again, and again, and again. And what followed was almost a hurricane's worth of intense gusts that wrecked the surrounding area. With every flap of his wings, trees threatened to be torn from their roots. Shikamaru had to hold tight, infusing his chakra into the soles of his feet, just barely avoiding being thrown of his feet. As quick as it appeared, the acidic mist was blown from the forest along with a few too many trees. Now looking around, Mei found herself in a newly made clearing. Giant tracks of dirt marked the earth. Sasuke stared down at Mei as his Susanoo began to fade, its purpose now fulfilled. Mei felt herself grit her teeth as she eyed him frustratingly. His only response was the cocky smirk that stretched his lips.

"Do you mind warning me next time you do something stupid like that?" Shikamaru's annoyed voice reached Mei's ears over the rushing wind.

Sasuke glared at him. Then he turned to her. "Is that really all you've got, Mizukage?" he asked. His tone bit at her, preying on her prideful personality. Her nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists tighter. She wanted to step towards him, to teach him a lesson for picking on the most powerful shinobi of the Hidden Mist Village. But something stopped her; something that sent a tingling sensation down her neck. "It seems that I was right, but how about I give you another chance to prove your strength, Mizukage?" his smirk widened into a devilish grin.

Before she managed to ask him about what he meant, her pupils caught the movement of shadows across the ground. A circle of darkness slowly began to grow beneath her feet, much to Mei's confusion.

"Oh! You fucking cu—" Shikamaru shouted.

Mei craned her neck to look up at the sky. But she saw no clouds or any of the reddish rays of light that had peppered the air. No, all she saw now was the outline of a clump of rocks. Every second it seemed to become larger and it took her a moment to fully comprehend what was happening. She felt her fists unclench as the sense of powerlessness froze her in place, almost ready to be taken by the meteor.

Almost.

A new, intense warmth surged through her veins. She screamed defiantly and her hands moved on their own. All her chakra powered from her body, clouding her vision. She was not going to die today.

A/N- Hey, sorry I'm a little late to upload but here it is. I don't have much to say right now so I hope you enjoy this part and I'll see you next time!

Yours truly,

Signing off