Digital Emperor (Naruto X Digimon)

After the intense battle that had nearly cost them everything, Naruto and his team took two days to recover. The fight had pushed them to their limits—not just physically, but mentally as well. Though victorious, they had felt the strain of constantly relying on their teamwork and, more specifically, on Naruto's overwhelming power.

They knew that if they always fought together, they wouldn't grow as much as they needed to. They needed to challenge themselves, to learn how to fight alone, because in the real world, there was no guarantee that they would always have allies by their side.

Naruto had carried them in too many battles.

His sheer strength and experience made things too easy, creating a subconscious reliance on his leadership and power. That wasn't acceptable. If they were to truly reach the heights they aimed for, they had to learn to stand on their own.

So, after discussing their new training approach, Naruto agreed to let them split up. He had been pleased to see that they weren't acting recklessly. They knew the risks. They understood their own weaknesses. This wasn't a childish attempt to prove themselves—it was a necessary step forward.

The team dispersed, heading to different training zones suited to their needs.

Each of them had evolved past the Rookie stage, and that changed everything.

Now that their Digimon had reached the Champion level, they could finally start utilizing digital cards to their full potential. At Rookie level, Digimon lacked the endurance to handle the powerful modifications that cards provided. But now, they could finally push the limits of what their partners were capable of.

This was where the difference between normal tamers and clan tamers became most apparent.

For everyday tamers, reaching the Champion level was an achievement, but it also exposed a brutal reality—without resources, they were outclassed.

Tamers from powerful clans, with wealth and backing, could afford the best digital cards and equipment. They could equip their Digimon with enhancements that made them leagues above an average tamer's Digimon. This wasn't just about money—it was about access. Rare cards, high-quality armor, specialized weapons—these things created an insurmountable gap between normal tamers and those from prestigious backgrounds.

For many, this was a breaking point. Without a clan or powerful sponsors, they could only struggle to keep up.

But there was always an exception.

Takato, who came from an ordinary background, should have been at a severe disadvantage. But thanks to his team, he didn't have to worry about resources. His equipment and cards were fully covered by Naruto's group, ensuring that he wasn't left behind.

Even so, Takato refused to simply accept the help for free.

"I'll pay you back," he had insisted. "I'll clear the debt within the year."

It was an ambitious goal, but not impossible.

Once a tamer reached the Champion rank, they could start earning serious money through missions, tournaments, and sponsorships. It wasn't unusual for talented individuals to rise through sheer persistence and hard work.

Tai was proof of that.

Tai had come from a completely normal background, yet he had risen to become a legendary figure through pure determination. He was an idol to those who had no powerful families backing them—a beacon of hope that raw talent and sheer willpower could still bridge the gap.

But for those born into powerful families, the pressure was different.

People expected more from them. With the advantage of wealth and elite training, they didn't have the luxury of failing. They had responsibilities.

And in the grand scheme of things, tamers weren't just competing for personal glory.

They were the protectors of humanity.

Unlike ordinary citizens, tamers knew the truth—humanity was constantly on the brink of extinction.

The Digital World was not a stable place. Any moment could be the end. It was a cold, harsh reality that only those who fought on the front lines understood.

As the others left to train in separate locations, Naruto remained inside the city.

It wasn't that he didn't want to train—far from it. But his presence was too valuable, and his enemies were too persistent. He knew that the moment he left the city, there was a chance another trap would be waiting for him.

And after the last incident, he wasn't going to risk it.

Training never truly stopped for Naruto, even if he remained within the city. Instead of venturing into the wilderness, he set his sights on the Coliseum, where tamers pitted their Digimon against one another in structured combat.

Unlike wild battles, which were often chaotic and unpredictable, Coliseum fights were on another level. Trained Digimon, armed with superior equipment and strategic support from their tamers, fought with a level of skill and coordination that wild Digimon simply couldn't match.

This was the kind of battlefield where Asura and Rambo were tested in ways they hadn't been before. However, the more they fought, the clearer one thing became—

Asura was vastly superior.

Rambo, no matter how much he tried, found himself falling behind.

For a Digimon that thrived on purpose, this realization was devastating.

Naruto had given him another life, had awoken the dragon within him. But that dragon—that unyielding spirit—hated losing.

For the first time, Rambo experienced emotions he had never known. Frustration. Inferiority. A feeling of being left behind.

He had spent his entire existence as nothing more than disposable fodder. A pawn that could be sacrificed at any moment. Yet, with Naruto, he had finally believed he could be more.

But now?

Asura didn't even need him.

Asura was a monster. A force of destruction that could hold his own against the strongest of opponents. His victories were spectacular. His presence on the battlefield demanded respect.

Rambo, in comparison, was an afterthought. His assistance was meaningless. His attacks did little to impact their opponents, and Asura fought like Rambo wasn't even there.

And that reality cut deep.

A terrible thought took root inside his mind—

What was the point of his existence?

If he couldn't stand beside his master… if he couldn't even stand beside his own companion… then what was he?

The moment that shattered everything came during a battle outside the city, deep within the jungle known as Bug's Paradise.

It was an unforgiving battlefield, home to some of the strongest insectoid Digimon in the region. Here, Asura and Rambo found themselves facing two Ultimate-level Digimon—

—Climbmon, an agile warrior with razor-sharp blades, moving like a ninja through the trees.

—Okuwamon, a massive beetle with overwhelming strength and long-range energy attacks.

Asura held his ground, but it was clear from the start that he was outmatched.

One Ultimate-level Digimon would have been a nightmare. Two were nearly impossible.

Okuwamon bombarded him from a distance, keeping him on the defensive. Climbmon struck with blinding speed, attacking from angles Asura couldn't predict. Each time he retaliated, the insects simply evaded or blocked his attacks.

Even with Rambo's support, the situation was dire.

Yet, Asura refused to call for help.

He didn't want to show weakness. Not after what had happened with Etemon.

He hadn't seen what Etemon had done to Naruto—but he felt it. He knew his master had been tortured, and the thought of it ate away at his very soul.

This fight wasn't just about winning. It was about proving himself.

He wouldn't fail again.

Even if his body was torn apart, he would crush these insects.

But despite his determination, the gap in speed was too much. He was losing ground. His body was battered. The battle had turned into one of attrition, and even with his immense durability, the damage was piling up.

And Rambo?

He stood frozen.

For the first time, he stopped supporting Asura.

And to his horror—it didn't even matter.

His absence made no difference in the battle.

His attacks? Useless. His efforts? Pointless.

His existence?

Meaningless.

Asura was fighting for his life, pushing himself to the limit against two Ultimate-level Digimon, and yet—

Rambo was nothing more than a spectator.

Something inside him snapped.

A choice—an illogical, reckless, irreversible choice—formed in his mind.

A choice that went against everything he was.

A choice that would change everything.

A deep, aching pain pulsed through Rambo's heart, gnawing at him like a relentless beast.

It wasn't just the sting of failure.

It was the dark desire creeping through his mind.

The poisonous thought of being left behind.

His blood surged, reacting to the turmoil in his soul, and his dragon instincts flared in response. The pain became unbearable, but it did not break him.

He refused to surrender.

He would not be weak.

"I will not give in to this fate. I will prove my worth!" Rambo roared, his voice shaking the battlefield.

His jet boosters flared to full power, igniting a blinding blaze of blue flames as he surged forward. The sheer force of his propulsion shattered the ground beneath him as he launched himself at Okuwamon.

The impact was devastating.

The giant insect staggered backward, its exoskeleton cracking from the force. Rambo didn't stop. He pushed with everything he had, trying to pin Okuwamon down, to create an opening for Asura.

"Attack!" Rambo roared, straining against the monstrous Digimon's bulk.

But Asura…

Didn't move.

He didn't launch an attack.

Instead, Asura turned his gaze to Naruto, seeking guidance. His nuclear flames could obliterate Okuwamon, but they would consume Rambo in the process.

He hesitated.

And that hesitation crushed Rambo.

"Master…?"

His voice wavered.

In that single moment of uncertainty, Okuwamon lashed out—its massive claw swatted Rambo out of the sky. His body plummeted, spiraling downward as he was thrown from his enemy.

He made no effort to stop his fall.

He didn't even try to correct himself.

The weight of his own uselessness pressed down on him harder than gravity ever could.

Instead, he just… looked at Naruto.

There was no resentment in his gaze. No anger.

Just a desperate, unspoken plea—an ache for meaning.

And Naruto understood.

"How far can you go for the power to fight at my side?"

It wasn't a question.

It was a test.

"I will die for you, Master. Your commands are what I live for."

Rambo's answer was instant. Absolute.

He didn't need to think about it.

Naruto had become his everything in the short time they had been together.

He saw a future with him.

He saw a master worth following.

Naruto closed his eyes. He saw his old friends. The ones who had once struggled to stand beside him. The ones who had dreamed of fighting at his side but had never been given the chance.

He had thought it was for their own good.

He had thought he was protecting them.

But in the end…

He had decided for them.

And they had faded into obscurity, unable to even imagine closing the gap between them.

Not this time.

He wouldn't let Rambo suffer the same fate.

He would not make the same mistake.

"Asura."

Naruto's voice rang clear across the battlefield.

"Fuse with Rambo."

Asura stilled.

For a moment, the battlefield fell silent.

He knew what Naruto was asking.

He knew the risks.

This wasn't a normal fusion.

His nuclear core burned with uncontrollable power, and Rambo… Rambo wasn't built to withstand it.

But—

He trusted his master.

Without hesitation, Asura engulfed Rambo in his nuclear flames.

Naruto raised his hand. A barrier formed around them, shielding them from enemy attacks.

The fusion began.

And Rambo screamed.

It was pain unlike anything he had ever known.

His body was breaking apart.

His digital structure was melting, consumed by Asura's nuclear fire. Molten metal coated his skin, burning away his flesh and reshaping his form. His mind blurred, his very sense of self unraveling as he was reconstructed from the inside out.

It was beyond agony.

It was death itself.

And yet—

Naruto held him together.

His energy wrapped around Rambo like a lifeline, stabilizing him, guiding him.

He controlled the fusion with absolute precision, forcing their unstable data into one form.

Seconds stretched into eternity.

The flames roared.

The world trembled.

And then—

A new being was born.

He rose from the fusion chamber of fire—

A towering mechanical dragon, clad in jet-black armor, wreathed in nuclear flames.

His body was built for war. His once organic form had been reforged into a walking arsenal of destruction. Red energy pulsed through his circuits, burning with the raw fury of Asura's power.

He clenched his massive draconic fist, feeling unmatched power surge through his new form.

For the first time—

He felt alive.

For the first time—

He was not just an observer.

For the first time—

He could fight at Naruto's side.

"Now finish them, Darkdramon."

Naruto's command was like a divine decree.