Digital Emperor (Naruto X Digimon)

The metallic beast, enraged beyond reason, manipulated the metallic sand around them. It surged forward, covering his body like armor, reinforcing his already indestructible Chrome Digizoid shell.

Then, without hesitation—

A dome of metal rose from the ground, attempting to enclose Naruto completely.

From every direction, countless metallic needles formed, each designed to pierce through anything caught within the structure. The space inside the dome was tight, allowing no room to maneuver. Even Naruto's insane speed wouldn't save him if he got trapped—the sheer density of the attack would make dodging impossible.

But Naruto wasn't going to be caught.

The instant the dome started forming, his body flickered—

Boom!

With a sonic boom, Naruto shot out of the range of the attack, escaping before the trap could be completed. Staying inside would have been suicidal.

Naruto hovered in the air, staring down at his enraged foe.

The enemy shifting to defensive tactics was ideal.

He didn't need to rush.

As long as he kept MetalEtemon occupied, Asura's transformation would complete soon.

The only reason it was taking this long was the Digizoid fragments slowing the process. Otherwise, Asura would have Digivolved instantly, just like the others.

Nonetheless, it had only been a minute since the battle started.

I just need to buy a little more time…

To speed up the process, Naruto channeled his energy, sending a portion of his power to aid Asura's transformation.

Seeing Naruto evade his trap, MetalEtemon raged, but before he could react—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Naruto launched elemental Rasengans, each one fired like a cannonball, striking MetalEtemon's armored body in rapid succession.

Wind Rasengans sliced through layers of metal.

Fire Rasengans exploded on impact, searing his outer shell.

Lightning Rasengans electrified his entire form, disrupting his internal energy flow.

And before MetalEtemon could recover—

Naruto prepared his next move.

He lifted his massive axe, pouring all his energy into it. The blade glowed, brimming with the power of all elemental affinities, creating an effect similar to the legendary Truth-Seeking Balls.

Then—

Naruto launched himself into the upper atmosphere.

MetalEtemon's metallic sand reacted instinctively, trying to pull him back down, but the sheer gravitational force generated by Naruto's movements disrupted the entire battlefield.

The very air pressure changed.

Before MetalEtemon could fully grasp what was happening—

Naruto came down.

Faster than light.

The sheer velocity of Naruto's descent created a massive gravitational pull. MetalEtemon himself was dragged upward, unable to escape the incoming devastation.

His metallic sand was torn apart, scattering into the wind.

Then—

BOOOOOOM!

Naruto's axe strike landed.

The impact was beyond catastrophic.

The sheer force sent MetalEtemon plummeting into the planet, drilling him through the surface.

For what felt like an eternity, MetalEtemon descended, burrowing deep into the ground, the sheer momentum pushing him towards the planet's core.

If this planet was structured like Earth, he would have been nearly halfway there by now.

When the dust finally settled, a gaping abyss remained where the attack had landed.

Naruto hovered in the air, breathing heavily.

But something was wrong.

The moment Naruto looked at his hand, he realized—

His axe was gone.

The sheer power output had shattered it.

That technique…

It was unfinished.

He had never used it without Kurama before.

And his current fusion body—though powerful—was not yet fully accustomed to such techniques.

With practice, he would refine it. He would perfect it.

And once perfected, it would be enough to erase creatures like MetalEtemon with ease.

But for now—

It wasn't complete.

And worse—

MetalEtemon was still alive.

From within the crater, a roar of pure rage erupted.

MetalEtemon's battered body emerged, but something was different.

His usual cocky demeanor was gone.

His body—covered in deep cracks and wounds—was struggling to regenerate. The axe attack had done what no attack before had—

It had damaged him permanently.

For the first time, his auto-recovery was failing.

And that pushed him over the edge.

Naruto could see it in his eyes.

The crazed hatred. The uncontrolled wrath.

His pride—his macho, indestructible body—had been ruined.

MetalEtemon's voice boomed, filled with rage and insanity.

"You dare mock me, human?!"

"You DARE scar this King's perfect body?!"

His Chrome Digizoid body twitched, struggling to repair itself.

The damage from Naruto's last attack was still lingering.

But his rage overpowered his pain.

And now—

MetalEtemon had one goal.

He didn't care about the fight anymore. He didn't care about winning or losing.

He just wanted Naruto DEAD.

And he was willing to destroy everything to make it happen.

Without warning—

MetalEtemon turned away from Naruto.

Instead, he attacked the group.

His fists slammed into the ground, sending waves of metal spikes toward the others. Massive shockwaves followed, shaking the battlefield.

It was a calculated move.

He knew Naruto would have to react.

And just as he expected—

Naruto rushed in, blocking the attacks to protect his allies.

But in doing so—

He pushed his fusion body past its limit.

Naruto could feel it.

The strain on Groundramon's body.

The pressure from overusing so much power in such a short time.

His fusion was starting to fall apart.

The body was breaking down, unable to sustain the enormous load of power any longer.

And MetalEtemon?

He knew.

His crazed grin returned.

"What's wrong, human?"

"Getting tired? HAH!"

"Let's see how long you last before I crush you!"

As MetalEtemon prepared to unleash his final, most devastating attack, Naruto clenched his fists.

The battle had taken a grim turn. Naruto, ever the warrior, found himself overwhelmed by the sheer might of Metal Etemon. His strategy had been sound, his attacks fierce, but without Asura's evolution complete, he was fighting a battle of attrition that he could not win.

"Asura, I need your help. So, get out here and finish the battle."

Naruto's voice remained calm, showing no hint of the peril he was in. He knew the risks of distracting his partner, of rushing a transformation that required precision. A single mistake could lead to failure—or worse, corruption.

"I just need one more minute." Asura's voice echoed through their link, strained with effort. The transformation demanded everything from him, and he had no time for distractions.

Naruto didn't push him. He knew powerful evolutions could take time, sometimes as long as an hour if interrupted. It had only been four minutes. He could hold on.

But Groundramon could not.

The draconic Digimon's body gave out under the immense pressure of maintaining a form it could no longer sustain. With a crackling sound, his transformation shattered, and Groundramon reverted back, his body flickering with exhaustion.

Naruto cursed under his breath. Their power had diminished, and Etemon knew it.

The metallic ape grinned viciously, his golden body reflecting the carnage around them. "Well, well, looks like the big bad hero ain't so tough after all!"

Naruto had no choice—he had to stay close to the enemy, gambling that this was the right move. If he fled, Etemon would go after the others. If he stood his ground, he would take the brunt of the assault.

The monkey took the bait.

With a thunderous roar, Metal Etemon smashed his fist into Naruto's face, the impact fracturing his jaw with a sickening crack. Grabbing Naruto by the head, the ape started running, dragging him across the battlefield.

Naruto's skin tore away as his face scraped against the ground, leaving raw flesh in its wake. Metallic sand slithered into his wounds, burrowing into his body, tearing him apart on a cellular level.

He tried to block the pain, shutting off his receptors, but Metal Etemon was no ordinary enemy. Using dark energy, he forced Naruto to feel everything.

The agony was unimaginable. It wasn't just pain—it was suffering amplified a hundredfold, forcing a scream from Naruto's lips before he bit down, silencing himself.

He refused to give the bastard the satisfaction.

"Oh? Still got some fight left in you?" Etemon sneered, his tone dripping with sadistic pleasure. "Let me help you out, buddy."

Dropping Naruto, now barely recognizable with his ruined skin and missing eyes, the metal beast pried open his jaw while a miniature drill emerged from his other hand.

The cold, spiraling tip pressed into Naruto's abdomen, pushing in slowly, methodically.

Naruto remained silent.

Wind chakra surrounded his throat, cutting off his vocal cords to prevent any sound from escaping. He would not let the children hear his screams.

"You know," Etemon mused, "some of my dark-type pals would really enjoy this game. Me? I don't got time for long-term torture. But hey, gotta respect the spirit. I'll end it here."

With one hand, he hoisted Naruto's limp body up.

But Naruto laughed.

Even broken, bloodied, and on the verge of unconsciousness, he laughed.

"Haha, I don't need your praise, monkey," he said, blood leaking from his lips. "You've lost this battle."

Etemon scowled. "Such a sore loser. I'm disappointed."

The final squeeze crushed Naruto—

And he vanished.

Smoke exploded from his body.

Etemon's eyes widened in shock. "What!?"

His gaze snapped toward the group, searching for his real target.

Naruto stood beside Asura's new form—Metal Meramon. The battlefield was in ruins, the scars of their battle carved into the earth, but Naruto himself stood tall, the signs of his brutal punishment still evident on his body. Metal Etemon had beaten him senseless, but the gamble had worked.

Naruto had anticipated the worst and made his preparations accordingly. He had left a clone hidden beneath Asura before the evolution was completed. When the transformation neared its peak, the real Naruto had swapped places at the last moment, avoiding the final crushing blow.

It had been an insane risk. One miscalculation and he would have died.

But he had won.

With a smirk, Naruto pulled out two serums from his storage, handed to him by Rory—one for healing and one to replenish his energy. The moment the potent concoctions entered his system, his body flared back to full strength, the broken bones resetting, and his energy soaring to its peak.

No hesitation. No wasted time.

Before Metal Etemon could react, Naruto fused with Hanzomon—Mai's ninja digimon. Asura expanded, wrapping his molten steel body around them both, allowing Naruto to transform into his Six Paths Form once again.

Metal Meramon was unlike anything Asura had become before. His entire body was forged from Chrome Digizoid, but not just any kind. It was an advanced fusion of gold, blue, black, and standard Chrome Digizoid, an ultimate refinement of one of the toughest metals in the Digital World.

The transformation had elevated Asura's capabilities to monstrous levels.

Unmatched Durability – His body was immune to most physical attacks and resistant to even Mega-level Digimon.

Blazing Speed – Despite his heavy armor, Asura moved with a speed that left afterimages in his wake.

Enhanced Energy Reserves – A nuclear reactor had been integrated into the evolution, allowing Asura to generate massive amounts of power at will.

Elemental Control – Asura's flames burned hotter than the sun, radiating red and yellow energy from his core and head like a knight born from the heart of a volcano.

This form had ascended beyond Perfect Level—Asura could now rival Ultimate Digimon in raw strength alone.

Naruto, standing beside his partner, felt the sheer rage burning within Asura. It resonated with his own fury, and the moment their eyes met, the decision was made.

No more holding back.

Naruto drew upon the power of Asura and Hanzomon, pushing himself to the level he had fought Sasuke at during their final battle in the Fourth Ninja War. Energy erupted around him, golden flames merging with black and red, creating a towering three-headed Kurama avatar that loomed over the battlefield like a divine beast.

This battle had to end. Now.

Naruto didn't hesitate.

With a single motion, he crafted a devastating Rasen-Shuriken—except this one was unlike any before. Asura's nuclear energy, Hanzomon's elemental mastery, and Naruto's Six Paths chakra merged into one cataclysmic force.

The very air trembled as Naruto hurled the attack.

Metal Etemon, sensing the incoming annihilation, panicked. The arrogant grin vanished as he poured everything into defense. Metallic sand surged from the battlefield, forming a dome miles in size, layers upon layers of reinforced metal walls, each more resilient than the last.

It didn't matter.

Naruto's attack arrived instantly.

The Rasen-Shuriken cut through the entire barrier without resistance. The moment it touched Metal Etemon, he was launched into the sky, his body shredded apart at an atomic level. He barely had time to scream.

Then—

BOOM.

The explosion turned the entire sky black and white. The blinding light rippled across the entire continent, casting long shadows as a wave of destruction roared through the atmosphere.

The sheer force of the impact was so immense that the shockwave shook the entire planet, sending tremors racing across the globe. The explosion's intensity was enough that it could have destroyed the moon had it been aimed at space instead.

Every Mega-level Digimon on the continent turned their gaze toward the source of the apocalyptic power.

The world had just witnessed Naruto Uzumaki's power.

As the dust settled, Naruto stood firm. He had won.

Yet, even with all his power, he knew this wasn't his peak.

At his prime, his Six Paths Sage Mode could have erased entire planets. And Baryon Mode? That had briefly elevated him to large planet destruction levels, but it was a sacrificial move—one he couldn't use again unless he found a way to stabilize it.

That was why Naruto had been studying.

Brute strength alone wasn't enough. He had spent too long relying on overwhelming power. Now, he needed technique—a way to refine his abilities, to create new solutions rather than throwing raw destruction at his enemies.

His past life's mistakes would not be repeated.

He had destroyed a king today.

Tomorrow, he would become something even greater.