Ch5

The Uranet was a dark and seedy part of the internet, where danger lurked around every corner. The dark atmosphere was enough to make any normal navai tense up and despite having visited multiple times he still felt uneasy with each step.

Rockman looked over at the fox navi by his side. Kyuu had a neutral expression though his eyes were carefully scanning the area around them.

"Kyuu," Rockman began, his voice tinged with nervousness, "this place gives me the creeps. It's so dark and unsettling."

Kyuu's nine tails swayed behind him, their fiery orange hues cutting through the shadows. He turned his piercing blue eyes toward him, the energy he emitted gave him a sense of assurance. "Don't worry, Rockman. I'm here with you. No one will dare strike at us.."

He managed a small smile, feeling comforted by Kyuu's presence. "Thanks, Kyuu. I know I can count on you."

Their mission was clear: delve into the depths of the Uranet to uncover information about the yakuza terrorizing the town. As they ventured deeper, they arrived at a cyber square—a junction point where various digital pathways intersected.

There were a few hooded navis around who eyed them with suspicion, no doubt the fact that strangers were around was enough to make them on edge. "Come on there might be some info here," he said as they walked around the square. A local message board glowed in the distance, its pixels flickering with cryptic messages and rumors.

Kyuu nodded, his tails flickering around him. "Agreed. The citizens of this realm might have information we need."

He nodded and searched through some messages, many of them were locals trying to buy some illicit substances. But there was one in particular that caught his attention, it appeared to be a message that was not yet sent.

"Hey who the hell do you two think you are!" they both turned around to see various Uranet navis and a hoard of viruses with them. "Only members are allowed here."

Kyuu raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? I don't see your name on it?"

Crap. He did his best to remain calm and prepared his blaster.

"You boys looking for trouble?" One of the navis asked. "This is our turf."

The fox navi stepped in front of him. "Don't worry I'll handle these fools."

He opened his mouth but the viruses and navis charged at them.

Kyuu's tails moved with a fluidity that defied the laws of the digital realm. From the tips of each tail, streams of red chakra surged forth, striking the viruses and enemy NetNavis with pinpoint accuracy. The enemies were obliterated, disintegrating into lines of code.

What the hell? How did Netto-kun make such a strong navi? He considered helping but Kyuu easily took down the navis with ease and deleted the viruses in a blink of an eye. Kyuu slashed and hacked at the viruses with his claws and stomped on the navis with ease before destroying them with the energy from his tails.

Rockman watched in awe as Kyuu's tails danced with deadly elegance. "Wow, Kyuu! You make taking down enemies look so easy!"

Kyuu's lips curled into a grin. "Thanks. You can say I'm made of some really strong stuff."

"Well that interesting." He looked around carefully. "You and Naruto are both strong." A part of him was suspicious of the blonde ninja but that suspicion slowly went away whenever he saw him and Netto interact. It had been ages since his operator such a good friend.

"Did you find anything on the board?" Kyuu asked as he approached the board.

"Just this unsent message." His eyes scanned the text. "Boss Jiro wants more payment for protection." He then read the name of the locations, among them was the store their operators went to.

Kyuu folded his arms. "Boss Jiro eh?"

"This could be the lead we've been looking for," he said as he read the list of targets. Well this is a lead.

Kyuu nodded, "Let's gather as much information as we can and bring it back to our operators."

He jotted down the unsent message's details, saving the IP address for further investigation. With this we can try to trace them. He turned to the fox navi. "Thanks for helping out, you're really strong."

Kyuu's tails swished as a cocky grin spread across his face. "It's my duty to protect and assist you, Rockman. We're a team, after all."

Returning to the familiar confines of Netto's PC, Rockman and Kyuu found their operators, Netto and Naruto, sound asleep on the couch. The digital realm was a place of constant activity, but in these quiet moments, Rockman and Kyuu had a chance to converse without the distractions of their missions and battles.

Kyuu's nine tails rustled as he settled beside Rockman, his blue eyes filled with curiosity. "Rockman, since we have a moment, can I ask you something personal?"

He nodded, his virtual form glowing softly in the ambient light of the PC. "Of course, Kyuu. We're partners, and partners share things with each other."

Kyuu nodded his gaze calm as his eyes rested on Netto, "Tell me about your life, Rockman. How did you become Netto's NetNavi?"

Rockman's gaze turned distant for a moment, as if he was reminiscing. "Well, I've been with Netto for a long time. We met when we were both young, and he was just starting to explore the world of NetNavis and battling. Back then, I didn't know much about battling, but Netto believed in me and saw potential. We've grown together ever since."

His heart warmed up just thinking of all their adventures and the people they met and saved. Even when he doesn't get the credit he is always helping others.

Kyuu's tails swayed softly, reflecting his interest in Rockman's story. "You must share a strong bond with Netto after all these years."

He smiled. "Absolutely. I'm more than just a program to him. I'm his partner and friend. I want to be there for him, to help him, and to protect him when he needs it."

Kyuu nodde. "You're a very loyal NetNavi, Rockman. Your dedication to Netto is admirable. I hope my relationship with my operator can be strong as well. "

He nodded. "Don't worry give it time, I'm sure your bond with him will grow.

Kyuu's curiosity shifted toward his own existence. "I must admit, Rockman, I'm still learning about the cyber world and what it means to be a NetNavi. I don't have much knowledge or experience beyond my own creation." The fox navi looked at his hand and made a fist. "It's like I'm a big fish in a small pond sometimes."

He raised an eyebrow taken aback by the navi's insecurity. "That's perfectly okay, Kyuu. The world of NetNavis and the digital realm can be complex, but you have a lot of potential. You'll learn and adapt quickly."

Kyuu's tails curled in thought. "I hope so. I want to be able to help and protect like you do. I want to make a difference."

He nodded, a smile on his face. "You will, Kyuu. You are strong and capable, and you have a unique set of skills. With time and practice, you'll become a formidable NetNavi."

A smile tugged at the corners of Kyuu's lips. "Thank you, Rockman." The fox navi turned to his operator. "I was made through different means, you could say I have my own special connection."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't push, he could tell Kyuu had some secret that he wasn't fully comfortable sharing yet. "It's alright. If you're ever curious or want to learn more about the cyber world, feel free to ask me anything. I'll be happy to help."

Kyuu's tails swished with appreciation. "I appreciate that, Rockman. It's reassuring to know that I have someone like you to guide me."

With that they made sure the security on their network was secure before retiring for the night. The next morning they shared their findings with their operators. "They said there is a guy named boss Jiro, there is an IP address we can trace," he said as he shared the information on the screen.

Netto nodded. "I'll look into it."

"Also there is a list of potential targets that they wanted to extort protection from," Kyuu said.

Their operators both scanned the list. "Well that shop was on there and a few other places had reported break ins." Netto sat in the back of his chair and folded his arms as he looked over the list. "There's a water treatment plant on this list, I saw it on the drive here."

"Has it been attacked yet?" Naruto asked.

Netto shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of."

The blonde ninja nodded. "I see. How about we send our navis there just in case?"

"Sounds good." Netto turned to them. "Both of you go to the water plant's mainframe and be on the lookout for anything suspicious."

Kyuu nodded. "You can count on us."

"Alright let go," he said.

The network wasn't far and took only a few minutes for them to arrive. When they approached the network door he noticed it was blasted down. "That's not normal," Kyuu said.

He activated his blaster. "We might be too late come on."

The inside was a mess, the remains of the worker navis were strewn around and viruses were everywhere. Kyuu's tails took care of the viruses with ease as they headed down towards the mainframe.

"Alright you two be careful," Netto said as they entered the main area and were greeted by the sight of a large navi.

An anthropomorphic shark, he stood tall with a muscular build that exuded strength and power. His entire form was covered in sleek blue scales, accentuating his aquatic nature. Fins adorned his arms and legs, and his entire body seemed to ripple with latent energy. His sharp teeth, gleaming menacingly.

"Well, well, what have we here? Two little NetNavis swimming in my domain. How delightful." The navi laughed and folded his arms. "Just some punk navis playing hero? I Bullshark and am the strongest navi around."

Kyuu laughed. "Oh we'll see about that. Did your boss Jiro send you too?"

Bullshark growled. "Shut it! You aren't worthy to say his name!"

As they approached, Bullshark's predatory grin widened, revealing those formidable teeth.

Kyuu's tails bristled, his blue eyes narrowing with determination. "We're not here for a friendly chat, Bullshark. We're here to put an end to whatever threats you're causing in this system."

Bullshark's laughter echoed through the digital currents, carrying an unsettling undertone. "Threats? Oh, you're precious, thinking you can stand up to me. Allow me to show you just how out of your depth you are."

"Lets go guys," Netto said. "Battle routine set!"

"Execute!"

Without warning, Bullshark lunged forward, his muscular form propelled by the sheer power of his fins. His massive jaws snapped shut, aiming to crush him within their razor-sharp embrace. Reacting swiftly, he dodged the attack. "Canon slot in!" He fired the canon but Bullshark took the attack and seemed unphased.

"Here let me try." Kyuu's tails swayed gracefully as he launched a barrage of red-chakra-infused attacks. The tails lashed out like whips, striking Bullshark with precision. The shark navi screamed in pain as he was hit and thrown back

Bullshark roared in frustration, "You'll pay for that."

"Air shot slot in!" He blasted Bullshark back with a powerful blast of wind, the navi grunted and glared at them.

"Rockman mind if I show you and everyone else a piece of my strenght?" Kyuu asked.

"Go ahead the sooner we defeat him the better," He said as he fired his blaster at the navi.

Kyuu grinned and held out his hand. The air around him became agitated as a red sphere quicky formed in his hand, he stared it his spine tingling just looking at it. I can feel it from here, such raw power.

The fox navi flew at Bullshark in the blink of an eye and slammed the attack into him. The navi screamed as the area was covered in smoke, his form dissipating into lines of code. The echoes of battle faded, leaving a stillness in the network once again.

Kyuu's tails settled as he caught his virtual breath, his blue eyes reflecting a mixture of exhaustion and triumph. Rockman's digital form remained poised, his gaze never wavering from the spot where Bullshark had been. The fox navi turned to him and the image of their operators with a wide grin. "So how was that?"

"Wow that was cool!" Netto said. "Where did you learn that?"

Naruto laughed awkwardly. "Must of picked it up from me."

Netto stared at the Naruto in surprise. "You can do something like that?"

"Eh kind of," Naruto said. "My rasengan is usually blue."

Kyuu folded his arms and flexed his muscles for show. "Well I'm glad you liked it, though I should learn to control my strength."

He looked and notice that the area where Bullshark stood was completely destroyed. Yeah definitely. "Come on lets fix this network."

Kyuu nodded, despite everything he just saw he didn't fear the navi. I think I can trust him. He seems like a decent guy.