A/N: I wonder how many more people can take the tension that has been built up to this point. Still, it's been slow going this time, and I'd like to thank Soleneus for editing and beaming ideas into my head…so ladies and gentlemen, a warm round of applause to him. Aside from that, do read and review would you kindly? And keep it classy!

[Chūnin Exams, Second Stage]

There was a tense silence as the Chūnin hopefuls felt no small amount of pressure inside the testing area. Not one person within these chambers was ignorant about the Guardians, and about what they did in Kirigakure. Those that had no idea exactly who they were going into the exams with, were very likely not going to survive for long. Then again, this was only the written test…something that Naruto and Hinata had already taken. Haku, on the other hand, had no idea what the test was for and was sweating bullets until it was explained that this part was mainly to see how well one performed at the art of espionage.

Thankfully, she had been making good progress at a way to use her Hyoton capabilities. Ever since she'd been brought back to life, she had been experimenting during her free time, trying to get back her ability to create items out of ice. A bit of practice in the three Hunter disciplines had given her a bit of a primer on shaping things with her Light…which would come in handy with creating her own unique Hunter class. She could've gone with Naruto's suggestion to subtly summon their Ghosts, have them sneak around above the testing area, and spy on the other students; but this exam allowed her the ultimate opportunity to practice shaping things with her own "Cryo" Light. After successfully convincing Naruto to allow her to do this, her 'practice' was implemented by subtly creating mirrors in the ceiling from the condensation that was building up in the room, as well as a small mirror in front of her to get the information she needed.

She'd yet to figure out a name for this new class, or all the specifics for it; but she knew she wasn't the only one experimenting on Guardian classes. Whenever Naruto was not on patrol, he was in his own section of the Nami no Kuni Tower, trying to create a totally new class that would combine the best aspects of the Warlock, Titan, and Hunter amidst his own personal library. It seemed that being resurrected as a Warlock had brought out a bit of genius that was hidden away in him. He'd yet to find someone that he could safely resurrect as his new class, but he was also looking into ways of changing his own (due to his disappointment at being resurrected as a Warlock instead of a Titan).

"Naruto-kun, are you okay?" asked Hinata over the team intercom. They'd kept their helmets soundproofed from inside, so that nobody could catch them cheating.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"She's worried about you after what happened with Utakata…answer for number 9 is B, by the way." Haku replied simply.

The subject of Utakata was a bit of a sore spot for Naruto…who had sworn to never let another Jinchūriki fall into the hands of the Akatsuki. His opponent at the time happened to be Pein; their suspected leader. Hinata and Kaiza were there as his support, and they helped him fight off three more of Pein's reinforcements. But, by the time they were able to kill the remaining four bodyguards, they were too late: the Rokubi no Namekuji was already extracted from Utakata's body, and Pein had left it there to rot.

Nevertheless, Utakata was resurrected as a Defender Titan, and Naruto offered him his sincerest apologies for the failure to get there in time. His fellow Jinchūriki had immediately forgiven him; telling him that it wasn't his fault that Saiken was taken from him. From that moment on, Naruto told himself: never again.

"I'm fine, Haku," answered Naruto, over the intercom. "I think we should really get this test done and over with as soon as possible. What's the answer for number 3?"

"That would be C…are you worried about Gaara?" asked Hinata.

"According to the intel the Warlocks have gathered, the Akatsuki will not try to take him for a while; so he's safe for the time being." answered Naruto, "Besides, the Ghost we sent invited him to Nami no Kuni at his own leisure if he wanted to free Shukaku and survive the process. No, the person I'm really worried for is Fū…the Warlocks we have infiltrating Akatsuki's spy network have reported that she's their next target; the problem is that they don't know when or where they're gonna strike in these exams. Even worse is that they have no idea who they're gonna send."

"We'll be fine," reassured Haku, "We've just got to be careful not to let her out of our sights until we can at least give her the Ghost. Question number 6 is A."

"This will not turn into another Utakata incident." Hinata added comfortingly. "This time, we're here before them. We will not let them take another Bijū, because we're ready for them."

Naruto sighed, letting the stress melt out of his body. "Thanks girls. And you're right, Hinata; we're ready for them this time."

(Sai)

There was no pressure felt by Sai when it came to this test. He'd been through his fair share of intelligence-gathering operations, and so he knew a trick or two to cheat without getting caught. A few ink-mice hidden in the rafters were his eyes on the test as everyone worked on their test sheets. It just so happened that he found a good spot, where he found a disguised Chūnin giving out the right answers. At the same time, he noted quite a few Chūnin hopefuls were dragged away for getting caught. Overall, it was a pretty easy test.

It did not seem to make much -if any at all- impression on the remnants of Team Kurenai. Aburame Shiina and Inuzuka Kiba were assigned on solo missions since the death of Hyūga Hinata. Still, they were in need of a promotion…and Sai just so happened to be a free agent. Until he came along, the Aburame was working in her clan's honey production business outside of her regular shinobi work. Apart from that, she was sent on a lot of espionage and fugitive recovery missions with Kiba; the latter was done in hopes of preventing a recurrence of Naruto's fate. The former however, as much as she didn't show it, was because she felt that if she'd been able to gather better intelligence on the enemy before that ill-fated day, Hinata would have survived.

The Inuzuka, on the other hand, had been training vigorously after the death of both Hinata and Naruto, becoming more determined to never lose another friend. To this end, he and Shiina worked harder on their tracking skills, as well as to enhance their fighting capabilities with that vow on mind. A combination of good nutrition and hard training with his master ensured that Akamaru grew up stronger, faster, and tougher in order to end fights quicker. Kiba also had the opportunity to bond even deeper with his ninken to the point that their attacks became even more synchronized and powerful.

He, on another hand, was the newcomer to this team. And while it was hard to integrate into a team of seasoned genin, they were able to work together effectively as the sort of team that Yūhi Kurenai intended. They were a tracking team, and Sai's set of skills lent themselves well to the team. Especially since his ink-beasts served well in the scouting role, and synergized well with Aburame Shiina's Kikaichū by creating a larger search pattern. He was also placed there to add a bit more hard-hitting power to the team.

However, what really made him nervous was the presence of the Guardians in this exam. He didn't exactly care why they were here; he just did not want to be caught dead in their sights. The forensics reports of the ROOT operatives that were found indicated that they all happened to have crossed paths with the Guardians. Many of their bodies were riddled with small entrance wounds, and large exit wounds from tiny projectiles that mauled and perforated their corpses. Some of their remains were found disintegrated into ash by some sort of energy weapon. Others reported seeing them using what appeared to be Katon, Raiton, and some kind of purple energy. Then there were the ones who were caught in explosions of those types of energy.

It was truly a frightening prospect when someone was actually killing your colleagues whenever they crossed paths. He was actually glad the Guardians were too busy in their training exercise at the time to notice him and the operatives he brought with him to set up shop in that outpost a while back. If they did, they would very likely have turned those exceedingly deadly weapons on him and his squad. It just so happened that this was one of the possible reasons that the Guardians set up a training exercise at that outpost; their presence in that area provided what he assumed to be around the clock security for the outpost.

If he was lucky, they would have more pressing matters in these exams than to kill him on sight. Otherwise, he had to keep his head down. Whatever mission they had here, he had to report to Danzo-sama about their presence. Hopefully, he would not assign him to attempt a capture of one of the Guardians.

What Kiba and Shiina had said about the Guardians upon encountering them up-close and personal for the first time was what truly disturbed him. According to Akamaru and Shiina's colony of Kikaichū, the three of them reeked of death; not just from the number of shinobi and bandits that fell to their hands, but also from having come out of the grave themselves. And yet, for some strange reason, two of them smelled somewhat familiar. He had no idea what to make of that…though he did know about the Edo Tensei, the jutsu that Orochimaru used to resurrect the dead, so there was some kind of truth to it.

Sai would have to investigate further, but suffice to say; Danzo-sama would appreciate more intelligence on the matter of the Guardians. Therefore, it would be best to shadow them in the next part of the exams. Why lose the opportunity to gather some intelligence while you're at it?

"Pencils down." announced Shikamaru, "Now for the all-important tenth question."

As commanded, the pencil was put down. As the Guardians put their own pencils down, Sai watched them. The two female Guardians simply sat in place, but the one with the Konoha hitai-ate looked like he was reclining as if daring Shikamaru to say something. Have they taken these exams before?

"This question will decide whether or not you get to pass…"

[Myobokuzan]

The home of the shinobi toads was a place of natural beauty. It was a very wet location, with lots of waterways and vegetation; perfect for toads. This was also a place where Jiraiya had first come to master the art of Senjutsu…where Minato eventually learned to summon the toads himself. And had he survived to do so, he would've eventually taken Naruto here to learn Senjutsu as well. Apart from that, he had always liked to come here once in awhile to enjoy the scenery…and maybe a sip of some good wine.

But today, he came for business; the last time he was here, it was over a very strange incident. Gamabunta had sent a large toad his way, a while after Naruto's death. As soon as he arrived, he learned that it was in regards to the summoning contract. A look at the scroll had revealed something strange: instead of being slashed-out with a single stroke, Naruto's signature was glowing a white light through the brush stroke.

There were attempts to reverse-summon Naruto, none of which seemed to have worked. It was something that confounded him to no end. This was not the first time this happened however; as Namikaze Minato's name started glowing in the same way after his death. Shortly after that incident, the so-called 'Guardians' began their two-year rampage of vigilantism in the Shinobi Nations. Nobody knew why this was so, but they did know that Naruto and Minato's signatures glowing very likely meant that someone brought them both back to life.

He had no idea what to make of it; but Jiraiya somehow felt his spirits lifted at the idea that Naruto and Minato were both alive. This was why he kept his eyes and ears open for the possibility of finding either of them. Thoughts of what he would ask them had crossed his mind, hoping that he could find some answers. He also had his spy network keeping tabs on the Guardians and Akatsuki at the same time; from what he was able to gather, the two factions were at war with each other. The beginning of the string of vigilantism, Naruto and Minato's names returning to the contract; the timing seemed way too coincidental for his liking…it was as though they brought the Guardians back home with them.

But going back to today, he'd gotten a message from the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru. It wasn't often that the elderly toad had called Jiraiya up; most of the time he did, it was to share a good drink. It wasn't very often that he called for business. Whenever it was for the latter, there was usually a prophecy involved.

A few minutes of walking, and he found two small, elderly toads looking up at him. One of them was green and had facial hair befitting that of an old man; the other was purple with a creamy underside with warts that gave the impression of an old woman. Small as they were, they had so much power compacted into their small forms. Unsurprising, as Fukasaku and his wife Shima were both the the second-most powerful toads on Myobokuzan. But to Jiraiya, and a lot of toads, they were Pa and Ma respectively. They were also his partners in the art of senjutsu.

After giving a respectful nod, the look on Jiraiya's face said it all. "Do you have any idea what he's calling me for, Pa?"

"No idea." Fukasaku answered blithely as he and his wife hopped after Jiraiya.

"Whatever it is, it's likely going to be very important if he called for you specifically." added Shima.

Time passed as the trio managed to catch up along the way. Their walk had taken them to a giant brown toad; his skin far more withered than normal, and his eyes had given out quite a while ago. He wore a black hat atop his head and he was reclining in a gigantic seat, giving him the appearance of a wizened old sage. Fitting, given that he was practically the oldest toad living in Myobokuzan. "Ahh…you have come."

"You called me, so I came to see what's up." Jiraiya replied simply, trying to seem nonchalant.

"I had a realization." said Gamamaru, shifting on his seat.

"What is it?" asked Jiraiya, curious as to what it was that was seen.

"Have you heard the tale of the 'Traveler of Light'?"

Nobody had any idea of what to make of Gamamaru's question. Though Jiraiya did remember hearing something about that subject. "Just stories…maybe even legends…?" he admitted, his shrug letting out a silent 'sort of', "About some ancient god of some kind, coming to this world and bringing many boons to the ancients. Lifespans tripled, technology jumping forward really fast, plagues and disease made a thing of the past. All in all, this 'god' brought with it a golden age where people that were under its immediate protection wanted for nothing. It was directly served and protected by an army of warriors that could use the god's power, many of whom were brought back from the dead…I think the stories called them the 'Revenants of Light.'

"Anyway," Jiraiya shook himself getting back on topic, "before this god, this 'Traveler', could spread its influence throughout the world to bring the golden age to everyone else, it was found by its old enemy. Humanity fell; not even the Revenants, for all their power, could stop it. After that, the Traveler disappeared from history; never to be heard from again."

"I've once seen the Revenants of Light before," Gamamaru said quietly, "and now that I think on it, they're now running about in the Shinobi Nations. The bandit population these days have been significantly reduced since they returned."

Jiraiya's eyes had widened in shock. "What're you saying? That these 'Guardians' are the Revenants of Light?" He asked incredulously.

"Correct." The Great Toad Sage rumbled, "And like before, I sensed that many of them have died. They figure into a new prophecy I have seen of the future."

"A new prophecy?"

Gamamaru nodded in assent. "One that is overwriting the one of the Child of Destiny…"

[Chūnin Exams, 2nd Stage]

Chūnin hopefuls stood outside in the sweltering desert heat for the second phase of the exams. Including the Guardians, thirty teams had passed the first exam, which meant that the numbers had to be cut down even further. Before them stood the Ma no Sabaku; the walls surrounding it were large and thick, composed of sand compacted so tightly that it was almost as if it were cement. In front of them was Temari; the Kazekage's sister, and a jōnin of the village. Behind her was a large gate from which all the genin would enter.

"All right then, here's how this is going to play out: you boys and girls are going to go into the Ma no Sabaku, and you have five days to get to the tower in the center of the desert." began Temari, lifting a folded piece of paper in each hand above her head to show the genin. "In addition to a scroll containing your survival gear, each team is going to get a piece of parchment. Alone, each piece will be blank; but when combined…" she says, as she placed two sheets of parchment together. Immediately, a seal activated within the pieces of parchment that caused brush strokes to appear on the overlapped surfaces. "…they will reveal a map that will show the location of all relics and ground water veins hidden in the desert. Once you get to the relic, you have to activate a seal array that will charge it with chakra. Stay there to defend it until it is completely charged; aside from each other, there are creatures in the desert that will know when you're charging it and will try to kill you. You have to get to the tower with the relic and your whole team intact within five days; fail any of these conditions, and you will be disqualified…assuming the relic doesn't kill you first."

Now this caught Sakura's attention. "What do you mean 'assuming the relic doesn't kill you first?' How can it do that?"

Temari looked to Sakura. "The relics you're looking for are designed to store chakra, but they're not exactly a stable container. Once you charge it, you'll have set an invisible timer ingrained into the relic that causes it to explode specifically on the fifth day. And let me tell you; with the amount of chakra being stored inside, there's enough force in the explosion to kill your entire team."

She could practically feel the tension thickening the air upon hearing that. This meant that all the chūnin hopefuls were terrified at the prospect of getting killed in an explosion. Temari turned her attention to a group of shinobi walking up to her with boxes in their hands. "These shinobi are carrying waivers for this part of the exams. The minute you sign these, we're not responsible for any deaths that occur from this point on. If you don't sign them, then you'll be disqualified until next year…which in turn means you're disqualifying your entire team."

The shinobi stepped away, passing out the waivers to all the genin. Many were brave enough to sign the waiver, choosing to risk death for an opportunity to become a chūnin; there were also a few that knew their limits, and wisely chose to leave the exam. Naruto, Hinata, and Haku were among the former, but mostly due to their mission to shadow Fū and protect her if necessary. One way or another, they would see to it that she would at least get a Ghost. However, to ensure that their identities were obscured, they all signed on as Mahōtsukai, Kyojin and Kariudo respectively.

"Naruto-kun, what are we going to do if Fū manages to get the relic?" asked Hinata over the Ghost's intercom, handing over her waiver and taking her scroll. "We can't use chakra anymore."

"You may not like it, Hinata-chan, but we're going to have to swipe a relic from someone that has it." answered Naruto, doing the same but putting the parchment into a pocket inside his jacket. "All we need for now is to steal a piece of parchment from some other team, then we keep an eye out for any relics in the area."

"That should be easy." agreed Haku, trading her own waiver for a supply scroll. "But at the same time, the sooner we get our hands on a relic, the easier our mission will be. So I say we search every team we cross paths with in order to find that relic…or at least the other half of the map."

Naruto looked to both Haku and Hinata. The nods they all traded with each other had showed a good amount of confidence in their body language. Once all the waivers were collected, everyone that remained stood at the ready.

Temari nodded to signal the shinobi standing guard at the sides of the gate to get ready. "One last word of caution: your survival gear contains enough supplies to last you two days, so make it count. How you make it last will be up to you; theft, rationing, and even hunting the creatures of the desert are all legitimate strategies so long as you come to the tower with both the relic and your entire team intact."

A good number of genin protested this; but this came mainly from the first-timers. The more seasoned ones on the other hand simply took it in stride. They'd been through their fair share of situations where they were cut off from supplies. Others simply saw it as a review of their basic survival skills. But everyone generally saw this detail for what it was: a test that would see how resourceful you were.

{Play: "Short Change Hero" by The Heavy}

Temari stood by the gates, everyone waiting patiently as they watched the heavy metal grates remained shut. Many genin crouched low to get a running start, hoping to be the first to get far enough into the desert for more preparation time. Naruto, Hinata, and Haku simply summoned their weapons, and holstered them respectively. Naruto's readied his beloved hand cannon The Last Word, 1000-Yard Stare sniper rifle, and his personal longsword; Hinata had the No Land Beyond sniper rifle, Conviction-II sidearm, and Truth rocket launcher; and Haku readied the Red Death pulse rifle, Hereafter sniper rifle, and Thunderlord machine gun.

It just so happened that Tenten was nearby, and she saw all the weapons that were being readied by the Guardians. Her stress was momentarily replaced with awe at the amount of work that went into the creation of these weapons. The first thought on her mind was those guys are armed to the teeth! With that thought on mind, she made it a point to see them in action…hopefully with a non-Konoha genin at the business end.

Everyone stood at the ready to charge into the gates. Tensions increased as Temari turned to regard them all, after hopping onto the top of the wall over the gate. "Now then, there's one more command I have for all of you," she said, inspecting all the prospective chūnin for herself, "one objective more important than any other…"

Tensions arose as they awaited her next word. Some felt their hearts threatening to burst out of their chests when they noticed the gate starting to rise. Once it was completely open, everyone knew what that command was. One simple word from Temari would kickstart the second event: "…survive."

With that one word, it was as though an explosion had set off to signal the start of a race, all the genin flooded through the massive metal gates, scattering as they ran into the wide expanse of desert. They needed to get as far as they could to make their own preparations for this part of the exams. Only Naruto, Haku, and Hinata stayed behind, waiting for a moment until the many genin that ran through the gates were but a trickle. Once they were among the few remaining participants, they all summoned their sparrows in front of a surprised Temari, and sped away into the desert in the blink of an eye.

What she saw of the Sparrows had earned a single whispered remark from Temari: "I gotta get me one of those…"

A nod to the shinobi manning the gate's cam and pulley systems had given them the command to drop the gate. Looking out into the distance, Temari could still see quite a few genin trying to run away. The second stage of the Chūnin exams had begun.

{Play: "Last Stand" by Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori from "Destiny: The Taken King"}

[Somewhere in Otogakure, a few weeks later]

All was silent in the lab…until a few resounding bangs could be heard. Orochimaru had to roll aside as large spikes flew above his head before embedding themselves into the wall above him. He hid around the corner of another corridor in his base, the Kusanagi no Tsurugi in his hands. Never before had he been tested to the degree he was; neither had he ever seen a weapon like what was being used against him. I wonder…what other surprises have you returned to me with, Sayuri-chan?

"I really wouldn't bother hiding!" cried the voice of his pursuer.

Orochimaru rolled off the wall just in time for a thin, glowing blade to pierce the corner in an attempt to stab him. He then turned the corner, bringing the blade of his sword down in an attempt to dismember his opponent. The blade was stopped by something hard, and Orochimaru had a careful look at the intruder. It did not stop the grin on his face as he studied the newcomer━there was a sadistic interest in his gaze. "You're not Sayuri-chan."

The creature he saw did indeed have Uchiha Sayuri's face and lean body type, but that was where the similarities ended. What appeared to be a suit of bone armor appeared to be growing out of arms and legs in large, overlapping plates that terminated in claw-tipped, armored fingers and toes. The creamy skin of her abdominals and her developing breasts were exposed to the world, but were flanked on both sides by more bony plates. Just around her neck a collar of overlapping plates that went down to larger plates that covered her shoulders. There was also an opened skull-shaped helmet, with a pair of blades protruding from the mandible and the rest of the skull pulled back to expose her face, with three sharingan active (two in their regular spots, and a third in the middle of her forehead). Coming from her back were a pair of webbed, batlike wings that were folded behind her to grant her better mobility.

"Oh no, I am Sayuri," answered the creature with a fierce snarl, "Same meat. Same bone. But so very different."

Orochimaru was knocked off balance as Sayuri parried his blade off her bone armor. He managed to duck just in time for the glowing blade to slash over his head, and through the other walls of his base shortly before he countered with a stab to the unarmored abdominals. Sayuri hopped back, attempting to answer with her own slash at him only to miss and take a straight kick in her abdominals that smashed her through the walls and into a more open area.

After recovering and righting herself, she spread her wings in mid-air, allowing Sayuri to slow her descent. As soon as she landed into the training arena, Orochimaru studied his opponent's weaponry. In one hand, Sayuri wielded what appeared to be a katana made of bone with a curved, three-foot blade. It was light and well-balanced enough to be wielded in one or two hands, but the glowing blade seemed to be dull. There was a subtle humming sound that told Orochimaru that the bone weapon was vibrating at ultra-high frequencies.

The other held the weapon that had been firing at him. It was a large, sleek, one-handed weapon that made him think of a flower of some kind…a rose to be more specific; one with no petals, but the jagged purpose of angry thorns. Organic curves and jutting blades gave it the feeling of a living creature, with glowing green jewels that seemed to give it life. The weapon was made of a darkened steel, and in the middle of its frame was a brass cylinder that gave the impression of some kind of drill. How it was able to fire those spikes, he had no idea, Orochimaru knew it was a very deadly weapon. I must have her body! I must know where she got them!

"I'm curious, Sayuri; how did you get those weapons of yours?"

Sayuri smiled, even though she didn't seem inclined to answer. "And why should I answer the questions of a man who is about to die?"

"I absolutely must know."

This time, Sayuri kept silent her ominous half-smile being the only answer. Orochimaru found himself wondering what exactly his former protege had on mind for him until he heard high-pitched shrieks coming from behind him. He was forced to leap out onto the training arena just in time to watch as two Konoha shinobi chased him out from the hole and landed deftly on their feet. Both of them looked like they were rotting, and it was clear that they had been dead for quite some time. He'd watched Sayuri kill Kabuto with a few shots to his knees from her thorny weapon, allowing these two to begin feasting on his apprentice's still-living body.

One way or another, it was a battle he would enjoy.

"Not that it matters, but my death had allowed me to truly see the Darkness." she began, throwing her sword away. It vanished in a burst of vile green flames upon hitting the ground. "It knows of you, Orochimaru-sensei…it knows that you have felt its touch. It is a great god that is feeding off the evil that you are radiating, and sees that as worship. All it asks is for you to submit…to devote your time and the suffering you cause to its worship."

Orochimaru snorted in defiance, his blade held in a ready stance. "If you're looking to convert me into your little coven, you're sorely mistaken. There is only room for one god…and that god is me!"

Whether or not she was affected by his words, Sayuri grinned wickedly. She tossed her smaller weapon aside, allowing it to disappear in a burst of green fire. With her hands now freed, she conjured forth a shape from the wicked fire before it coalesced into a massive two-handed cleaver made of the same material as the katana. "Then prove your divinity to me!" Sayuri roared, charging forward.

A/N: Thank you thermalsnipern7 for giving the Guardians a nickname in Naruto-verse…and Soleneus for giving me a good idea on how to make the second phase more original. Everyone, a warm round of applause for them. So please review, and keep it classy!

Vocabulary

Myobokuzan━pretty much the proper Japanese way of saying 'Mt. Myoboku', as the -zan is written as '山' which denotes a mountain.

Naruto, Hinata, and Haku's codenames━Mahōtsukai(魔法使い), Kyojin (巨人), and Kariudō (狩人) all mean 'Warlock', 'Giant', and 'Hunter/Huntsman' in Japanese.

Cameos/References

"Same meat, same bone. But so very different."━from Dredgen Yor's monologue in "Ghost Fragment: Thorn"

"…no petals; only the jagged purpose of angry thorns."━also from Dredgen Yor's monologue in "Ghost Fragment: Thorn"