Alright, time for chapter 2.

Chapter 2

Naruto, Guilmon, Takehiro and Yoshie were in a small clearing in the abandoned area of Shinjuku park. "Alright, here we are."

"There's no sign of training here."

Naruto shook his head, before slamming both hands on the ground. The four of them glowed and vanished.

They found themselves in a much larger clearing, with a forest surrounding it. What really caught their attention though, was the lack of buildings in the area. Naruto turned to look at them. "Welcome to my Training Grounds. It's got a 5:1 Time ratio meaning an hour back home would be 5 hours here. I made this to help relearn my more destructive Jutsu. Not exactly a wanted thing, but the fact that I figure I'll need them one of these days, it's a good thing I did. Alright, time to start working." He pulled out a box of Digimon Cards, and made 2 Shadow Clones. "Take a deck, and fight each other. We'll need our best combos in mind, if we're going to use them."

"Right!" The two took the box and ran off to another area. Naruto then turned to the giant field, and made a familiar Cross seal. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" 230 Shadow Clones appeared. "Alright, 30 of you work on Megidramon's gift! Make sure you're a decent distance away from the others when you do. Draw on it, but control it. Same rules as Kurama's Chakra! Move it!"

30 of them ran into the forests in different directions. The statement drew the attention of the others. "It happened after the talk, and I'd rather not explain it just yet. Just know that it is extremely powerful, and very dangerous. Before I even think about using it frequently, I'm going to learn to control it. When I have complete control over it, I'm going to teach Guilmon, because he also has that kind of power. It's locked away right now, but if I already have complete control over it, I can reign him back. That's why it's important to do so. I'm only giving myself access to 0.1% of it. I don't trust it with you both here." He then turned to his clones. "50 of you teach Guilmon how to use his normal attacks, meaning Rock Breaker and Pyro Sphere, effectively. Get it so he can fire a Pyro Sphere within seconds of starting it. Make it possible for him to use it 5 times a second while retaining accuracy."

"Right!"

Naruto then made a few handsigns, and hit the ground towards his parents, forming a barrier around them. "As long as you don't leave the barrier, you'll be safe from anything I or my clones use."

"Why would..." Takehiro started, before seeing his smirk. Naruto turned around. "Everyone that hasn't been assigned a task... UZUMAKI BATTLE ROYALE!"

"YOSH!" The real Naruto charged into the clone army, taking them down one by one.

Dodge, duck, dip, dive, handstand, spin kick, duck, sweep kick Naruto thought. He knew his parents were watching. Jump, flip, kick, dodge, right hook, jump back.

"Konoha Senpuu!" Naruto shouted, as he performed a flying spin kick, taking out 4 clones with it, before landing a punch on a fifth. Naruto made a Rasengan on his foot, and kicked. "Spiraling Dynamic Entry!" He went through 3 clones that were conveniently lined up for him.

Meanwhile, Yoshie and Takehiro were watching Naruto with wide eyes. "He's... he's so strong." Yoshie said, gobsmacked.

"I... I knew he was good... but not this good." By this time, the 150 Clones that started it, had gone down to 24. "Konoha Daisenpuu!" Make that 19. Chakra covered his fist. "Shoryuken!" a Fire chakra enhanced uppercut.

"Hey! This is supposed to be a Straight Taijutsu fight!"

"That was Taijutsu, minion." Naruto retorted. "It's just enhanced with Fire Chakra. If Baachan's Super Strength counts as Taijutsu, so does that."

The clones blanched, but charged nonetheless. One of them got the bright idea of using said grandma's moves. "Painful Sky leg!" He drop kicked the ground, taking out 2 Clones, and... a log?

"You're kidding me..." The clone's eye twitched, before being punched in the back.

"Never forget the log." Naruto said. "For it is the savior of all Shinobi, from Academy Student to Kage, and beyond." He kicked behind him, getting rid of another Clone. "15 left eh?"

They all charged, and Naruto dodged and weaved, before all 15 clones were dispelled with a single pulse. He turned to his parents, who were shocked at what he did. He walked up to them, a little exhausted. He got inside the barrier, and sat down, a pillar of earth behind him. "Phew. Stamina freak or not, that takes a lot out of you."

"Let me check you out." Yoshie said, causing Naruto to remove his shirt. "I was only really hit 3 times. Nothing too serious, as I reinforced my skin with Chakra when I knew I couldn't avoid it."

She checked him out, nonetheless. Takehiro doing the same while she did. "I gotta say, Takato. You got off a lot better than I would've thought."

"Yeah... Most of my condition is not from injury... but rather physical exhaustion. My body can only do so much, and handle so much Chakra usage. I won't be able to do anything for about 30 minutes. So... any questions?"

They were there, with Naruto getting periodic memories from the Clones training the Digital Hazard and a few from training Guilmon, that decided to be complete idiots.

Naruto then winced at one of them. "What just happened?"

"One my clones with Guilmon..." Naruto reached for his unmentionables. "Let's just say Guilmon has good aim, and leave it at that."

"Nut shot?" Yoshie asked.

"Nut shot." Naruto replied.

"Ouch." Takehiro added.

"Try getting hit with a 1,433 Degree Fireball there."

"Wait, how do you know how hot it is?"

"Remember, I created Guilmon. I know the full aspects of all of his attacks. Pyro Sphere is one of them." Naruto explained. "I should know, better than anyone." He looked up at the sky. "Time frame?"

A few numbers appeared like a clock, showing 3:22:56, and counting. "Well, its been 3 hours and 23 minutes here."

-elsewhere-

A red haired girl was walking down the streets. "Renamon... where is the Digimon you said was coming? The one without any data on it."

A Blonde fox appeared. "I have been searching for it myself. I have had no luck. Should I search for information on the Tamer?"

"Do so." Renamon vanished, before Rika sighed. 'Renamon, you better not mess this up. You said it had already appeared. And there's only one bio-emerged Digimon that we haven't taken care of. It's already here. Best to get rid of it quickly.'

-Shinjuku Park-

Renamon found two boys that were talking. "Hey Kazu?"

"What, Kenta?"

"I tried calling Takato's house earlier. No one picked up. When I checked it out in person, the Bakery was closed, and the lights were off. I think Takato's on vacation, or something."

"No way. He'd at least tell where he went. Besides, the fact that he actually asked us about Digimon Being real is actually kind of strange for him. I mean, he's always been a thinker, not to mention he's a good Digimon Card Player. He learned quickly, too. If nothing else, I have to give him that."

"Remember when he showed us that picture of his own created digimon? That Guilmon?" Renamon was attentive at that.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I don't know. That thing is like a more powerful version of Agumon in Rookie form. He hasn't even come up with a Champion, or Ultimate level for it. Not to mention its scales add defense points. He even balanced it out, putting in a lesser mind for it, along with it being a Virus type."

"I don't even know how he knew half of what he wrote down. It's like it's not even his first creation."

"You and I both know that's not true. He got interested in Digimon, and we taught him how to play. He went from total newbie to master in a few days. Besides, he's smarter than he lets on. I can see it. I just don't know what it is I see." Kenta pointed out. "He's partially an outcast, not by force, but by choice. He hangs out with outcasts more than he does us. I wouldn't be surprised if he started to hang out with that Henry kid in Mr. Mori's class."

"Yeah, you've got a point." Kazu admitted. "There is something different about him. It's like he's wise beyond his years, or something. I mean, half the time, he doesn't even seem like he's paying attention in class, and he still gets the top of the class. Not only that, he's even one of the top students in the school in PE. He's a living impossibility, Kenta. I don't know how to explain it."

'This would be good information to relay. This Takato. He may bear a connection to Naruto Uzumaki. If only they would give a description. Still, these two would know what he looks like...' Renamon thought, before a Naruto came up to them. "Hey guys. What's up?"

'It's him.'

"Bout time you got here, chumley."

"Yeah, Takato. Where you been?" Kenta questioned.

"Just planning for the next duel. I need to be prepared for anything." Renamon noticed the emphasis on the word duel. Takato turned his head slightly, and Renamon saw the corner of his eye. 'It IS him. Takato...'

"So, what happened to the Bakery?"

"Closed for the day." Naruto admitted. "The others can pick up the slack. There's 3 other bakeries, and they were already notified, since they're on good terms with ours. They're stepping up their work schedules today because of it."

"So, Matsuki Bakery is closed all day today?"

"Yeah, sorry." Naruto said. "Anyway, how about a game?"

"2 on 1. I'm not going against you on my own, you know? I'm not stupid." Kazu retorted.

"Fine by me." Naruto then got out a deck box, and released his deck. "And by the way, Kazu? Your pranks are done like an amateur. If you want a true master, I told you about the Bakery on Tenth. It's getting hit tomorrow."

"Why would I target that?"

"Who said you were?" Naruto retorted with a smirk. "I know you wouldn't be able to get past their security system. Your not smart enough, nor are you perceptive enough. You wouldn't know if someone was listening in on us right now. I would." His head slightly turned towards Renamon, with a smirk, showing that he knew she was there. "Meaning, I would probably send them packing before they heard something that they shouldn't hear."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know... Maybe me being a Tamer, and training a Guilmon with a power far beyond our imagination." Naruto said, nonchalantly, while shrugging. "Who knows?"

Renamon took that as her cue and left. It took a full 3 seconds for the statement to circulate, before all 3 laughed at the faux joke, as they began their match. All throughout the match, Naruto had a hidden smirk.

And to think he still won. He only lost one of his own Digimon before winning. "Damn. I lost again."

"Look on the bright side. You lasted longer than you usually do. What really counted for your loss was the lack of teamwork." Naruto said, collecting his cards. "When you're tag teaming someone else, you need to be able to work with your partner. If you and your teammate can't fight well together, then you're more likely to lose than win. A team is at its best when all members work well together, and trust each other. Without that trust, the belief that your partner is there for you, and they deliver with gusto, a team is more useless than the individual."

"Where do you learn this stuff, chumley?" Kazu questioned.

"Let's just say I have my moments. It's why I tend to keep an eye on the outcasts. They tend to have no one there for them, or if it's by choice, they're there, but at the same time, don't see anyone else."

"Why would you help them, though? It's not like you owe them, or anything." Kazu asked. He was curious.

"Do I need a reason to do what's right?" Naruto asked. "Is there supposed to be a reason? Or is it because you don't think that helping out unless you gain something from it is good?"

"Well... I'm just saying what people do. No one helps people just to help."

Naruto shook his head. "Kazu, if there's one thing you need to learn from me it's this: Helping someone in trouble out is like climbing a mountain. It's not about how fast I get there, or what's waiting on the other side. The whole point of it, is the climb, and knowing that you're doing the right thing. It's why I stick up for the outcasts. They need someone to stick up for them when no one else will. It's why I help them. It's not because I wish I could help, but it's because I can help. It's like I can look at them and see what they've gone through. See what made them outcasts. And then break through whatever wall they built to protect themselves from others. I can do that, and have done so. Jeri Katou is something whose mask I haven't broken, though."

"Wait, that girl has a mask? I never saw her with a mask... well, unless that puppet counts as one."

Naruto shook his head. "It's her smile. You ever wondered why she closes her eyes when she smiles? It's to hide the pain in her eyes."

"Where's all this stuff coming from, anyway?"

Naruto shrugged, as he got up. "That's something that I couldn't tell you, whether I knew or not." He then walked off.

It didn't take him long to come across the girl near the abandoned area of the park. "I was wondering when you'd show up, miss." Naruto said.

"So, you're Uzumaki, huh? How come there are no records of you anywhere?" The girl asked.

"Naruto Uzumaki is a past life. Not who I am now, but who I was then." Naruto replied. "I see you told her what you heard from Kazu and Kenta, Renamon."

"I was right. You did notice me." Renamon said, right after appearing. "Where is this Guilmon?"

"Not until I learn the full name of your tamer. She gives me her name, I'll give her mine. And I know you heard what I said after your fight with that Lynxmon." Naruto replied.

"Rika Nonaka."

Naruto then snapped his fingers. "That's why you looked so familiar. You're the Digimon Queen."

"Flattery will get you no where." Rika retorted.

"Never said I was. In fact, titles mean nothing to me. If you're after Guilmon, I'm afraid you'll have to wait." Naruto replied, before taking out a deck. "Care for a game? Guilmon's currently resting after his training session. I'll be getting back to him in an hour or so. He's not ready to fight yet."

"Then why would you fight in his stead?" Renamon questioned. "Surely, you don't think you can defeat a Digimon by yourself."

"You don't do half the stuff I have and not pick up a few things. Why do you think I sensed you before I even got to Kazu and Kenta?" Naruto questioned.

"I find that unlikely." Rika retorted, before Naruto disappeared.

"The truth lies not in the physical eyes, but rather the mind's eye." Naruto said, from behind her, his back to hers.

Rika quickly jumped forward, and looked at Naruto, her eyes showing the shock the rest of her face hid.

"Your eyes are like mine once were, Rika." Naruto said, turning around to meet her eyes with his own. "You see people, but you do not see the person. You are around others, yet you are alone." His face was completely neutral. "Why do you push others away?" Rika's face didn't show anything, but Naruto knew he hit a mark. He could feel her Chakra. "Why do you not look in front of you?" confusion. "Who are you, really? Rika Nonaka, the Digimon Queen? Rika Nonaka, the daughter of the famous Rumiko Nonaka? Or Rika Nonaka, the self-imposed loner?"

"Shut up..." She whispered.

"Did I hit a nerve? Or is it that you know that I'm right, yet don't want to admit it?"

"Shut up..." Her voice was slightly louder.

"We all have problems, Rika. Even I do. People that do what you are, tend to lead corrupted lives. Outcasts, loners, they always find themselves alone. Even in a room filled with others that care about them, family members, friends. It doesn't matter who the people are. They are always alone. Why? Because they push others away, just like you are. The last one I met, turned on his family. His friends. And he didn't care. He ended up dying because of his way of life. He lost sight of who he was, losing himself to the Insanity, thus falling into Darkness."

"SHUT UP!" Rika shouted. Naruto stopped where he was, knowing she was going to continue. "What do you know, huh?! You think you know what loneliness really feels like?! You know nothing!"

Naruto glanced at Renamon, as if telling her not to interfere. The vulpine was hesitant, but nodded slightly. Naruto was instantly right in front of her, a glowing palm on her forehead. Rika then saw what had happened to Naruto. His entire childhood. She saw Naruto's full life. What he did, what he could do, what was after him. How he handled things. Everything up until he made Hokage at 18 years old.

Rika then collapsed, panting for air. "That was only the first 18 years of my past life. I have 52 years of experience to draw on with a 13 year old body. Now, what do you know of true loneliness? And how come I never truly fell to it? Like Sasuke did."

Rika looked at Naruto, and saw his eyes. They were a different color, sure. But it wasn't the color that she was looking at.

It was the pain he was showing to her, the rest of his face completely neutral. "That... That couldn't have been real."

"They are as real as you and me, Rika. Those are my memories. Memories I developed firsthand. You saw what actually happened, from a Third Person View. You may have seen what was done. But you didn't feel what I felt. I didn't put you in my place. I wouldn't put my most hated enemies, Orochimaru and Tobi whom I know you saw as well, in my position." Naruto told her, his voice pained.

"I... I can't..." Her eyes could not move from his. She couldn't bring herself to move her sight. Not until Naruto sighed, and closed them. "Remember what Haku told me in the forest? True Strength comes from..."

"protecting that which is precious to you." Rika finished with him. "Why? Why do you believe that?"

"The time with Gaara? I was protecting Sakura. The fight with Pain? It was Hinata. The Fourth War? That was for everyone that put their lives on the line for me. Something that I couldn't just let happen. I had a bigger hatred for my village than Sasuke, and yet I protected them. Sasuke had less reason, and yet he attacked his own home. Why were we on opposite sides?" Naruto questioned. "It's because I didn't fall to the insanity, and he did." He turned and started to walk off. "Think about what I said, and what I showed you. Open your eyes to both sides. You will find what you're looking for where you least expect it." He then vanished as a few leaves blew between him and them.

Rika just got up, and looked at Renamon. "I... I need to get home. Can you..."

"Say no more, Rika." Renamon picked her up, and jumped off.

During the trip, Rika was thinking. 'Have I been wrong this whole time? Did I really go that far? I know I don't need anyone... but if what he showed me was true... am I no better than that Sasuke? The one who nearly killed the one that tried to save him on multiple occasions? ARGH! This is too confusing!' Ending her mental rant, she glanced at Renamon. 'And why do I regret treating Renamon like she's nothing? I need to find that guy... Naruto... No, it's Takato Matsuki. I need to find out the truth. I need to know how he turned out.'

-with Naruto-

Naruto looked at Guilmon who just woke up. "Takato? Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, you did. Hours ago, actually. You made a lot of progress too."

"More training? Or time to play?"

"We need as little exposure as possible, Guilmon. I may be able to hide you in plain sight, but that's only if you can cooperate." Naruto sighed, before rubbing the Hazard Symbol on Guilmon's chest. "This one symbol... and it brings a greater power than even the Ichibi. One would think that a picture this small wouldn't be able to handle something like the Digital Hazard."

"Why not?"

"Well... you could say it's like Fuuinjutsu." Naruto then checked the Shiki Fuujin out, showing it to Guilmon. "I've got the Abilities of the Digital Hazard, but the majority of it is locked away behind this one on me. On you..." He tapped the symbol. "This is what holds it back." It was at this point A clone entered the field with a few bags of bread.

"Oh good. Something to eat." Naruto said.

"That's not all." The clone said, putting the bags of bread down, before dispelling. Naruto went through its memories, when he came to meeting Rika and Renamon. When he was done, his eyes went downcast. "I should've known... Rika Nonaka..." He looked up. "I only hope you choose right. Because if you don't, I might not hesitate to take Renamon out of the picture." He then sighed again. "Let's eat, Guilmon."

They then tore into the bread. It was gone within minutes, both Naruto and Guilmon eating like pigs. Naruto burped. "Excuse me." Guilmon followed suit, but released a Pyro Sphere. Naruto looked at the spire Guilmon hit. "What did that Spire do to you?"

"It fell?" Guilmon asked. They both laughed at that. It was at that point that Naruto's Digivice went off. He looked at it, and realized that a Digimon was Bio-emerging. "Looks like training and fun will have to wait. We've got a Rogue Digimon to take care of."

"Right." Naruto and Guilmon vanished out of the clearing, and ended up in the park. It was then Guilmon smelled it. Naruto already had the exact position, though, and put his hand on Guilmon's shoulder.

-5 minutes later-

The remains of a Goblimon were dissipating into red data particles. Naruto was in his Toad Sage Outfit, Sage Mode and all. He looked at Guilmon, noticing the field was dissipating. "You need a little more work, Guilmon. At its best, Pyro Sphere should have taken that out in one shot. Let's go." He put a hand on Guilmon and they both left in a whirlwind, before the cloud completely dissipated revealing no trace of the fight.

-Shinjuku Park-

Naruto and Guilmon were in front of an abandoned shed. (Guilmon's Shed in Canon) Naruto was still in Sage Mode, so he left it, and transformed back to normal. "So, wanna go for a walk, Guilmon? You'll need a break from training, after all."

"Okay." They started walking around.

-2 days later-

Naruto was heading to school, letting Guilmon know that he has to train, and stay hidden. As he got to school, he sensed another Digimon. He tried to pinpoint it, and traced it to a young male with dark blue hair. Naruto already knew who it was. It was Henry Wong, from Mr. Mori's class. Naruto hadn't been able to talk to him much, but knew quite a bit about him.

During Lunch break, he walked up to Henry, who was eating a normal sandwich. "Hey, mind if I sit down?"

Henry looked at him and nodded. "Sure."

After Henry finished his sandwich, Naruto spoke, finishing his own. "Tamer number 3 has been found, I guess." It was at that point that Henry was drinking. He spit it out in shock, looking at Naruto. "What? Didn't think I'd notice?" Naruto showed Henry his Digivice. "My sense of smell is better than most. I can smell one on you. I also sensed the Digimon, and it wasn't mine or the other's. I should know. I've seen them both."

"Why are you talking so casually?" Henry questioned.

"Simple. No one can hear us." Naruto replied. "I've got a little illusion up that's making everyone else think we're just eating together and not talking at all. The majority of them are simple minded. It works easily. We can talk freely until the Illusion breaks, and that likely won't happen until I take it down myself, since no one else knows how to detect it." Naruto shrugged.

"So... who's the other tamer?"

"Rika Nonaka. She's much better known as the Digimon Queen. She's got a Renamon as a partner, but she doesn't exactly know the importance of bonds because of her self-imposed loneliness. I haven't seen her or sensed Renamon since I damn near smashed through every wall she put up around herself."

"How did you do that?"

"Same way I do with outcasts... just a little harder push. It was only cemented when I showed her things that even my parents don't entirely know." Naruto shrugged, before going through his drink.

"So, what did you show her?"

"Can't say. Tamer or not, you'd call me crazy." Naruto admitted, after finishing the juice pouch. "Quick summary of it is she found out what could happen if she continued on her current path, or changed to another one."

"And how would you know what would happen?"

"That... is what you'd call me crazy for. Sorry." Naruto and Henry sighed. "So... what Digimon do you have?"

"Well... it's a Terriermon." Henry replied, hesitation in his voice. "Yours?"

"It's one I created out of boredom." Naruto shrugged. "It's called Guilmon. There's no real data on him, because I created him, and then scanned the pages of my notepad out of sheer curiosity. Got a Digiegg from it, and it hatched the next day. Been training him over the weekend, and taking care of the Bio-emerging Digimon myself."

"Digimon don't have to fight, you know?"

"I know that." Naruto told him, calmly. "I'm a fighter. A warrior. I fight to protect. If I don't fight, and someone gets hurt because of it, it would be my fault. Words can't convince everyone. The mass majority of Digimon won't listen to the words of a human, like you and me. There was a Goblimon on Saturday, and he just told me to fuck off before Guilmon and I deleted him. There was an Agumon yesterday, he just said "Screw it" and fired a pepper breath at Guilmon. It didn't do anything, but a Pyro Sphere knocked out the Agumon. One punch afterwards sent it back. There was a Togemon in Shinjuku park yesterday afternoon. Guilmon and I were startled from our own break from training, so I tore it apart myself. Guilmon just watched. Then we just went back to relaxing, as if nothing happened."

"How could you just take them out without hesitating?" Henry questioned.

"Because if words don't work, there's nothing else to do but take them down. At least I don't have Guilmon absorb their data. Taking them down because they are a threat to others is fine in my book. Doing so for the heck of it, is not. It's the same with fighting. If you fight because you can, you are nothing more than a bully, but if you fight to protect, you will find the strength you need to win. One of the reasons I haven't gone for Martial Arts Tournaments is because I don't fight for fighting's sake. Card games, on the other hand, are another story."

"Why would you hurt them, though?"

"Because they are threatening the people in the immediate area." Naruto replied, without missing a beat. "If they are a threat, and I do give them one warning to turn back, I take them out. If they plead for mercy, which hasn't happened yet, then I'd just delete them with a finger flick. If they do... well, I'll let you know when it happens."

"But..."

"Digimon have abilities, and Digivolution is an unknown. If something forces a Digimon to Digivolve and the Digimon can't handle the increased level of power, then the Digimon will go berserk, unable to handle its own power. Remember that, Henry. A Pacifist may be a good thing from time to time, but when said Pacifist is a Tamer, said Tamer will get his Digimon deleted when the Digimon becomes too stubborn to give up." He got up, and walked off. The moment he hit the barrier, the illusion broke.

It was also at that point, there was the sound of an explosion. Naruto turned out towards the sound of it, as did everyone else. 'Heh... That's the Oven blowing up. Heh, extreme heat seals help out immensely. Set it to 400* and you've got 2000*... Maybe I should have toned it down.' He then caught the thought. 'Nah.'

"What happened?" A random girl asked.

"It looks like it came from Tenth Street." Another replied.

Naruto took a few sniffs, then spoke up. "Smells like burnt bread." Everyone looked at him. "What? I can pick it up from this distance. The scent is flowing through the wind. It was probably a bakery, or something. Oven troubles, most likely. As to why, I couldn't tell you. At most the Fire Department will be called. Probably all they need right now, anyway."

"Doesn't your family own a Bakery?" one of the boys said.

"We do, but ours is in another direction. Far from that one. Mine is in that direction." Naruto pointed out in a direction far from the Tenth Street Bakery. 'Nice job, Ao. You didn't get caught.'

After classes that day, Naruto had trained for 5 hours in his training grounds, before letting Guilmon rest. He then went home early, to face his parents.

"Takato..." Yoshie started.

"Yeah mom?"

"Did Kazu want to target a Bakery, or was it you?"

Naruto simply shook his head. "I only put something there. They simply used their oven. I just added something to it that would increase the heat output by 400%. It was 5 times as potent as usual. Others will mark it as a fire at the fault of the owners. Besides, I'm not the one that put it there. It was an old friend of mine named Ao. Where's dad?"

"Don't change the subject, Takato." Yoshie warned.

"I'm not, mom. I think he should know about this, too."

"I'm right here, Takato." His father said, sticking his head out of the kitchen. "And by the way, I saw the news report. Something about an Oven overheating, and causing a fire. It was barely contained, though, stuck to the room, somehow not spreading outside of it. How'd you manage that?"

Naruto went into the kitchen and showed off a seal on the wall. "You see this?" Takehiro and Yoshie looked at it, and nodded. "That's how. This bad boy can contain any amount of heat and fire and keep it locked in the room, leaving others undamaged. I wouldn't do something that could be extremely widespread over an entire city block if I wasn't able to contain it." He paused. "Besides, it's not the first time I did something like this."

Takehiro nodded, while Yoshie was hesitant, before realizing that he was right. Then Takehiro took out a box from a cabinet. "Take this, Takato."

Naruto looked at it, before opening it, before looking at his father. "These are..."

"Yup. Did I get it all right?" Takehiro asked, earning a nod, and a few tears from Naruto. He then hugged his father, taking out the goggles, before pulling back, and putting them on like he used to. There were on an Orange headband, and they were a good pair of his old goggles. (see Naruto, episode 1 on Naruto's forehead)

"How do I look?" Naruto asked, his eyes dried. The goggles went right over his forehead.

Yoshie looked at him, and nodded. Orange really did suit him. "I have to admit, Orange really does suit you. It's like a calming color for you."

"It's a reminder of where I come from, and who my parents were as Naruto. Orange was always a favorite color of mine." He paused. "Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash. Kushina Uzumaki, the Red Death. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, the Orange Demon King. The Orange Flash, the Rokudaime Hokage, Demon King of Pranks, Hero of Wave, I could go on and on." Naruto then looked out towards the door. 'Rika? What is she doing here?'

"What's up, Takato?"

Naruto just walked to the door, only to find Rika come into the shop. Rika looked at Takato. "Can we talk?" She asked. Takehiro and Yoshie came out and saw her.

"Takato, did you forget to tell us something?"

"No, I didn't. We'll be in my room, mom." He looked at the clock. "I'll try to be done before the Third rush of the day." He nodded to Rika and led her to his room. "Sorry about the mess. I wasn't expecting you to come here. At least, not this quickly. So what's up?"

"You don't remember?"

"It's about what I showed you, isn't it?" Naruto asked, earning a small nod. "Do you want to know why I showed you all of that?"

"It was so I don't end up like Sasuke, wasn't it?" Rika asked, her voice low.

Naruto simply nodded. "I showed it to you, to show you what you could become. At the point you were at, you could've ended up like Sasuke, Sakura, or me. Sakura would have been preferred, because even if she was violent at times, she could be passionate when it counted."

"You didn't want to lose a friend, did you? Someone that was a lot like you." Naruto nodded sadly. "I... I see. I had to know. It was too confusing. I couldn't think straight at all, and I couldn't even focus on school today." Naruto sighed, and pulled out his deck.

"The game I offered on Saturday still stands." Naruto said..

She pulled out her own, and they shuffled their decks. As they went back and forth through the game, it was down to 1 Digimon. Naruto then Warp Digivolved an Agumon to Wargreymon, and took out her DarkTyrannomon. "Looks like I win." Naruto said.

"I don't... believe it... Rematch."

Naruto looked at the nearby clock. "The rush starts in about 5 minutes. With a player of your caliber, we wouldn't be able to finish in time. I'm not kidding. You're good at the game, really good. Still, I noticed that you don't see things from all angles. The only reason you lost, is not because of your skill, but the fact that you didn't see the possibility of me doing this."

"You're saying I suck?" She asked, with barely contained anger.

"Actually, you're better than I am with the game." Naruto admitted, dispelling her anger immediately. "The only reason I won is because you didn't see the possibilities. It's because I took the game from a Tamer's point of view, not a card player. I'm a fighter myself. I know more about Murphy's Law than most. If something can go wrong, odds are it will. Murphy's Law also applies to a battlefield. No plan survives first contact with the enemy. I know this. You don't seem aware of it. That's the only real reason I won. You've got knowledge and skill. You just need to look at it from a different perspective. Take it like an actual Digimon battle, not a card game. That's the only way I see you improving in the game."

"You mean... you took the game like you would an actual fight? And that's the only reason you won?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Naruto shrugged. "I have far more experience fighting than you. You have more experience with the game, obviously. I've only been at the game for a few months. When you learn how fighting ties into the game, and can treat it as such, you'll beat me nearly every time. That one game tells me that much."

Rika thought about it, and realized that he almost always won every fight she knew he'd been through as Naruto. Some of his tactics were reckless, but they worked. He was a fighter. A Protector. He knows how to fight, and using that experience in the game, is how he won the game against her. She nodded. "I get it, I think."

"Then explain it."

"You're a fighter. You have actual fighting experience. Something I don't have. You use it to your advantage, and win the game like you would an actual fight." Naruto nodded with a smile.

"That's the only thing you're missing that I had in that game. When you have that: You will win with utmost ease." he got up, and walked her downstairs, seeing the mass of people. "The rush start early?"

"Yeah... a little help here, Takato?" Naruto nodded, going into the Kitchen, and getting everything together, putting his goggles in his hair, under a hair net, while working. Rika just watched from the corner, not needing to be home for a while. She watched as Naruto went through everything with ease. He was doing things strangely, but they worked. The bread was in the oven within seconds. Naruto then ran out, to help his mother with the customers. Rika watched as he did so, being kind and cheerful to all of them, and helping them out, even giving suggestions based on usual tastes. She was impressed when most of them took a small bite as they walked out.

They were all satisfied. When another batch of bread was out, Naruto ran in there, and sorted it out on the shelves quickly and efficiently. She was surprised at his work ethic, but not shocked in the slightest at how good he was at doing so. She had seen him work at Ichiraku's on days off. He knew what people liked just by looking at them. A single glance is all he needs. 'He's an expert on reading people. I guess it comes with being a Shinobi. He has to be able to read others. It's in the job description.'

After the rush settled down, Naruto looked at Rika. "You watched the whole thing, huh?" She nodded. "Shouldn't you be getting home, though. I'm not sure if you have a curfew..."

"I don't have to be back until 9:00." Rika admitted. "Dinner's usually at 7:30, though."

Naruto sighed, noticing it was closing time. "Alright. Mom, you mind if I cook tonight?"

"Why?"

"You want to cook for your girlfriend, don't you son?" Takehiro asked with a small grin.

"DAD!" Naruto shouted, embarrassed. He barely noticed Rika blushing. "She's not my girlfriend!" 'Yet.' He added in his own mind.

"Hey, I'm just saying. That's how you're making it out to be." He retorted.

"Maybe to you..." Naruto grumbled. "Anyway, I plan to make one of my best dishes. You haven't tried it, as far as I know."

"Alright, but I'll supervise." Yoshie said.

"No, I'll supervise." Takehiro said. "Someone has to keep Rika here company, and I think it better you than me."

"Dad's got a point." Naruto and Takehiro went to a stove, while Rika and Yoshie talked about what they both knew of Naruto. Rika didn't tell anything she knew, but that she could see more in him than he ever showed.

It only took Naruto 10 minutes before there was a soup in a vat, along with something in the oven underneath. (A/N: It's a standard Gas stove) As Naruto took out the pan holding a few pork chops, and tested the soup, he nodded. "It's ready."

Takehiro tasted the soup himself. "Hmm... That's pretty good. If I didn't see proof of what you were training to do, then I would've thought you were a good chef."

"Uzumaki Special at Ichiraku's. I came up with it myself, at first, by pure accident. It's not just my best, but also my favorite. I've loved ramen ever since I was 6. You could say I was the resident Ramen Nut. Give me a bowl of ramen I could tell you what was in it, how it was mixed, how long it was cooked, everything." Naruto explained. "It's too bad my immunity to poisons didn't pass over, too. It would've helped out a bit more. Still, it's just how I remember it."

"Poisons?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Naruto told him. "Just know that Anko was a little... too crazy sometimes. Even worse when drunk."

Naruto put the Ramen into bowls, and the bowls on plates, before taking them to the table, which was set already. Then he took the vat out, and put it on a hot plate. "Dinner is served." Rika took the chopsticks, and found the noodles. "Noodle soup?" She asked.

"Ramen to be specific." Naruto said. "It's called the Uzumaki Special. I made it myself on accident at first. Recreating it wasn't that hard. It was named after me, because I was the original creator of this one, and I was the best customer at the place where I first made it, and it was sold after it was figured out. It was a near instant hit with the locals. It was that good. Try it." Takehiro did, and nodded. After he didn't fall down, and continued going for the rest of it, Rika tried it next, not remembering seeing it. 'Must have happened afterwards.' She tried it, and was surprised at the rich flavor. 'My tongue... it feels like...'

"Rika? You okay?" Naruto asked.

She gulped. "It's... it's really good." She then went for more. After Yoshie tried it and nodded her agreement, Naruto then tore into his own bowl, finishing it in 4.2 seconds, before drinking the broth from the bowl. He set it down gently. Rika looked at him, surprised. 'Seeing the memory of it is one thing, but in person as another being? That's another thing altogether.'

"How did you finish that bowl so fast?" Takehiro asked, realizing Naruto had just finished his bowl.

"I told you, didn't I? I'm a Ramen Nut. I know more about Ramen than you and mom know about Bread combined." Naruto answered. "There's a reason I'm a Ramen Nut. 31 bowls in 30 minutes when I was 16. Beaten out by one person who no one thought a faster eater than me, especially not in Ramen. One Hinata Hyuuga. Trust me. She had 48 bowls while I had 31."

"Ouch."

"No kidding. That just added points for her in my book. Anyone who can out eat an Akimichi and myself in Ramen is major brownie points in my book." Naruto admitted with a smile.

Rika just nodded at that, while thinking on something. 'I should probably learn how to make Ramen. If he's as good at figuring out what's in it, and he really likes it that much, then it could help him out when he's down. Well, it did when he was Naruto, at least.' She then remembered his meals nearly every day of his life for some time. 'All he had to eat was ramen. I guess it's only natural for him to know everything about it.'

Naruto just went through his third bowl at a much slower pace, while Takehiro and Yoshie started on their second. Rika had just finished her second bowl, too. She went for more, actually liking the taste. "Question. How is this on nutrients?"

"A lot better than most think. In order to gain a single pound, one person had to eat 14 bowls of this. She only gained 1 pound with 14 bowls. You don't gain weight with it, and it's perfectly balanced. It's why it was so much of a hit. It tasted good, and was still good for you, a rare combination. Knowing

Ramen as well as I did, it was only natural for me to make something like it. Accident or not." Naruto explained. "There may be carbs in it, but none of it is bad. In fact, this stuff helped a friend of mine back to full condition in a week, when the doctors said it would take 3 months to heal. Trust me, it helps in more ways than one."

"Well, son, if this is your best dish, I want to know what your next best one is." Takehiro admitted. "And what happened to the porkchops you made?"

"You didn't notice?" Naruto twirled a single chop stick in one hand, before spearing a piece of meat in his bowl. "Here's a piece of one of them. It's all in the Ramen."

"Just... what is in this?" Yoshie asked.

"I want to know as well." Rika admitted.

"How about I write down the recipe? I'll bring it over to your house one of these days. These days this is a dish that should be used for Special Occasions. It's not exactly simple to get everything perfect. Everything has to be done perfectly, or the taste will be all wrong. The slightest mistake will throw the entire balance off. I worked in Ichiraku's every year on October 10th, for this dish, and this dish alone. It's a closely guarded secret, known only to me, and me alone. Hinata knew this. She's the only one that really knew what was in it. She was Naruto's wife, after all." Rika was surprised.

'He... he was married?'

"She was naturally sweet, but when enraged, she was deadly. More deadly than a Mega level Digimon."

"Which one?" Rika asked, somewhat curious.

"Hmm... You're familiar with Lucemon, right?" Naruto asked.

"He's just a rookie."

"Yet, even in Rookie form, he could take on an Ultimate like it was nothing. In his Mega Form, Lucemon Shadowlord Mode, is at least 20 times as powerful, unless I remember wrong."

Rika nodded. "That would be about right. Why?"

"She'd be about the level of Lucemon Shadowlord Mode." Naruto admitted.

"You're kidding me."

"I wish. She took on her husband's temperamental issues... not to mention the strength he had like that. Her husband was the only one to ever be scarier than her when enraged. Even her mother in law, Naruto's birth mother, was never known to be that dangerous when pissed." Naruto explained. "So, should I take you home, Rika? It's getting late."

"No... I'll be fine." She replied.

"I'm not so sure about that. The neighborhood between here and your place is not exactly safe at night." Naruto pointed out.

"And how would you know where I live?"

"It wasn't hard. The moment I knew your name, I could find nearly anything I wanted. Address, land line, relatives, everything. Considering who your mother is, you shouldn't be surprised. You could find damn near anything on her if you look in the right places." Yoshie bonked his head.

"Language."

Naruto barely flinched. "Sorry, mom."

"So... you just want to see my house don't you?"

"You could say that. I may not have been there in person, but that doesn't mean I don't know the fastest routes. Not to mention the safest." Naruto retorted. The hidden message was clear to Rika. 'A Digimon may appear, you want to be there if it does.'

"Alright, let's go." Rika said, picking up her stuff.

"Don't worry mom. I'll get home safely. Remember what I did Saturday. I'll be fine."

They both walked out, Naruto sighing as they walked off in a different direction. After they were in a more remote location, he picked her up bridal style, and jumped off, an illusion put around them, Renamon appearing nearby. "Uzumaki, what are you doing?"

"Getting Rika home, Renamon." Naruto replied, as she clung to him tightly. "Don't worry so much, Rika. I won't drop you. I didn't drop those that wanted to be dropped, after all." Rika nodded, but didn't relax her grip. It took him 22 minutes to get to the door of her home. "This is it, right?" He asked, putting her on the ground. She was blushing slightly.

"Y-yeah."

Naruto chuckled. "So... tomorrow, then?"

"I still want that rematch."

"You thought I would forget about that?" Naruto shook his head. "It was what I was asking about." She nodded.

"Head to the Shed in the abandoned part of Shinjuku Park. No one really goes there, so we could do so in peace. You can't use my training grounds yet, since you're not keyed into it. So, the shed will be a good point for some secrecy. Guilmon and I have full access to it, and he stays there while I'm at school." Rika nodded.

"See you there around 5:00?"

"Sure thing." Rika walked inside, and Naruto Shunshin'ed to the park for a few seconds. 'Wait... did I just ask her out on a date?'

Rika thought as she walked through the front door of her house. 'Wait... is this supposed to be a date?'

Then they both thought the same thing. 'Nah, s/he wouldn't like me like that.'

Naruto was back in his room through another Shunshin.

And neither of them were aware of just how wrong they were.

-meanwhile-

A man was sitting in a chair, in a dark room. "Status Report on the anomaly."

A female voice replied. "We can't get a lock on it. It's not a Wild One, though. That's all I can say for sure."

"It has to be a Wild One. Nothing short of a car can go that fast." The male said.

"It doesn't have the right signature. To find out, though, we'd probably have to send in a team." A second female voice stated.

"It's also been more and more often, recently. And always in tandem with the Wild Ones that Bio-emerge, before the Emergence points disappear."

"Are you saying that the Anomaly only appears when a Wild One does?"

"Yes sir." The first female replied.

"The Anomaly goes off the radar once the Bio-emergence is taken care of and reversed."

"We have to deal with the Anomaly. If it truly isn't a Wild One, then we need to convince whoever it is to join us." The male said, flicking a lighter shut.

"The Anomaly has been sighted."

"Quick, track it!"

"Getting a lock." Female 1.

"Lock failed. The Anomaly escaped." Female 2.

"Why can't we ever find out what's doing this?" The male growled.

"Sir, something just came up on the news."

"What does this have to do with anything?" He growled.

"Possible connection to the Anomaly."

"Put it on screen."

I saw it. The guy just jumped off the roof into the fog, and when the fog faded, the man was gone, but there were leaves in there. It's as if it's using the fog as transportation, or something.

What are your thoughts on this person? And what does he look like?

Well, he's daring. Jumping off a 10 story building is either brave or stupid. He's obviously fast, or able to Teleport. He also has Blonde spiked hair. He looked like a Character from some game. Something a friend of my son spoke about. Something about a Toad Sage, or something. From what he described of it, the outfit and hair was the same. Couldn't say anything else, though.

As the report kept going, there was nothing that could be figured out. "Sir?"

"Tally, find out anything you can on this game. This Toad Sage may be who we're looking for. Wild One or not, we need to know for certain. Riley, keep an eye out for any Wild Ones crossing over."

"Yes sir." They both replied.

00000x00000

Chapter complete.