Digital Emperor (Naruto X Digimon)

The team sat quietly in the flying car as they approached the Uzumaki Clan HQ, the city skyline stretching in the distance. The hum of the engines was a soothing background noise, but there was an undeniable tension in the air. Naruto, usually so full of energy and confidence, was unusually quiet, his eyes focused on the horizon ahead. The others sensed it—he had something important to say.

"You know, I intended to keep this secret for a long time, maybe even to my grave," Naruto began, his voice steady but laced with a rare seriousness. He glanced around the car at the faces of his companions, his gaze lingering on each one for a brief moment. "But I think you guys need to know."

The team's attention immediately snapped to him, each of them instinctively leaning forward, sensing the weight of his words. Rika raised an eyebrow, a faint sense of curiosity washing over her. Takato and Henry exchanged a brief glance, their usual joking demeanor replaced by quiet anticipation. Rory, seated next to Naruto, tilted her head, her eyes scanning his face for any signs of hesitation.

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. The past few days had been intense, and the dangerous situation they'd just faced had made him reconsider a lot of things. It wasn't just about the battle—it was about them, about his team, and the future. For the first time in a long while, he realized how unfair it was to keep his true story hidden from them. He owed them the truth.

"You know there are multiple universes, right? Across the multiverse, there's a place where I'm from. I used to live in another world—one where there were no Digimon. In that world, I was the leader of humanity, the strongest guardian against all threats." He paused, his eyes distant as memories of his past life surfaced, unbidden and raw. "I died once. Killed by a powerful alien. I did manage to take him down too, but that's not the point. I didn't mind—it was always an expectation of mine. I was a warrior from birth, and death had always followed me."

Naruto's voice softened as he spoke, but there was an unmistakable strength behind his words. The others listened intently, sensing the gravity of what he was revealing. He wasn't just telling them his story—he was offering a glimpse into a life that was far older and more complicated than anyone had realized.

"I thought it was over," Naruto continued, his expression hardening slightly as he spoke of the death that had defined so much of his life. "But then, I woke up in this world. As a child. Same parents, same name, even the same appearance. I adapted, followed my path to this moment. I learned new things along the way—improvements I needed to make to solve the problems of my past."

The team was silent for a long moment, processing the weight of his words. The revelation was both shocking and surreal. Naruto wasn't just some powerful figure—he was a being who had lived through centuries, who had seen countless battles, who had died and been reborn. And now, he was here, with them.

Rory, always the one to speak her mind, broke the silence first. Her tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of sincerity in her words. "Did you not want to share it because you thought we might avoid you, or find you... abnormal?"

Naruto chuckled softly, shaking his head. "No, I'm quite confident in my social skills." He gave a wry grin, the old Naruto showing through for a moment. "I just thought it might bring trouble from beings I don't even know about."

Rory grinned back, her earlier tension easing. She leaned closer to him, her hand grabbing his collar playfully. "That's good," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Because I wasn't going to change my direction after knowing your true age. You are mine, old man."

Without warning, she pulled him into a tight hug, a satisfied smile on her face. Her words were teasing, but her affection was genuine. For Rory, Naruto's age—or the fact that he had lived multiple lives—didn't matter. She was more intrigued by his story, by the weight of the experiences he carried. It only made him more fascinating, more charming, more real. She wanted to hear every detail, every battle, every moment that had shaped him into the man he was today.

The others were still processing. Takato leaned back in his seat, his eyes wide. He had always known Naruto was powerful, but the scale of what he was hearing was something else entirely. A part of him couldn't quite reconcile the idea of someone as youthful and energetic as Naruto being so ancient, so experienced. Henry, on the other hand, seemed to have a more analytical approach, his brow furrowing in thought. Naruto's past made him even more of a mystery, and that intrigued him just as much as it unsettled him.

Rika, ever the skeptic, narrowed her eyes as she considered Naruto's words. She had known Naruto was a force to be reckoned with, but to hear that he had lived so many different lives—and had died and been reborn—was a lot to take in. Still, she wasn't one to judge. She had her own secrets, and everyone had their own path. If Naruto's journey had been this complex, she wasn't about to back away now.

Naruto caught the quiet looks from his friends and understood the thoughts running through their minds. It was a lot to absorb, but he could see the trust in their eyes. They weren't afraid of him—they were just... processing. And that was okay.

Rory, still holding him in that tight embrace, pulled back just enough to give him a teasing grin. "You know, I always thought you were older than you looked. But now, I get it."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a playful smile. "Yeah?"

She winked. "I mean, you're 52 years old—36 from the old world, 16 from this one—and you still know how to keep up with us. That's impressive."

Takato, ever the straightforward one, broke the silence first, his voice light and honest. "This really doesn't change much. It only helps us understand why you were so different," he said with a shrug, clearly not bothered by the revelation. "I'm extremely grateful for all the training you've provided us. You could've kept it a secret too, but you shared it with us. So, I'm good. No problem even if you are an old man, Naruto sir." He paused for a beat before adding with a grin, "It feels weird to say big brother now."

Henry, who had been lost in thought, glanced over at Rika and then back at Naruto. He shook his head, his own thoughts feeling almost silly in hindsight. "I also feel the same. I don't think there's a problem, and I can see why you kept it a secret."

Naruto gave them both a grateful smile, but his eyes lingered on Rika, who had been silent up until now. He had known she was processing things differently. After all, the secret he had kept would undoubtedly affect the girls in a way it didn't affect the boys. The boys had always seen him as a mentor, but for the girls, things were a bit more complicated.

Rika finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm, her words cutting straight to the heart of the issue. "Now I understand why you would always keep me away. It makes so much sense. You didn't want me to like you because of this reason."

Naruto's heart clenched at her words. He had been trying to protect them, trying to keep things from getting too complicated, but he had always known that, eventually, the truth would come out. The truth that was so much more than just a matter of age—it was the weight of two lives, two worlds, and the love he had left behind in the first one.

Rika's gaze softened, but there was still a trace of challenge in her voice. "Do you still think about your wife? Is that why you're intent on pushing us away?"

Naruto's eyes shifted downward, a mix of guilt and regret passing over his features. The love for his wife in his past life had always been something he held close, and the thought of leaving her, even for a new life, weighed heavily on him. "I do. I intend to go back once I find a way," he said quietly.

Rika's expression shifted from curiosity to something more pointed. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you lie about giving us a chance?" The question was sharp, and she was clearly hurt by the implication that Naruto might have been holding back his affections for some reason other than his own internal conflict.

Before Naruto could respond, Rory's voice joined Rika's, her tone darkening with a mix of anger and confusion. "Yeah, did you lie to us, Naruto? You've been playing with our feelings like this?"

The two girls, usually so different in their approaches, now glared at Naruto, their shared frustration palpable. Rory's grip on his arm tightened, and Naruto winced, realizing just how much he had messed up. His arm, already weakened from the tension, felt as if it might snap under the pressure.

"I didn't lie," Naruto said, his voice steady despite the situation. "I consider this world my own now as well. I want to live in both worlds. Polygamy is true in my world as well, so my wife wouldn't mind. But the truth is, I feel really bad about enjoying life here while she might be going through difficulties. That's the reason why I haven't really settled on anyone."

The tension in the air seemed to thicken for a moment as the two girls processed his words. Rory, her face flushed with a mixture of irritation and concern, slowly released her grip on Naruto's arm, though her gaze remained intense. "You should've started with that, Naruto," she said, the anger dissipating just slightly. "Look, you almost made me snap your arm. That's how serious this is. You should've been more clear from the beginning."

Naruto, still in a weakened state from Rory's grip, let out a breath of relief as she loosened her hold. His arm hung limply at his side for a moment, and he sent a flicker of energy into it to heal the damage. He didn't mind the pain—it had been his own fault for not explaining himself sooner.

Rika, however, wasn't done. She leaned in, her eyes burning with determination. "Look at me, Naruto," she said, her hands gripping his face, forcing him to meet her gaze. There was no room for hesitation in her eyes. "I will make you fall in love with me. I'm sorry for your wife, but I will be your number one. That is final. You understand?"

The words hit Naruto like a thunderclap, but he wasn't surprised. He had known this would happen—it was only a matter of time before someone in the group stepped forward to claim their place. The intensity in Rika's eyes left no room for doubt; she wasn't going to back down.

Rory's hand hovered over Naruto's shoulder, her expression softening just slightly. "I guess I won't let you run away either," she added with a teasing smile, though it was clear her words held a challenge as well. "You've got us both after you now, Naruto. You're not getting away that easily."

The boys, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but exchange uneasy glances. Takato, ever the laid-back one, let out a nervous laugh. "Man, I'm glad I don't have to deal with that. Having one girl is enough trouble, but two? I'd be out of my mind."

Henry chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Yeah, honestly. I think we dodged a bullet."

Naruto let out a deep sigh, half amused and half overwhelmed. It seemed like the situation had just gotten a lot more complicated—and yet, somehow, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. There was something reassuring about the certainty in Rika and Rory's words. They weren't giving up on him, and maybe, just maybe, it was time to stop running from his own feelings.

The storm had passed, but the echoes of battle still lingered. Naruto's team had survived what should have been an impossible situation, their name now spreading like wildfire across the Digital World and the Human World alike. They had faced an alliance of some of the most fearsome factions—the Akatsuki, Ouroboros, and the Dark Masters—yet they had emerged victorious.

But victory came at a cost.

It was revealed that Ebemon had played a direct role in aiding their enemies, providing them with technological support and resources that nearly led to Naruto's downfall. The implications were massive, and the already tense relations between humanity and the Metal Empire grew even more hostile.

The hatred for the Metal Empire burned brighter than ever.

That was when the Emperor of Mankind finally took action.

Takuya arrived like an unstoppable force, his very presence shaking the digital realm. With a single move, Ebemon's entire territory—an industrialized fortress of steel and circuits—was erased from existence. It wasn't just an attack; it was a statement. A warning. A reminder that the Emperor of Mankind would not tolerate such disrespect.

When the dust settled, all that remained was a massive, gaping hole where Ebemon's domain once stood.

The message was clear:

"Cross this line again, and you will cease to exist."

Ultronmon, the ruler of the Metal Empire, was left in a precarious position. He had escaped death, but only because he had an empire backing him. Unlike Takuya, whose strength was unmatched, humanity lacked the numbers to wage full-scale war against the Machine Empire and survive. If it weren't for this imbalance, Ultronmon would have been eradicated then and there.

The reality was sobering—humanity was alive only because of the Ancients.

The Ancients were beings of unfathomable power, the only deterrent stopping the digital empires from wiping out humanity completely. As long as they stood, the Digital World had to think thrice before launching an all-out attack.

But even that deterrent had its limits.

The empires were growing in power, evolving at a rate that even the Ancients might not be able to contain forever. It was only a matter of time before the balance shifted.

And when that day came…

The true war would begin.