Digital Emperor (Naruto X Digimon)

After their encounter with Davis, Naruto felt the need for some quiet time, away from the pressures of the ongoing challenges. Rika, ever insightful, seemed to understand without words. Together, they made their way to his dojo—a serene place where they could find peace in the midst of chaos.

The dojo, with its polished wooden floors and calm atmosphere, was a perfect setting for their private time. Naruto and Rika began sparring, but not at their usual pace. This time, they kept it slow and deliberate, with Naruto guiding Rika through each movement. It wasn't about testing each other's strength or skills; it was about connection and trust. As Rika adjusted her stance, feeling the rhythm of the fight under Naruto's gentle guidance, the silence between them deepened, filled with the unspoken understanding that came from years of being side by side.

After their session, they showered, each lost in their thoughts. When they finally sat down, the room was quiet except for the soft hiss of water droplets evaporating on their skin. Rika, as always, took to her routine with a grace that seemed natural to her—preparing green tea in the traditional manner. The aroma filled the room as they sipped in silence, both of them finding solace in the simple act of sharing a moment.

Naruto was silent, though his mind was far from at ease. He could feel the weight of thoughts pressing on him, but he wasn't one to speak them aloud, not unless necessary. Over time, he had become adept at pushing thoughts down, especially the ones that made him uneasy.

His old world, a place of war, betrayal, and loss, had never fully left him. Even though Ishiki was gone, even though the war had ended, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that something still lingered—something threatening his peace. His family, the few people who had meant something to him in that life, were always at the forefront of his mind. What if they were still in danger? What if they had perished, and he would never know? The thought of losing them was unbearable. They had already been through so much, and he had lost too many people in his past life. His family, small as it was, meant the world to him.

As he looked at Rika, sitting quietly next to him, his thoughts began to turn to his future in this new world. Here, he had a family of sorts again, a new group of people who cared about him, and he wouldn't let anything tear that apart. But there was always the worry, the gnawing feeling that danger could strike at any time, especially with the unpredictable nature of the Digimon world. Naruto couldn't shake the thought that one day, an attack could target the Uzumaki clan, pulling him into the whirlwind of chaos all over again. It was a fear he could never fully escape, no matter how much he tried.

His mind raced through the data he had gathered. He had been preparing for his own rise in power, and it was becoming increasingly urgent. According to his calculations, he would reach his war arc level in the next 12 to 18 months. But even then, that would only bring him to the bottom of the Mega-level ranking, where the real threats resided. Mega-level Digimon were beings with continental-level power at the least. The Royal Knights, beings of immense power, had been witnessed tearing through planets with ease, leaving destruction in their wake. There were even rumors of Digimon so large, they were the size of the Earth—or even larger.

The thought of that kind of power sent a shiver down his spine. It was a power he knew he needed to surpass, but how? How could he reach a level where he could protect everything and everyone he cared about? In his past life, he had achieved his peak, but even that hadn't been enough to shield him from the world's darkness. This time, he was determined to rise even higher, to become more than what he had been, and do so with a sense of urgency. He couldn't afford to leave anything to chance—not in this new world, not when there was so much at stake.

It frustrated him, the very thought of relying on luck. He had always detested the idea. Luck, to him, was a fickle thing. He didn't want to depend on it. He wanted control, certainty. That's what he longed for—an assurance that his family would be safe, that his friends wouldn't fall victim to some unforeseen threat, and that the world he had come to care for wouldn't be torn apart.

Rika looked at Naruto, her gaze softening as she noticed the rare, serious expression on his face. It wasn't often that he wore such a look—usually, his demeanor was confident, carefree, and easygoing. But now, his eyes seemed clouded with an inner turmoil, a deep thought that he was lost in. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about with such a serious expression?"

Naruto blinked, slowly returning to the present. His lips curled into a small, rueful smile before he responded. "I was just thinking about growing stronger so we don't have to worry about dying from a sudden attack. It kind of worries me." He glanced at Rika, who was now looking at him with a puzzled expression, her curiosity piqued further.

Rika studied him carefully, her gaze soft but questioning. She was a charming woman, and Naruto couldn't deny that he admired her. He wanted to love her, wanted to build something with her, but something always held him back. A deep-rooted fear, a trauma he had never fully dealt with, kept him from taking that final step.

His thoughts drifted to his past life—the life that had shaped him into who he was now. His unlucky streak had cost him so much. In his previous world, he had lost Hinata, his beloved wife, and his children had been left fatherless. That loss had carved a wound in him, one that never fully healed. He was afraid of repeating that mistake. The thought of building a family, only to have it ripped away, paralyzed him. It was a fear that lingered in his heart like a shadow.

To make matters worse, the feeling of loneliness still haunted him. No one truly knew him—not his friends, not his companions. They didn't understand why he was like this, why he kept his distance, why he was so reluctant to fully open up. He wasn't a child anymore, but at times, he felt like he was still carrying the weight of that fear. There were moments when he felt like an outsider, even among those who cared for him.

Rika, noticing the shift in his expression, asked again, "Really, I didn't think you would worry about such things. Everything is looking fine now, and there hasn't been any big incident in a decade, oh…"

She paused mid-sentence, suddenly realizing what she had overlooked. She wasn't someone who often focused on fears like these—she was goal-oriented, always driven by the next task, the next challenge. But now, the weight of Naruto's words hit her. The last major incident had occurred ten years ago, when a Mega-level Digimon breached the human world, unleashing destruction. It had been devastating. Millions had died instantly as the Mega-level Digimon and its followers, part of an extremist group calling themselves the Akatsuki, had attacked.

The Akatsuki of this world, unlike the ones in Naruto's original world, were not driven by the same ideals. They were fanatics, convinced that the world should end. They lived in constant fear of larger Digimon and believed that death was the only release from the terror of their existence. Their solution? To end it all—wipe out everyone and everything.

Naruto's voice broke through her thoughts, his words low and sincere. "The security level has increased since we got new Mega Tamers, but we never know what can happen. I don't want to lose anyone. It's one of my greatest fears." He brushed a strand of hair from Rika's face and, with a tenderness that only a few had ever seen from him, placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. "I never want to see anyone I care about suffer. Not again."

Rika felt warmth blossom in her chest, her heart softened by his honesty. She had known Naruto for so long, but these were things that even she hadn't known. His vulnerability, the things he kept hidden, were now laid bare before her, and it only made her care for him more. He was strong, but beneath that strength was a person who feared losing the things he loved.

Naruto looked at her with a faint smile, feeling a sense of relief for sharing his feelings. He wasn't used to opening up, but with Rika, it felt different. She was someone he could trust, someone who wouldn't judge him for his past or his fears.

Rika, her head resting against his chest, spoke up, a playful glint in her eyes. "I always feel like a kid in front of you when you say such things. Why are you so mature?"

Naruto chuckled softly, his hand gently brushing her hair as he held her closer. "You already know the answer. It's part of my power."

Rika arched an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Power? You don't seriously expect me to buy that, do you?"

Naruto smiled, a little more ruefully this time. He had become an expert at lying over the years, using his powers of influence to keep people from knowing the real truth. It was something he wasn't proud of, but it was necessary. "I'm just an old soul, I guess. More experience than I'd like to admit."

Rika shifted, a more serious question forming in her mind. She leaned up slightly, looking directly into his eyes. "One more question, did you choose a harem because of us? I've known you for all my life, and I've never seen you show any perverted desires. Even now, you're always in control."

Naruto stiffened slightly at the question, but only for a moment. He hadn't expected her to ask this, but it wasn't surprising. They had been close for a long time, and Rika wasn't afraid to ask the hard questions. He shifted slightly, unsure of how to respond, but he spoke calmly. "I already said it was, so what do you mean?"

Rika wasn't satisfied with that answer. She pressed on, her voice thoughtful. "I mean… you sleeping around with others. Is it related to us? Am I right to assume that, or am I wrong?" She elaborated, looking up at him with a mix of curiosity and concern.

Looking into those curious eyes, Naruto couldn't help but smile and acknowledge it. She wasn't wrong. Part of his reason to sleep around was related to the girls and the other half was related to Jiraiya.

In his old world other than his teaching about peace and understanding, Jiraiya had also wanted him to learn to live freely.

The man was a Casanova or in exact words, a manwhore. He slept around a lot and he had no stable lover since he loved Tsunade.

He had kids that he supported from the shadows without their knowledge. None of them knew they were his children until Naruto found them after finding the information in Jiraiya's personal book. It was all written in code so he had never noticed it before.

One of the things he asked of him was to enjoy life. Naruto ignored that promptly since he wasn't really interested in sexual acts that much.

It changed once he started doing it and he became an addict for the first few years. He couldn't go without it and ravaged Hinata continuously. His poor wife was unable to perform her shinobi duties because of him.

He managed to overcome the problem and always stayed in control. But this control actually ruined the experience and weakened it.

It was also one of the reasons why he got stuck to office work since he just wanted to busy himself. He had forgotten what pleasure meant and he didn't find desire to do it.

This had caused Hinata stress and depression as she felt inadequate. It was the reason why others had suggested getting another partner to resolve the problem for everyone involved and even Hinata was fine with it.

But Naruto was not okay with it. He didn't like anyone else so he wasn't sleeping with someone he didn't love.

With that, he got stuck to office and the sexual life died off. His connection to the house became low as the office became his house and everything.

If he was a normal human, he might have died of overwork.

Learning from his previous example, Naruto didn't make a big deal about sleeping around if it meant that the relationship with someone he preferred wouldn't go wrong.

In the case of Rika and Kari, it was even worse since they were weaker than Hinata. The moment he even got to his Sage mode level, he would need absolute control and chakra enhancement for the girls to even engage in such activities.

It would be like Superman sleeping with a normal human. His dick would literally stab them and tear them.

It was one of the reasons why super powered individuals didn't sleep around with normal humans. At least Naruto had ways to make his partner durable while others didn't have such luxury.

Naruto didn't want the girls to get depressed because they couldn't satisfy him even a little bit, to avoid that problem he gave in to his perverted desires.

Rika listened carefully, her expression contemplative as she absorbed Naruto's explanation. He was always so considerate, so open when it came to his thoughts and feelings, even if it was hard for him. She appreciated the honesty he showed, and it helped her understand a side of him that had been hidden before.

Naruto gave a soft sigh, his words clear but heavy. "Remember what I said about my power," he began again, more serious this time, reminding her of the responsibility that came with his abilities. "I see. We can't handle you now so it would be worse later, but how does that relate to this?" Rika asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. She hadn't been exposed to the intricacies of relationships in this way, so she wasn't fully aware of the potential complexities that came with them.

Naruto shifted slightly, his posture tense as he gathered his thoughts. "It's because of my power," he explained patiently. "I told you before that I'm not like a normal person. It's not just about control; it's about keeping everything balanced. Relationships, especially love and affection, they require time and effort. And sex, it can become a problem if not managed. It's not something people like to talk about, but when things get strained, it can affect everything. Especially for me, when I've always had to push down these desires."

Rika was silent, trying to wrap her head around the meaning of his words. She wasn't familiar with how these things could affect someone in the long run. She had always been goal-oriented, focused on tasks and missions, not so much on understanding the emotional complexities of relationships.

Naruto continued, his voice calm but tinged with a kind of weariness that Rika hadn't heard before. "I've talked to my grandfather about this. He has his own issues, but one thing he said stuck with me. He told me that if I don't find a way to satisfy myself, it will make me depressed, and that depression will spill over to my partner. It's not just about me. It's about the other person too. Even if I'm okay now, I might not be okay later. And that's something I don't want. I don't want you to feel like you're not enough, or that I'm dissatisfied. I want us to be happy, to enjoy life."

Rika stared at him, realizing the depth of his thought process. He wasn't just speaking from personal experience; he was considering the long-term impact on their relationship. "I get it now," she said, her voice softer, touched by his vulnerability. "You're worried about the future, about making sure we're both okay, emotionally and physically."

Naruto nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips., "Exactly." I've been through a lot in my past life, and I learned some hard lessons. I don't want to make the same mistakes, especially not with you and Kari. I don't want us to end up in a depressing place like I did with Hinata. That's why I'm trying to figure things out now, before they become a problem.

Rika, feeling the weight of his words, smiled gently and leaned in to kiss his chin, her touch warm and affectionate. "I understand. I knew you weren't a pervert, not like that anyway," she said softly, relieved to have her doubts cleared. "Thanks for explaining. It felt weird not knowing."

Naruto chuckled lightly, his usual playful tone returning. "Well, I wouldn't deny being a pervert. I'm definitely perverted when I'm in private," he teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Rika giggled at his words, feeling the tension ease between them. She couldn't help but laugh as Naruto leaned in to kiss her neck, making her feel a sudden wave of ticklishness. "You're impossible," she whispered, her laughter bubbling up.

Naruto grinned, enjoying the moment of lightheartedness. "Maybe, but at least I'm honest about it," he replied with a wink. They held each other in comfortable silence for a while, the warmth of their connection deepening with each shared moment. Despite all the complexity and uncertainty that came with their relationship, there was a quiet understanding between them, and that, for now, was enough.