Chapter Four
The Trial of Indra
"Naruto, you will not graduate from the academy with your class."
In the span of eleven words, Naruto's heart shattered as his dream broke under the words of the Hokage. Years of hard work and years of abuse at the hands of the villagers had been in vain. He wanted to get angry, channeling the rage within to strike back at his father in hopes of changing the man's mind. But, unfortunately, the will to struggle never came, and his only response was a soft whimper mixed with a pitiful sob. Those in the room, save Tsunade, stared at him with unmoved expressions. The Slug Sannin looked displeased at the turn of events, though her glare was focused upon the relaxed form of Minato.
"However…" Naruto stiffened as his father continued in an overly formal tone. "There is another way to become a shinobi and join our ranks. All clan heirs are automatically granted the status of Genin to lead their families into battle during times of war."
Naruto tilted his head. "But…I'm not part of a clan." Officially, he was listed under the ranks of the Inuzuka Clan, but few people dared to consider him one. Not to mention, Hana had been named as heir by Tsume and was to take the mantle within the year.
"Incorrect," Minato ordered another cup of tea from his secretary. "You are my son, thus a member of the Namikaze Clan. I waited to pick an heir until my children were old enough to battle for it."
Crimson eyes widened at the thought of fighting Menma. He loved his brother and wanted an excuse for a good spar. "So, if I fight and beat Menma…you would make me genin?"
"I would have no other choice." Minato thanked his secretary for the tea and smiled. "Iruka should have sent Menma already to our family training grounds for the duel. However, I should warn you that this is not a normal spar."
The implication stung him like a hornet. "To the death?"
"Indeed." Minato leaned back in his chair. "Menma has been informed by Kushina that one of you two will be killed. I assure you he will come at you with everything we taught him."
"Why? The Hyūga never required Hinata to kill her sister. Itachi never had to battle Sasuke." Naruto felt sick to his stomach at the thought of slaying his brother. However, the temptation of becoming a shinobi and his father's heir swelled within his soul. The lingering whispers of the Nine-Tails prodded him forward.
The Hokage shook his head. "It may seem brutal compared to the traditions of the Hyūga or Uchiha. However, would death not be the better option than being sealed or, in Sasuke's case, forced away from his parents? I believe killing Menma would be a much better option than seeing him enslaved or abandoned."
"There has to be another way." Naruto recoiled at the desperation in his voice. "Perhaps, he could be made the head of the Uzumaki Clan or…."
"Or nothing." Minato slammed his fist against the desk. "My decision is already made. You will slay Menma, or he will slay you. Dog, Weasel…escort my son to the training grounds. I shall join you momentarily."
Naruto followed the two ANBU out of the office, opting to remain silent and focus on the battle. He had fought plenty of times before, both in the academy and in numerous brawls with the hoodlums of his neighborhood. To kill, however, was something he had never been forced to do. Iruka talked a bit about his own experience, claiming it got far easier the next time and did not weigh on him anymore. That seemed to be a common theme among the ninja of the Hidden Leaf. The killing of an enemy bothered them the first time but got easier as the body count climbed until reaching a point where it became second nature.
Much to his surprise, Menma and Sasuke waited for him in the open fields of the Namikaze training grounds. They said nothing to him but stared at him with eyes full of sorrow. He decided against standing with them, not wishing to make the battle any more difficult for either of them. The victor would have to live with this for the rest of their life, and if he was fated to die, Naruto wanted to make sure his little brother did not suffer too much. A few minutes of tense silence passed before Minato arrived with Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Tsunade approached Menma, a scowl twisting her beautiful face into an ugly mask of disgust. Naruto knew that the last Senju held little love of the village or its tradition. Konoha wanted to take her second apprentice away just like it swallowed Dan and Nawaki. She would most likely abandon the village once more after Menma's death.
"Naruto," Dog approached him and removed her mask to reveal the concerned face of Hana. "This is the moment we've been training for. Menma will come fast and strike hard. But, without a doubt, he will be using his master's strength."
"I don't know if I can do this," Naruto muttered, the knot in his stomach growing as the battle drew ever nearer.
Hana's tranquil face shattered into one of frustration. "Naruto! You have no other option. As your sister and the future head of the Inuzuka, I order you to kill him." She glanced at Menma and snarled slightly. "Think of all the things he grew up with that you were denied. By killing him, you'll earn the respect of the Inuzuka. The Elders will, without a doubt, grant you a nukenin or an entire team of dogs." She walked away, leaving the thought behind.
Menma, in many ways, had been what Naruto always wished to be: a loved son raised in a home with a caring father and a doting mother. Not a soul in the village disliked Menma, with many believing him destined to become a great hero. Everyone in the academy adored him, with many of their classmates considered close friends. The Inuzuka, notorious for disliking outsiders, even offered to grant him a dog as a pet.
Naruto's fingers spread out as his claws prepared themselves for battle.
You know what must be done.
The inaudible whispers of the demon within coalesced into a single, feminine voice dripping with primal malevolence. This was not the first time he managed to hear the Nine-Tailed Fox. The vixen, he assumed it was female due to her voice, often attempted to communicate with him through dreams or during moments of extreme stress. His father warned him against listening to anything she said, no matter how alluring it sounded.
This boy is nothing but an obstacle on your path to glory. If you win this, I shall grant you whatever you desire.
Naruto forced himself to ignore the sultry undertones of the vixen's words. He watched as Tsunade handed Menma her necklace and a kiss on the forehead. Sasuke exchanged a few words of comfort, ending with an impassioned kiss. No dared give him such encouragement. Hidden anger boiled blood as jealousy demanded retribution. The death of Menma offered him a chance to be loved and respected.
Embrace your hate. Win my favor, oh champion.
Champion. He enjoyed the sound of that. The thought of becoming something more than a pariah thrilled him. Being Hokage meant being respected by every one of the Hidden Leaf. He could remake the village into something better than this.
Minato coughed, drawing both opponents' attention to himself. "Welcome, my sons. I shall not waste words explaining the significance of this battle. You are to kill or be killed. One of you will not be leaving this training field alive. So remove the hesitation from your hearts, for your enemy will have none to give you."
"Where is mother?" Menma scanned the small crowd gathered. Jiraiya, Itachi, Hana, Sasuke, and Tsunade stood behind Minato. So naturally, Naruto expected the redhead to be present for such a match.
"Kushina has decided not to watch. She has the utmost confidence in you, Menma." Minato flashed a quick smile that angered Naruto even further. "Any questions? Good. You may begin when ready."
Naruto opted to take the imitative, charging forward on all fours like a wolf ready to devour a helpless animal. He closed the final ten feet with a mighty leap that Menma dodged seconds before impact, countering with a swift quick that sent Naruto tumbling to the side. Once again, he took the offensive by dashing towards Menma with claws ready to tear into flesh. Menma decided to meet the attack halfway, aiming a fist toward Naruto's face in hopes of shattering his jaw. Instead, Naruto dropped low to deliver a deep gash to Menma's stomach, avoiding the blow to the front and avoiding a retaliatory blow.
The fighting continued with neither fully committing to a style of battle. Naruto's lack of ninjutsu skill prevented him from engaging his foe at a distance. At the same time, Menma relied on his enhanced strength and technique learned from the Slug Sannin. Each bout drained more of their stamina, yet the Nine-Tails gave Naruto the distinct advantage in prolonged engagements. As the battle entered the six-minute mark, weariness dulled Menma's movements considerably.
He grows tired. Finish this battle now.
Naruto ignored the fox's order and avoided the downward kick his brother delivered with a sharp cry of rage. Instead, he slipped forward into Menma's blind spot, slicing his side with a heavy swipe and coating his claws in his brother's warm, red life fluid. Menma cried out, stumbling away and clutching his side with glowing palms.
While he could have pressed the attack, Naruto found such a tactic distasteful. He watched as panic filled the brilliant violet eyes of his brother. Victory was all but certain, but was that what he wanted?
Menma dropped to his knees as the toll of the battle drained what remained of his chakra reserves. Despite his mother being an Uzumaki, Naruto knew that his little brother lacked the famous reserves of the clan. This allowed him to master any chakra control exercise relatively quickly and gave him an upper hand when learning medical ninjutsu. However, it put him at a significant disadvantage in single combat that could not be ended promptly. Even Tsunade's monstrous strength was meant to only fend off opponents enough so she could heal her patients.
"Finish him," commanded Minato from the sidelines. Menma stared at his father with wide, watery eyes. "End this and take your place as my heir."
Naruto circled his brother. It would take but a single strike to the throat to end Menma's life and achieve everything that he had ever desired. He would become a shinobi, earn the glory of being his father's heir, and begin the road to being named Hokage. In the end, was this not the way the world worked? He had become the stronger of the pair and deserved the recognition. What difference was there between Menma and an enemy ninja seeking his head? Menma wanted him dead and tried to kill him. His father, a hero beloved by all in Konoha, killed over a thousand people in a single battle. His imagination conjured scenes of crowds shouting his name across the village, and those who had feared him called him a hero.
Take your place as the hero of your people. Kill him!
What type of hero killed his brother?
Shame filled his heart at even considering such an action. He looked down at his blood-soaked claws, no longer feeling proud of his monstrous appearance and feeling like the demon people believed him to be. His mother, according to his father, was a woman who hated bullies and defended the weak. What would she think of him taking the life of Menma?
"Why are you hesitating," shouted Minato. "This is needed to become a ninja!"
"I will not kill him."
Minato's blue eyes narrowed dangerously as Hana scoffed. "What did you just say?"
"I said I will not kill him!" Naruto turned upon his father and sister with rage-filled eyes. "He is my brother, one of the few that stood beside me when no other would. I will not repay his love with murder."
Hana marched forward. "You would give up a chance of becoming a shinobi, of being accepted by our clan, and the devotion of a nukenin for someone like him?" Her thin lips pulled back into a disgusted snarl. "You're an idiot. Kill him!"
"I refuse! If earning a nukenin and becoming a clan member means taking my brother's life, then I want no part of your evil!" His sister retreated while Minato walked towards him; his movements were oddly graceful.
"What about your desire to become Hokage? As a Genin, you'll be taught many great things to make you powerful." A thick mist enveloped the field as Minato's form was replaced by a grinning Kushina.
Naruto's eyes widened as the woman approached him with extra sway to her hips. She wore a simple orange kimono held together by a golden sash of silk, looking more like a Queen than a trained killer. A broadsword of a style rarely seen in the Elemental Nations hung at her hip. With a quick tug, Kushina drew the blade. Her free hand pulled at the sash, exposing pale breasts to him.
"What about me? Without an heir for the Uzumaki, I will be forced to find a lover that could give me another child. So what better choice than someone like you?" Kushina's hand parted more of her robes, revealing the entirety of her body to him. "I have asked around, and you seem to have a thing for redheads. So kill him, and I shall take you to my chambers."
Once more, temptation begged him to turn about Menma, yet a greater desire held his claws.
"I refuse," Naruto growled, dropping to his knees. "If one of us must die, then take me. I swore to protect my little brother even if it meant abandoning my own life."
Kushina shrugged and raised her sword to deliver a single blow to his head. Menma looked away as the onlookers glared at Naruto, who closed his eyes and waited for everything to be over.
The sword struck the ground next to him.
"You have passed."
Naruto looked up at Kushina's exposed body with an amused smirk. "What?" She held up a hand to silence him for the time being. Tsunade sprinted towards Menma, quickly healing the boy's wounds with the ease of many years of experience.
Once both boys had calmed down enough, Kushina stood in front of them with her arms covering her breasts. "This test was called 'The Trial of Indra.' It is one of many trials that the Uzumaki Clan used to judge the potential of possible apprentices or suitors of the clan. Can either of you tell me who Indra was?"
Neither Naruto nor Menma knew of the name.
"Indra was the oldest child of the Sage of Six Paths." Kushina motioned towards Itachi and Sasuke. "He was far more powerful than Andra in many ways but decided to turn against his brother for the sake of power. The Uzumaki created the trial to test one's moral compass in the face of temptation. You resisted the pressure of your superiors and held true to your morals."
"What about the clan? Papa ordered me to kill him." Naruto tilted his head and tried to understand what had happened. "Are you saying that I was never supposed to kill Menma?"
Minato appeared beside Kushina in a yellow flash. He rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, I would have stopped you if you were going for a killing blow. Kushina asked all of us to help her conduct the test. Apologies for the harsh words."
"I told you that Boss would pass without issue!" Menma grinned like an idiot and slipped away to stand next to Sasuke, who looked unhappy about all of this.
"But…Uncle Jiraiya said I did not have the personality to kill, which stopped me from being a ninja. Yet, you tried to convince me to kill Menma but did not want me to." He searched his father's face for an answer.
Kushina snorted and shook her head. "You passed my test but still demand an explanation." She sighed heavily, kneeling in front of him. "There are lines that should never be crossed. To kill an enemy ninja out to harm you or one of your comrades is a necessary evil in this world. However, killing for the sake of power is the first step on the road to damnation. As for the Namikaze Clan…such a thing does not exist. I made it up as part of the test."
Naruto looked at his father with a confused expression. "Am I to become a shinobi or not? Why put me through such a thing? I am neither an apprentice of an Uzumaki nor a suitor."
"Perhaps we should move this conversation to my office," Minato rubbed his forehead. "Much needs to be discussed privately between all three of us."
Naruto crossed his arms and glared at his father. "After all the hell you and she put me through, I deserve some quick answers."
"Not my problem how you break the news," Kushina shrugged and retied her kimono. "I believe my son and I have dinner reservations. Come along." Kushina walked towards the village with Menma and Sasuke close behind. "Oh…and one more thing, Naruto."
"What?" Naruto's mood still needed to fully recover.
Kushina turned around and winked at him. "Get used to seeing this body, husband."
Husband? Let's just say that Naruto's life is about to get a whole lot more complicated. He joked about wanting to go after Kushina. Let's just say he might end up regretting that. The fight scene went okay. I'm not a great action writer yet but thought that it showed everything it needed to. Neither Naruto (yet) or Menma were heavy into ninjutsu despite being Minato's children, so it was pretty simple to write. Hope you all liked a bit more of Kurama. Thanks for reading the chapter and hope you look forward to the next.
As for the pairing...it will be a Naruto x Kushina x Fem. Kurama story. Many wanted me to add Tsunade to the mix, but I really want to keep it between the three of them for now. Maybe later I'll add her or work on a good one-shot for Naruto x Tsuande.