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

Minutes Earlier…

The group scrambled through the streets at a brisk pace, mindful of their new surroundings, familiar yet alien. Naruto was at the lead, having been handed point by Shikamaru after being led down the Hokage Monument to the heart of the village, now a barren ghost town. An eerie chill followed them every which way, the silence suffocating save for their footsteps, picking at their fight and flight instincts that at any moment, something might emerge from around a dim corner.

"Y-Yakiniku…" Chōji stopped in his tracks when his eye caught a building as they passed it by, the restaurant having seen better days, it's noren smudged and rotted, hanging loosely that it could have easily fallen from the slightest vibration. "Who…who could be so cruel?!"

The rotund boy wailed as he could only mourn the loss of his most favorite restaurant on his knees, eyes flooding with tears.

Shikamaru sprinted up to his grief-stricken best friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "If we don't find a way out of here, crying our eyes out will be the least of our problems."

Chōji sniffled, rubbing away the tears. "Y-You're right, but still…"

Shikamaru sighed and lightly smacked him on the back. "If we find the guy who did all this, you get first dibs. Deal?"

Chōji turned to look up at the other boy after wiping at his tears, the anguish replaced by a touched expression, and nodded. Grabbing the hand that was stretched out to pull him back to his feet, the Akimichi heir then smacked his cheeks and centered himself, arms akimbo, hands balled into fists as his face morphed into a determined frown.

"Guys, come on!" Naruto called from a good distance away, urging them to hurry, deciding to pick up the pace by leaping over the rooftops, Piyomon flying beside them with Bokomon in tow. Upon arriving at the apartment building, they took in the sight of the scarred and ravaged street, their eyes scanning leftover frost coating the warped and rusted metal railings of the old stairwell that led down to a long trail of wedging columns, tall ice pillars that stabbed the ground, but to Bokomon, the minutiae was that they were actually protruding out. With the state of the village, it was difficult to discern what was a fresh product of battle, to what seemed like the wearing of time.

Naruto hopped up the stairs without a word, feet slamming against the railings, followed by a fluttering Piyomon as they went ahead into the building, leaving a baffled Shikamaru and Chōji in the midst of examining the ice.

"Naruto? Where are you going?" Chōji called to him.

"Getting my weapon pouch!" Naruto replied back before vanishing from sight. Bokomon's gaze followed them before releasing a sigh.

At this rate, there's really no point. "Shikamaru-han, about that story I gave earlier-"

"Yeah, you won't be winning any accolades any time soon," Shikamaru dismissed the futile confession, a hand on his hip. "Provided we get out of this with all functioning limbs, we're gonna have to pin Naruto down with chains to get anything out of him."

"I have a feeling you won't need to, as far as your fathers are concerned," Bokomon admitted, surprising the two boys.

"Wait, what about my dad?" Chōji needled, stepping next to Shikamaru, who could only dip his shoulders in resignation that his old man was part of some conspiracy. In all the years of lending a bored ear to his mother suspecting that there might have been a woman on the side, this was rather tame.

As this was happening, Naruto hastily dashed to the second floor until he caught sight of their room. With no time to lose, he kicked the door open, causing the rusted hinges to give way as it toppled down to the floor. "Aw, what?!"

He shook his head to get his mind back to the present, electing to fix it later, before rushing in and heading straight to his room.

Rather than thrashing it open, he carefully spun the doorknob, stopping only when he heard a clicking noise. He pulled…the knob right off along with some grains of wood.

Gaping, he slowly lifted the rusted metal ornament to his face, before tossing it aside and crept in with a gentle tug of the door through the newly made hole, finding his weapon pouch lying on what once might have been a well organized desk after a cursory glance, now caked with dark smudges, dust and riddled with cobwebs. He reached out to grab at the item, only for the fabric to crumble and fall out of his firm grasp, pieces of his kunai and shuriken scattering across the dirty floor.

"Has everything gone to complete shit?!" He thought in irritation, just as Piyomon arrived by the doorway. He sighed before closing his eyes, spreading out his senses until he squared in on the sensation of his D-Scanner. He pitched his right hand forward, beckoning the device to him. It flew out of a drawer of the desk, ramming through rotten wood and cobwebs and straight into his palm.

Bringing it close to examine, it looked as new as the day he got it, clearing away what clung to the red and black finish. He sighed in relief. Just as he was about to get into the motions to evolve, hesitation seized him from remembering his friends outside.

To hell with the secrets! You suck at it anyway.

Appreciate the vote of confidence.

…Perhaps there is a better way.

Naruto cocked a brow. What?

He closed his eyes again, his consciousness accessing the space of the seal, where he found himself facing Kurama seated on his sofa like it was a throne, his other leg slung over his knee, his curled knuckles cradling his lolling head. His eyes were shining cryptically to compliment the thin smile drawn across his features.

Both of their eyes met, with Kurama seeming to size him up like a predator would its prey.

"So, what's this "better way" you're talking about?"

Kurama took a moment before answering, "It isn't a human that's the root of all this, but a Digimon."

Naruto blinked. "How do you know?"

"Call it a hunch, and the only other presence I sensed within this dimension doesn't register as being human. Believe me, I'd know."

"Okay, so-wait, this dimension?"

"Indeed, we're no longer in the Konoha you know," Kurama provided. "Like sensei said, where you and your entourage have landed is called an AR Field, a parallel space between both our own and the Digital World. I only heard of it from him a few times back in the day when he was still teaching us Advance Relativity. You needn't worry about making some noise here, as this place is an isolated plane meant as a mediational field to stabilize both worlds."

Naruto made a show of nodding along, arms folded and a hand under his chin. "Uh-huh, uh-huh. I see."

"You didn't understand a lick of what I just said, did you?" Kurama deadpanned.

"Not really, no," Naruto admitted with a shake of the head while maintaining his poise.

"Let's cut to the chase," Kurama sighed. "When you inevitably confront the guy, you're gonna fight."

"I guess?" Naruto figured. "What's your point?"

Kurama's lips twitched. "How do you think you'll fare?"

"Fare?"

"Do you stand a chance?"

The way Kurama intoned it with an assurance of a statement rather than a pure question didn't escape Naruto. The blonde dipped his head in thought before looking back up. "I beat WereGarurumon, didn't I?"

Kurama scoffed, "Dumb luck."

His jailer scowled.

"It's true," Kurama said without an ounce of shame. "You had the element of surprise on your side, and you just so happened to be pitted against someone of your own elemental affinity. And an Ultimate to boot. This time, you might be needing an edge in the chance that you don't match."

Naruto arched a curious brow. "What do you mean?"

Kurama bared a glimpse of his teeth in a snide grin. "Use my chakra."

Naruto snapped his head further back. "You mean, like a powerup?"

"Yeah," Kurama answered in a dull tone, scratching his nose. "You know, like in one of those shōnen mangas or whatever. So, whaddaya say?"

Naruto bit his lip. "I don't know…"

"It's not like this will be the first time," Kurama reminded him slyly. "Remember your encounter with that Falcomon?"

"Yeah," Naruto muttered, rubbing at the arm where the black bird had clamped his talons on. "Okay, maybe half of it. I wasn't exactly "all" there." That's when it occurred to him. "Wait, I'm not gonna go crazy again, am I?"

"Oh no, perish the thought," Kurama drawled sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "And so what? It's not like you can refuse, nor have any right to. We're stuck together, and your dear father made it so that you stand to benefit from what only I can offer. You best be receptive."

Naruto took an apprehensive step back from the demanding manner Kurama pointed a finger down at him, leaning forward on the sofa that his shadow loomed over his tiny form, like at any moment he'd be pounced on. The beast wanted him to take the red chakra, the very same red chakra that made him lose control.

"No way," Naruto refused with a shake of the head. "Not when I could end up hurting my friends."

"Hm, simple enough to circumvent," Kurama amended with a throaty chuckle. "I will loan you only a tiny portion. A mere trifle, if you will."

"And…that won't drive me nuts?

Kurama scoffed. "Even for a perfectly healthy Uzumaki such as you, it'd be no different than ingesting a drop of poison. You'd do well not to underestimate your bloodline, boy."

Naruto pursed his lips, chewing over his options. On the one hand, it'd be better to come prepared. Oton had set a particular precedent that shinobi should always be ready for anything, as anything less meant certain death, which he took to heart after the umpteenth time the man pulled the odd sucker punch on him during training. He was practically going in naked without a plan, with little to no equipment and barely any jutsu barring two of the Academy Three.

Kurama's face contorted into a wicked smile as he could sense the boy mulling the offer over, twisting his already bestial visage into something truly demonic.

"What's wrong? Why are you even hesitating?" Kurama loomed closer, the dim light of the room veiling him in shadow.

"I…" The boy scrunched his features, indecisive.

"It's not like you're doing anything out of bounds as my Jinchūriki." Kurama leaned in so close that his snout could have brushed past the boy. "It's easy. Just reach out and…take it."

Naruto clenched his jaw in further doubt, his sweat starting to show.

"Kekekekekeke! Stop denying it and just accept me, boy!" The fox cackled madly, throwing his head back, tongue sticking out, spreading his arms and bearing his claws. "Once you do, you and I shall be unstoppable! Nothing will get in our way! Take hold of the power and reign supreme!"

"Shaddap!" Naruto retorted back after being forced out of his stupor. "I do what I want!"

"Tch!" Kurama clicked his tongue, falling back lazily on the sofa. "No can do, then."

Naruto sweatdropped at how quickly the fox conceded. "So, I'm not gonna be getting a powerup, then?"

"If you still want it," Kurama said in a more formal tone. "But, no. What you yourself hold within you is potential that far exceeds that of me and my siblings, for you are Oyaji's reincarnation. The only thing you need to do; at least right now, is tap into it. Let's say you become over reliant on my chakra this early in the game, your progress will eventually reach a point of stagnation, leaving everything else lacking. It's better to work with what you have right now."

"So, I'll still get your chakra later down the line?"

Kurama dipped his head, the snide grin returning. "You sound anxious."

"You try being half-crazed while bathing in acid, because that's what it feels like," Naruto sassed.

"Don't be such a pussy," Kurama rebutted. "Any other mere mortal would have shriveled up like burnt leather."

Naruto winced from the visual of him in such a state popping into his mind. "Not a pretty sight as you might imagine. You still have a long way to go."

"Well, it's the now that I'm racking my brain over," Naruto said, hunching down, hanging his arms over his knees. "...If I end up having to tell the truth, Shikamaru and Chōji might…"

For a moment, all was silent between them. "That's natural," Kurama finally said, a pensive gaze boring into the lad. "It's not like you're admitting to having killed a dog."

Naruto's expression withered at that. "I'm just afraid of how they might take it. Will they…think I'm crazy…or…"

Kurama sighed heavily. "Oh please, it's not the end of the world. Take it from me, buck up and move on. Like all things, it'll pass. That's what comes with time."

Naruto's eyes shifted awkwardly. "Uh…you sure you should be saying that given your…history?"

"My point still stands," Kurama maintained imperiously with a clearing of the throat, drumming his fingers against the armrests before leaning his torso back for a light stretch. "Besides, I would have pegged you to be used to disappointment by now."

Naruto thought he did with the childhood he had. Thinking about it now, he was surprised that he hadn't lost his mind or retreated from outside contact. What was it that kept him going?

Survival?

He supposed that was a given.

Hiruzen's periodic visits?

Some of it, but even he would put on a smiling face for one of the few people who gave him company, fearing that showing even an ounce of negativity would spoil the arrangement. Save for the occasional prank, which the old man didn't give him much grief over.

Save perhaps, Iruka.

Their relationship had been rocky for as early as Naruto could remember, but only when he was held back again that it saw improvement, the man becoming akin to an uncle or older brother, treating him to ramen even after giving him a thrashing for disrupting class.

Iruka would take his behavior in stride and still treat him better than most. It was enough. Yet, he had become someone close to in a similar vein to the Hokage.

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Bitter memories of a time crossed the boy's mind, forming a cold pit in his stomach that lanced under his skin. More than once, when he'd be ganged up on by his usual bullies or any other form of trouble; whether he was responsible or not, Iruka reprimanded him and him alone, always singling him out.

Every. Time. Even when he logically couldn't have done the deed.

Before he knew it, he had curled in on himself, a hand tightly gripping and pulling at his sleeve, mashing his lips so tightly he could have chewed through.

What really was it that kept him going?

A strong and unshakable will?

None of us would have any right to wear the headband if we stop for even a second to worry about getting hurt.

That had been a lie…

He liked to think he was that strong where it counted. Before even knowing who and what he was, he just thought that he was an orphan with nothing to his name and whose parents threw him away. Deep down, the resentment was there. An unhealthy mix of emotional problems coupled with what might as well be brainwashing stayed his hand, and only prolonged his misery. That, deep down, he still held out a scrap of hope that…

"I just…hate being alone." Naruto admitted softly.

"Really? I hardly noticed," Kurama deadpanned with a roll of his eyes. "That makes one of us. I prefer my own company and only mine. Less headaches."

Naruto scoffed. "Heh, I know that's a lie."

Kurama froze, throat hitching. The boy similarly went still, the words seemingly creeping out of his mouth on their own, but his puzzlement was short-lived as the fox went on. "I tire of it."

Their eyes briefly met as the lad looked up to watch him attentively.

"Of what?" Naruto asked after a moment.

"Of being angry, of being used, of having to be trapped. Maybe someday, on the off chance that I do get out, I'll take a long vacation. Maybe in the Digital World's Resort Zone."

Kurama released a breath, his gaze coming to ogle the ceiling. "Heh, I can still taste their sick root beer floats. Liquid gold. And with vanilla ice cream on top? Forget about it."

"Sounds nice," Naruto muttered with a small smile, even though he had no idea what a root beer float even was.

Another long moment of silence spanned between the two.

"Just go on and do it. Friends or not, that shouldn't stop you from doing what you have to do."

Naruto's features became furrowed, sucking in his lips.

"After all," a grin pulled at Kurama's lips again, "this is your job, is it not?"

Naruto pursed his lips. "Might as well make it cool."

Back in the real world, his eyes snapped open before pitching his left hand forward, palm facing him, the ring of code materializing. The small screen of the D-Scanner lit up as it started to vibrate with power in the other. He crossed his arms, brushing the code over the sensor.

"Spirit!"

Piyomon's eyes widened as she once again bore witness to Naruto's evolution, the boy's body becoming pitch black as scores of orange wisps orbited around his form, arms and legs spread eagle, pieces of his armor morphing over their corresponding section.

"Evolution!"

As his stature grew, his armor closed in on him, before a flash of light nearly blinded the avian, prompting her to bring her arms over her averted face.

When the light faded, gone was the boy, replaced by a man hemmed in flames.

"Agnimon!"

The newly transformed warrior took note of and turned to Piyomon. "Let's go!"

Back outside where the other three were waiting, Bokomon explained some key details of their secret, leaving a gaping Chōji and an exasperated Shikamaru.

"It's official," the Nara heir began drily. "I have completely lost the capacity to give a single shit."

"So, we're like in a video game?" a more amazed Chōji marveled.

Bokomon pursed his lips, replying with, "Well, no, but it is a simulated space nonetheless, one that's-"

"Stop," Shikamaru brought a hand up. "I think we get the gist of it."

"Uh, no we don't," Chōji said curtly, raising a finger, which his best friend freely ignored.

"So, where the hell is Mr. Chosen One himself?"

"Right here!" The voice above them as they looked up was shortly accompanied by a man clad in armor, executing a perfect three point landing after emerging from the building in a somersault.

The two clan heirs took combat ready stances, believing him to be an enemy. When the man righted himself, he bore into them with an intense gaze that heightened their alarm, until Bokomon stepped forward.

"Are you sure about this?" The scholar asked the odd man with a familiar but firm tone, to which the armored figure nodded. The man traipsed forward towards the two boys, who were still on guard, taking a few uneasy steps back.

That is, until he spoke, declaring, "It's me."

Shikamaru and Chōji exchanged quick glances, the latter being the one to respond with, "Who?"

Agnimon sweatdropped, sure that they would have at least pinned him on his voice alone, pointing to himself and reaffirming, "Uh, me. Naruto."

The pair looked to the other once more, then studied the weirdly apparelled man carefully, suspicion painted on their set features. "Right, and my dad secretly works at Nintendo (Ninja Heaven Path)," Shikamaru deadpanned, referencing the up and coming gaming company.

"Really?" Chōji and the man said in concert inquisitively.

Shikamaru paused from the reaction, before dropping his stance. "It's you," he said in a dry tone.

"Wait, this is Naruto?" Chōji inquired, scanning the man up and down once more. "If it is, then what's with the weird henge?"

"It's not weird," Agnimon retorted in an offended tone. He made a quick check of himself. "Look, I'll explain later-"

"Your "uncle" already did the honors," Shikamaru interrupted. "Just enough to get us up to speed."

Stunned, his open mouth bobbed until he cleared his throat. "Right, later."

Another fierce noise disrupted them from a distance, like the churning and rumbling of the ground during an earthquake, and indeed, beneath their feet, they could pick up faint vibrations, snapping them to the situation at hand. "We need to hurry."

Shikamaru shook his head. "What we need is a plan first. Otherwise, if we're dealing with shinobi daring enough to mount-"

"It's not a shinobi," Agnimon refuted sharply, before glancing at Bokomon. "It's a Digimon."

Bokomon dipped his head from the confirmation. "First, we find out who and what we're dealing with. It's imperative that I see who it is, for I might be able to impart intel on how to proceed."

"Reconnaissance sounds good," Shikamaru conceded, more open to the scholar's judgment. "Might?"

Bokomon proceeded to explain, "We Digimon as a species come in levels of strength as a key part of our lifecycle, with an extremely eclectic ecology that we'd be walking into a deathtrap without sufficient information. Moreover, our odds diminish if they happen to be higher up in the pecking order. Best case scenario, they're at Ultimate Level."

"Worst case scenario?" Shikamaru prodded, arms spread, a niggling quality seeping into his tone.

"Mega, which is the highest level for a Digimon to reach, but the probability of that is in the single digits. Mega Level Digimon are quite rare due to the life expectancy being relatively low, and most of them tend to keep to themselves with how powerful they are, and I do mean most."

"How powerful are we talking?" Chōji asked, intrigued.

Bokomon hummed in thought, pursing his lips, a finger on his chin. "Hm, on average, one Mega Level Digimon can wipe out an entire continent, and that's only after freshly evolving."

"In other words, we're hopefully not dead and that this isn't actually the afterlife," Shikamaru carped, throwing his head back with a hand on his forehead.

"H-How can we even fight something like that if it is," Chōji asked shakily.

"We don't," Bokomon answered bluntly. "But I'm fairly sure that it's a Champion Digimon based on the damage that I've seen so far. Going by scale, I'd say they're above Jōnin standards."

"That really doesn't help our chances," Shikamaru stated matter-of-factly.

"No worries," Agnimon declared confidently in an attempt to boost morale, thumbing at his puffed out chest, a hand on his hip. "In this form, yours truly should be more than a match for 'em."

"You know, in hindsight, looking back, even at my age, I should have made some time for writing a personal eulogy given the occupational hazard that comes with being a shinobi," Shikamaru lamented flatly. "This just reinforces that missed opportunity."

Agnimon bristled deeply from the snide remark, earning sympathetic grins from both Bokomon and a more forgiving Chōji.

Konoha - AR World - Elsewhere

Anko, with her passengers in tow, arrived in a pool of pixels. The men disengaged their contact from the woman after a moment longer than she would have wanted, swinging her arms about to get them off.

Hiruzen, with some disappointment, turned towards the entryway of the alley and braced himself. Accompanied by his former students flanking him on all sides, they made their way out, letting Anko lead the way. What greeted them out of the dim gap was…unsettling.

"My word…" Hiruzen breathed as he carefully swept his gaze around the corner and beyond. Only a few minutes ago, the district, while a slum, could honestly be called liveable by humble standards, with shinobi and civilians milling about in the excitement of the disturbance.

The area they were now in, cornered by decrepit buildings that had become lost to time and the elements, barren of life, made them balk in dread at what was one of their worst fears.

Konoha in ruins.

All were silent as they absorbed the fallen state of their beloved village, trudging stealthily down the beaten path through every winding street, complex and shop they came across, all decaying relics of a bygone era. Hiruzen had toured a number of abandoned towns and villages in his day, or simply as a consequence of progress, but this above all else stood out to him as an ill omen. Even the mere sight seemed to prick at their eyes, the backdrop itself looking chalky and knurled, pinpricks of multicolored bright dots powdering the scenic ambience.

"Look," Chōza spoke, pointing to one in particular. It was a new, or now old, warehouse, a rice mill that the Akamichi Clan owned, the construction having finished a month ago in a bid to expand. One of Chōza's cousins was appointed to run it. After being away from Konoha for so long, the man deserved a fresh start with his new wife, who was with child. He had been here the day before to check on the ledger, and to help oversee the arrival of a fresh cargo from Sound Country. The walls were graying and rusted, the pristine paint job now a lackluster gray, peeling off like scabs. Peeking inside, the piles of large bales that were pristinely laden on top of one another were now indiscernible mounds of black sand and straw, with the machines used in varying states of disrepair and useless scrap.

"Guess you're gonna have to check back on that security deposit, huh Chōza," Shikaku quipped as the pair approached the establishment, arms folded. Next to him, the Akimichi Head could only dip his head dejectedly in silence.

"This is unreal," Inoichi remarked closely behind, head swiveling to and fro, then pitched a glance at the dark sky. Hiruzen could only stew in silence beside Anko, his mind weighed down by thoughts of his son and grandson.

"Better than a smoking crater, I'll give it that," Anko forwarded, vigilantly glancing over her shoulder in case they were in for some unwanted company. "They should be nearby."

Every head turned to where they could sense a battle was being waged, with Hiruzen taking the lead as they set off.

Konoha - AR World - Elsewhere…

As Agnimon and his party ran to their destination, they could already see the makings of a skirmish up ahead, with figures zipping through the air.

"We need to hurry!" Agnimon exclaimed, sprinting ahead of them.

"You don't need to tell us that!" Shikamaru replied, trailing behind beside Chōji. "Go on ahead, you're faster."

"Something tells me that we're gonna need all hands for this, and I do mean all," Agnimon argued. "Brace yourselves."

Bokomon perked up at this, asking for Piyomon to put him down from their flight. Making a landing, he beckoned the avian Digimon to piggyback on him.

The warrior slowed down enough in his stride that he slinked between the two boys, before grabbing them by their waists, hoisting them under each of his arms.

"H-Hey, N-Naruto, what-?!" Chōji blurted with a start.

"Fire Dash!"

"Fire wha-?!" Shikamaru was cut off as he was suddenly overcome with the force of acceleration, having struggled in Agnimon's grasp like Chōji.

"Nigeashimou Dash!" Bokomon too accelerated with Piyomon clinging to him from behind, her wings wrapped around his neck securely, legs hoisted under his arms.

Both Digimon made tracks as they tore through the winding streets at breakneck speeds, with the scholar being a close second behind the warrior, who left behind a trail of fire.

Overhead, Hiruzen spotted the small party, sailing through the air mid jump with his entourage. "There they are!"

"The boys?" Shikaku did not expect to find them so soon, and straight for where they were headed. What were they thinking? Looking forward, he could see debris rising from the queue of buildings, as well as a distinct silhouette amidst the frenzy. "Kakashi!"

"And blueballs himself," Anko followed, spotting the beast as he corkscrewed to try and land a blow on his elusive opponent. "I'm gonna go ahead."

"No, wait!" Inoichi chimed in. "Let's wait and see how they'll do."

"You mean commit suicide?" Anko retorted.

"If it comes to that, we'll intervene, but this could be an opportunity to glean valuable insight," Inoichi countered. They landed on a nearby rooftop, ensuring to mask their presence enough to be inaudible from a distance.

Anko worked it over in her mind, and while she had a distaste for the angle, she couldn't wholly disagree, exacerbated by the man being her superior after the Hokage. "Fine, but we're jumping in the second any one of them so much as catches the sniffles."

Agnimon rounded another corner leading into a gap, allowing him to place his cargo down carefully. Shikamaru and Chōji wobbled once they were back on their feet from the motion sickness, with the latter dry heaving. "Sorry," the warrior of fire apologized, rubbing the back of his head, a hand on his hip.

Bent down, hands on his knees, Shikamaru collected himself before throwing a sidelong glare at the blonde. "You could have warned us! And, how…how did you do that? What kind of jutsu was that?" He didn't even see him do hand seals.

Agnimon sighed, lowering his voice and replying, "Look, I'll explain everything, you just have to-"

"What did you do to him, monster?!"

The loud voice pierced through their hiding spot a few yards away, bringing the group to total silence. Chōji righted himself after catching his breath before following Agnimon's lead, as did Shikamaru, backs against the wall. Bokomon sauntered past the three to poke his head out, with Piyomon close behind. Doing so, he spotted Kakashi, flat on his stomach as another man in green stood protectively in front of the downed Jōnin. His gaze kept going until setting his sights on the one they were confronting, and froze.

"A Hyougamon?"

"What's his deal, Bokomon?" Agnimon questioned, taking a peek himself.

"He must be a bounty hunter," Bokomon conjectured. "Hired by Etemon."

"Great," Agnimon muttered, clenching his teeth, not needing to work over as to whose bounty the creature was after.

"Bounty hunter? Etemon?" Agnimon gestured for Shikamaru to curtail his dialog, a finger to his lips before setting the same hand down flat. He then returned his attention to what was starting to look like a one-sided fray, and; to his puzzlement and alarm, watched as the beast marched towards the now prone duo, who weren't getting back up. The rest of their exchange had been truncated from where he and his group were situated, but he could tell that his father's former student was out of the fight, as was his friend, now at the mercy of the Digimon that reminded him of WereGarurumon, if only in stature.

"Gotta help them," Agnimon declared, channeling some heat through his right hand.

"Be careful," Bokomon warned. "Hyougamon specialize in ice attacks."

This perked up the warrior of fire. "That shouldn't be a problem. Right?"

"You'd think so, but it's never that simple. It could go either way," Bokomon answered, glancing up at him. "Just because your element is fire, doesn't mean you're at an automatic advantage. Sufficient subzero temperatures can snuff out heat like blowing out a candle."

"Right," Agnimon understood. Most of it. "Then, I just need to turn it up." He brought a hand up and curled it into a fist, emanating a gout of flame, to Shikamaru and Chōji's amazement. Did Naruto himself possess a Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limit)?

He turned to the two other boys. "We'll need to do this quickly. I'll keep him busy, while you guys help get those two to safety…" Agnimon's words faltered when he observed the way they were eyeing him with no shortage of curiosity and suspicion. His face behind his mask briefly fell before collecting himself. "Look, I get it, I lied to you, and I'll understand if-"

"Idiot," Shikamaru cut him off with a roll of his eyes. "We'll help, but you owe us for this."

"You can count on us, Naruto," Chōji assured with a thumbs up, his smile returning. Agnimon was taken aback before timidly nodding, time not on their side. Exiting the gap, he made a mad break towards the scene of turmoil.

"Okay, maybe I do love a little gloating every now and then, but hey, give a guy some credit." He heard Hyougamon pronounce smugly, before swinging a large club of ice down on his quarry.

"How about a nice warm campfire instead?" Agnimon flouted as he sprinted, generating and compressing a fireball in his right fist before hurling it at the giant. The attack expanded as it flew straight at its target, colliding with the ice ogre midswing and sending the beast careening back, his weapon shattering as pieces of it scattered and melted about. The warrior of fire leapt over the two to stand protectively over them. Kakashi peered up at their savior, whose back was facing them, forming a silhouette that perked him up from his heap.

Sensei…

Rather than Minato, Agnimon turned on time to catch Bokomon and the rest reaching them, stomping up to Shikamaru and Chōji as each was lugging one man over their shoulders to carry. "Hatake-san," Agnimon addressed the Jōnin before shifting to the other, who managed to flash him a small smile through the weakened state he was in. "And whoever you are."

Guy's smile fell into a pout, in contrast to Kakashi, who cheekily grinned at his friend behind his mask. "I'd ask what you're doing here…but I'm not complaining," he said from his place on Shikamaru's shoulders. "And with these two, no less."

"Explanations later," Agnimon said with a sigh over the repetitiveness. "First…"

He rounded on Hyougamon, who had recovered enough to lunge at them with another club in hand. "Vortex Strike!" His left leg, wreathed in flames, rifled upward in a crescent kick, clipping the monster on the chin. "Blaze Shoot!" Trailing after the now airborne giant, Agnimon pitched the same flaming leg and spun downward in a perfect arc, the ball of his foot slamming on Hyougamon's face.

Hyougamon crashed on the ground on his back with a small tremor, before bringing his legs up, knees bent to whip his body to his feet, avoiding Agnimon smashing his foot down on his chest, only accomplishing the shattering of the club. The ogre's back to him, Hyougamon stomped the ground with the ball of his foot, and out rifled an ice pillar that knocked Agnimon upward, hitting him squarely on his midsection.

Stomping the ground a second time, numerous ice pillars erupted out of the ground, encircling the ice ogre before stomping a third time to launch them up like missiles. Agnimon saw the pillars advancing on him and got out of dodge, corkscrewing in midair until flames started to encircle his form, blossoming into an intense tornado that illuminated the entire block, using the draft to ratchet himself higher, leaving a cascade of fire to melt what was left of the incoming salvo.

"Salamander Kick!" Fire engulfed Agnimon's body with his leg extended, rocketing down as he took the shape of a dragon's head ready to bite down on his opponent. Hyougamon saw this coming and brought his arms up, reinforcing them with a thick layer of ice.

Agnimon's foot connected with a resounding bang, the sheer force of his attack pushing the ice ogre back, weathering the assault on his tiptoes that were gouging a long furrow, the makeshift shield cracking. It held strong, regardless, allowing Hyougamon to jerk his arms to disrupt Agnimon's inertia and fend him off with a front kick, his massive foot slamming into the warrior's half bent leg.

Agnimon gritted his teeth from the pain before landing back on the ground, tumbling clumsily until he was flat on his back.

From each of their respective corners, his audience could only watch with bated breath.

"Acha! He should have curled up at the last second," Guy carped, bemoaning the boy's sloppiness. Sitting next to him as they were reclined against a wall of a building from a distance, guarded on all sides by the two heirs, Kakashi was quiet as he pensively assessed the fight, still working to recover some of his lost body heat, with assistance from Piyomon emanating warmth between them, as her element was also fire.

"So that's…Naruto…as a Digimon?" Shikaku commented, arms folded as he fiddled with his goatee, placing a foot on the ledge as he and his party were observing the battle.

"He looks…older?" Chōza remarked next to him, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him from age. Or maybe early onset diabetes. He suddenly remembered that he missed his annual checkup with their family physician.

Hiruzen eyed the warrior that Naruto was now with a careful scrutiny, having first witnessed his transformation through a monitor, but seeing it in-person, in the heart of battle, appealed to his experience as a veteran. An Academy student pitted against a towering monster whose power rivaled their finest Jōnin, having stolen a glance at Kakashi and Guy below, their current state evident.

Agnimon slowly got back to his feet, shaking away the dull ache of his leg. From across where he stood, Hyougamon seemed to be assessing him like a predator.

The beast took a curt whiff through his nostrils. "You smell like a Digimon."

Agnimon bristled, but remained stone-faced. "And you smell like shit."

"So you're the son of a bitch who I've been going through all this trouble for," Hyougamon declared, lolling his head back, sniffing through his nose once more, and trying his level best to let the insult of his musk slide. "Where's the other two?" A cursory exploration of his gaze eventually landed on his missing quarry some distance away, alongside the humans he was close to murdering, right before they were so rudely interrupted. "Why don't you make this easier on yourselves, and me, and just come quietly?"

Agnimon paused for a moment before a smirk tugged at the side of his lips. Tilting his head forward, he placed a palm against his chest. "Now what in the world would you want with little 'ol me? And my friends for that matter?"

"I ain't got time to play who's who or what's what, dipshit," Hyougamon groused, digging his hands into his pockets, leaning his upper body back that it actually seemed to right his posture. "But if you really want to know, you've got a pretty hefty price on your pretty little head, and I'm meaning to collect."

"Hoh? That's news to me. How much am I even worth?" Agnimon asked mockingly. "Can't be that much for you to be wasting your time like this."

"Oh, about three hundred million credits," Hyougamon answered curtly.

"Ha! Thre-'' Agnimon's pair of eyes popped so wide they could have slipped through the holes of his mask, mouth hanging agape, sputtering when his mind processed the amount. "Thr-thr-three hu-hu-hu-hundred mi-mi-mi-mi-millON?!"

Anko hummed to herself, tapping a finger to her chin. "Hm, tempting." She froze upon catching Hiruzen giving her a look, bringing her hands up. "I'm kidding!" Her shoulders and demeanor fell, adding drily, "I do that."

"Credits?" Chōji asked the scholar curiously.

"The currency in our world," Bokomon answered. "We don't actually use paper or coins. Our money is all crypto."

"What's crypto?" Shikamaru asked.

"Digital fiat," Bokomon said with a shrug. He slipped a hand into his haramaki and fished out a card. "Like this."

The Nara heir took the odd piece of plastic presented to them. White, with a black line bar in the middle running across. "This is money?" He flipped it around and raised it overhead, ogling it as did Chōji.

"Careful," Bokomon warned. "That's all I have." He dreaded another trip to the bank, having been stuck in line for three days straight last.

"Uh, how much?" Chōji couldn't help but ask, hardly believing that such a thin piece of plastic could hold any monetary value.

"Last I checked, I have about five hundred billion left," Bokomon answered, and panicked when Shikamaru dropped the card in shock. He breathed a sigh of relief when he managed to catch it.

"You're joking!" Shikamaru said incredulously.

"Not really. And it's not such a big deal where I'm from," Bokomon shrugged as he quickly slipped the card back into his haramaki. "Live long enough, earn enough, and yeah, you tend to have a fat bank account."

Chōji normally didn't ease up on hearing the "F" word out loud, even when the context barely involved him, but as of that instant, the rotund boy was more preoccupied by thoughts of how much he'd be set for life eating all his favorite foods with that much disposable income.

"How do you even pull a transaction with it?" Shikamaru went on.

"We swipe or run it through a scanner," Bokomon answered. "That black mark on it? That's where the data is held." It honestly struck the scholar as odd how erratic the technology was in the human world. They already had television, much less computers, but missing certain others that would logically be within their means. Like trains or automobiles.

"Hey!"

All eyes turned to an annoyed Hyougamon, who was glowering at Bokomon. "As fascinating as it may be to discuss how our economies contrast, we're still in the middle of something here!" He trailed off brandishing his fist at them.

"Well, why in the hell were you two just standing there all quiet like and not doing anything?" Bokomon spat back.

"Because we thought you fuckers were just gonna gloss over it, not hold an entire goddamn lecture! It's very distracting!" Everyone else present sweatdropped, the ogre actually making a valid point.

Agnimon shook his head, mostly because he couldn't make heads or tails over what Bokomon and Shikamaru were even talking about, either. Something about money?

That's when it hit him. He promptly snapped his head to the scholar. "Wait…Bokomon, you're rich?"

"Uh, I guess," Bokomon shrugged, the novelty never having set in. Not that he had much use for money other than travel expenses, food, and access to some exclusive locations for his research.

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

"You didn't ask," Bokomon shrugged. "Is it even that important?"

"Not really, but still though."

Hyougamon stood motionless as this was going on, completely and utterly done. Was he really going to waste any more of what was left of his dignity for Three Hundred Million? Yes. Yes, he was. "Are…are we doing this? Am…am I just talking to myself now?" His scowl deepened. "Are you gonna give yourself up, or are you gonna fight like the Digimon that you are?!"

Agnimon resumed his sights on the ogre. "Then, why doesn't Etemon just drag his ass here and ask me to my face?"

"That chimp's too busy to get his hands dirty, so he hires bounty hunters like me," Hyougamon revealed. "Imagine this. Me getting an all expenses paid trip to the human world to hunt down a couple of snot nosed brats, and this is the reception I get." Everyone else present raised their guard up as a layer of ice frosted over the outlying area around the giant, his cryokinesis being channeled. "I always finish a job, and I always get my money. It'll be a cold day in hell before I let anything get in my way. Snow Punch!"

Agnimon rushed in, dipping low to evade the attack and letting it graze past his crown, any superfluous cold rendered useless by his enhanced body heat. He sped up to close the distance. "Fire Dash!" Hyougamon was ready, swinging a meaty arm to knock him out of his momentum, but he was faster, pivoting to the right a split second it took for the former to see the instant a fist embedded itself into his side. "Gatling Burst!"

Agnimon's right arm was a blur, heating up from the friction as he delivered a fast-paced barrage of punches after the initial straight, stunning Hyougamon before finishing with a left hook to the gut that buckled the latter.

Oh! It really is like Asa Kujaku (Morning Peacock)! Guy thought in excitement, getting some feeling back from the warmth the cute bird was providing. But he still has a lot of openings, and the way he dodges is too wide. He's just wasting movement.

True to his analysis, Agnimon dodged a hook from the ogre by weaving to the side farther than he needed to, but it was a feint, his opponent's experience nailing his rhythm down pat. From the corner of his eye, with barely a second to double back, Agnimon threw an arm up to shield himself from a wild swing of Hyougamon's forearm, given the sheer size, was more like a club of pure muscle, reinforced with bone.

He crashed into an adjacent building, demolishing it entirely from how fragile the foundation had become, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

"You can't beat me, runt," Hyougamon declared, more out of exasperation than mercy. "Either surrender, or hand over the Spirit, and those brats."

Not a minute in, Agnimon erupted from the wreckage, pouncing on his adversary so quickly that the ogre failed to react on time. The warrior of fire grabbed Hyougamon by the ears with both hands, clamping his feet securely by the shoulders. Riled up from hearing the ultimatum, he drew his head back as far as he could before slamming down in a vicious headbutt.

Once, twice, all the while shouting his resolute answer after every blow.

"Over! My! Dead! Body!"

One more, and a snapping noise could be heard; perhaps a bone fracturing, but he didn't care. Agnimon followed with a flurry of hooks to the giant's face, and one final headbutt for good measure. Leaning back, he expected to see a dazed Hyougamon, on the throes of unconsciousness, but his stomach skipped to his throat, horror written on his features at what greeted him instead.

Staring back was a face that was far from dazed, the perpetual scowl more menacing than ever. A thin trail of blood oozed down from the stump that was once Hyougamon's horn in a sickly red that froze over as it trickled.

Hyougamon slowly lifted a hand up to wrench a barely struggling Agnimon by the back of the neck, before looking up and tapping at the stump with his free finger.

"My…horn…"

He refocused on the blonde with the most frigid glare imaginable, before Agnimon felt the wind knocked out of him, accompanied by a weightless sensation.

Hyougamon wound his arm down from the devastating punch that sent his quarry flying. Up, up, leaving the others to witness the warrior vanish from sight. He stole a glance at their reactions and pointed a finger at them, particularly at Bokomon, who could only squirm. "After I'm through with him, you're next."

Kakashi's eyes were wide, as was Guy's.

He was holding back?

The whole time?

Getting into position to follow, he felt something tug at his legs, keeping him in place. Looking down, he didn't see anything amiss. No sooner than he did, he picked up two; no, three new presences behind him. Looking over his shoulder, as for some reason, he couldn't turn around, he found three men standing together a few feet from his spot.

One was a man wearing what he could tell was an animal skin coat that was tattered in places over a jacket and mesh armor. His hair was done in a spiky ponytail, with two noticeable scars on his smirking face.

The one to his right was wearing the same jacket over a black sweater, but unlike the first man, he wore a red haori over it. Long blonde hair that reminded him of being common to Angemon was done in a long ponytail.

The butterball to the left stood out more, with his armor and wild red hair, coupled with the facial markings on his cheeks.

Together, they might have made quite an odd impression, but to Hyougamon, they were just more annoyances.

"Leaving so soon, pal?" Shikaku said, on one knee and his hands done in a familiar seal. "Not without some good 'ol fashioned Konoha hospitality, you're not."

"Dad?" Shikamaru and Chōji exclaimed at the sight of their fathers.

"You boys stay back!" Chōza warned without looking at them, keeping a close eye on the creature that thought to invade their home, reproaching them with a pitched hand.

"Anko, Hokage-sama," Inoichi called to them, providing the needed cover.

"What?" Shikamaru turned around on time to find a kunoichi and the Hokage himself landing next to them.

Anko stepped past the boys and approached the two incapacitated Jōnin. "How 'ya doin', Cyclops?"

Kakashi sighed, dipping his head. "Nothing a hot drink won't fix."

"Be careful!" Guy warned the three veterans at the top of his voice. "He can rob you of your body heat. That's how we ended up like this!"

Hiruzen blinked at this reveal. That automatically disqualified him from being anywhere near the ice ogre, as he had little doubt that he'd perish because of his advancing age.

This did little to discourage the men. "Great. I needed a break from the heat," Shikaku quipped.

Inoichi sighed despite himself. "With your drinking habits?"

Chōza snorted, tightening his combat stance. "After this, you won't have to be on the wagon ever again."

Hyougamon kept glowering at them, but didn't say a word as he sized the three newcomers up.

Shikaku huffed. "Alright, boys. Let's do this right."

"Ino-Shika-Cho Formation!"

Author's Notes: I can honestly say that this chapter is loaded with more than a few references, as well as a subtle dig at the common cliche in anime when someone does exposition in the middle of a freaking warzone. It actually can be very distracting and inappropriate.

Anyway, this is Part II. Part III will be after a short break.