Disclaimer: All respective characters and settings belong to their respective franchises.


"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…"

"..."

"We're dead, we're dead, we're dead…"

"..."

Kiba, who had been burning a hole in the middle of Naruto's living room for what had to be a few hours of pacing back and forth, turned to Shino, who had calmly taken over monitoring duty per the kunoichi's edict, sitting on the swivel chair and keeping his back to him.

The Inuzuka crept up next to the other boy, crouched down, slowly lifting his head that the crown was aligned with the Aburame's shoulders, having long taken off his jacket. He eyed the latter just staring squarely at the screen, the light of the monitor reflecting off of his shades in the dim room, which made his normally taciturn expression even more eerie.

"So…whatcha watching?" he asked the question delicately, not wanting to set the other boy off again. He had only ever seen Shino angry once before, and that was not something he would want a repeat of.

Shino did not deign to reply, having been giving him the silent treatment since his cold admonition after they were forced out of hiding, fixing all his attention on the monitor, but also deep fascination over this bizarre situation they stumbled into.

Curious.

Kiba sighed softly to himself, and to think, this all could have turned out so perfect. Rain on Naruto's parade by playing a prank on him on the day before he was to embark on his camping trip. Only for the trip itself to radically skew any and all expectations, and then some. Based on what little snippets of info they heard; and he was still reeling from that can of worms, Naruto, his uncle and weird pet bird, Chōji, Shikamaru and his old man, were in another world. He lost count of how many times he had to pinch himself in the hopes that this was all some weird dream he unconsciously fell into.

"I see…"

Kiba perked up from his slump, shooting a look at Shino once again and asking, "Huh? What is it?"

Shino didn't turn to him, but kept talking, "So, this Digital World is parallel to ours, but for what purpose are they there, dare I ask?"

Kiba's brows furrowed inquisitively, confused. From the tone alone, it was apparent that Shino was still ignoring him, and speaking with either himself, or someone else. "Uh, Shino, buddy, you okay?" Maybe the pressure was starting to get to him?

"You are mistaken," Shino said, and before Kiba thought that he was the one being addressed, the boy added shortly, "he is not my friend. He only badgered me into this. Had I not been so lenient, I would have refused from the start."

Now this really started to set the Inuzuka off, until his eyes traveled to the monitor, and saw of all things a chat box, just under the video of Naruto and his party sleeping in their tents.

4ngelf4c3: Aw, come on. Don't you think he needs a little emotional support right now? :D

The corner of Shino's lips curled into a grimace, the first crack in his icy demeanor. "None of that is my concern."

"Okay," Kiba snapped briskly, shooting up ramrod straight, both hands hooked on his hips. "Hold up! Who the hell are you talking to?" Shino remained stoic, still ignoring him. "Look, I get it, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I dragged you into this, but come on, man!" He threw his hands up as emphasis, his supplication continuing to fall on deaf ears. "Dude!"

4ngelf4c3: He won't stop. You know that, right?

As if a weight had been lifted, a sliver of relief entered Kiba when Shino pulled his gaze away from the screen to glance at him. "I-I'll make it up to you, alright? But right now, we gotta bail. We'll stop by our places, I'll get Akamaru, and then we hightail it straight out of Konoha with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Whadda ya say?"

It was a moment before Shino replied, "You should know as well as I do that we're stuck here. We can't touch the door, much less any of the windows. Not unless we want to wind up dead or crippled in some way."

Kiba wasn't the tiniest but dissuaded. "No way! There's always a way out. It's just Naruto's dinky apartment."

"An apartment that's primed to the brim with security seals, and likely booby trapped for good measure," Shino pointed out.

"Look, I am not gonna stay here waiting for the Hokage to come and haul our asses to T and I," Kiba declared frantically. "We either get the fuck out of here like my dad did, or our families are gonna be forgetting we ever even existed. You with me?"

This got Shino thinking, and he had been mulling the matter over since the moment Naruto glanced in the direction of where they were hiding. It hadn't been his imagination. Why were they allowed entry in the first place?

Naruto, Chōji and Shikamaru might have caught wind of them ever since they left school grounds, but it was when Naruto had gone home by himself that Shino suspected that he knew they were there from the way his head turned ever so slightly. Could he be a sensor? It was possible, given what he knew of the Uzumaki so far. A puzzle that kept adding pieces.

"Maybe you're just hungry," Shino said. "You'll think with a clearer head after you've had something to eat."

The impromptu suggestion rattled the already frazzled Inuzuka. "Are you-who gives a shit?! Dude, are we getting out of here or what?!"

He kept his eyes glued on the Aburame, hopeful, until after a few silent minutes of the other boy not budging an inch did he fall to the floor, leaning on his arms in surrender. He never really pictured himself going out this way. It was either die in a blaze of glory; all the while surrounded by beautiful women, or of natural old age; and still surrounded by beautiful women.

Shino blinked, taking off his shades to clean them, revealing his coal black eyes. "Just relax," he said. "Like I said, maybe after some dinner, you'll calm down."

Kiba sighed, conceding with a weak, "Right." He looked up at the Aburame and asked, "By the way, who were you talking to?"

Shino returned his gaze with his own, the rare times the Inuzuka ever saw him without his sunglasses. With a silent gesture of his head, Kiba rose to his feet and shuffled next to him, truly seeing the computer for the first time. It was black, unlike his, and sleeker too. If he was being honest; and he was, it kind of pissed him off that Naruto even had in his hands a model of this hi-tech. Did he win a prize, or something? Got lucky? Fuck that!

"When you're done drooling," Shino said, pulling Kiba back down to earth, holding two steaming cups of shio instant ramen, having prepared them in the kitchen the whole time his friend had been staring open mouthed at the computer, "here."

He handed one to him, which the boy accepted. Even though the Inuzuka didn't really eat ramen all that much because of the carbs, his growling stomach held no such objections.

As they were eating, all they could really see on the screen was Naruto's snoring face up close, sleeping soundly in a single tent with Shikamaru, Chōji, and that bird summon.

"God, his face pisses me off," Kiba said through gritted teeth before slurping up some noodles.

Shino went back to ignoring him as he ate, his mind working over this situation. The mysterious figure that he had been conversing with had explained that much to him. He maintained some level of skepticism, of course, but one couldn't really deny what was evident for long.

Unless one happened to be exceptionally stubborn.

"Puh, what a load of bullshit!" Kiba carped through a mouthful of soup and noodles. "Another world? Yeah, and I'm the freaking Sage of the Six Paths." He swallowed, then pointed his chopsticks at the monitor, adding, "I bet they're just in another part of this world, and this computer is some kind of teleportation shinobi tool that Konoha is testing out." And if that was the case, why the hell was Naruto of all people and those bozos chosen?

Shino took a swig of soup, and said, "Maybe. Just keep watching."

"Psh, as if I wanna see any more of Naruto's retarded mug," Kiba scoffed, downing the last of his ramen. "I get enough of that at school."

Shino, who was eating more languidly, could only shrug. "You can sleep on the couch."

"Nah, the floor's fine," Kiba replied, wiping at his mouth with the back of his forearm. "Don't wanna get any of Uzumaki's nasty on me." He carelessly tossed the cup and chopsticks behind him, spilling what was left of the soup and noodles on the clean floor.

"Clean that up," Shino told him calmly.

"No way," Kiba shot back. "You do it." The young Inuzuka then felt a sudden chill creep up his spine when the other boy directed an intense, ice cold side glare at him. "Hah! Fine!"

As Kiba went to pick up his trash, Shino watched as some brightness was beginning to show through the walls of the tent Naruto and the others were sleeping in. The night couldn't have gone that fast. Looking out the window in the living room, it was still dark out. Maybe time moved differently in this Digital World. Most curious.

After Kiba went out of the kitchen upon disposing of the trash and washing up, he took a look around the hallway. The apartment wasn't that lavishly furnished, and it was clean. So clean that there hadn't been a smell like he expected after first arriving. Deducing that it could only be Naruto's uncle keeping house, he inwardly scoffed that the blonde even needed someone to take care of him.

That was before he remembered until just recently, Naruto had been living alone.

He shook his head. His gaze wandered until it landed on the couch. It looked fairly new, and from the feel as he ran his hand over the fabric, it was just as clean as everything else. Maybe…he could sleep on it. He grinned, waging that it'd just piss Naruto off.

Plopping back on the soft makeshift bed, he had to admit that it was comfy, if not too soft for his liking. Nevertheless, he found himself dozing off not long after, leaving Shino to solely keep watch, observing the party breaking out of their slumber one by one.

Naruto was the second to come out of the tent, the first being Shikamaru, who was by the river brushing his teeth. Naruto soon joined him, the two of them standing side by side in silence other than the sounds of their brushing, the sun slowly rising over the horizon of the mountain.

Naruto spat out a wad of foam and said, "So, what's for breakfast?"

Shikamaru spat out the water he was rinsing with and replied, "Sorry, no cup ramen."

Naruto choked on his water. "I meant actual food!"

"Since when was ramen not food to you?" Shikamaru asked with a snide grin.

Naruto ground his recently clean teeth, then relented with a sigh. "We ate a lot last night. So that means…"

"We're rationing," Shikamaru revealed as they walked back to the tent. "It'd be bad if we're overfed and we encounter any hostiles."

"I guess," Naruto conceded, placing his toothpaste and toothbrush back in his pack. "Is Chōji gonna be okay with that?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru answered. "He knows better than you think."

"Uh, no," Naruto sputtered, realizing how he may have sounded. "It's just…"

Shikamaru waved it off. "Chōji only ever eats that much because he has to, not because he wants to. After the training with Oton started, he's been enjoying eating a lot more without having to worry about his health."

Naruto blinked in comprehension, realizing that, as ravenous as the Akimichi were, they were still human. Oton was their family physician, and he once mentioned that the lifestyle of their clan would have long killed them or left debilitating hereditary maladies. It was only because of their breeding as well as perfecting their calorie control that they could be the trenchermen that they were. Being told this and having remembered it sobered him on the topic.

A yawn from an awakening Chōji drew their attention, their rotund friend sitting up in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers. "What's for breakfast, mama?" he mumbled through the haze of drowsiness, smacking and licking his lips, probably still in a half dream state.

Breakfast turned out to be quite modest; in both affair and portions, with Chōji and Piyomon still eating more by a fair margin, having to settle for fruit and peanut butter sandwiches, extra chunky. Peanut butter was nutrient and calorie dense, and with fruits, it made for more than adequate fuel, with some cottage cheese and a protein shake on the side.

Shikaku's was more to his taste; dried squid and some rice, which he shared with Bokomon. After eating, the Jōnin Commander gathered the boys by the lake, with Chōji and Shikamaru being given a slip of chakra paper each. Knowing what they had to do, they soon grasped their respective affinity.

"Mine's fire," Shikamaru mused, still eyeing the pile of ash on the ground.

Naruto snickered, "Talk about some irony. Maybe we can trade techniques."

"No thanks. It might just lessen my chances of survival," Shikamaru deadpanned, earning a comical glare from the blonde.

"Mine's earth," Chōji revealed, the dirt that was once the chakra paper having blended in with the soil. "But…"

"Hm? What, Chōji?" Naruto questioned.

Chōji shook his head and said, "It could have been the way I held it or because it was beginning to crumble, but I could have sworn-"

"Shh!" Shikaku hushed them, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He promptly gave them the signal to break camp. Trusting the man's judgment, the party hurriedly packed everything, making sure to not leave a trace, with the Nara Head being very particular concerning that part.

They quickly vacated the area without a word, masking their every movement. When they were a good distance away as they glided through the trees; all of their heavier implements stored away, Shikaku spoke over the breeze, carrying Bokomon on his back as he did, "There were three of them. They were pacing their movements, which means they were casing the area."

"You sure they weren't just scrounging for some food?"

"No, he's right," Shikamaru refuted Naruto. "Plenty of animals make the land we own their home, so we know the kind of behavior associated with searching for food."

"They were too organized," Shikaku revealed more. "Almost like they were looking for something. Or someone."

"That must mean Etemon must have sent them to look for my house, but why now?" Bokomon wondered.

Shikaku opined, "What matters is that we cover our tracks and go to your house first to get what we need before they do, and if push comes to shove, defend it."

"Right," Bokomon said in the affirmative.

They made time as they soon found the underpass under Bokomon's direction, dashing in as they did, the energy from rest and food driving them. It was dim, but the dot of light at the very far end led the way, the tunnel floor uneven and loamy, with some small outcrops here and there. Piyomon was on Chōji's back, until she voted to fly the rest of the way, which the boy didn't mind. As the patter of footsteps echoed and bounced against the walls, Shikaku ran ahead. He exited the tunnel into more forest to check if it was safe, then called to the rest to hurry. Piyomon was the second to come out, followed by Naruto, Shikamaru and finally Chōji.

Shikaku quickly ordered for them to stand clear as he knelt on one knee and wove a series of hand seals, grunting from the additional drain of his chakra as he faced the tunnel. "Doton: Renga no Jutsu (Earth Release: Practice Brick Technique."

Placing his hands on the ground, he willed the earth from around the mouth to shift in a crisscross pattern, crafting a barricade to mislead any pursuers that this was a dead end.

Shikaku took a moment to catch his breath. This really was the most he could do in his current state, requiring some time before he could perform any decent jutsu. Shikamaru helped his father to his feet. "We can't be complacent," the man said, taking out half of a food pill and ingesting it. "On the off chance that they get a bead on us, this'll only slow them down."

The rest of the party nodded, with Bokomon pointing to where they needed to go. Taking to the trees once more, Naruto sped on ahead, his core and leg muscles honed by his training and having the most stamina out of them. Shikaku nodded as the blonde passed by him, with Shikamaru next to his father until the food pill would take effect. As Naruto flew through the treetops, taking fewer but powerful steps that one of the branches he sprang off from broke, his sharp eyes spotted a flash of something far ahead. Squinting, brows knitted tightly, it appeared to be a dome shaped structure.

That must be it! He turned his head around, but in the fraction of a second thought better than to yell out that he had found the house, remembering Shikaku's caution and that any loud noise could compromise them.

Deciding to just wait, he reached the house first, slowing down to execute an inaudible three point landing. Righting himself, he beheld the home for the first time. He crept near and stopped by a wooden fence that came up to his waist. This is Bokomon's house?

The building was light in color, with long ovoid windows. There was a yard with a small garden consisting of a few potted plants and a patch where some vegetables were growing. It gave off a very modest and idyllic vibe, like one would expect of a house in the remote woods. The others arrived about fifteen minutes later, and Bokomon leaped down from Shikaku's shoulders. He came up to the fence next to the Uzumaki, a longing gleam in his eye as he looked up at his home that he hadn't been to in a while. Letting out a sigh, he looked to the rest of the group and gestured for them to come inside, now his guests.

"Really?"

Naruto mumbled out the word flatly, having little choice but to crawl through the small door. Shikaku elected to stay outside to keep watch, with Chōji voting for the same. Piyomon, being roughly Bokomon's size, freely entered without a care. Shikamaru, out of his own curiosity, came in after Naruto, grunting when the crown of his head collided with the blonde's rear.

"Move it!" Shikamaru hissed irritably.

Naruto grunted in reply, "I'm moving, I'm moving-oof! Don't push me, jackass!"

The Nara heir growled under his breath, looking ahead at the foyer, which was unlike the traditional kind in their world. No space for footwear. Bokomon was often barefoot, and only ever wore sandals at work, but whether it was a matter of culture or not wasn't a topic they had much priority broaching. Both boys kept crawling until they came upon a three-step stairwell that went down a floor, much to their relief, as they no longer had to be on all fours. They slowly rose to their feet, but now found themselves nearly touching the ceiling that they still needed to avoid any sudden movements.

"Ow!" Naruto grunted, having moved suddenly in his attempt to take a step. Soon enough, however, once they crept deeper into the living room, the roof was much higher, but only enough for them to avoid almost hitting the lights. From there, the only thing they needed to do was avoid the furniture. They could make out a wooden coffee table and a single sofa, a fireplace, and a small shelf with pictures and random knick knacks.

Both approached the shelf and knelt down to scan the items, the photos numbering four in total. One was of Bokomon smiling next to what could only be another Digimon. The figure resembled a yellow dinosaur with bright green eyes. The odd thing was, the creature seemed to be wearing a lab coat that was a tad size bigger than him, with the end of the sleeves tattered, and a black, oddly shaped hat on the top of his head. He was holding up a stick or scepter of some sort as he and Bokomon posed for the photo, both flashing toothy smiles.

The next photo was of Bokomon again, standing next to a man with the head of a lion who was seated on a stone stairwell that led to what appeared to be an estate or a dojo. Most likely the latter, as the lion man's attire consisted of a black gi tied together with a red belt, and black pants. His voluminous mane was kept in a ponytail. He was far taller and bulkier in contrast to the tiny Bokomon, whose full height barely came up to his knees.

The third was of Bokomon and-

"Hey, Shika," Naruto called to the other boy. "This is-"

Shikamaru turned to the blonde, pulling away from a knickknack that caught his interest. He studied the photo carefully after Naruto handed it to him. It was of Bokomon still, but this time, instead of some manner of Digimon like the other two, it was a man. An actual human. Or, as close to what he could consider human, as the figure had small horns jutting from his forehead, ashen skin, shaggy light colored hair, and red eyes.

The eyes of an Uchiha, the Sharingan.

His own eyes widened after spotting this detail. The man was dressed in a long sleeved black shirt and black jeans, with a white cloak draped over his shoulders that pooled down his back. He and Bokomon were situated on top of some crates, the backdrop seemingly that of a pier. The scholar was standing on a crate, while the man sat on his, arms hanging over his knees, one hand holding what appeared to be a beer can of all things, with Bokomon brandishing the same. They were smiling, and more than a little tipsy from the flush on their faces, many a nights (and mornings) his father having sported the same.

"This must be him," Naruto spoke softly, almost reverently. "The Sage of the Six Paths."

Shikamaru nodded tacitly. Having been exposed to tales of the great Sage that founded Ninjutsu and the shinobi world in general, many people were reserved the right to be skeptical, even disbelieving of his existence, the man himself was either a fabrication or a charlatan whose supposed deeds were mere embellishments. The photo itself wasn't old or worn, nor was it lacking in color. It was as clear and vivid as any modern photograph, well preserved in the frame that it was being held in for what had to be several millennia. In his hands right now was proof that the legendary figure had indeed existed.

"You think we should bring it with us?" Naruto asked him. Shikamaru didn't answer immediately, and when he was about to, Bokomon came into the living room, holding what appeared to be a small device in his hand.

"You can take the photos," Bokomon told them as he and Piyomon sauntered up to them, the bird digimon carrying a large sack that was tied around her neck, which could only be the scholar's belongings. "I'm sure Hiruzen will appreciate it."

Shikamaru briefly cocked a brow at the scholar being on a first-name basis with the Hokage before helping gather what they could bring along. Naruto took the earlier two photos as Shikamaru plucked the remaining one from a bottom shelf, which was-

A sharp whistling from outside pulled at their attention, a signal for them to hurry along. Grabbing as much as they could carry, they carefully exited the house where Shikaku and Chōji were waiting outside the fence, both ready to leave, the Jōnin Commander informing them urgently, "Something passed by the alarm seal I placed near the tunnel!" Shikaku beckoned for them to make haste.

Shikamaru and Naruto blinked in surprise. Already? It hadn't even been that long. Not waiting around to see if it could simply be something else, they made a rush for the fence and skipped over it.

Once they were fully outside, Bokomon deduced, "They must have somebody tracking our scent."

Shikaku's expression hardened, having had experience with trackers and sensors in a number of his past missions.

And the war.

Though now, the people with him weren't his teammates or a squad, but his son and his friends, not even out of the Academy.

Before they could get on the move once more, the scholar revealed the device in his hand, which appeared to be a remote. "I always knew that a day like this would come. Like I mentioned back in the apartment, you can never be too prepared in the Digital World. Let's just say that having lived a long life, you tend to rack up a number of people with a bone to pick with you, so on the off chance that I had to leave everything behind, whatever research and data in my possession would have to either be hidden away, or-"

Shikaku narrowed his eyes in comprehension. "You rigged your house to blow."

Bokomon nodded. "It could just be the distraction that we need, and if not, we'll still be a step ahead of them. I managed to pack only what we could bring back with us." He pointed to the large sack Piyomon was lugging. "The rest? Well, once we're far enough away-"

"Kablooey!" Naruto finished for him, fanning his arms out, then shrunk from the looks he earned. "Sorry."

"It's a good plan," Shikaku said after clearing his throat.

Storing Bokomon's things in Naruto's D-Scanner, they leapt up to the trees. "We can make a stop at a town a few miles from here. There's a train station there where we can hitch a ride to our next destination," Bokomon told them from Shikaku's back.

"Train station?" This confused the shinobi, which made the scholar sweatdrop. Anachronism. Right.

"Let's just hurry!" Bokomon exclaimed, then sighed, lifting up the remote detonator and pressing the button.

Minutes Earlier

"Now ain't this just fucking beautiful!"

"They couldn't have gone far. It's fleeting but I managed to lock onto their scent the moment we passed by that clearing, but it ends here."

"If memory serves, this is supposed to be an underpass, not a cave, so what's with the dead end?"

"They could have a Gottsumon along with them for all I care. You know what to do."

There was a noise that sounded distinctly like a high pitch hum that gradually rose in volume, before the wall that Shikaku had set up was blown apart with incredible force, shattered to pieces as debris dispersed out in a thick cloud.

"Is this gonna be a thing? Just busting through shit?"

"Hopefully not, because that'll only piss me off," a figure said, accompanied by two others that were flanking him from side to side. "And I'm never fond of losing my temper. Always makes fights less fun for me."

Three menacing shadows moved through the subsiding dust cloud, cutting an intimidating presence. The one on the right towered over the other two, with thick, bulging muscles underneath a brown, skintight leather bodysuit with numerous stitching. A zipper ran down from the base of his neck, stopping just above his groin. On his feet were large, leather boots that had seen better days. The hulking giant growled under his breath, his face twisted into an ugly scowl, before going into a sneezing and coughing fit.

"Ooh, ooh, I should have not done that," he said between coughs and sniffles, rubbing his nose, his nasally voice belying his bulk. "I should not have done that. Terrible for my sinuses."

"Forget your sinuses!" The one in the middle snapped in a baritone deep voice. "We need to make tracks before we lose 'em!"

The one on his left sniffed the air after he steered clear of the dust, standing on all fours, some of the dirt clinging to his red fur. "The house should be up ahead, along with that egghead and his posse."

The one in the middle released a breath of relief, saying, "Beautiful, just beautiful. We got 'em no-"

He was cut off by an explosion in the distance. Eyes widening, he soon saw black smoke billowing in the distance. "What…just happened?"

The one on all fours sniffed the air. "They must have blown up the house."

"There goes ransacking the place," the taller one remarked in disappointment. "What now, chief?"

The figure in the middle was quiet for a moment. "There's a town no further than five miles from here. That's the only place they can go. If not, we can make a report to the boss there. Let's move!"

The other two acknowledged the order with a resounding, "Right!"

Naruto's Apartment…

Kiba let out a yawn as he stirred. Smacking his lips, he blinked his eyes open to an unfamiliar ceiling, which was shortly supplanted by the face of a woman, grinning down at him as she said, "Had a good night's sleep, fido?"

Kiba blinked again to clear the fog of his vision, until his eyes flew completely open. Was he dreaming? This was a dream, right?

Wait. Stewing in his own thoughts for a moment, the events of the other day came flooding back, rendering him wide awake. With a jolt, he shot off of the couch, which drew a chortle from the retreating woman, whom he soon recognized.

The young man took a few frantic steps back but stopped just inches away from the wall, his eyes darting around the room wildly, until his focus landed on what made his blood run cold.

The Hokage.

Standing by the hallway. Hands folded behind his back.

He was flanked by two other men, the same ones that were with him the previous night aside from the woman, who had shuffled next to Shino, switching in with him. One he could tell was Chōji's dad, while the other was Hatake Kakashi. The Hatake Kakashi. He would have asked for the man's autograph any other time, but now he was petrified at the mere sight of them.

The Inuzuka gulped down a massive lump that had stuck itself in his throat, rooted to the spot that he couldn't even back against the wall. He tried to get his mouth to work, to form a sound that; even faintly, resembled words, but the air around him had become stifling, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he felt the beginnings of a panic attack.

Hiruzen's visage was stern, but unreadable, which only added to the cruel silence. He raised his right arm; a gesture that caused Kiba's stomach to shoot straight up his throat, signaling to the two men. Believing that they were going to make a grab for him, they instead headed in the direction of the kitchen.

This did nothing to assuage him when the Hokage traipsed to where a much calmer Shino was seated next to the kunoichi. The man placed a gentle hand on the other boy's shoulder, who seemed more receptive to the contact, the lad reciprocating with a polite nod of greeting. He soon returned his attention to Kiba with a dramatically slow turn of his head, and it was like the young man's very soul was set to abandon his body from the frigid glare directed at him, rivulets of sweat pooling down from his forehead, his complexion white as a sheet.

I…I'm dead…

Some time later, instead of a cold and dark room, both boys were seated at Naruto's kitchen table, the morning light filtering in from the windows, facing a spread of freshly prepared food courtesy of Chōza and Kakashi. Kiba blinked in puzzlement, but the terror did not leave him, looking down at a breakfast consisting of steaming black rice with shirasu, grilled salmon, red cabbages, miso soup with tofu and spring onions, and a glass of soy milk.

Shino thanked them for the food and proceeded to eat first. Hiruzen was seated opposite them both, Kiba's full focus firmly fixed on the man as if he would at any second reach out and end him, the top of his head to the very tips of his extremities shaking profusely.

Hiruzen remained taciturn, but the stringent countenance and aura from earlier had been replaced by a still unreadable aloofness, as if he was studying them. Finally, with a click of his tongue, the Hokage began with, "Are you boys free?"

Kiba blinked again, before his demeanor gave way to a deeper terror that would have been enough to turn his hair white. Shino continued eating, even complimenting the food, which pleased Chōza.

Hiruzen finally seemed to relent after a few minutes, smiling genially as he gestured for the lad to fill his empty stomach. "Come, come, Kiba-kun, you needn't be alarmed. It is a Saturday, after all. I was simply asking if you two would be staying for the viewing." The way he worded it only served to unnerve the poor boy more.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, and said to the Inuzuka from Hiruzen's left, "You really aren't in any trouble."

"S-So long as we stay…quiet," Kiba surmised with a fragile tone.

"You get it," Kakashi said with some modicum of satisfaction, ignoring the light admonition from Hiruzen. "What you boys have waltzed into is an S-Class secret that if ever disclosed to the public would have far-reaching, disastrous ramifications for all involved. For Konoha, as well as internationally."

"You really have a way with 'em, Kakashi," Anko mockingly praised from the living room.

Shino remained unfazed, knowing how and when to keep a secret, finishing up his breakfast.

That left only Kiba.

Loudmouthed and boisterous Kiba.

Both hands on his knees, the Inuzuka tightened them into fists as he mulled over his options, heavily torn. None of them needed to wait for long, however, as the decision was made shortly when, with trembling hands, he picked up the pair of chopsticks with his right and the bowl of black rice with his left.

Hiruzen hid a satisfied smile, having fully anticipated for the two to comply. He had little doubt from the beginning since having caught on to their uninvited presence upon entering the apartment.

It wasn't a matter of coercion or force, but simply common sense for a shinobi. Unless they were specifically ordered to, anything less was a pointless waste of life.

"So, this Digital World," Shino spoke up, gathering his implements for the sink to wash them. "Is it truly a parallel dimension, or simply a simulation within the computer?"

Hiruzen answered easily, "It is indeed a world parallel to ours. You will know more in time."

"Are Junichiro-sensei and Naruto's pet summon Digimon?"

Hiruzen nodded.

"I still think it's bullshit," Kiba grumbled, plucking up some of his courage, the food having helped. "You can't honestly expect us to believe that Naruto is in another world. That's crazy."

"Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you, Kiba-kun," Hiruzen said easily, standing up from his seat. "We've already informed your families that you were caught attempting to pull a prank on Naruto-kun, to which you are currently in the midst of undergoing disciplinary action as well as composing a report on shinobi history."

"Great," Kiba groaned through a mouthful of food, knowing that his mom was just waiting for him to come home. He then blinked in confusion. "Wait, report on shinobi history?" This threw him off since he had a rather decent grasp on history if his grades were any indication, so this was completely out of left field.

Hiruzen coughed pointedly, the two men flanking him looking anywhere but forward. "There will be a last minute revision to the curriculum that will drop in the coming week. You both will be required to submit your textbooks for inspection and replacement."

Kiba continued to be perplexed when Shino spoke from the sink, "Is this regarding the Uzumaki Clan?"

At that, Hiruzen closed his eyes, while Kiba could only frown and exclaim, "Hah?! Uzumaki Clan? The fuck? Did Naruto seriously file for recognition as a clan of one?"

A stern glare from Hiruzen cowed the Inuzuka into silence, the boy's remark only adding to more of his regret at what he had allowed to happen. "Shino-kun, if you would."

Aburame Shino needed no further prompting. "The Uzumaki Clan, a sister clan to the Senju and the leading authority and pioneers of Fūinjutsu. For them to have become this obscured is quite worrying, Hokage-sama."

"Indeed," Hiruzen conceded. "A grave blunder if there has ever been one, to which I did little to rectify until now."

Kiba gaped. What were they talking about? The Senju had a sister clan? "Eh?"

"Does Naruto know?" Shino questioned.

"He was the one who brought the issue to light, actually."

"Tch, I'll bet," Kiba grumbled to himself, then ducked his head from another stern glare courtesy of Hiruzen. "Now hang on! If this Uzumaki Clan is such a big deal-"

"They were a very big deal, Kiba," Shino admonished. "So much so that they were decimated by all the other major powers because of the threat they posed from their continuous innovations in the Fūin Arts."

This caught the Inuzuka by surprise, the very first having heard of such a thing. "Wha-What? Come on, if something that big happened, then shouldn't there be…"

"Much of the significant details surrounding the Uzumaki had been quietly expunged in the recent decade," Kakashi explained gravely. "Can either of you boys name Senju Hashirama's wife?"

Kiba took on an affronted look, having read up on the Hashirama Clan's history quite thoroughly. There shouldn't be a man, woman and child alive in Konoha who was ignorant of such a detail. "Psh, who doesn't? Hashirama-sama's wife passed away before him, leaving him wido-" The temperature in the room took a sudden nosedive, cutting Kiba off as he paled once more from a heavy pressure that descended on the kitchen, leaving even Shino frozen midway back to the table after finishing with the dishes.

"Hashirama-sama's wife was Uzumaki Mito, who managed to outlive him well into my first term," Hiruzen said with deep emotion and an even deeper glare, flooring Kiba with this revelation. "I cannot tell you how much of a significance she and her clan have had in Konoha's history since its founding. More than what many are currently aware of, I'm afraid. Be sure to remember that, both of you."

The two boys didn't verbally reply, only agreeing with stiff nods. "Would that make Naruto her descendent?" Shino asked after retaking his seat at the table, with Kiba finishing up, having realized halfway just how hungry he had become without a proper dinner.

Hiruzen seemed to hesitate in answering. "Naruto-kun is her great-great grand nephew, both of them having hailed from the main branch. His mother emigrated here after the clan was caught in a civil war, and subsequently, the attack on their village."

"Wha-They had a freaking village of their own too?!" Kiba exclaimed in both shock and surprise. "Next you're gonna tell us that Naruto is secretly the son of the Fourth Hokage."

The very instant those words flew straight out of his lips, an extremely palpable silence washed over the entire apartment. Kakashi planted a hand on his face, shaking his head. Chōza fully turned his head away, tightening the fold of his arms that they now seemed to wrap around himself defensively. Hiruzen's features withered so profusely his wrinkles seemed to have garnered wrinkles. He was beginning to wonder what the point of it all was. The law. The secrecy. He wagered he could shout it from the rooftops and not one person would bat an eye.

The silence didn't last long as Anko's distinct laughter resounded from the living room. "This is just too good! Hahaha!"

Kiba was momentarily confused over what the kunoichi found funny, until the dots began to connect on their own. "No goddamn way!'

Rather than refute the boy or say more, Hiruzen merely took a sharp intake of air, both pairs of fingers massaging his temples, which was all the boy needed as confirmation.

Kiba's jaw could only hang open. "Th-This has to be a joke, right? Fucking Naruto?!"

"'Fraid so, kid," Anko called again from the living room. "Short Man's practically village royalty."

The Inuzuka couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. Quite literally overnight, their stations in life had turned. Granted, he still belonged to a prominent clan, but the difference was like having a lifetime membership to a high class country club, when the other guy practically owned the country club.

Against his better judgment, he slammed a fist down on the table, his face twisted into an ugly frown. "This is bullshit!"

Everyone in the room went silent, staring at the young Inuzuka, the boy having shot out of his chair, his canines bared as raw emotion emanated from him. "This is all bullshit!" First, he suffered a humiliating defeat courtesy of the blonde. Second, placing third in the obstacle course. Now, he finds out that the class loser and clown of the century had actually been a part of Konoha's ruling class all along. It sounded like someone's idea of a joke.

Hiruzen's demeanor softened, deciding that an explanation was in order, only for Kiba to storm off for the door. It could be locked or booby trapped for all he cared, the only thing he wanted at that moment was to go home. To his family, to Akamaru, and to figure out where he would go from knowing what he now knew. A part of him was hoping that this was just some weird dream, and after a good night's sleep in his bed, things would go back to the way they were.

Not exactly top dog, but still leagues above Naruto. Him, the heir to the Inuzuka Clan, whose career and future was secured since birth, as opposed to the blonde speck of a bug that would be fortunate enough to even end up as a smear under his sandal. It just didn't feel fair.

"Hey, did you guys notice Kiba was there?"

His hand was inches away from the knob when he caught what Shikamaru had said.

The party were now strolling through the forest. Shikaku's stamina had taken a drop, forcing them to slow down and conserve energy. Figuring that they had covered enough distance, a part of them now sightseeing, passing by some baby Digimon, with some curious enough to catch a glimpse of them but keeping their distance.

Just ahead of them was a much larger Digimon, the first one they spotted since their arrival. Staying hidden and masking their presence, they chose to leave the creature undisturbed as it fed on some fruit. Not Meat Fruits, it would seem, as the ones it was nibbling on were a bright red instead of green. The beast was massive even from a distance, and to Shikaku, it nearly rivaled the bulk of a fully grown elephant, if not for one keen detail.

Its horn.

Compared to its already impressive size, the one feature that stood out; figuratively and literally, besides the armored hide was its horn, which had to be twice its full height in sheer length.

"If you make a phallus joke, I will slap you," Kakashi told Anko, him and the rest of the group on their side moving back to the living room. Kiba was still by the door, held only by his curiosity.

Anko could only smile. "Tempting, but there are children present."

"What could that thing be?" Chōza asked curiously, helping Kakashi set up the chairs.

Anko accessed the scan function. "Let's find out."

Monochromon

Stage: Champion

Type: Ankylosaur

Attribute: Data

A Digimon with a rhinoceros-like horn growing on its snout. As its huge horn grows, it becomes large enough to account for half of its body length. The hard substance covering a portion of its horn and half its body is as hard as diamond, and it is said that there is nothing that cannot be penetrated by this horn. Monochromon can be said to be a Digimon that excels in both offense and defense. It is herbivorous and has a relatively docile personality, but once it is angered, it will continue to unleash terrifying counterattacks from its heavy tank-like body.

Attacks

Volcano Strike - Spits out a ball of volcanic fire.

Grand Fire - Breathes out a wave of fire that sweeps along the ground.

Guardy Tusk - Charges forward and spears the foe with its horn.

Anko pursed her lips. "Definitely not what they need right now."

"So long as they don't provoke it," Kakashi pointed out.

"The hell is that?!"

None of them were surprised by the Inuzuka still not having left, having slunk behind Shino, who had taken his seat next to the Hokage.

"How very curious," the young Aburame mused, fascinated.

"That, kids, is a Digimon," Anko explained to those in the back. "An abbreviation for Digital Monster and the dominant species of that world."

"That world?" Kiba blinked, still unwilling to believe that Naruto and his loser brigade were embarking on such an adventure.

And…there was a part of him that couldn't help but be jealous.

"I have already conversed with an inhabitant through the chat, and they have imparted much to me," Shino proclaimed.

"Oh, that bozo," Anko said derisively. "Yeah, you're gonna be having a hard time dealing with that guy."

"Actually, they seemed quite friendly," Shino refuted.

Anko still scoffed, replying, "Yeah, I'll bet. Just stick around and take it from me, kid. You ain't seen nothin' yet."

A single eye peaked around the corner, Chōji being a little curious as to what kind of fruit it was, before training his sights ahead and adding to the conversation, "What do you think the Hokage is gonna do about him?"

Naruto kept walking forward as he replied, "I don't really care all that much. It's not like he can just blab and everybody back home will believe him. I mean, would you guys if you weren't in the know?"

"Nope," Shikamaru answered.

"Uh uh," Chōji shook his head.

"Exactly," Naruto nodded. "At least Shino was there."

"Yeah, we can trust Shino to keep a secret," Shikamaru remarked. "Besides, if Kiba does end up shooting his mouth off, well…"

Naruto shuddered, just imagining what horrors Anko were to inflict on the boy. "Nah, I don't think Kiba would be that stupid."

"EXCUSE ME?!" Kiba snapped.

"Pfft, if he could get away with it, he'd be as much of a gossip monger as Ino," Shikamaru opined. "But, you're right, he's not that stupid. To a fault."

Chōji hummed to himself, "Well, there was that one time he told the entire class about Kanagawa's crush on Minami."

Naruto blinked, "Oh yeah, I remember that. Too bad he creamed Kanagawa when the guy tried getting back at him for it."

"But this isn't about a crush," Shikamaru pointed out. "Who in their right mind would believe that there's an entire world in a computer?"

"Actually, that's not entirely accurate," Bokomon chimed in. "The Digital World isn't in the computer so much as it's its entirely own universe. The computer just acts as a gateway."

"Huh," Shikamaru blinked in understanding. "That so? Then, what was it like back then? I mean, did the Digital World always exist before technology?"

"Yeah, but back then, things were…different," Bokomon alluded. "Not at all like it is now. Let's just say that when you guys were still around, things were pretty damn crazy."

Kiba and Shino listened intently, a large portion of the conversation confounding them. "How bad was it?" Naruto asked curiously.

Bokomon, who was ahead of the boys and just behind Shikaku, shut one eye as he dredged up some of the past. "Well, there was that one time you sank an entire continent."

"...What."

Hiruzen and the other adults paled. For a single Digimon to be that powerful. Destroying the world was bad, yes, but an entire continent was already bad enough. "Wh-Why'd I do that?!" Naruto asked in shock.

"Because you got into a fight with…I forgot who they were exactly, but I think they wanted to take your spot or something," Bokomon elaborated, rubbing his chin as he wrestled over the details.

"Must have been some fight," Shikamaru commented.

"Heh, that was normal back then," Bokomon said. "There wasn't anywhere you could spit where there wasn't carnage. Digimon back then were desperate to get stronger like you wouldn't believe. The entire planet was effectively a massive battlefield."

"Sounds like hell," Shikaku remarked gravely, sobered by war.

"Oh no, we loved it!" Bokomon refuted, much to the surprise and shock of those listening. "The time of our lives. Especially you guys." He shot a glance at the three reincarnations, who were flummoxed that there had ever been a time that they actually enjoyed constant fighting and conflict. Yes they'd get that particular "rush" during spars, but the scholar made it sound like that they couldn't get enough of it. Had they really been that different back then?

Piyomon, who was walking next to Naruto, tilted her head. "Was it really that fun?"

"Well, times have changed now, mostly, but overall, yeah, things were different back then, and it was pretty great for the most part," Bokomon said shamelessly. Minutes later, however. "Until…Digimon like me got sick of it."

Hiruzen and his former students, Kakashi and Anko looked on.

Naruto, Shikamaru and Chōji exchanged glances before facing the scholar's back.

"You mean, you used to…"

"That's gonna have to be for some other time," Bokomon interrupted. "The town should be just over that ridge."

They scaled the ridge and soon enough, in the distance, spotted a town. Surprisingly, it looked like any other run-of-the-mill town in the human world, but there were moving figures that looked anything but human, some of them tall and imposing, while others were smaller.

"In towns like this, most Digimon remain in Rookie to avoid property damage or to conserve energy. Or simply both," Bokomon explained as they went down. "Most will leave you alone so long as you don't bother them, but it still pays to be careful. Shikaku-han."

Shikaku looked over his shoulder as the scholar scurried next to him. "We're gonna need to keep the boys at arm's length. Absolutely none of us should split from the group."

Shikaku's brows knit tightly into a cold scowl, resolute that if anyone were to touch his boy and his friends, they would meet a very unpleasant end.

The three boys stiffened, having had this conversation with Bokomon before. That, in the Digital World, children were akin to a valuable commodity for Digimon to gain strength faster. As such, many Chosen Children in the past went through or met rather unfortunate fates, and was part of the reason why the scholar chose to keep their whereabouts unsaid in the first place. Hence, many of the now adult chosen looked to him as a trusted ally and confidant.

Hiruzen and the others went cold with both dread and outrage, but just as quickly reflected on their own skeletons. That they were hardly any different in the exploitation of children. It was one of the reasons why Hiruzen had softened many of his past policies in the current peace.

Tsunade's grief was still burned into his memory, along with many that had been bereaved by the last war.

"What…are they talking about?" Kiba questioned, not able to follow any of it.

"Just take a seat, kid," Anko told him tacitly. "You're gonna want to. Trust me."

As soon as they entered the town, they immediately took stock of the perimeter, any routes they could take in case they needed to make a getaway. Many of the buildings were a mix between concrete and wood, but mostly the latter. There was a close resemblance to the more common structures in Konoha, but certain details naturally deviated. Some were distinctly larger than the rest, the doors twice in size compared to what they were used to. All of the windows, however, were circular or ovoid like Bokomon's was, and rather than a dirt road, the ground was paved with flattened stones cemented tightly together. There were spots and corners where grass freely grew alongside a few trees, counting three.

It looked every bit an idyllic town they could live in and call home.

Were it not for the numerous eyes following them.

"Psst! Humans."

"Are those children?"

"Children?"

A chill washed over the human members of the party from the attention from almost every corner, with Shikaku having to glare at a pair that were a little too close for comfort to slink back into an alleyway, not that they seemed intimidated, only peeved. Many of them were indeed Rookies, but taking into consideration what Bokomon had told them, they could simply be in a rest state.

They could make out only two that stood out as being larger. One appeared to be a bear, walking on all fours. What set it apart from a common bear back in their world was its distinctly indigo fur, with the tufts thickest around its torso and head, slicked back, and accented with a lighter shade. Its snout and facial features, as well its belly were a cream white. It wore circular red pauldrons on its shoulders, with three metal studs visible. Red gloves adorned the beast's front paws, its sharp claws protruding out proudly. Jutting out of the knuckles were sharp bladed edges, one to match each claw. On its forehead, they could make out the mark of a horizontally positioned crescent moon.

Next to the bear was a Digimon that resembled a tall monkey with spiky golden fur, the numerous sharp ends accented with red. The mere sight of the creature was enough to make Hiruzen gape. He could be one of Enma's.

The simian had a hunched gait, its figure gangly but well muscled under its golden fur. The hairless sections of its chest, face, and extremities were gray, with the hands and feet disproportionately sized that reminded them of Hyougamon.

Tied around its torso was a red cloth that bound a large bone club on its back. Worn on its left index finger was a golden ring inscribed with Digimoji. The duo seemed to be heading their way, causing the party to stop when they were about ten feet apart, not taking any chances. The tense air between the two factions wasn't unnoticed by the pair as they exchanged glances, before the monkey was the first to address them.

"Hello," the simian greeted with a masculine voice, giving them a friendly wave. "Welcome to our town."

The party didn't answer back right away, until Shikaku stepped forward and put on a disarming smile. "Uh, thank you."

There was a moment of awkward silence before it was the bear's turn to speak in a distinctly feminine tone of voice, "Are you strangers passing by or visiting?"

Shikaku cleared his throat before responding smoothly, "We were hoping to hitch a train ride." The man didn't even need to rehearse the lines Bokomon had given to him, drawing from years of experience. "We were told that we could find a station here."

"Oh. Well, you were told right. We do have a train station here. Just two blocks near the council building. I'm Gryzmon, by the way," she proceeded to introduce herself after pointing in the supposed direction of the station, which Shikaku was more than cautious enough not to trust. "And this is my husband, Hanumon. We're part of the council."

All of the humans; including the ones back in their world, collectively blinked at the same time upon hearing this, twice consecutively. Bokomon frowned at this, coughing and clearing his throat pointedly, not that the couple seemed to take notice, merely assuming that the party was deciding whether to head straight to the station or not.

Anko lowered her head with a sigh and said, "This is just too easy."

"Now, Anko, far be it for us to judge," Kakashi chided her coyly, wagging a finger.

Anko wordlessly reciprocated with a middle finger, not even looking in his direction as she kept her eyes glued on the monitor. She commenced with scanning the pair.

Gryzmon

Stage: Champion

Type: Beast

Attribute: Vaccine

A Beast Digimon that possesses the spirit of an honorable martial artist despite its ferocious appearance, which results from its plainly massive body, as well as its fangs and claws which conceal lethal potential. In spite of its large body, it can nimbly dodge the opponent's attacks, turning them aside, as with its exceptional grappling sense it doesn't need to rely on its own attacks. Though Gryzmon never starts fights, the moment someone angers it, it will stand on its hind legs and knock them down with its heavyweight forelegs, 'Kuma Tsume'. Its power is such that it is able to inflict a mortal wound on most Digimon with just this single blow. These "Kuma Tsume" appear to have been imitated in Warumonzaemon's 'Bear Claw' equipment.

Attacks

Atemigaeshi: Knocks the enemy down with a counter, then strikes for their vitals.

Crescent Dawn: Slashes with a sweep of her 'Kuma Tsume'.

Heavy Attack: A hard body blow.

Hanumon

Stage: Champion

Type: Beast Man

Attribute: Vaccine

A legendary Beast Man Digimon covered in golden-colored body fur. Although there have been many sightings of it reported in the Eastern area of the Network, it is an extremely rare Digimon, with many rumors and legends surrounding it. However, recent evidence has arisen that these may all be embellishments spread by the species as a joke.

Attacks

Dohatsuten: Hardens his needle-like fur to a level akin to that of metal, then launches them at high speed.

Nyoi Bone: Attacks with his extensible bone club.

Maen Moubakuken: A series of flaming punches.

Hiruzen rubbed his chin as he assessed the pair's profile and their skillsets, Hanumon's Dohatsuten being uncannily similar to Jiraiya's Kebari Senbon (Hair Needle Senbon).

"Both seem to specialize in their own form of Taijutsu, with the other having access to bukijutsu and ninjutsu-like skills," Shino observed. "The question is, should they be complacent?"

"I should hope not," Kakashi opined. "For all we know, they could be-"

"Hm? Bokomon?" Gryzmon spoke after spotting a familiar flash of white between the humans, the scholar standing just behind Shikamaru. "Boko, is that you?"

Bokomon emerged from hiding and smiled at the husband and wife pair. "Hey guys, long time no see."

The golden monkey let out a guffaw and exclaimed, "I'll say! We were beginning to worry about you, man. You haven't been to town for months."

Gryzmon added as they strode closer, "Not even for some morning coffee. I was planning on having Hanu do a wellness check on you tomorrow."

Bokomon shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head as he replied, "Well, here I am. No need to go so far for me. I would have dropped by eventually, but I was…busy. You know how it is."

Husband and wife took another look at the humans. "Yes, we can see that," Gryzmon commented. She swung her head to her right and said, "Why don't we take this conversation to lunch? Our treat."

Naruto, Piyomon and Chōji perked up at the offer of food. Bokomon waved his hand. "No need. We can pay our own way."

"Come on, we insist," beckoned Hanumon, who went after his wife. "There's a fast food joint here that has the best burgers. You guys will love it."

The humans looked at each other in confusion. "Fast…food?" Naruto said in confusion.

"They serve hamburger steaks here?" Chōji added joyfully, running his tongue across lips.

"Well, we're not gonna find out standing all day here," Shikamaru shrugged. "I could go for some lunch. What about you, dad?"

Shikaku shrugged in the same manner as his son and replied, "Wouldn't hurt to try the local delicacy." The look in his eye, however, betrayed a caution to keep their guard up, which they wordlessly nodded to, still feeling some eyes on them.

Once they arrived, it was…honestly not what they were expecting.

Naruto blinked, wondering to himself if he was seeing things. "It…looks like a sandwich…"

The building indeed resembled a sandwich of sorts. The "breads" were shaped like round buns, with the top of the rooftop dotted with what they could identify were white "sesame seeds". The main brick foundation was stockily built and painted in a dark brown color, with the space between the roof having layers that were painted to correspond with a condiment. Green for lettuce, red for tomatoes and yellow for cheese. The bottom bun was wider and had space for several tables that were topped by wide umbrellas. A small stairwell on the edge of the "bun" led to a glass door, which automatically opened once Gryzmon was within proximity of the wide welcome mat.

"Nice," Anko commented. "Must have a motion scanner at the top."

Kiba scrunched his features. "That's supposed to be a restaurant there?"

Shino adjusted his shades. "Most likely for aesthetics. A theme."

"Well, whoever designed it must have been smoking some good shit," Kiba remarked drily.

Once inside, they were all immediately hit by a delicious smell riding the air conditioned atmosphere. Naruto and Chōji took a few sampling whiffs and their mouths started to water. "So they do serve hamburger steaks here," the Akimichi heir said happily, his appetite thoroughly stimulated.

"Oh, they serve more than just that," Bokomon said cryptically. "Wait till you get a load of the menu. I'll pay, so order as much as you like."

"Will do," Chōji proclaimed, wringing his hands in anticipation at sampling more of the local cuisine.

Taking a seat at a wide table, Naruto's head kept swiveling as he took in as much detail of the interior, and strangely enough, it reminded him vividly of Yoshinoya. right down to how the tables and seats were bolted to the walls and floors. There was an even number of tables that were wide and meant to accommodate numbers like theirs alongside those just for two. He could make out a few that were already occupied by other Digimon, all Rookies. Some of them stole subtle glances their way, which the blonde was careful to avoid meeting.

The husband and wife pair sat at a neighboring table, with Bokomon and Piyomon sitting across from them in order to catch up while they waited for their food.

"So, where's the menu?" Naruto asked aloud, his head darting from side to side searchingly. "Shouldn't there be somebody to take our order?"

The other nearby Digimon that were already dining must have heard him, as he could pick up some muffled snickers and comments over what must have sounded humorous to them.

Gryzmon, who was seated upright, amazingly, looked over her shoulder, chuckling as she said, "The staff only serve the food, they don't take orders. Tap the center of the table for the menu."

Puzzled, Shikaku nonetheless did as she said and gently tapped a finger at the center of the table, which was a smooth, shining white that could have only been shielded by glass. As soon as he did, however, the table quickly darkened, followed shortly by a slew of images and colors flashing before them. Dumbstruck, they could only quietly gape in amazement as the white had been replaced by what appeared to be an interface, riddled with texts in Digimoji and other images that looked distinctly like food separated by boxed icons.

"Whoa…" All of the children, including those watching back in the apartment, drawled in pure amazement. Even Shino couldn't suppress his own voice as he and Kiba were nothing but astonished, taken aback by what could have easily been mistaken as magic.

"Okay, now that is impressive!" Anko exclaimed, her mind racing if they could somehow, someday, develop such technology on their side of the field.

Chōza and Hiruzen were speechless, as was Shikaku. Kakashi also couldn't help but be impressed. Technology of that level was only ever relegated in the realm of sci-fi and books theorizing their possibility. To witness such a thing first hand induced a feeling of childlike wonderment that he thought had long abandoned him.

"Wh-What the…?" A totally dumbstruck Naruto sputtered, unable to take his eyes off the table that doubled as a screen. Shortly, however, he began to see some cues from his tablet, the interface bearing more than a strong resemblance. Shikamaru must have figured it out, as well, as he experimentally touched an icon of what looked to be a sandwich which he had never seen before. The icon became enlarged as soon as he did, followed by another icon at the bottom of the image that had a few letters of Digimoji, which was probably an indication that he was sure if he wanted to pick it.

Bokomon must have remembered that they couldn't read Digimoji all that well, prompting him to come to their table and help them. "So, what'll you guys have?"

The humans shared inquisitive looks, as if silently deciding what they wanted to order, but without knowing what exactly the menu consisted of, they were at a loss. "How about the cheeseburger set?"

"Hamburger steak with cheese? Cool," Chōji exclaimed. "Let's go with that!"

Another round of amused chuckles resounded from the other Digimon, and this time, Bokomon as well, which mildly puzzled Shikamaru and his father, as if Chōji had said something strange. "Alright." The scholar began to slide a finger across the interface with a practiced ease, rushing through their orders. Chōji could have asked for more, but decided that a sampling was in order first before he could fully indulge himself. "How about I throw in a little extra? Trust me, you guys are gonna love it."

None of them objected, and after pulling out his gold card to scan it at a corner of the table, the transaction was complete. All that was left was to await their meal.

"Pfft, all of that just to order some food? Lame," Kiba remarked snidely, folding his arms over his chest. In truth, however, he was hiding how taken he was with the technology. Anko and the others seemed to sense this, as the kunoichi responded to him.

"Aw, don't worry kid, maybe you can come along next time."

Kiba stiffened at her remark, then snubbed her with a click of his tongue, drawing out a snicker from her.

As they waited, Naruto took another look around the restaurant. The place was clean, immaculately, obscenely so. Other than the savory aroma of food, the air was quite sterile. As he returned his gaze to the table, instead of seeing white again after the interface had died down, he found a plastic tray with odd items on top staring back at him. His eyes then traveled to his left, outside the table where a small figure was standing, its hand still connected to the tray. The figure was smiling up at him, its bright eyes shining expectantly.

"Here's your order!~ 3"

"Eh?" Naruto blinked in surprise, then caught movement in his peripherals by Bokomon's table.

"Here's your order!~ 3"

"Here's your order!~ 3"

There were two others that shared the small creature's appearance, making them three in total, carrying loads of trays stacked on top of one another. None of them seemed encumbered in the slightest, balancing them perfectly on their tiny hands.

The creature passed a tray each to the rest with the same items. An odd bundle of what was wrapped in paper, a plastic cup that was covered with a lid, and a cardboard sleeve stuffed with…Naruto didn't even know what to make of them, only that they were thin and quadratic in shape that they reminded him of shorter chopsticks, only curved slightly. A long spool of paper was lying next to the cup.

Naruto did a double take as he kept studying the odd items. "What…is all this stuff?"

The creature was the one to reply, "Your order!"

"Eh?" Naruto snapped his head back, bemused. He turned to the tiny Digimon, asking, "Uh, and who are you?"

Rather than be put off by the question, the creature seemed only too happy to introduce itself. "I'm Burgamon!"

Anko, who was inwardly gushing at the adorable bundle of fluffs, scanned the one next to the Uzumaki. They appeared to be shorter than Bokomon, with only their caps adding some inches, resembling bread buns sprinkled with sesame seeds. Finely thin, cream colored fur covered their bodies, with a long tail protruding and wagging freely from their rear. Tufts of hair that vaguely resemble wings stuck out from under their caps, which seemed too large to snugly fit on their heads, only adding to their cuteness. Worn around their necks, which could only be part of their uniforms, was a bib bearing an embroidery of the same type of sandwich that they kept seeing around the restaurant, and which was likely modeled after.

Burgamon

Stage: Rookie

Type: Food

Attribute: Vaccine

A Digimon that took in the data of various hamburgers. It enjoys serving hamburgers that it puts all of its skill into making to hungry Digimon most of all. It aims to start a first-rate hamburger restaurant that will bring in a lot of customers with Ebi Burgamon. It is merciless to those who disturb others while they are eating, and will drive them away with its food themed attacks.

Attacks

Delicious Patty - Places the opponent inside a large, delicious patty, and then kneads them.

Green Pickles - Throws a pickle-shaped disk like a frisbee.

Kiba threw his hands up. "Okay, this officially just got too weird now."

Anko threw an odd glance at him. "Really? These little guys are the straw that breaks the camel's back for you?"

"Hey, don't judge me!" Kiba snapped back at her petulantly, folding his arms defensively and turning away from her again.

Anko pouted, saying, "Well I think they're cute."

"Good for you, Anko, but nothing is always as it seems. Don't be taken in by something just because it happens to be cute," Kakashi said warningly.

Anko snorted, firing back at the man's paranoia with, "No wonder you're single."

"Yes, I regret never having taken a wife," Kakashi said in mock disappointment. "Someone by my side who would nag at me at every opportunity, birth another mouth to feed and spend my hard earned money, only to one day leave me for a wealthier man."

Anko grinned as she threw a sultry glance his way, asking, "How about a woman?"

All of the men, including the boys, went stone-faced at this. They pushed the back of their hand forward and said in unison, "No comment."

"Uh, what…is this?" Chōji asked as he poked the bundle in front of him with a finger. It was warm and soft to the touch, with a delicious smell wafting off of it. It reminded him of a pork bun. "This is a hamburger steak? Where's the rice? The mashed potatoes?"

Bokomon grinned. "Back in your world, what you know as a "hamburger" would be served on its own, with or without a side. Here in the Digital World, we do that too, but," he picked up his burger and unwrapped it, revealing it to be indeed a sandwich, "this is what we normally consider a hamburger. Now, let's dig in."

The humans shared looks one last time before they slowly picked up their respective sandwiches. As the Digimon went ahead to eat, they continued to examine what was on their trays.

Naruto carefully started unwrapping his, and flinched when he accidentally ripped the paper, revealing just enough for him to see what was beneath the cover. This is supposed to be a sandwich?

Shikamaru and his father studied theirs with a less critical eye than Chōji, who even at his age fancied himself as something of a gourmand. It looked every bit like an ordinary sandwich. Rather unremarkable in comparison to the picks they had back home, like the sandwiches Naruto had shared back at their picnic.

It was rather big though, he could give it that, but the fillings left much to be desired. All in order - lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese - he couldn't help but be disappointed that this was what the Digital World had to offer in terms of cuisine.

Throwing caution to the wind, he took one experimental bite.

"Chōji!"

"Huh?" At the call of his name, he swiveled his head left and right, until his eyes met Shikamaru's, for some reason flashing with panic. "Shi-Shika? What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

"What's wrong?!" Shikamaru repeated like he had just heard a bad joke. "I should be asking you that!"

Chōji blinked his eyes wide, staring at his best friend blankly for a moment before blinking again and shaking his head. His gaze slowly traveled across the table, and saw to his confusion that the others were looking at him like he had grown a second set of ears.

He looked down at his hands, expecting to find his sandwich with a bite taken out. What he found instead was just an empty wrapper, with some crumbs still clinging to it.

"Eh?"

What…just happened?

Shikamaru proceeded to explain, "It's like you were possessed! Right after you took a bite, you just gobbled the rest down like you hadn't eaten in days!"

"EH?!" Shocked, Chōji briskly scanned himself. "I-I did?!" He ran his tongue across his lips and was stricken with a sour taste, realizing that what was left of the hamburger was smeared across his mouth and cheeks.

"You sure did!" Naruto corroborated. "I've never seen you eat like that, and you can really scarf it down, man!"

"I-Impossible!" Chōza cried hoarsely, overcome with shock, breaking out into a sweat. "Even with the best of my wife's or Oton's cooking, he's never had that reaction! Never!"

For someone's cooking to be so formidable that it could place an Akimichi in a trance. The only other known case in their clan's history was that of his great grandfather, who had fallen under such a spell by a woman who would come to be his wife, having taken refuge in her home during the First Shinobi War. The man had been driven into such a mad frenzy, he took her then and there. She accepted him, however, and it was because of her that the Akimichi would come to have better recipes.

Unfortunately, the clan's palate eventually adapted to her flavor, causing them to research for more innovative cooking techniques and tastes whenever they could.

Chōji wiped at his mouth with a tissue, alarmed that he had eaten without being aware of it, depriving him of savoring the food that was both old and new to him. Could the sandwich have been tainted?

There was only one way to be sure.

He raised a finger, and declared, "Could I have another, please?"

The present Burgamon, who had stayed to witness the boy consume the burger, smiled happily and replied with a nod, "Right away, sir."

Once the Digimon left, the humans found themselves wrestling over this dilemma. The Digimon half of their party must have chosen to let them figure things out on their own, preoccupied with chatting amongst themselves and just enjoying their meal. Piyomon, in particular, was immediately smitten, mirroring Chōji in ordering two more sets.

Having witnessed his rotund friend eat with such mindless ferocity should have been enough to make Naruto wary.

However, his first mistake was unwrapping the paper in the first place, becoming transfixed.

Swallowing down some saliva, he started to notice the trickle of moisture around the corner of his lips. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and to the suspense of those watching, took a bite. Disengaging his lips from the portion devoid of the chunk now in his mouth, he began to chew.

No sooner than he did, he took another bite, barely having swallowed. The chemicals in his brain activated as soon as the flavor landed on his taste buds, his hands and mouth feverishly working on their own as he kept decimating the sandwich with increasing fervor.

"It's great!" Naruto proclaimed, his cheeks swelling, lips glazed with dribbles of sauce and juices, spellbound by the same madness that had afflicted Chōji.

Shikamaru looked down at his own sandwich warily. Might as well. He opened his mouth, and before his father could stop him, he carefully bit into a part where the meat was closest outside. As soon as the meat so much as touched his bare tongue, a jolt of electricity shot through every nerve ending in his brain and flipped a switch, spurring him to take a larger, greedier bite.

It was delicious.

Absolutely, undeniably, delicious.

The fluffiness of the sesame seed bun, the stark crispiness of the vegetables, combined with the firmness of the meat patty, which seemed to melt as soon as his mouth began its work in breaking everything down.

What is this? It's like…

Shikaku watched in disbelief as his son became increasingly ravenous.

Even before I chew, I'm immediately bombarded by so many flavors at once, but just as quickly, they harmonize, blending together into a flawless balance. No condiment is greater or weaker than the other. But this…there's this sourness. What is this sourness?

It was the sourness that kept spurring him on, followed by the purest taste of beef he had ever sunk his teeth into, perfectly complemented by the refreshing crispiness of the vegetables smoothing everything out, only for him to be blindsided by the tanginess of the cheese.

But, the sourness.

Where was the sourness coming from? It was slightly weaker than umeboshi, but was by no means inadequate. No, it was like the key cornerstone that maintained everything together and kept stimulating his appetite.

Soon, the Burgamon arrived with Chōji's new burger, and after thanking them, the Akimichi wasted no time in ripping the wrapper off and proceeding to emulate his friends, now more prepared to actually enjoy it. And enjoy it, he did. Once all three were done, they were far from satisfied.

Naruto frantically wiped at his mouth with a clean tissue before announcing, "I'm gonna order some more."

"You and me both," Chōji echoed, raising his arm to reflexively call for the Burgamon, only to be reminded by Shikamaru tapping the center of the table with his finger.

"We can order more from here."

Naruto and Chōji were taken aback. "You want more too, Shika?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru answered calmly, but inwardly, he was just as anxious to have one more. Maybe two.

Shikaku finally sampled his burger, but his reaction was more subdued. "Huh, not bad." Which belied how his stomach was doing flips.

"Try the french fries," Bokomon suggested from his table.

"French fries?"

Scanning their trays, they figured that it couldn't be the drink, which they tasted to be cola. It could only be what was in the cardboard sleeves. Naruto pulled one out and brought it close to his face, which was when his nose caught on to a very familiar scent. "Wait, isn't this just a fried potato?"

"Potato?" Chōji repeated, pulling one out as well and studying it closely. He could see some salt had been sprinkled on what was actually a thin slice of potato, and after sampling it whole, he perked up. "Delicious." Not as good as a burger, but… "Wait. That's it!"

Shikamaru was pulled away from fiddling with the interface to look up at Chōji. "What's it?"

"Shika, finish ordering some more," Chōji instructed. "I'll have five. What about you, Naruto?"

"Uh, three," Naruto said, distracted as his eyes went through the rest of the menu. He spotted one that caught his eye and tapped it. Two icons popped up at the bottom of the enlarged box, green and red. He warily pressed the green one, which must have indicated a yes on the order, then pressed a proceeding icon that flashed a bright yellow, signaling it to be finalized. That wasn't so hard.

No longer than a minute, two Burgamons appeared out of a small door next to the counter that must have led to the kitchen, carrying trays topped with their orders. The three boys took the number of burgers they ordered and proceeded to eat, this time, pairing it with the french fries.

"So good~!" Chōji crooned in delight, alternating between his burger and fry, which surprisingly made for a good side.

Shikamaru ended up ordering three burgers like Naruto. As for the latter, he had one more burger wrapped in a differently colored paper. Instead of white with a red streak, it was brown and orange. Unwrapping the normal cheeseburger, he took a peek at the condiments.

"Pickles?" He said out loud, drawing the attention of the others, having lifted the top bun. "Sliced pickles, chopped onions. The sourness of the pickles and sauce, combined with the sweetness of the onions, with the addition of the tanginess of the cheese and the acidity of the tomatoes. No wonder. There was no way any of us could have resisted."

"So that's it, I get it!" Chōza exclaimed in understanding, excitedly slamming an enclosed fist on his palm.

"I see!" Hiruzen followed fiercely, his blood boiling at the revelation. "The combination seems so simple at first but they build into each other to create a flavor that is explicitly designed to stimulate your appetite! It's brilliant!"

"What the hell is happening? Since when did we shift genres?" Anko thought to herself, citing a cooking manga she once read that had such over the top reactions and everyone suddenly harboring encyclopedic knowledge of fine dining and food in general.

The humans went straight to eating their meal, with Shikaku ordering some more because of the drain on his stamina rendering him hungrier than he thought. After finishing the regular cheeseburgers, Naruto went to the variant. It was pressed between a bun without sesame seeds, and instead of keeping the lettuce intact, it was finely diced into thin strips. In lieu of ketchup and mustard, a brown, almost translucent sauce was glazed just under the diced lettuce, and under the patty was a thick white sauce. Instead of a beef patty, the main filling appeared to be a deep fried tonkatsu.

Taking a bite out of it, what he presumed to be a tonkatsu was actually a torikatsu. It was like a meaty part of the chicken, likely the breast, had been cut out, breaded, then dipped in a fryer. "What do you got there, Naruto?" Chōji asked after noticing.

Naruto swallowed a large mouthful, answering, "A chicken burger, I guess."

"Say no more!" Chōji went to order, searching the menu before he found said sandwich. That was when something occurred to the Akimichi. "Hey, can we order for takeout?"

Bokomon, he and his group having long finished and were now relegated to fully catching up, answered, "Yeah, you can actually. We can bring as much as you want on the way back. I'll order from here."

"Really?!" Chōji said, over the moon. "Thank you, Bokomon-san. I'm sure dad will appreciate it."

"I sure would!" Chōza agreed eagerly, no longer able to wait for their return.

"How many?" Bokomon asked, already prompting the menu.

Chōji hummed in thought, replying, "How about a hundred cheeseburgers, fifty chicken burgers and fifty fries. We can just buy some drinks back home."

"Got it," Bokomon nodded, running through their order. "Oh, by the way, I ordered something else for you guys earlier. It should be com-oh, here it is now."

The Burgamons returned, and this time, instead of burgers, they were balancing four tall glasses on the trays, one for each of the boys and Piyomon.

"What's this?" Naruto questioned. It reminded him of the dessert Bokomon had conjured with the Food Cap.

"Strawberry parfait," one of the Burgamon answered. "Enjoy!" The tall glass was filled with pink and white layered ice cream, which was completed by the literal cherry on top.

Chōji's and Chōza's eyes sparkled, utterly mesmerized.

Picking up the elongated spoons, they each sampled it at the same time.

"So good~!"

"Strawberry parfait~!"

"I have not lived until now~."

"Yummy~!"

That last one was Shikamaru, who stiffened from his reaction.

After they were all done, their takeout order arrived. All one hundred cheeseburgers, fifty chicken burgers, and fifty fries. There were even complementary ketchup and mustard packets thrown in.

"Yatta!" Chōji cheered as he beheld such beauty before him. No doubt his father would be proud, and he was, the man's mouth spilling a deluge of saliva. He took out his D-Scanner and uploaded them with quick enthusiasm.

"Are you…Chosen Children?"

Shikaku, playing with the toothpick between his lips, shifted his eyes in Gryzmon's direction.

Before tensions could rise, however, Gryzmon held a paw up and said calmly, "Don't be alarmed. We're not your enemies. Not unless…you give us a reason to be."

"Likewise," Shikaku replied, reclining back against his seat, staring ahead, but ready to make a move. Even low in chakra, he was still a tough bastard.

Hiruzen's lips pressed into a thin line. Looks like it was back to business.

"I take it that you're not here for a tour," Gryzmon went on.

Shikaku, who had taken point, responded, "Oh no, we're totally tourists. The sights, the sounds, the food. Nice town, by the way. A really warm welcome if we've ever had one."

Gryzmon steepled her paws over one another. "So, Bokomon told you how coveted Chosen Children are?"

"Are they?"

The bear shared a look with her husband. "I should say so. Rest assured that we have no such intentions with you."

"Forgive me for treading on the side of caution then," Shikaku told her, taking out the toothpick and twirling it between his thumb and index finger. "Just to be clear, none of us want any trouble either."

Gryzmon chortled. "Looks like we're on the same page then."

Naruto looked to Shikamaru and Chōji, the lot of them ready to escape if needed.

"How can I take your word for it?"

"Considering that this town has had a, let's say, very curious history involving Chosen Children, I wager my word carries quite a bit of weight."

Shikaku had been keeping his guard up, especially on the husband, who hadn't made a move. "What kind of history?"

"This place…is a refuge for Digimon that once had human partners."


A/N: The concept of "Chosen Child" has always been straightforward in the Digimon franchise. That said, who says that it can't be expanded upon or exploited? I think a lot of you can get the gist of it. It's not like the shinobi villages would ever do the same if they ever found out that there exist children who have access to monsters that can grow to exponentially powerful beings that can even dwarf the Tailed Beasts.

No, who could ever stoop so low?