The Purple Flash of Kumo Chapter 9 (Teaching) (Patreon)

Four Years Later

Life in the Shinobi Academy has been very 'interesting' for the blonde Yotsuki. Naruto was doing well in his studies thanks to no small help from his friends, his father, and Bee, and even a few study sessions with his Sensei, the Third Raikage.

Naruto knew that having more people in his life made him feel more complete and cemented his resolve to become the best Kage ever. You can't be the Raikage when you don't know the people you are leading or protecting. He was already close with Omoi, Yugito, and Samui, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't try to have more friends. So far, almost everyone else was pretty cool with him; Karui was slowly joining their little group of friends.

But there is one boy in his class; who, for some reason, despises Naruto with a burning passion; Atsui Shiryoku. Samui's little brother. According to her, Clan Yotsuki and her Clan were Rivals a long time ago, but when a Yotsuki became the first Raikage, that rivalry pretty much ended. However, it seemed Atsui still wanted to be his rival for some reason, even if their power level was way too different.

The short-tempered and impulsive boy would occasionally try to pick fights with the Blonde Yotsuki to prove who's 'Top Student.' Atsui has been very envious of Naruto's natural charisma and the fact that all the pretty girls in their class are practically in love with him.

Naruto just can't understand why Atsui is such a 'prick,' a preferred word that Yugito would describe him perfectly. Despite that, the blonde Yotsuki tried to be friends with him, but the Impulsive Shiryoku spat on his offer of friendship. Literally.

Atsui had an ego the size of the Kumo village, and he would rather make a rival out of Naruto than be his friend. But what makes him even angrier at the blonde is that his sister is one of Naruto's best friends. One time he had tried to convince Samui that she should no longer hang out with Naruto because she was insulting their clan's history or something like that. The result of that was Samui beating the crap out of him using her hand-to-hand combat. From all the people in the School, Samui's specialty was her hand-to-hand combat and her clan's rare Kekkei Genkai.

One other thing Naruto had learned during the four years in the academy was that C-Sensei wasn't really fond of Konoha. The blonde didn't know why since no one in the academy knew, he had asked his father since they were old friends, but his father simply told him that it wasn't his place to tell him.

ACADEMY - TRAINING GROUNDS

Resting his hands on his knees while panting heavily, Omoi tried to catch his breath due to the intensity of the training he and the other students were having. That, added to the stormy heat, caused him to sweat profusely and forced him to discard the training vest, leaving him alone with a long-sleeved shirt that he had rolled up to his elbows.

"Hey, bro, are you okay? Take it easy. You don't want to pass out too."

Omoi looked up to find Naruto offering him a canteen of water. Like him, he had removed his training jacket, leaving him with a gray T-shirt rolled up.

"Please, this is nothing to me," said Omoi, accepting the water willingly, which refreshed his throat and revitalized him a bit, "Thanks, buddy. God, C must be crazy to train us this way."

"Well, I always doubted that man's sanity a bit," Naruto said, watching the other students perform the exercise that was pretty crazy from his point of view.

The exercise consisted of climbing the side of a cliff more than a hundred meters high with bare hands and carrying 25 kilograms of items. There was no safety rope or anything to guarantee that someone wouldn't crash like an egg on the floor if they fell in the middle of the exercise. And the worst part was that doing it once was not enough. No, they had to do it ten times for C to be pleased.

Seeing how brutal and suicidal the exercise was, many students had dropped out of training. Exercise could test you not only physically but also mentally. A single mistake was enough for you to die, in the same way as facing Enemy Ninjas. Naruto knew how to use his chakra to climb up, but C had forbidden anyone from using chakra to climb up; everything needed to be done with the strength of their bodies.

"How many are left for you?" Asked Omoi, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Just one," Naruto replied. "And you?"

He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"I'm going for the sixth. I need to get some rest after each session, or I feel like I won't be able to complete it."

"You don't need to rush," Naruto advised. "Go at your own pace."

Omoi nodded as he focused on catching his breath before standing up.

Naruto and Omoi headed for the cliff and watched as Yugito supported Karui, who was halfway there.

"Come on, Karui. You can do it!" Yugito encouraged. "Just don't look down!"

"I know, silly! I know!" Karui was yelling, some panic seeping into her voice.

"Hey, Naruto," Omoi turned to the blonde, "How about a little race to see who gets to the top first?"

"And what would I gain from that?" Asked Naruto, folding his arms.

"Obviously, the recognition of beating a genius like me," he boasted. "After all, this is my sixth lap. Most have not even done half the exercise."

"Well, a challenge to motivate things would not be bad," said Naruto. "What do you think if we bet something to make it more interesting?"

"Oh ~ What do you have in mind, Naruto?" Omoi asked with a knowing smile.

"Half your dinner for a week."

Omoi thought about it for a few seconds. It would be nice to have a more significant portion of food. He had been doing very well during the exercise, so he was confident in his abilities. Even if Naruto was the best Shinobi amongst all of them, Omoi was confident in this exercise. After all, it was the sixth time he would climb the cliff. He was familiar with what good grip points were.

With a confident smile, Omoi reached out to seal the deal.

"Done deal. The first to reach the top gets half of their dinner for a week. When I win, you will admit out loud that I am a genius!"

Naruto chuckled as he stretched the muscles in his arms.

"Whatever you want."

"Hey, Karui!" Omoi called to the girl who had reached the top, "Naruto and I are going to have a race to see who reaches the top first! Judge who among us comes first!"

"Okay!" Karui replied with an excited smile.

"Huh? They'll compete. Who gets to the top first?" Said one of the students who were nearby.

"Omoi vs. Sunshine? Ha, Omoi will make him bite the dust!"

"I'm not so sure ... Naruto is the best student."

"Pff, please! Sunshine won't be able to defeat Omoi! He's among the best students!"

"Did you hear that?" Omoi gloated. "Everyone already knows who will win. It is not surprising. After all, I am a genius."

"Be careful, Omoi," Naruto warned. "Pride comes before the fall. And, in this case, the fall will be literally."

"Are you ready?!" Karui exclaimed from the top of the cliff. When she received their assent, she yelled, "Begin!"

They both began to climb rapidly upon receiving the signal. Omoi climbed up using the footholds he had used previously so he didn't have to look long at a grappling point. Because of that, he quickly began to gain the upper hand.

"See? I told you! Omoi will leave that stupid Sunshine in the dust!"

"Go, Omoi! Show that idiot who's the boss!"

Omoi felt good to be encouraged, but he also didn't like that someone insulted Naruto.

He concentrated on the exercise. He had a slight advantage over Naruto as he started using much of his strength in the beginning, but now he was starting to lose his strength as he was halfway there. The exercise was physically demanding, and Omoi knew that if he loosened his grip on the overhanging rocks a little, he would fall from a great height.

"Shit, he's catching up!"

He turned slightly to look at Naruto, who was on his heels. His progress was steady and sure. He didn't stop or hesitate to find a new grip. Omoi started to panic a little, not only because Naruto was about to pass him but also because of how high he was, almost fifty meters. Due to that moment of hesitation, his grip on his ledge slipped, and he felt unable to support his own weight as gravity did its job.

"Omoi!" Karui yelled in panic from the top of the cliff when she saw her friend fall.

Omoi fell as he screamed in panic. He reached out and tried to grab a foothold but couldn't grab anything.

"¡AAAAHHHHHHH!"

For a second, he really believed he was going to crash to the ground, but then he felt something grab his wrist, and he stopped abruptly.

"Eh?"

He looked up to find that Naruto had caught his wrist just in time, stopping his fall and causing him to hang at the height of nearly fifty meters.

"He caught him!" Exclaimed a student.

"Damn, that was close!"

"Damn, Omoi ..." Naruto growled as he supported a person's full weight with one hand.

"This is a good time to say, 'I told you so.'"

"N-Naruto! Please don't drop me! Don't drop me, man!"

"Take it easy, buddy. I did not intend to."

Naruto flexed his arm, showing great strength, and dragged Omoi until he could support himself.

"Are you okay?" Asked Naruto.

Omoi took several breaths. He still couldn't believe how close he came to crashing to the ground and possibly dying.

"I ... I think so." he finally said.

"Good. Because you just have to climb a little more. You can do it?"

Omoi nodded shakily, and they both began to climb. When they reached the top, they did so at the same time and were helped by Karui, who held out a hand to both of them to help them up.

Omoi collapsed and began to gasp for breath. He felt like he had lost a few years of life in the last few minutes.

"Dude, are you okay?" Naruto asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Naruto was definitely not expecting the big hug Omoi gave him.

"Thank you, Naruto! Thank you! For a second, I really thought I would die!"

"Hey, take it easy." He patted him on the back a couple of times in a comforting gesture.

"Everything's fine. It already happened."

"Omoi! Naruto!" Samui exclaimed, approaching the two of them, accompanied by Yugito. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, we're fine," Naruto replied, still hugging Omoi.

"Uh ... why are you hugging?" Yugito questioned.

"Can't you tell just by looking at us? We're having a very intimate non-gay moment."

"Yeah, what he said," Omoi agreed, still hugging Naruto.

Naruto could notice Yugito's gaze.

"Is something wrong, Yugito?" He asked.

She didn't say anything for a second and kept looking at him, causing him to feel a bit uncomfortable.

Finally, she asked:

"Are you okay?"

Naruto blinked a few times, slightly puzzled, but replied:

"Yes, I'm fine."

Yugito kept looking at him carefully and then looked at Omoi, who was hugging him.

"Uh ... do you want a hug?" Naruto asked doubtfully.

She did not respond and looked away slightly. Naruto thought he saw a slight flush on her cheeks, but maybe it was just from the heat.

When Omoi calmed down and parted ways with Naruto, he took a serious look at the person who saved him.

"Naruto, I ... I appreciate it. You ... saved me from possible death."

"Don't be so melodramatic," Naruto said. "You wouldn't have died."

"Maybe. But I would have broken a lot of bones, and perhaps I wouldn't be able to continue for a few weeks with the training and would have been forced to leave the academy. So thanks."

"No need," Naruto replied, hitting him on the shoulder in a friendly way. "You're my friend. That is the only reason I need to help you."

Omoi smiled at that, feeling really touched by his words.

"As a thank you, I'll let you be the winner of our race. Be proud. You just beat a genius like me. A deal is a deal. You earned half my portion of food for a week ... " he extended his fist." And you earned my respect, Naruto."

Naruto was surprised by that but smiled and fist high on Omoi.

"I don't need half of your food," Naruto said. "Your respect is enough for me."

"Really?!" Omoi exclaimed, amazed at his honorable demeanor.

"Of course not, you idiot!" Naruto laughed. "Half of your food is mine for a week!"

Omoi opened his mouth and glared at him, and then he crossed his arms as he grumbled, much to the amusement of those present.

Later

C is now standing in front of his students, ready to address them in their second activity.

"Alright, everyone. Now we will begin our annual 'Shinobi Sparring Sessions.' Remember, this is a sacred shinobi tradition of Kumo, NOT an opportunity for a street fight. I must also remind you that you will start by forming the 'Seal of Confrontation' with your opponent before the spar begins. Once your spars are over, I expect you to show the proper respect to your winning or losing opponent by forming the 'Seal of Reconciliation' with each other." C-Sensei had briefly explained to his students of the traditional combat training method that has been passed down for generations in Kumo as a training method for Academy students.

"I have already prepared the list of your sparring partners through random selection. Remember to ONLY use Taijutsu. This is a spar, not a battle." C-Sensei said with a firm and authoritative voice.

Each student now has their own thoughts going through their minds.

'YES! this will be a great chance for me to show whose Top Dog! If I can beat and humiliate the Yotsuki, no one will ever disrespect me again! And I will be the one surrounded by girls instead of that punk!' Thought by the ever so vile and envious Shiryoku boy.

'Mmmm, I know Samui is the best in Taijutsu in our class, so I definitely want to fight her. But I am actually hoping I can spar with Naruto too.' Yugito thought, knowing her fellow blonde and best friend's talent.

'I really hope I get to fight, Naruto. So far, he's the only one who can pose me any challenge, Samui thought, her sharp eyes looking at Naruto, who had a broad smile that she hated to admit she liked.

Naruto is often very sweet with Samui and Yugito, but when it comes to their training, her kind, loving friend immediately becomes their hard-ass sensei.

'This is going to end in a disaster.' was the only obvious thing Omoi could think of.

'I hope I can get to fight either Yugito or Omoi,' thought Karui, knowing she had no chance against someone like Samui and Naruto.

'This could be fun' ........WAS ALL NARUTO COULD THINK OF.

4 MATCHES LATER

· Match 6 - Yugito vs (Random Student) = Yugito wins

· Match 7 - Omoi vs (Random Student) = Omoi wins

· Match 7 - Samui vs (Random Student) = Samui wins

And when HIS name finally came out, along with his opponent's, he screamed and howled like a mad dog. He finally gets to fight his most hated rival, Naruto Yotsuki.

Naruto is cursing his luck. It's not that he is scared or anything. It's just that now he has to humor the 'prick' who is constantly screaming his ear off with insults and disrespect. He knows he promised his Jiji he wouldn't go overboard, but he will be damned if he lets an opportunity to beat some sense into the disrespectful boy's thick skull slip away.

THE 10th AND FINAL MATCH.

Naruto and Atsui were facing each other in the sparring ring. Naruto stared at Atsui with a bored, unamused look while Atsui was grinning his teeth with excitement at finally putting the Yotsuki boy in 'his place.'

"Best you quit now, loser! There's no way you will win against me!" Atsui boasted, his voice filled with arrogance.

Naruto remains quiet as he stares into space.

"Too scared to talk, Huh! Well, don't worry, I won't hurt you if you just admit that I am better than you!" Atsui said with a proud smirk.

"Huh? did you say something?" Naruto simply said with a bored voice.

"You punk! Have you been ignoring me this whole time?! I'm going to beat you to a pulp! No one disrespects me and gets away with it!" Atsui said, gritting his teeth in anger.

"Naruto-kun is so cool!"

"You can do it, Naruto-kun!"

"Kick his butt, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto's fangirls showed their loving support VERY LOUDLY. Causing Samui and Yugito to glare at them.

'Geez, for once, I actually agree with my friend's fangirls. I hope he beats that prick's ass.' that was all Samui could think of at the moment.

Atsui is now enraged more than ever. It's bad enough that his 'rival' had been ignoring his taunts, but now all the pretty girls are cheering for ONLY the blonde Yotsuki and telling him to beat Atsui up like he was nothing.

The Shiryoku's pride has taken its last toll, and this match has now become more personal for him.

"This is the 10th and FINAL spar between Naruto Yotsuki and Atsui Shiryoku! Will both fighters please present the 'Seal of Confrontation!" C-Sensei says as he as he stands between the two boys and raises his right arm up, indicating that he is about to give a signal to begin the match.

Naruto and Atsui then raised their right hand in front of their chest and formed the half-seal on their fingers.

"HAJIME! (BEGIN!)" C-Sensei yelled out and dropped his arm down, signaling the beginning of the fight.