Digital Emperor (Naruto X Digimon)

Davis stood, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed, glaring at Naruto. The tension between the two was palpable, each one trying to assert their position without backing down. Davis was frustrated—frustrated that he felt disrespected, frustrated at Naruto's calm demeanor, and frustrated at the fact that he couldn't seem to get under Naruto's skin no matter how hard he tried. His anger was burning hot, but so was his pride.

"I know how you guys feel, but I'm not looking down on you," Naruto said, finally taking a deep breath. His voice was calm but resolute. "Davis, none of you can win against me. It's a fact. You will always lose against me while we're all in the rookie stage. Once you go higher, that could change, but at this stage? None. You guys have zero chance."

His words hung in the air, harsh and blunt, but Davis wasn't ready to back down yet. He didn't want to believe it, didn't want to admit that Naruto might be right. The sting of failure was unbearable to him, especially when it was coming from someone he considered a rival. But Naruto wasn't finished, and with a steady gaze, he continued.

"It must feel like I'm being arrogant," Naruto said, taking a step forward. "But you know me, Davis. Have I ever acted that way?"

His eyes locked with Davis, a silent challenge to think back to their past encounters. Davis's anger was still there, simmering, but a part of him knew that Naruto wasn't someone to speak down to others—especially not him. Naruto had always been humble, even in the face of overwhelming strength. That made it harder for Davis to stay mad.

But it wasn't enough. Davis's pride was too bruised. He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. His partner, Rai, shared in the frustration, but both of them were struggling to find an outlet for their emotions.

"Look at my partner," Naruto continued, nodding toward the approaching Asura. "Tell me if you think Rai can win."

Asura, standing beside Naruto, was anything but a typical rookie. The moment Davis laid eyes on the digimon, he froze in shock. His mouth went dry, and his thoughts scrambled. The digimon in front of him didn't resemble Candlemon in any way. It wasn't even close.

"What the hell?" Davis muttered under his breath, his eyes widening as he stared at Asura. "This isn't your partner... you're cheating."

The accusation came out harsher than he intended, but his mind was racing. Asura was a far cry from the humble Candlemon he had been expecting. The humanoid figure before him, with golden armor and a confident stance, looked like a champion-level digimon, not a rookie. There was no way it could be a normal Candlemon.

Rika, who had been standing by, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Her patience had long since worn thin with Davis's emotional outbursts. "Davis, that is Naruto's Candlemon, so don't be an idiot. Just check your digivice," she said coldly, her voice laced with annoyance.

Davis, still fuming, was about to snap back at Rika, but the sight of Asura left him momentarily speechless. He couldn't ignore it. He pulled his digivice from his belt and, with trembling hands, pointed it at Asura, desperate for some kind of explanation.

As the screen flashed and the data appeared, Davis's eyes widened in disbelief. The digivice confirmed what he had feared:

Candlemon: Uzumaki Variant

"This is a Candlemon that has been modified using Digimetal and large amounts of energy into a humanoid form. With its golden armor, Candlemon can take any attacks without worry and provide weight to its attack. Its humanoid form allows it to utilize close combat, flexibility, and speed that were not available to the normal version. It has openings in the armor to utilize its wax body, and with the armored form, it has become a deadly combo."

Davis stepped back, his mouth agape as he read the description multiple times. His brain refused to process the information. Even Rai, standing beside him, couldn't hide his shock.

"Holy shit, he looks so cool," Rai muttered under his breath, his eyes wide as he examined Asura. But then, as if realizing the situation, Rai quickly shook his head and shot a glare at the intimidating Candlemon. "No, no. Can't admire the rival."

Davis's mind was reeling. The digivice data didn't lie—Asura wasn't just some modified rookie. It was a powerhouse, the kind of digimon that could easily destroy entire teams. His initial thoughts about Naruto's Candlemon were completely wrong. He had thought that this was some pathetic, weak digimon, an easy target. But now? He could see the truth. Asura could wipe out his team in seconds if it came down to it.

Davis's expression twisted in a mix of shock and disbelief as he turned back to Naruto. "What the fuck did you do to him? How the fuck...?" His voice was a mix of awe and fear. He had been so sure that they could beat Naruto, but this? This was a game changer.

Naruto, sensing the gravity of the situation, nodded in acknowledgment. "I didn't do anything unfair, Davis," he said, his voice calm but carrying an edge. "This is the result of hard work, not cheating. You can't win against me because of what my partner's become. This is my strength. It's not something you can just take lightly."

Davis finally realized the true meaning of Naruto's words. He had been underestimating Naruto, and now, with Asura in front of him, it was clear that the fight was over before it even started. He had been so focused on his pride and his team's potential that he had failed to see how powerful Naruto's bond with his digimon truly was.

Davis's shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of his earlier arrogance crashing down on him. He had been looking down on Candlemon, thinking it was weak, but now he saw it was far beyond anything he could handle. Even Rai, his own partner, was awestruck by the power that Naruto had unlocked.

Naruto looked at Davis with calm determination in his eyes, his voice carrying a quiet confidence that seemed to settle over the confrontation like a weight. He had never been one to boast or take pride in his strength, but in this moment, he knew that his approach was different. "I just did what was necessary," he said simply, his tone unwavering. "I used my powers and allowed Asura to get closer to an ideal shape. You should know that I'm not going to settle for something normal."

Davis was still seething with frustration, but there was a trace of concern that couldn't be ignored. "What if he had died? He's literally one day old. You can't just throw around words like that." His voice was tinged with disbelief, a mixture of anger and genuine worry for what he considered an irresponsible act. "It's one of the hardest things to do, and many have lost their digimon because of a mistake."

Naruto shook his head, unfazed by Davis's sharp words. His gaze softened, understanding where the other tamer was coming from, but he remained firm in his conviction. "Thanks for worrying about Asura, but I was always in control. There was zero risk involved. I used the Digivice to calculate everything. I would never risk someone, even if it was just 1 percent. Everything was measured, and I knew exactly what I was doing."

Davis stared at him, his frustration still lingering in the pit of his stomach, but he couldn't argue with the truth in Naruto's words. The precision with which Naruto operated had always been his strength, and the tamer knew this wasn't a gamble. Still, it was hard to swallow the fact that Naruto had made the decision so casually. It was a reminder of the vast difference between them in terms of experience and trust in their abilities.

Naruto's tone shifted slightly, becoming more focused as he turned the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Moving back to the topic, I hope you understand now why I wasn't worried. Just work hard now and get ready to fight because Asura will be more intimidating in one month. He's just getting started."

Without waiting for Davis to respond, Naruto closed the distance between them, much to the latter's surprise. With a swift motion, Naruto wrapped his arms around him in a brief, friendly embrace, patting his back in a gesture of camaraderie. "I know you're frustrated," Naruto added, his voice warm, "but we're rivals, and rivals push each other. It's part of what makes us better."

Davis froze, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture. The rivalry had always been heated, but the uncharacteristic affection from Naruto threw him off balance. For a moment, he considered pushing him away, but there was something in Naruto's demeanor—something genuine—that made him hesitate. It was a reminder of the unspoken bond that had always existed between them, even if their paths had diverged in some ways.

"Damn! I lost again," Davis muttered under his breath, trying to ignore the lingering warmth of the embrace. He straightened himself, unwilling to admit defeat but unable to deny the facts. "Just you wait until I reach the Champion level. Then, I won't need a whole team to beat you."

Naruto chuckled, his grin widening as he stepped back, releasing Davis from the embrace. "That's better," he said, his voice light and teasing. "And I'll be looking forward to that battle. I like you guys a lot. You're persistent, and that's what makes a good rival."

Davis's competitive fire flared again at Naruto's words, his determination returning in full force. He wasn't going to back down. But even in the heat of his rivalry, there was a flicker of respect for the way Naruto had handled everything. The battle might be a long way off, but the fight was far from over.

Naruto, on the other hand, felt a strange sense of fulfillment. Rivalry, to him, had always been about growth. It was about testing himself, pushing his limits, and finding new challenges. And in this world, unlike the one he left behind, there were countless beings who could match or surpass his strength. He didn't feel the same isolation he once did, with only Sasuke and Kurama by his side. No, here he was surrounded by people who could challenge him, help him grow, and support him in ways he had never imagined before.

His thoughts briefly drifted to his digimon, to Asura and the way the two of them had evolved together. He had modified Asura with both the power of his own abilities and the technology of this new world, forging a bond that was far stronger than anything he could have imagined back in his old world. Just like Asura, Naruto was determined to push the boundaries of his own potential. He wouldn't settle for being average. He would surpass his previous limits, and this world would be the place where he would rewrite his own destiny.

And as he looked at Davis, he knew that this rivalry was just one piece of the puzzle—a piece that would make him stronger, just as it would make Davis stronger. In this world, there would be no end to the challenges, no end to the growth. And for the first time in a long while, Naruto felt truly alive, knowing that he had so much further to go.