Digital Emperor (Naruto X Digimon)

Son stood in place, his golden eyes filled with anticipation as he bounced lightly on his feet. His tail swayed lazily behind him, the only sign of his restrained excitement.

"Master, can we start now?" he asked, his impatience evident in his voice.

Sanzo, ever composed, tilted her head slightly. The veil covering her lower face barely moved as she responded in a calm but firm tone.

"Please take some distance first and act civil," she instructed.

Naruto and Son exchanged a glance before stepping back, widening the space between them. The grassy clearing of the park stretched between them, while towering trees swayed gently in the wind. It was a peaceful place—one that would soon be disturbed by battle.

With a single motion of her hand, Sanzo activated the city's protective barriers. Ancient golden symbols flickered into existence, forming an intricate lattice of energy that surrounded the battlefield, ensuring the fight remained contained.

Above, on the rooftop of a nearby building, Kara observed the scene with quiet interest.

She had heard much about Naruto, seen his battles from afar, but none of them had been serious. He always treated fights like simple targets to be taken down rather than real foes who could threaten him. It wasn't arrogance—just pure efficiency.

And that intrigued her.

Naruto had already been slated as one of the most important figures of the future, and from what she had witnessed, she agreed with that assessment.

He carried a presence—an aura—that few humans could possess. He was too calm, too measured, too skilled.

And perhaps… too powerful.

Kara folded her arms, her deep, contemplative gaze never leaving him. If he kept advancing at this rate, there was a very real chance that he might reach her level—or even surpass it.

That thought amused her.

Few beings had the potential to stand among the Ancients—the evolved humans who had transcended their humanity through prolonged use of the Hyper Spirit Evolution.

The Ancients, including herself, were no longer truly human. Their bodies, minds, and very essence had become something akin to Digimon, granting them Mega-level strength even without partners.

And yet, despite all their power, the future of their kind had long been sealed.

Their transformation had come with a cost—an irreversible price.

The moment they became Digimon in all but name, they lost something vital.

They could no longer have children.

The power imbalance between them and normal humans was so vast that conceiving with a human mother would kill her instantly. And with their ceaseless battles and responsibilities, there was no time to raise a new generation anyway.

Some of her kind had tried to reproduce with Digimon, but the results had been… problematic.

The fusion of human and Digimon essence had led to unpredictable mutations, and so far, none of those attempts had resulted in true, stable offspring.

It was a reminder of their fading legacy.

But watching Naruto now—a mere human—she couldn't help but wonder.

Would he overcome those limits?

Would he find a way forward where they had failed?

Kara's lips curled slightly.

Let's see what you've got, Naruto.

Down below, Naruto and Son faced each other. The air between them crackled with tension as the final preparations were completed.

And then—

The battle began.

Naruto stood firm, exactly 100 meters away from Son. The open field between them seemed vast, yet the tension in the air made the distance feel like nothing at all.

Neither of them wore armor or carried weapons—a fair fight, stripped of external advantages.

This was what Naruto had been waiting for.

For years, he had fought both Digimon and human warriors, but there had always been a difference—stats, experience, power. His opponents either overwhelmed him in strength or fell before his skill and speed.

But Son was different.

For the first time, Naruto faced an opponent who matched him in raw ability—one who had lived longer, fought harder, and honed his skills beyond Naruto's own years.

There was excitement in Naruto's heart, an eagerness he hadn't felt before. This battle would push him, force him to grow.

Of course, he was at a disadvantage in one way. His chakra reserves, though vast, weren't what they had once been. The Clone Style he had mastered was unusable in its full capacity. Instead of thousands, he could only make a handful of clones—but that was enough for now.

This wasn't about overwhelming his opponent.

This was about skill.

"You can use a weapon if you want," Son offered, rolling his shoulders, his voice calm yet playful.

Naruto shook his head. "I prefer my hands."

A grin spread across Son's face. "I like that too, though I enjoy hitting things with my stick. It has a satisfying impact."

"Well, sorry that I don't have a legendary weapon."

"I accept your apology." Son chuckled, his sarcasm evident.

Then—silence.

For a moment, the world stood still.

And then—

Boom!

An explosion of force erupted as the two warriors collided at the center of the battlefield.

The impact shook the ground, sending a gust of wind rippling through the trees. Fists met with bone-shaking force, neither yielding an inch.

Naruto felt it immediately—Son's physical power.

His opponent's body was dense, strong, and absurdly durable. Even with all his training, Naruto had never fought someone who could match his pure strength since he had truly mastered his body.

But that only made this more exciting.

"Speed," Naruto muttered.

He shifted—his body a blur—delivering a left kick aimed at Son's side.

Blocked.

Son read it perfectly, his right arm catching the kick with ease before launching a counterattack—a powerful punch aimed at Naruto's ribs.

Naruto twisted his body, his head ducking to the side, and in the same motion, he lunged forward—smashing his forehead into Son's face with a bone-crunching headbutt.

Using the force of the blow, Son pushed off the ground, his knee rocketing up toward Naruto's chest.

But Naruto was already moving.

He grabbed Son's arm, yanked him forward, and forced him into a momentary halt—cutting off the knee strike.

Son, however, was just as adaptive.

Instead of resisting the pull, he shifted with it, aiming to use Naruto's own momentum to grapple him.

The two combatants were locked in a seamless exchange, neither giving ground. Attack flowed into counterattack, counterattack flowed into reversal.

They broke apart at the same time, each landing a solid punch to the other's face before retreating a step.

Naruto landed gracefully, using his chakra to subtly manipulate the wind, breaking his fall with ease.

Son, in contrast, kicked the air, shifting his momentum before landing on solid ground without effort.

The brief pause between them was heavy with acknowledgment.

Son grinned, wiping the small trickle of blood from his lip.

"Impressive. Very impressive. It's been a long time since a human stopped so many of my attacks and kept up with me."

Naruto smirked, rubbing his jaw where Son's fist had connected. That punch had stung.

"Aw, you're making me blush," he said, his voice light with humor. "But enough warming up—let's get serious."

He stretched his neck, a few cracks echoing in the air, before clenching his fists.

"You've been holding back, Son."

Son's grin didn't fade, but his eyes gleamed with interest.

"And what if I have?"

"Then it's time to stop," Naruto said, his voice steady. "Because I'm about to fight seriously."

A shift occurred.

Son felt it immediately—Naruto's presence expanded, his aura swelling with power.

Son narrowed his eyes as he studied Naruto.

'He isn't as strong as a Mega-level Digimon… but he gives off the feeling of one.'

This realization unsettled him. The initial clash alone had nearly annihilated the park—and that was with both of them maintaining control. Had they let loose, the landscape would have been utterly obliterated from the sheer force of their attacks.

Naruto exhaled, rolling his shoulders, his body radiating sharp intent. He was fully engaged now, focused in a way Son had not seen before.

"You are right," Son said, a grin creeping onto his face. "A battle where one side holds back is not a true battle. Be careful, though—my attacks bypass defenses and directly affect the body's insides. If I hit you cleanly, you'll feel it no matter what protections you have."

Naruto simply smirked in response.

Son's excitement soared as he shifted into a stance. Then—he moved.

His left foot dug into the earth, and he exploded forward, throwing a powerful punch straight at Naruto's chest, immediately following up with a vicious elbow strike.

Naruto reacted instantly.

He dodged the second strike, his body slipping under it like flowing water.

And then—his mindset shifted.

He abandoned defense entirely.

He embraced the tiger.

The Shaolin Kempo Karate system had five animal styles—the snake, leopard, crane, dragon, and tiger. The first four had elements of defense—parries, counters, precise movements.

The tiger had none of that.

It was pure, unrelenting offense.

Naruto's hands curved like claws, as if he were gripping imaginary tennis balls, and he lunged forward.

First—attack the arm that attacks you.

He dug his fingers into Son's bicep, tearing into the muscle with brutal precision, while simultaneously slamming the heel of his palm into the forearm.

Son grunted, but Naruto wasn't done.

Next—press the advantage decisively.

With his right hand, he raked Son's face, his fingers dragging across his nose and mouth, while his left hand shot out and grasped his windpipe.

The technique called for him to rip the throat out, killing his enemy in an instant.

But Naruto had another option.

He pushed instead of pulled, momentarily closing the windpipe against itself, cutting off Son's air.

Had this been a normal opponent, it would have been over.

But Son was not normal.

In an instant, twin palm strikes slammed into Naruto's chest—hard.

A shockwave erupted from the impact.

Pain exploded through Naruto's body. Even with his chakra reinforcing his bones, they fractured instantly. His heart nearly burst, the pressure so intense that he was forced to vomit blood mid-flight.

He tumbled backward, crashing against the ground, his body trembling from the internal damage.

But he smiled.

Because Son had not come out unscathed.

Blood dripped from his mouth and throat, his windpipe damaged—Naruto's attack had worked.

But—he didn't need to breathe.

The injury healed within seconds.

Son wiped his lips, studying Naruto with something resembling respect.

"You want to stop?" Son asked casually.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Naruto, his leg already swinging toward his opponent's face.

But Naruto was ready.

"I can still go on. What about you?"

He pushed off the ground with his hands, spinning like a windmill, his legs slicing through the air from low to high in a rapid succession of kicks.

Son blocked the first, his leg like an unshakable pillar, but Naruto used the contact to push off, twisting his body midair to dodge the counterattack.

And then—he entangled him.

His arms and legs coiled around Son, like a serpent strangling its prey.