Digital Emperor (Naruto X Digimon)

Once the battle ended, everyone was lost in thought, replaying the match in their minds. They weren't just marveling at the tactics used—they were analyzing, wondering if they could have done the same or better in that position.

Kaiba's skill was undeniable, but what stood out the most was his card selection. Unlike what many expected from someone of his caliber, he hadn't relied on rare or unique cards. Instead, he had used common cards—ones that any Tamer could buy or even create with enough effort. Rare cards had powerful abilities, but they required an immense amount of data or rare materials, both of which were difficult to obtain. In the Digital World, data was the true currency—paper money held no value.

Watching the duel unfold, Naruto was suddenly reminded of his own battle against Delta. It had been one of the toughest fights in his life, not because of Delta's raw power but because of the situation he had been in. He had been forced into a purely defensive stance, unable to go all-out because of the risks involved.

Flashback: Naruto vs. Delta

The battlefield had been a vast open plain just outside Konoha. The sky was tinged orange from the setting sun, casting long shadows across the war-torn field. Delta, standing tall with her golden locks and cybernetic enhancements, stared Naruto down with those cold, analytical eyes.

Boruto and Himawari were behind him, hidden but far too close for comfort. The fight had begun the moment she launched herself at him, moving faster than the eye could follow. Her strikes were precise and relentless, forcing Naruto to counter each one with finesse rather than brute strength.

I can't risk it… he thought as he dodged another high-speed kick, the ground beneath them cracking from the sheer force of Delta's movements. If he used a Rasenshuriken, the resulting explosion could harm civilians. If he went into Kurama's full form, the collateral damage could be devastating.

Delta smirked as she raised her palm, the mechanical eye on her forehead glowing ominously.

"You're holding back, Hokage. That's a mistake."

A golden beam shot toward him, faster than most could react. Naruto twisted, barely avoiding it as the beam obliterated a massive boulder behind him.

He clenched his fists. I need to end this without putting the kids in danger.

That was when he changed his strategy. Instead of attacking directly, he forced Delta into a close-combat engagement where she couldn't fire her beams without risk of damaging herself. It was a war of attrition. He had to outmaneuver her, wear her down, and wait for an opening.

Eventually, it came. Delta made a mistake, underestimating Naruto's ability to outlast her. In a flash, he slammed a Rasengan into her core, overloading her absorption ability. The battle ended, but he had learned something important—there were fights where sheer strength wasn't the answer. Control, precision, and patience mattered just as much.

End Flashback

Naruto shook his head, pulling himself out of the memory. Battles like those were the hardest. One wrong move, one moment of carelessness, and suddenly you weren't just fighting the enemy—you were the cause of destruction.

It was this very reason that Naruto had developed several new techniques to handle such situations. He almost laughed at himself. Back in his old world, he hadn't considered this problem seriously.

I really must have hit every branch on the stupid tree back then.

There were days he would just bang his head against the wall, thinking about how foolish he had been.

"Why was I so stupid?"

"How can I be so stupid?"

But that was the past. Now, he was wiser. Stronger. And he would make sure these kids didn't make the same mistakes.

"We are still too far from battles like these," Naruto finally spoke up, snapping the group out of their thoughts. "Just keep this in the back of your mind. When the time comes, you'll be ready. For now, don't stress over it. Just focus on what you learned from this fight—and, more importantly, how fun it looked."

The younger Tamers nodded, but the weight of the discussion still lingered in the air.

Iori, the most practical of the group, frowned. "Will practicing these kinds of battles help when we reach the next stage?" He already understood the reality—Rookie-level Digimon wouldn't survive in large-scale battles. A single attack from an Ultimate or Mega-level Digimon would wipe them out instantly.

"It's best to start practicing once you reach Champion level," Mio answered before Naruto could. "By then, your Digimon will be strong enough to destroy city blocks, and you'll need to learn control and responsibility. The Association would have informed you, and Tai would have personally trained you in this."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "That's the best way to go about it. And remember, even though kids under 18 aren't allowed in serious battles unless given special orders… situations can arise where you have no choice."

"Let's just worry about it when we get there," Rika interjected, resting her chin on Naruto's shoulder as she played with his hand. "Since none of us can do any real damage at our level, there's no point stressing over it now. You're also scaring poor Meiko with all this talk."

Meiko, who had been quiet until now, suddenly found herself the center of attention. She quickly shook her head, trying to dismiss Rika's words. "N-No, I'm okay!"

Davis, ever the kind one, reached over and gently held Meiko's hand, offering a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Meiko. We're here for you."

Trauma was a real thing in their line of work. It wasn't just about winning fights—it was about surviving the aftermath. One wrong decision could cost lives, and sometimes, even when you did everything right, people still died.

It was why the Celestial Digimon had set up therapy sessions for Tamers. The weight of these battles could crush even the strongest of hearts. Fairy-type Digimon also played a role, using their soothing auras to help ease the pain of those struggling with the nightmares that followed.

Naruto glanced at his team, feeling a mix of pride and concern. They were growing stronger, but strength wasn't just about power. It was about understanding the responsibility that came with it.

For now, they would train, they would learn, and they would enjoy these moments of peace while they lasted. Because one day, the battles they watched from the sidelines would be their own.

The integration of Digimon and humanity had led to many unexpected changes—some beneficial, some bizarre. One of the most amusing, yet slightly concerning, observations was humanity's sheer thirst for certain Digimon.

Angemon and Angewomon were already famous for their striking appearances, but the real craze began when beings like Seraphimon and Ophanimon came into the picture. Humanity's collective thirst reached levels so catastrophic that if the Digital World had a water supply, it would have been completely drained. Some joked that they needed flood management just to handle the sheer volume of obsession.

The most baffling part? The Digimon themselves didn't reciprocate or even understand these feelings. Love and lust were foreign concepts to most of them. They didn't reproduce, they weren't born in the traditional sense—they emerged from data. Their existence wasn't driven by biological needs but by digital evolution and survival.

To make matters even more confusing for humans, many Digimon looked identical regardless of gender. Without a Digivice or direct communication, it was almost impossible to tell if a Digimon was male or female. However, as humanity continued to interact with the Digital World, strange changes began to occur.

Some Digimon that previously had no female versions suddenly gained them. It was as if exposure to human concepts reshaped the Digital World's evolutionary patterns.

Leomon, once always depicted as a proud and noble lion warrior, now had a female counterpart.

WereGarurumon, the fierce wolf warrior, had a female form as well.

Even Ogremon, the brutish warrior of chaos, had developed a female version.

And Wargreymon? Kai wasn't the only one with a powerful Wargreymon—there were now female Wargreymon as well. His was just the strongest.

The Digital World had undergone an unprecedented transformation because of human influence, just as the human world had changed due to Digimon.

One of the most notable shifts was the increase in humanoid Digimon. Originally, they were extremely rare. Most Digimon leaned toward beast-like, monstrous, or abstract forms. But with humanity's presence, more humanoid Digimon emerged, as if the Digital World was reshaping itself to match human imagination.

A prime example was Jack's MetalGarurumon. Unlike the traditional quadrupedal beast form, Jack's evolved into a humanoid version from the start. He simply preferred it that way. Over time, he did learn to side-evolve into his beast form when he wanted to, usually when he felt like playing around. However, his humanoid form remained dominant because it was more powerful, allowing him to stand on equal footing with Wargreymon.

These were just a few of the countless changes that occurred due to humanity's interaction with the Digital World. Some of them were minor, some were groundbreaking, and others… well, others just proved that no matter what universe they were in, humanity would always be the same.

Meiko's heart pounded in her chest as Davis held her hand, his warm grip making her feel both comforted and anxious. She liked this moment—his attention solely on her—but she had no idea what to do next.

Her social awkwardness made it difficult to navigate situations like this. She gripped Misa tightly, glancing at Hikari out of the corner of her eye. Seeing her calm presence gave Meiko a bit of confidence.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied her voice, making sure it didn't waver. "Thank you, Davis. I will call on you when I need your presence."

In her mind, it was a bold statement—practically a confession. She had just openly expressed her desire to rely on him, to be close to him.

Davis, however, just grinned. "Of course, I'll always have time for a friend."

Meiko froze, a pang of disappointment washing over her. Meanwhile, Hikari shook her head subtly, and Rika rolled her eyes.

This guy… he's hopeless.

It was frustrating to watch, honestly. Davis was so single-minded in his feelings for Hikari that he remained oblivious to anyone else's emotions. It would take someone slapping the hints directly onto his face before he'd understand what was happening.

The group quickly moved on, shifting the conversation back to the battle they had just witnessed. They analyzed every move, discussing how it played out in slow motion and the impact it had on the surroundings. Strategies were broken down, and different approaches to handling both threats were debated.

Young also joined the conversation, appearing as a hologram. She had been following them the entire time, existing as a floating black sphere that hovered around Naruto. Through this sphere, she could see everything they saw and provide assistance whenever necessary.

Thanks to Young, they didn't need to visit the Digimon Association for updates—they could contact her directly for information.

Her partner, Apemon, whom she had named Goku, was stored within the black sphere. He could be summoned whenever needed, though Naruto had long since given Young permission to summon Goku freely. The guy deserved to spend time with others instead of being stuck alone in digital storage.

Goku was an excitable monkey Digimon, playful yet eager for battle. His next evolution would be Gokuwamon, but for five years, he had remained stuck at Champion level, unable to advance.

Young, at 23 years old, had long since mastered her role in the team, but her Digimon's evolution had remained stagnant.

Meanwhile, Na So Ri, at 24, was in a similar position. Her partner was a top-tier Champion Digimon—RaptorSparrowmon. Unlike most Digimon, RaptorSparrowmon had no natural evolution. If she wanted her partner to reach Ultimate or beyond, she would have to forge a new path. Unfortunately, Na So Ri wasn't the most hardworking person, which meant RaptorSparrowmon was stuck as it was.

She also had a secondary Champion Digimon—Starmon—but her focus had never been on pushing them beyond their current level.

Then there was Mi Jung. Unlike the others, she had multiple Digimon partners. Her two main partners, Arukenimon and Kyukimon, were both at the Ultimate level. However, despite all her efforts, she had been unable to push past that boundary.

This made her deeply envious of Mitsuo, who had one of the top-ranked Mega-level Digimon. No matter how much she trained, she felt as if she had hit a wall while others continued to surpass her.

These differences in progress and growth were becoming more noticeable as time passed. Some were reaching new heights, while others remained stagnant, and that gap would only widen if something didn't change.