Naruto x Digimon

Alive - Team Minato's Digidestined

Chapter 055.1

Originally Written: Tuesday, April 4, 2023 1043AM to 526PM; Wednesday, April 5, 2023 907AM to 418PM; Wednesday, April 12, 2023 450AM to 616AM

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A/N: These next chapters aren't in my scene notes, but, just like the extra Rin-focused chapters I put in, these are here to add some depth and explanation to a story that won't ever be expanded more than this unless I change my mind or someone else decides to play in my world.

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In an age nearly lost to the sands of time, a young Uchiha boy wandered the forest nearby his family's clan grounds. It was there that he met a strange white horse. The horse animal had a red mask like visor, which hid its eyes behind a line of blue, and large dark leathery wings unlike any creature the boy had ever seen. It was injured from being hunted, and favored its front leg with a heavy limp. It was covered in many scars. The wounds left gashes of red as though the skin hadn't healed correctly. The young Uchiha didn't consider himself a kind or soft person, but in his boredom he sat with the horse, expecting it to die from its wounds.

When it didn't, he gathered some supplies as the creature watched him, and tended to its leg. The boy still didn't think the creature would survive with such an injury, but it didn't need to suffer like this. In return, the creature shielded him from the elements by wrapping its large wings around him. The warmth of its body lulled the boy to sleep. When he woke, the creature was gone and the sun was starting to set. He rushed home to the safety of his clan.

Over the months, he searched for the creature whenever he could, but did not find it again. Instead, he found a young Senju boy. Despite being from two enemy clans, the duo endeavored to be friends. Maybe one day, the two clans would find and achieve their dreams of peace together. However, this was not to be. There was too much bad blood in between their clans for either to look towards their futures instead of their pasts.

One rainy day, the Uchiha boy wandered off, wondering what to do. What were his options? Did he have any? He could not convince his father to at least change his mind about his friend, and he was certain his friend couldn't do the same with his own father. As he traveled through the forest, he spotted a glimpse of white.

Despite the birds and other critters fleeing, he stood his ground. The creature that stepped out from between the large trees had large white wings, claws and the head of a bird, and the body of a four legged beast. It towered over him, standing on its two hind legs.

The boy tilted his head and looked at the creature. His eyes turned red as he activated his Sharingan, the trademark ability of his clan. Being able to sense chakra, he used his eyes to confirm what he was seeing. He recognized the many scars the creature was covered in. The scars that had healed incorrectly. The one that spoke out to him the most was the one on its front limb. Years before, he remembered wrapping a wound that would have left a similar scar.

He smiled. "Still here, huh?"

The creature looked down at him. Slowly, it lowered its arms and claws over the boy's shoulders. The boy would have taken it as an attack, but the creature had moved so deliberately and slowly.

The boy soon realized he was being hugged, and leaned into the creature's embrace. "Me too."

The Senju remained hopeful that things could still change between their families, but the Uchiha did not have the same faith. He instead placed his family ahead of his desires, as destined for the heir of the Uchiha clan. He accepted his loss for the defeat it was, and resolved to make sure that no one else would defeat his Senju friend, except for him. No other Uchiha would kill the Senju with honor and mercy when that day came.

The Uchiha warded off his pain and sadness from the conclusion he came to by turning his thoughts elsewhere. He started his journey to push his clan, his family to the highest potential they had ever achieved. Far surpassing the efforts of his father.

Hidden in between the trees, the creature patrolled the area and made sure he was okay. The Uchiha teenager, no longer a boy, taught the creature how to suppress its chakra, and hide from the humans. The same way he taught his clan, he taught the creature how to hide between the trees and move between them with nary a sound. Though he hadn't said anything or asked, the creature made sure that no harm the Uchiha hadn't caused himself befell his wayward Senju friend.

In return, the creature taught the Uchiha how to fight in ways the Senju didn't recognize. As the Uchiha learned, he noticed that when the Senju and Uchiha came to blows, it was always a toss up as to who would win the battle. The Senju would remain down when defeated, and the Uchiha would pause in that last strike. He'd leave him to his own devices in return. Only after the Uchiha left, would the Senju rise. Likewise, the Senju did the same when he defeated the Uchiha.

The Senju Clan accepted this outcome. The Uchiha clan did not. Every defeat at the hands of the Senju clan meant more clan members lost. Seeing and understanding this, the Uchiha's friend started speaking of alliances and peace. Many Uchiha did not see it this way. They saw it as an insult. They believed the Senju would turn the Uchiha into their vassals.

In the quiet of the forest, the Uchiha spoke of his concerns to the creature. The creature listened. One day, the creature answered. It spoke unlike the bird or feline creature the Uchiha was expecting. The voice was human, mimicking the Uchiha's voice. The Uchiha believed that he unknowingly taught the creature how to speak.

The creature spoke slowly, gathering its thoughts. "You…Are…Not…Prey."

In the ensuing fight the next time the Uchiha and the Senju clashed, The Uchiha lost his younger brother.

The Senju's younger brother, who had struck down the Uchiha's younger brother, looked at him with cold, calculating red eyes. "Now, he will consider, brother."

The Uchiha, even with his failing vision, saw nothing but red and rage. He spoke to himself, his fists clenched.

The Senju friend did not look pleased, and instead tried to heal the younger Uchiha. The Uchiha's creature friend launched from the trees, cawing and claws swiping. Wind swirled in the forest, strong enough to knock down the trees. When the Senju retaliated in defense, the wind switched to fire and filled the forest. Yet, no trees burned. Only Senju and Uchiha.

The Senju and even the Uchiha cowed when they realized they were being attacked by a Phoenix. All but one. The Uchiha laughed in despair as he pulled his brother into his lap, and cradled him in his arms. Fire surrounded him and his brother. Tears of blood streamed down his cheeks.

When the Phoenix grabbed him and his brother, he did not struggle. He only remembered what the creature had told him.

"No, I am not prey."

The creature took the Uchiha and his brother to the forests he had come from. His brother unfortunately, did not survive his wounds. The Uchiha looked at his brother's body as it faded away into glittering sparkles underneath the moonlight. Yet the creature told him his brother would survive. They just needed to be patient. When the creature told him that the Senju would never consider the Uchiha their equals, he believed that too.

The creature taught him of its world. A realm of various, powerful and weak, unique creatures called Digimon. The Uchiha equated them to the many mythical creatures his father told him about as a child. The phoenix called itself Zhuqiaomon, a foreign name the Uchiha did not recognize. It explained that when it was younger, it stumbled onto the world of humans. It was promptly attacked, recognized as the powerful beast it was. However, the humans left it alone as their resources dwindled but the creature remained standing. It wasn't expecting to be helped, yet the Uchiha had assisted him. For that, it would always help him.

The Uchiha rested and recovered. He befriended many of the Digimon. Little baby digimon, all the way up to the digimon that towered above him. It was no secret that Zhuqiaomon was the strongest of them, and many feared him. In return, the Uchiha guided Zhuqiamon to remain humble, and kind and to protect, unlike the Senju that had betrayed him and his clan. He learned and trained and lived, but always worried for the clan members he left behind. So Zhuqiaomon showed him the way back home. And followed him.

Zhuqiaomon watched over the Uchiha when he returned to his world. The Land had changed, and a village stood in the middle of the forest. He stayed in the shadows of the trees with his phoenix as he learned about Konohagakure. He remembered telling his Senju friend the name. He wanted to live in peace, in a village hidden in the leaves of the trees.

"He is not your friend." Zhuqiaomon told him. "Look how he takes your image, your thoughts and beliefs as though he had come up with them himself."

He believed him.

He remained hidden under a disguise of fire and red, and watched over all of his clan. He personally met with every Uchiha clan member making sure they were alright, and their needs were met to the best of his ability. Rumor and uncertainty spread throughout the land, but they all knew one thing, Madara Uchiha was the head of their clan, and he would always look over them in spirit or otherwise.