A New Frontier

by Wickerstein

The strong devour the weak. That has always remained a fundamental law of nature. To think otherwise is farcical. For no matter what, there will always be a winner and a loser.

21. Light II

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

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"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…"

"..."

"We're dead, we're dead, we're dead…"

"..."

Kiba, who had been pacing furiously in the middle of Naruto's living room for what had to be several hours now, finally stopped and turned to Shino, who was calmly taking over monitoring duty as per the kunoichi's edict, sitting in the swivel chair and firmly keeping his back to him.

The Inuzuka crept up next to the other boy, crouched down, and then slowly raised his head up to the Aburame's shoulders; he had removed his jacket. He eyed the latter, who was still staring squarely at the screen, the light from the monitor reflecting off his shades in the dim room, making his normally taciturn expression even eerier.

"So...what are you 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 wanted a repeat of.

Shino did not deign to reply, giving Kiba the silent treatment ever since his cold admonition after they had been forced out of hiding. He fixed all of his attention on the monitor, both to ignore the other boy and out of a deep fascination over this bizarre turn of events they had stumbled into.

Curious.

Sighing softly to himself, Kiba thought, '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 information 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's up?"

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 curiously, confused. From the tone of his voice, it was apparent that Shino was still ignoring him, and was either talking to himself, or someone else. "Uh, Shino, buddy, are you okay?" Perhaps the pressure was starting to get to him?

"You are mistaken," Shino said, and before Kiba could assume 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."

This really started to set the Inuzuka off, until his eyes traveled to the monitor to find a chat box, sitting just below 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 up 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, his frustration having reached its peak. "Dude!"

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

As if a weight had been lifted, Shino finally pulled his gaze away from the screen to glance at him. "I-I'll make it up to you, alright?" Kiba sputtered. "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 end up dead or crippled in some other way."

Kiba wasn't the least bit discouraged. "No way! There's always a way out. It's just Naruto's tiny 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 their direction. It hadn't been his imagination. Why were they allowed entry in the first place?

Naruto, Chōji, and Shikamaru may have caught wind of their departure as soon as they left the school grounds, but it was when Naruto went home alone that Shino suspected he knew they were there; 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 have a clearer head after you've had something to eat."

The impromptu suggestion rattled the already frazzled Inuzuka. "Are you kidding me? 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, surrounded by beautiful women, or of natural old age, and still surrounded by beautiful women.

Shino took off his sunglasses 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, finally taking notice of the computer on the desk. It was black, unlike his, and sleeker too. If he was being honest (and he usually was), it kind of pissed him off that Naruto even had in his hands a model 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 out two steaming cups of shio instant ramen, which he had prepared 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. Although the Inuzuka didn't really care for ramen all that much due to the carbs, his growling stomach had 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 much to him. He maintained some level of skepticism, of course, but one couldn't really deny what was evident for long.

Unless said one happened to be exceptionally stubborn.

"Puh, what a load of bullshit!" Kiba grumbled 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 picked?

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 leisurely, 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.

Shino said calmly, "Clean that up."

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

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

After Kiba had gone out of the kitchen after disposing of the trash and washing up, he took a look around the hallway. The apartment wasn't that lavishly furnished, but it was nonetheless clean. So clean that there hadn't been a smell like he expected when he first arrived. Deducing that it could only be Naruto's uncle taking care of the place, Kiba inwardly scoffed at the idea that he even needed someone to take care of him.

That was before he remembered that, until just recently, the blonde had been living alone.

He shook his head and wandered his gaze around once more before it settled on the couch. It looked fairly new, and from the feel of his hand running over the fabric, it was just as clean as everything else. Maybe...he could sleep on it. He grinned, knowing that it would just piss Naruto off.

Plopping back onto the makeshift bed without a care, he had to admit that it was cozy, if not too soft for his liking. Still, he found himself dozing off not long after, leaving Shino to solely keep watch as the party broke out of their slumber one by one.

Naruto was the second to emerge from 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 and the sun slowly rising over the horizon of the mountain.

Naruto spat out a wad of foam and asked, "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 would 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 more than you think."

"Uh, no," Naruto sputtered, realizing how he might 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 had 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 and perfecting their calorie control that they could be the trenchermen that they were. Hearing this and remembering 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, both in terms of fare and portion sizes, 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 choice 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 slips of chakra paper each. Knowing what they had to do, they soon grasped their respective affinities.

"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 had once been the chakra paper now blending 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 about that part.

They quickly vacated the area without a word, masking their every movement. 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 replied to 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 continued. "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 said, "What matters is that we cover our tracks and get there first to get what we need before they do, and if push comes to shove, defend it."

"Right," Bokomon replied in the affirmative.

They made their way to the underpass under Bokomon's direction, dashing in as they did; the energy from rest and food helped. It was dim, but the dot of light at the very far end led the way. The tunnel floor was uneven and loamy, with some small outcroppings here and there. Piyomon was on Chōji's back, until she decided to fly the rest of the way, which the boy didn't mind. As the patter of footsteps and beating of wings 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 cave's entrance to shift in a crisscross pattern, creating a barricade to hopefully mislead their pursuers.

Shikaku took a moment to catch his breath. This really was the most he could do in his current state; his son helped him to his feet. "We can't be complacent," the man said, taking out half a food pill and ingesting it. "On the off chance that they get a bead on us, this will 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 full 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, his 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 and slowly started to creep near, stopping by a wooden fence that came up to his waist. This was Bokomon's house.

It was light in color, with long oval-shaped windows. It was indeed domed shaped and fairly wide, with the only other odd detail being that the building seemed to scale no higher than a fully grown adult. Behind the fence 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 leapt 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 muttered the word flatly, having little choice but to crawl through the small door. Shikaku elected to stay outside to keep watch, while Chōji voted for the same. Piyomon, being roughly Bokomon's size, eagerly entered. Shikamaru, out of his own curiosity, followed him, 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 grumbled 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 crawled 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, as they crept deeper into the living room, the ceiling 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 photos, which there were four in total. One was of Bokomon smiling next to what appeared to 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 too big for him, with the ends 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. The lion man 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, though, 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 upon 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 seemed to be 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; his father had often sported the same.

"This must be him," Naruto whispered, almost reverentially. "The Sage of the Six Paths."

Shikamaru nodded tacitly. Having been exposed to tales of the great Sage who founded Ninjutsu and the shinobi world in general, many people were reserved the right to be skeptical, even disbelieving of his existence. 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; 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 said 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.

A sharp whistle from outside pulled 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 informed 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 was just something else, they rushed for the fence and skipped over it.

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

Shikaku's expression hardened, having experienced 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," he said. "Like I mentioned back in the apartment, you can never be too prepared in the Digital World. Let's just say that, living 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 own 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."

Shikaku cleared his throat before saying, "It's a good plan."

Stowing Bokomon's things in Naruto's D-Scanner, they leapt up into the trees. "We can take a break at a town a few miles from here," Bokomon informed them from Shikaku's back. "There's also a train station there where we can hitch a ride."

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

"Let's just hurry!" Bokomon exclaimed, then sighed, lifted up the remote detonator, and pressed 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."

A noise that sounded distinctly like a high-pitched hum gradually rose in volume before the wall that Shikaku had set up was blown apart by incredible force, shattering into pieces as debris dispersed 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 beneath a brown, skintight leather bodysuit with numerous stitches. 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 a muffled noise that sounded like an explosion in the distance. Eyes widening, he soon saw black smoke billowing in the same direction. "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 center paused for a moment. "There's a town no farther 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 and stirred. Smacking his lips, he blinked his eyes open to an unfamiliar ceiling, which was shortly replaced by the face of a woman, grinning down at him as she asked, "Did you have a good night's sleep, fido?"

Kiba blinked again to clear the fog from his vision, until his eyes flew open fully. Was he dreaming? This had to be 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 backward but stopped just inches away from the wall; his eyes darted around the room wildly, until his gaze settled on what made his blood run cold.

The Hokage.

He stood 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 places 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 up 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, the duo instead headed towards the kitchen.

This did little to assuage him when the Hokage traipsed over to where a much calmer Shino was seated next to the kunoichi. The man placed a gentle hand on the other boy's shoulder; the lad seemed more receptive to the contact, reciprocating with a polite nod of greeting. He soon returned his attention to Kiba with a dramatic 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 pooled down from his forehead, his complexion white as a sheet.

I…I'm dead…

Later, instead of a cold and dark room, both boys found themselves seated at Naruto's kitchen table, the morning light filtering in through the windows. They faced a spread of freshly prepared food courtesy of Chōza and Kakashi. Kiba blinked in puzzlement, but the terror did not leave him. He looked down and found a breakfast consisting of steaming black rice with shirasu, grilled salmon, red cabbage, 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 were shaking profusively.

Hiruzen remained taciturn, but the stern 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, "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," he said. "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 even more.

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

"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 admonishment 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 hand and the bowl of black rice with his left.

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

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

Shino spoke up, gathering his implements for the sink to wash them. "So, this Digital World," he said. "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 learn more about it 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 and currently undergoing disciplinary action and are also required to compose 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 looked 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 as Shino spoke from the sink, "Is this about the Uzumaki clan?"

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

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?"

Shino asked, "Does Naruto know?"

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

"Tch," Kiba grumbled to himself, then ducked his head from another stern glare courtesy of Hiruzen. "Now hang on!" he said, turning back to face him. "If this Uzumaki Clan is such a big deal, why haven't we heard about them before?"

"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 constant innovations in the Fūin Arts."

This caught the Inuzuka by surprise; it was the very first time he had ever 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 have been quietly expunged in the recent decades," 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 or child alive in Konoha who was ignorant of such a detail. "Psh, who doesn't?" Kiba said, his voice taking on a bitter edge. "Hashirama-sama's wife passed away before him, leaving him widowed." 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; she 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 descendant?" Shino asked after taking his seat back at the table, with Kiba finishing up, having realized halfway through just how hungry he had become without a proper dinner.

Hiruzen seemed to hesitate before answering. "Naruto-kun is her great-great grand nephew; they both hail from the main branch. His mother emigrated here after the clan was caught up 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 folds of his arms that they now seemed to wrap around himself defensively. Hiruzen's features withered so profoundly his wrinkles seemed to have gained 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 as to what the kunoichi found funny, until the dots began to connect on their own. "No fucking 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. "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, while the other guy practically owned the country club.

Against his better judgment, he slammed a fist down on the table, his face twisting 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 found 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; however, Kiba stormed off towards 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 own bed, things would go back to the way they were.

Not exactly top dog, but still leagues above Naruto. He, the heir to the Inuzuka Clan, whose career and future were secure from birth, as opposed to the blonde speck of a bug who would be lucky 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 doorknob when he caught what Shikamaru had said.

The group was now strolling through the forest. Shikaru's stamina had taken a dip, forcing them to slow down and conserve energy. Figuring that they had covered enough distance, a part of them decided to sightsee, passing by some baby Digimon, with some curious enough to catch a glimpse of them but ending up scurrying away or refusing to come near.

Just ahead of them, they spotted a much larger Digimon. They had seen no others since their arrival. Staying hidden and masking their presence, they chose to let the creature feed on some fruit. It wasn't meat fruits, though; 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 said to Anko as he joined the others in moving back to the living room. Kiba remained at 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 as he helped 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 rhino-like horn growing on its snout. As its massive horn grows, it eventually becomes large enough to make up nearly half of its body length. The hard material coating a portion of its horn and half its body is as hard as diamond, and it is said that nothing can escape being pierced by this horn. Monochromon can be considered a Digimon that excels at both offense and defense. It is herbivorous and has a generally gentle nature; however, once provoked, it will relentlessly unleash devastating attacks from its heavily armored 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," she said.

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

"The hell is that?!"

None of them were surprised when the Inuzuka still hadn't left, having slunk behind Shino, who had taken his seat next to the Hokage.

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

"That, children, is a Digimon," Anko explained to those in the back. "An abbreviation for 'Digital Monsters' 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 feel 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 have a hard time dealing with that guy."

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

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 replied. "Besides, if Kiba does end up shooting his mouth off, well…"

Naruto shuddered, just imagining what horrors Anko would 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 said. "But, you're right, he's not that stupid. Thankfully."

Chōji hummed to himself, "Well, there was that one time he told the entire class about Kanagawa having a 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 inside of a computer?"

"Actually, that's not entirely accurate," said Bokomon. "The Digital World isn't in the computer so much as it's its own entirely separate 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 they are 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 confusing them. "How bad was it?" Naruto asked curiously.

Bokomon, who was slightly ahead of the boys and just behind Shikaku, shuttered one eye as he recalled some of the past. "Well, there was that one time you sunk 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 forget who it was, but I think they wanted to take your spot or something," Bokomon explained, rubbing his chin as he struggled to recall the details.

Shikamaru commented, "Must have been some fight."

"Heh, that was normal back then," Bokomon said. "There wasn't anywhere you could spit without causing some sort of 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 much 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 going to have to be for some other time," Bokomon interjected. "The town should be just over that ridge."

They scaled said 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, save for the 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 form to avoid property damage or to conserve energy. Or both," Bokomon explained as they scampered down the ridge. "Most will leave you alone so long as you don't bother them, but it still pays to be careful."

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 no one should split from the group."

Shikaku's brows knitted together in a cold scowl, determined that if anyone touched his son or his friends, they would face 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. 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 during the current peace.

Tsunade's grief, burned into his memory from the last war, was still fresh in his mind.

"What...are they talking about?" Kiba questioned, unable to follow any of it.

"Just take a seat, kid," Anko said to 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 were 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 like an idyllic town where they could live 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 as their attention was drawn from almost every corner, with Shikaku having to glare at a pair that were a little too close for comfort. They quietly slipped back into an adjacent alleyway, not that they seemed intimidated, only peeved. Many of the inhabitants did seem to be rookies, but as 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 as 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 points accentuated by red. The mere sight of the creature had Hiruzen gaping in disbelief; he could be one of Enma's.

The simian had a hunched gait, its figure gangly but well-muscled beneath its golden fur. The hairless sections of its chest, face, and extremities were gray, with the hands and feet disproportionately large 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 deep, masculine voice, giving them a friendly wave. "Welcome to our town."

The party didn't respond 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. It's just two blocks away from 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 those 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; they merely assumed 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," 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 area.

Gryzmon

Stage: Champion

Type: Beast

Attribute: Vaccine

A Beast Digimon that embodies the spirit of an honorable martial artist despite its ferocious appearance, which results from its massive body, as well as its fangs and claws, which conceal their lethal potential. Despite its large size, it can nimbly dodge the opponent's attacks, turning them aside, thanks to 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 Digimon covered in gold-colored fur. Despite numerous sightings having been reported in the eastern region of the Digital World, it is an extremely rare Digimon, with many rumors and legends surrounding it. However, recent evidence suggests 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 forms of Taijutsu, with one having a grasp of 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, it's been a while."

The golden monkey let out a guffaw and exclaimed, "I'll say! We were starting 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."

The husband and wife looked back 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 Hanuman, as he let his wife lead the way. "There's a fast food joint here that has the best burgers. You guys will love it."

The humans looked at each other quizzically. "Fast...food?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"They serve hamburger steak here?" Chōji asked excitedly, licking his 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 an order 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..."

Indeed, the building resembled a sandwich of some kind. The "breads" were shaped like round buns, with the top of the rooftop dotted with what they could identify as white "sesame seeds." The main brick foundation was stocky 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 a brick floor that was much 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.

Anko commented, "Nice. Must have a motion scanner up there."

Scrunching his face, Kiba asked, "That's supposed to be a restaurant there?"

Shino adjusted his shades. "Most likely for aesthetic purposes; 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 wafting through 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 declared, wringing his hands in anticipation of 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 were 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 to catch up while they waited for their food.

"So, where's the menu?" Naruto asked aloud, his head darting from side to side in search of it. "Shouldn't there be someone 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 and chuckled as she said, "The staff only serves 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 on the center of the table, which was a smooth, shining white that could have only been protected 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 text 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, gaped 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 for magic.

"Okay, now that is impressive!" Anko exclaimed, her mind racing as to whether they could somehow, someday, develop similar 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 science fiction and books theorizing their possibility. To witness such a thing firsthand induced a feeling of childlike wonderment that he thought had long been abandoned by him.

"What the...?" A completely stunned Naruto stammered, unable to tear his gaze away from the table that functioned as a screen. Moments later, however, he began to notice some clues on his tablet, the interface bearing a striking resemblance. Shikamaru must have figured it out too, as he tentatively tapped an icon of a sandwich he had never seen before. The icon grew larger immediately afterward, accompanied by an icon at the bottom of the image that contained a few letters of Digimoji, indicating that he was unsure whether or not to choose it.

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

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 swipe it at a corner of the table, the transaction was complete. All that remained was to await their meals.

"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, immaculate, and even 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 faded away, 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 out of the corner of his eye on 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, each 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 one by their table passed a tray to each of them, containing the same items. A bundle wrapped in paper, a plastic cup with a lid, and a cardboard sleeve stuffed with...Naruto didn't even know what to make of it, only that it was thin and square in shape, like it resembled shorter chopsticks, only slightly curved. Next to the cup lay a long roll of paper.

Naruto did a double take as he continued to study the odd items. "What...is all this stuff?"

The creature replied, "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 balls of fluff, 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. Fine, thin, cream-colored fur covered their bodies, with a long tail protruding and wagging freely from their rear. Tufts of hair that vaguely resembled 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 sandwiches that they had been seeing around the restaurant, and which were likely modeled after.

Burgamon

Stage: Rookie

Type: Food

Attribute: Vaccine

A Digimon that has taken in the data of various hamburgers. It enjoys serving hamburgers that it puts all of its skill into making for hungry Digimon above all else. It aims to start a first-rate hamburger restaurant that will attract many customers with its Ebi Burgamon companions. It is merciless towards those who disrupt others' meals, 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!" he 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 and asked, "How about a woman?"

All of the men, including the boys, wore stone-faced expressions as they responded with a single, unified statement: "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."

Humans and Digimon 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 began 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 it with a less critical eye than Chōji, who even at his age fancied himself as something of a gourmet. 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. The fillings left much to be desired, however. Lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese were all present, but he couldn't help but feel 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?" He turned his head left and right, searching for the source of the voice, until his eyes met Shikamaru's, which were flashing with panic. "Shi-Shika? What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru repeated as if 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 he saw to his confusion that the others were looking at him as if he had grown a second set of ears.

He looked down at his hands and expected 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 was like you were possessed! Right after you took a bite, you just gobbled the rest down as if you hadn't eaten in days!"

"Eh!?" Shocked, Chōji quickly scanned himself. "I-I did?!" He ran his tongue across his lips and tasted a sour flavor, realizing that what remained of the hamburger was smeared across his face and mouth.

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

"Impossible!" Chōza cried hoarsely, overwhelmed with shock, his face covered in 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 palette eventually adapted to her flavors, causing them to search for more innovative cooking techniques and tastes whenever they could.

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

There was only one way to be sure.

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

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

Once the Digimon had left, the humans found themselves wrestling with 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 by ordering two more sets.

Having witnessed his rotund friend eat with such mindless ferocity should have made Naruto wary.

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

Swallowing down some saliva, he noticed the trickle of moisture around the corner of his lips. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and then, 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 had he taken one bite that he took another, barely having swallowed. The chemicals in his brain were activated as soon as the flavors hit his taste buds, his hands and mouth now working feverishly together as he continued to devour the sandwich with increasing fervor.

"It's great!" Naruto proclaimed as he paused to swallow, his cheeks stuffed, 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 on the 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, and 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 grew more 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?

The sourness 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 smoothly easing everything out, only to be blind-sided 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 his mouth with a clean tissue before announcing, "I'll be ordering 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 for one or two more.

Shikaku finally sampled his burger, but his reaction was more subdued. "Huh, not bad," he said, 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 had 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; that's 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, he perked up. "Delicious." Not as good as a hamburger, but... "Wait! That's it!"

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

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

"Uh, three," Naruto said uncommitally, distracted as he 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.

Within a minute or so, 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 bites of his burger and fries, which surprisingly made for a good side.

Shikamaru ended up ordering three as well. 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, he carefully examined the condiments. "The sourness of the pickles, 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," Chōza exclaimed in understanding, excitedly slamming an enclosed fist into his palm.

"I see!" Hiruzen exclaimed, his blood boiling at the revelation. "The combination seems so simple at first, but it builds on itself 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 meals, with Shikaku ordering some more due to the drain on his stamina rendering him hungrier than he thought. After finishing the regular cheeseburgers, Naruto went for the variant. It was sandwiched between a bun without sesame seeds, and instead of keeping the lettuce intact, it was finely diced into thin strips. In place 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, overjoyed. "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 to the brim with pink and white layered ice cream, which was completed by a 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, slouching in 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, much of his attention trained 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?

UPDATE: I edited this chapter in the app using the AI editor, and frankly, while it's good, it isn't perfect. Still, it's pretty convenient for editing if you don't feel satisfied with how you word or phrase certain paragraphs or sentences. And, you can just re-edit if you feel that the AI didn't do things right.