AN: Okay, been a while. But, a you can see, here is a new chapter. Enjoy!

Harem Update:

Fuu
Kurotsuchi
Ryuuzetsu
Seras
Mavis Vermilion
Ultear
Tifa Lockhart
Karasuba
Haihane
Miya
Kazehana

(Chapter 3)

The Council of Judgement was convened when the various guests and teams arrived in the village. The Council was composed of the heads of the five great clans of Shinigakure, alongside the five overseer's of the Five Civilian Districts, with the Shinikage and his two commanders acting as the final vote deciders, but ultimately the Shinikage had final say. It was a good system that allowed equal representation for both shinobi and civilians living in the village. And thanks in no small part due to the village's laws and charters, neither side was allowed to step out of line and order the other, nor were they capable of voting in matters pertaining to the other sides expertise.

If a situation involving both Shinobi and Civilian matters were addressed, such as shinobi owned stores and their wares, or events such as the one about to be discussed by the gathered men and woman.

The two commanders who oversaw the council were regarded as exact opposites, and yet were incredibly close friends. Both were regarded with a great amount of respect by both civilian and shinobi, having both fought many battles together, whether as enemies or allies.
The first was in charge of the Grave Masters, or often referred to as DEAD, the equivalent of the ANBU of the other villages, named Cornelius Grimm, although he preferred his codename Undertaker. He was a thin old man, with a hooked nose and gleaming eyes hidden behind a pair of large, round rimmed glasses, had white hair that was situated around the sides of his head. He wore a long jacket with two coattails that trailed behind, a purple vest, and black slacks. On his feet were a pair of shined black leather shoes. In his hands was his cane that many swore could rip your soul from your body, with intricately carved seals on it to transform into it's battle form, the namesake of the DEAD ANBU, the battle shovel. His face was set, as it always was, in a grin that stretched from ear to ear as he listened to the ramblings of the council as they awaited their Kage to arrive after greeting his guests at the dinner.

Despite his ancient and weathered look, the man was still quite deadly, having not once lost a battle to anyone save his longtime friend/rival, and the Shinikage.

The second commander was vastly different, in that he was stoic and looked asleep. He had no hair on his scar covered head, but had a long pointed beard that was held together with a purple string. He wore traditional hakama pants that were black, alongside a kimono top colored the same way. Across his shoulders was a white haori with the Kanji for one on the back of it. Clutched in his weathered, yet still strong hands was a brown staff that he always carried with himself. He was Genryusai Shikigami Yamamoto, one of the most powerful fire style shinobi in the world.

The door to the chamber opened and Naruto walked in, his usual attire on, although he was bereft of his Kage hat. They all quieted down immediately and stood before bowing to him as he took his seat at the head of the circular table, with the shinobi and civilians seated in a intermingled pattern that went like so: shinobi, civilian, shinobi, civilian, and so on. Raising his hand, Naruto said. "Alright, before we begin this meeting,. is there any old business that is yet to be resolved? Or any new information that requires the immediate attention of the council?"

One of the Shinobi council men, a man who went by Scorpion, head of the Shirai Ryu Clan, spoke up. "There is. Last meeting a week ago, the decision as to what to do with the captured shinobi from Sound that had attempted to break into the Vault has yet to be reached."

He got several affirmations at this, and Naruto nodded. "Well, last week, it came down to three choices: Execute them, Imprison them, or seal off their chakra and have them become permanent fixtures in the village. Being that it was your clans shinobi who had discovered them, I would ask for your opinion, Scorpion."

Nodding at being addressed, Scorpion stated his opinion. "They are too dangerous to let live. They have a good amount of knowledge as to the lay out of our village, and that in itself is dangerous. Not to mention they know the location of the Vault, and have a small idea as to what is locked inside."

A soft, female voice drifted in. "If I may, I would like to say that we are not animals. And while I do agree with Scorpion that they are dangerous, I believe that execution is too harsh a punishment. Imprisonment would keep them out of harms way, and keep them from reporting to that vile snake in Sound."

This reasonable argument was provided by Miya Sekirei, head of the Sekirei Clan. The woman had long violet hair and brown eyes that held a warmth to them. She was currently not wearing her shinobi uniform, and had on a light purple kimono with white socks and tabi sandals. Beside her was her ever present katana.

Scorpion gave her a nod of recognition. "While your argument is solid and sound, it does have it's flaws. Such flaws as the danger of them escaping from the prison, and informing their master of the amount of prisoners in the prison itself."

"But we are forgetting what has made Shinigakure as it is so. We are a village who will always offer a second chance, no matter the crime, and to go back on that principle would be like us cutting the hand off of a thief."

Naruto gave a nod as he listened to both arguments, having come to a decision. "What if, we offered the ones who show remorse, or a willingness to change their behaviors and inform us of the locations of Orochimaru's bases and hideouts, the option of staying in the village as civilians for three months, and a probationary shinobi position for nine months before having their records reviewed by this Council?"

That made the two council members pause as they thought over his suggestion. It had it's merits, and by confining the shinobi to the village, it made it easier to have them followed by both the Excution and Disciplinary Squads. They both nodded in approval of this, and so the meeting turned to the Kages and the Exams. It was another Clan Head who brought up this particular subject. "Are we still having the exam in Tenrou Forest? And are there any changes to be made to the line up of the exam parts?"

Makarov Dreyar was perhaps the most liked Clan Head, as he adopted anyone into his clan, Fairy Tail, and was a powerful shinobi. Despite his...short stature, he was capable of defeating several of the A-Class Jonin in the village fairly easily. The man was balding with a rim of spiky white hair surrounding his head. Underneath his nose was his moustache, which was regarded as the second best in the entire village, second only to his adoptive brother. He was commonly seen wearing an orange floral shirt and shorts, with a pair of flipflops on, as well as his bell hat.

"The exams will be as always: First, they will be tasked with finding the test with the set of clues sent to them before the exam. Second, they must traverse through Tenrou Forest and find the Shrine of Life. Once there. they will have to gather a jug of the water from the pool, then traverse back to the starting point, without being caught, killed, or...'kicked out' of the exams. Thirdly, they must then be randomly selected to participate in a team battle, the teams jumbled and switched amongst the others. And finally, a tournament for those who succeed in making it to the final examination." Yoruichi Shihoin, Clan Head of the Shihoin Clan, replied. That was the standard Chunin exam, specifically made to test their intelligence, survival in a combat zone, their ability to adapt to rotating teammates, and their fighting abilities.

Soon, they were discussing the recent alliance proposal sent from the Village of Nadeshiko. Pretty soon, it was time for lunch and the Council meeting had been adjourned, ready to be picked up next week.

(With Itachi)

The Eldest of the Uchiha Brothers was walking down a street, contemplating the strange, yet wise words, that had been spoken to him by the man named Garp, whom he found out was a master at the Shinobi arts. And while they did help, it left the Uchiha very confused on what to do next.

He had joined the Akatsuki in the belief that they had a noble goal, and while he was still striving for peace, Garp's words had made him think of alternative ways to achieve the peace that their leader wanted.

Almost unbidden, the memory of the girl he had drunk with came to the forefront of his mind. The raven haired woman had been kind and courteous to him, and he vaguely remembered her name was Hibiki. Itachi had honestly felt relaxed, the first time in years, around her. They had just talked and drank, not drinking enough at one time to get drunk, mind you, but they had a good time.

Maybe he could go back there, just to say hi or grab a drink, maybe catch her and have another conversation.

(With Sasori)

The Puppeteer was walking amiably down the streets of Shinigakure, not really looking at anything, but just roaming. Nothing had caught his eye just yet, but Sasori had to admit, it was quite refreshing to be able to walk so openly in a village without Hunter-Nin on his trail. As he was thinking, he felt someone stumble into him. When he looked down, he saw what had to be the most beautiful girl in the entire world.

She had blonde hair that was slightly curled and a heart shaped face. Her eyes, or eye, was a doe like brown that was filled with curiosity and regret for the collision. She was dressed in a tasteful, female Jonin uniform of the village, consisting of a tight black shirt under the black vest, a knee length skirt and black calf high boots. Her left eye was covered in an eye patch that had a lightning bolt on it.

They stared at each other for a while, before the woman smiled and extended her hand to him. "Hello. My name is Marie Miljnor, I'm sorry for bumping into you, Mister-?"

"Sasori. Akasuna no Sasori."

"-Sasori."

After that eventful meeting, Sasori and Marie began to chat a bit about themselves. It was only till later that evening that Sasori realized he had not once gotten annoyed or cross with her, and that he was in possession of her address.

(With the Rookies)

It was brutal, training in the Village Hidden in Death. Pretty much everything was trying to kill you, and the ground was difficult to move for Earth Jutsu, the air thin enough for Fire and Wind, while Water was sparse except for clear pools every so often. And due to the high altitude, Lightning Jutsu had a tendency to be risky, as it could attract thunderstorms if done incorrectly, and the gravity of the place was weighing them down. But, until it was only a day away from the Exams, the Rookies had noticed that they were steadily getting better at Elemental Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, thanks to the combined factors of the training grounds.

A fact that was soon commented on by a voice that none of them recognised.

"The conditions of the Mountain we're on are harsh. Very, very harsh. It's why our shinobi, while not as numerous as other villages, have better skills and techniques, as living in these mountains will force you to learn things in a harder environment than others" The voice said, immediately putting the group on guard. They searched for the voice, and found it's origin in the form of a...peculiar boy, about the age of thirteen.

He had light grey hair that was shaggy and untamed, falling into his eyes and giving him a mysterious aura. His eyes were a pale grey as well, hidden behind wire rimmed glasses, a slight glow to them as he examined each one of them like they were a fine piece of art. He wore a dark black, short sleeved shirt over a long sleeved white shirt, with baggy pants the same color as his black shirt, and had black shinobi sandals. His shirt was decorated with what seemed to be stitches, colored white, flowing into one another and onto his white shirt, where the colors inverted to back. The stitches also went down his pants, highlighting key points all along his torso and legs where to cut or hurt for maximum effect. His face was full of a creepy kind of curiosity, like he wanted nothing more than to dissect them all. All of the shinobi noticed the thick fog that had rolled in upon seeing the boy arrive.

It was Kakashi who was the first to get over his unnerved state at seeing the boy. "Excuse me...but who are you, and why are you spying on us?"

The boy seemingly ignored the one eyed Jonin. "A little known fact about this place is that it is referred to as the Mountain of the Gods, where supposedly the Gods are able to walk amongst us. It is because of this that the mountains that make up our village has such factors as the natural phenomenon to strengthen our Elemental Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. That, the Gods themselves use this place to settle disputes amongst themselves, and as such, discharge so much energy that the land is forever altered, making Ninjutsu difficult to use, but if one were to get used to the effects of the poison in the land, then upon leaving it they become Blades of the Forest." He paused for a moment, before saying. "As for my name...it is Tenrou."

He gave a nod to Kurenai and said. "Even in a cruel world, a small, unassuming light can shine. Even when new life is brought in the world, darkness can just as easily, too."

And with that, he was gone, as if he disappeared. The Rookies and their senseis all shivered as they made their way back to the hotel, too unnerved to continue training.

(Deep Rock Prison- With Naruto/Null)

Null watched in a amused manner as the four shinobi sent to break into his Vault cowered on their knees before him, their minds playing out the possible tortures he would have them undergo. From what Naruto's head Interrogator, one Alucard, had informed him of, they were sent as a suicide force, to test his security.

They were also the newest members of the revived Sound Four. The first was an old member of the last one, a girl Naruto remembered as Tayuya, the second Karin, the next as Sasame, and the last as Suigetsu Hozuki. It seemed Orochimaru was beginning to scrape the barrel on powerful shinobi, he wondered idly as he gazed at them from behind his new mask made for him by one of his old friends, a smith by the name of John, who was called John Smith. It was a simple white mask made of porcelain, and reinforced with steel, making it nigh indestructible. It had a line of red diamonds going down from the right eye hole, as if crying them out, had no mouth opening, and allowed his cobalt eyes to be shown to the world. Accompanied by his attire and two, still cloaked, bodyguards, made him appear as though he were the very God of Death his village had been named in the honor of.

His voice rumbled from behind his mask as Null spoke, having put seals on it to modify his voice like his other mask did to avoid getting recognised just yet. "Now...you lot may be wondering exactly why you're here and not dead. Well, that's because I have decided to show your four mercy this one time, and allow you to live in my village, so long as you don't cause problems, give us as much information as you can on Orochimaru, and agree to a one year village trail membership, with three months as a civilian, and nine as a Genin Shinobi of the village.

They looked at him, before the de facto leader, Tayuya, spoke up. "And why the hell would we do that?"

Null's voice became grave at that. "if you don't, then I have three options for you. The first is execution. Which may not sound bad, but our Executioner is very...sadistic. He calls himself the Collector, by the way. Second, you spend the rest of your lives here, in this prison, with Alucard and Monsieur Goliad watching over you. And thirdly, the girls go to the clan, whose members they wounded, and the Hozuki has his sperm extracted twice a day for three months to ensure a good supply, before his testicles are cut off, burnt, made into a pie, and eaten by him, alongside his penis, which will also be cut off, only cooked like a sausage, fed to a pig, crapped out, reformed into the shape of a penis, and fed to him with his testicle pie."

Suigetsu was near crying at hearing what his manhood would go through if he refused the deal, while the girls all shivered at the thought of being sent to a clan, who would most likely use them as breeding stock to boost member numbers. It was more or less two options: A new start, new life, and a second chance, or getting physically, emotionally, and mentally fucked.

For their part, Alucard and Monsieur Goliad, both of whom had entered during the explanation of the fours options, did their best to hide their grins at seeing the now submissive lot submit even further.

It was Tayuya again, after a discussion via eye contact, who spoke up. "We'll take the new start...Lord Shinikage."

(Leaf Rookies Hotel Room- 18 hours till Exam)

Not surprisingly, it was Shikamaru who figured it out. The Genin had been thinking over the conversation with Jericho for some time now, as something felt off about it. Thinking back, he recalled a certain piece that stuck out. "Blades of the Forest...Ninjutsu...and his name is Tenrou. Something about those three things connects them, but what?" The lazy Nara thought. "He also mentioned Mountains repeatedly, as well as Gods and them walking amongst them. But...they also use it to settle disputes amongst themselves. So, from all of that, there are three places here that he mentioned. First, the Ninjutsu Foundry. Second, the Forbidden Training Ground, Tenrou Forest, and finally the Shinikage Tower." He pondered it for a few moments, before he got it. He sat up, eyes wide, as he thought over it. "No...not three places. A place where three things meet. Blades in the Forest, not of the forest. Ninjutsu are techniques that expel a large amount of chakra at once, so somewhere saturated in the stuff. And Tenrou, the name of the boy. But, also the name of a place in Shinigakure. Could that be where the Exams are held?"

After mentioning his theory, Shikamaru was 100% certain that the exams would be held there, and the others all agreed to meet at Tenrou Forest, bright and early, so that they could be ready.

(With Naruto/Null)

Naruto, having cast aside his guise of Null for the moment, stood on the balcony overlooking the village, an emotionless look on his face as he did. Tomorrow, events would begin, events capable of bringing down entire villages if things went well, making allies question each other, friends question what it means to be a true friend, and the ultimate test of the Shinobi Way.

And yet, all things considered,it was one of the most brilliant moves, both politically and militaristically, ever. With his access to the Kages during this event, he could build alliances and ensure his village survived for the years to come, his Shinobi would be showcased as the strongest, and he could gauge the strength of this generation, and the next.

All in all, Naruto could o0nly say one thing right now, and looking at the Village of Shinigakure, more specifically, at the Hotels that held the various groups, he said. "...

(The Next Day- Tenrou Forest)

"...Let the Exams Begin!" Null said in a happy voice, not wearing his porcelain mask. "For those of you who understood the clue left for you by the agents sent to tell you, congratulations on , passing the first portion of the Shinigakure Examination for the rank of Chunin. From here on out, you're on your own. Once you pass this gate into Tenrou Forest, the Second Portion will commence. In this part, your task is to get to the Shrine of Life with nothing but your own tracking skills and a clue. Once there, after evading the Chunin, Jonin, and DEAD operatives in the forest meant to render you unconscious, and in some cases, kill you, while also surviving off of the land and not dying because of the many dangerous animals and plants, you must collect a jug of water from the pool and bring it here, back to the starting point. However, the forest shifts every day, due to a powerful Ninjutsu infused seal that makes Tenrou Forest a dangerous place to be overnight. Also, the water from the pool has a very, very low evaporation point, so once you get yours, you should Run Down Boogie back here fast. And finally...Tenrou Forest has a massive amount of Chakra Saturated amongst the trees, both positive and negative, and has been known to trick people into seeing phantoms of people long since dead, gone, or phantoms of the past."

Taking a deep breath, Null, in reality Naruto, continued his explanation."But, this isn't just some retrieval test, as failure is not an option. Before the test begins, each of you will be outfitted with a seal that will connect to your teammates. What the seal does is lock itself onto the Chakra signature of your team, connecting your chakra network to each other. What this means is rather simple...if one of your teammates dies, you all die." Getting gasps from the gathered people, Kages included, Null continued heedless of their shock. "The seals also work as a tracker, so that the people located out here can more easily determine who dies and who doesn't. As an added bonus, the seals, what we call the 'Jinchuuriki Curse Seal of Connected Existence', is timed. You have three days to get to the Shrine, and three days to get back. In the first three days, if you don't make it by the 72nd hour, they go off. The same with the next 72nd hour."

All of the competing Genin shuddered at this test. While it was similar to the one in Konoha, the risks were far greater, but so was the reward. Not to mention the fact that this test will probably thin them out a lot. Shikamaru counted and sighed. "Let's see...One hundred Teams, all from different villages, and Ikupasuy said it had a 70% mortality rate. So, the bulk of the deaths will most likely be here. But, it seems to me that there is a glaring hole in the "mission" this test. Why do we not have two types of water from two pools? Is there two entrances or is there a twist?"

As if reading his mind, Null said. "Now, as many of you guessed, you will be fighting each other in the Forest, as the Shrine has two pools, opened at opposite hours. To make the water what it should be, you have to combine water from the Pool of Heavenly Knowledge, and the Pool of Earthly Power. When combined, the answer to the test is revealed, and you pass."

"That was a fucking long explanation for the exam, with so many small, minute complications, that when combined together make a shit load of problems. I can already tell that this exam is going to be troublesome, but I have to admit, it is going to be interesting." Shikamaru thought.

Null looked at the amassed Genin and smirked underneath his mask as everyone was given the Seal, excited to see who survives and who dies. "As I already said once before...Let the Exams begin!"

AN: And I'm gonna end it there. Next chapter, which should be out eventually, will be following Shikamaru, Kiba, and Hinata's team in the Tenrou Forest. I know the Exam seems complicated, and it is, but it will be explained after next chapter, where it ends.

As for the whole Naruto/Null thing, I put that there as they were the same, and it was confusing people. When Naruto is around people not from Shinigakure, he is Null. But when he is around people from his village, he is Naruto. Got it?

Now, I added the Sasori and Itachi bits so that I can have a reason to get them to join Shinigakure when I eventually have the Akatsuki disband. The next chapter are Pain and Konan moments, not together, mind you.

I hope you liked my including of the other crossovers, alongside my OC, 'Tenrou'. As for stories sake, he is rather important to it. And to help you, here's a hint: He is kind of like Schrodinger from Hellsing, only he isn't 'everywhere and nowhere at once', more like he was given a 'tap' by an 'Outsider'.

As for updates for my other stories, well, I'm working on them. Things are going very slow, as my muses are drying up in the form of suggestions as to what you all THINK might happen. Some of them actually affect the story, as they inspire me to write a chapter.

The Harem is cut considerably down, as it was getting too big for my taste. And for some reason, I just had the feeling that two of the most foul mouthed people in Naruto deserved the chance to be together, and as such, Tayuya and Hidan are a pairing that I'm gonna explore.

(Omake- Why Shinigakure has no Sea Bears)

Ikupasuy looked in satisfaction as he finished making a large circle around Shinigakure, having dug a ten foot by ten foot trench around it. Of course, he did so without thinking, and trapped the city with the Sea Bear, who had already been inside, within it's borders.

Looking up, he screamed as one of them got close to his face, making him fall to his knees. The Bear of the Sea grinned as it made a gesture. Following his new orders, Ikupasuy took his clothes off, crying as he did so.

Before the beast could mount him, it was killed by a fish to the head, killing it. Looking up, Ikupasuy saw a man wearing a cowboy hat, with red hair and a beard, smiling kindly.

With a shaking finger, he pointed and asked. "Who are you?"

The man responded in a strong voice. "My name is Chuck Norris. Leader of the Anti- Sea Bear Association. Together with Charlie Sheen, Jimi Hendrix, Rick James, and Bob, the anorexic Turtle, we travel the world hunting Sea Bears, and Sea Bear cults."

(End Omake)