As the desert stretched on endlessly, like an old parchment cursed to unroll forever, the group's energy began to drain faster than Joe's patience during a group argument.
"I feel like a grilled Digivice…" Mimi groaned dramatically, flopping down onto a dune.
"I've seen mirages," Joe muttered, "but this is the first time I've started becoming one."
Even Gabumon's cooling aura was starting to wane. TK had taken to walking in Tai's shadow like a determined duckling. Izzy's laptop was overheating despite being closed, and Matt had officially given up on looking cool. He just wanted to live.
Naruto, for his part, had been uncharacteristically quiet—his eyebrows furrowed in that signature I'm-about-to-do-something-ridiculous-but-awesome way.
Then, he clapped his hands together. "Okay. New plan. Since clones won't be camels, I will."
Everyone turned.
"I'm sorry, what?" Tai said, sweat literally dripping from his hair.
"Summoning Jutsu: Big Ol' Desert Ride!" Naruto shouted, and in a puff of sand and chakra, his form twisted, spun, and morphed…
…and suddenly there sat a massive toad in the middle of the desert.
He wasn't quite Gambunta-sized (that would've flattened half the desert), but large enough that the kids and their partners could climb on comfortably. A gourd of water hung from one hip like a warrior's canteen. A leafy parasol popped open from his back.
Mimi blinked. "You turned into a giant toad. Why is this weirdly adorable?"
"Welcome aboard the Toad Express!" Naruto croaked, his voice now comically gravelly. "Next stop: Not Dying in the Desert!"
"Shotgun!" TK yelled, leaping onto the toad's shoulder like it was a roller coaster.
Sora and Yuki carefully followed, while Mimi needed only a slight nudge from Lila to hop on. "This is actually the best idea you've had today," she admitted, fixing her hat with a flourish as she perched on Naruto-Toad's head.
Matt blinked. "He turned into the ride."
Izzy, taking notes: "Naruto is either a miracle… or a walking question mark."
Joe sighed. "I'm just glad we're not walking anymore."
With everyone securely aboard, Naruto flexed his giant webbed feet and leapt forward—sand bursting outward like mini shockwaves with each bounce. The desert zipped by beneath them as the Toad Express boinged its way across the dunes.
Mimi leaned back and let the wind tousle her hair. "Who knew saving the world came with first-class seating?"
Nestled beside Biyomon and Palmon, Sparky sat near the edge of Naruto-Toad's massive back, eyes wide with thought. His small, fox-like form was unusually quiet, his long ears twitching every so often—not from sound, but from the restless storm inside him.
He had seen something today. Something incredible.
Naruto.
A human who could dodge feathers that sliced steel, summon himself in numbers, and strike with swirling, glowing orbs of energy.
A human who—without hesitation—protected everyone, even those who distrusted him. Sparky's instincts, honed through wild battles and survival, didn't see Naruto as just a strong ally.
They saw him as something more.
An ideal.
He finally turned toward Naruto's shoulder, hopping up the bumpy ride with quick, agile bounds. "Naruto," he said, voice clear despite the wind. "Can I ask you something?"
Naruto's toad-eyes glanced sideways, a deep rumble of a croak escaping his mouth. "Hm? Yeah, shoot, Sparky."
Sparky looked down at his little paws, then clenched them. "How… how do you get strong like that? Like you?"
The words made a few others pause, but Naruto's eyes softened.
"It's not magic," he said. "It's training. Day in, day out. When others rested, I kept going. When I lost, I learned why—and got back up."
Sparky tilted his head, puzzled. "Training… like what they do in Digimon towns?"
Naruto smiled gently. "Sort of. Real training isn't just punching rocks or climbing trees—it's learning how to fight smarter, push past your limits, protect others, and never back down."
The little Elecmon's eyes sparkled, yet the glow faded a bit as he frowned. "But… I've never seen a Digimon town. I've lived in the wild since I was born. I only know survival and chasing off corrupted ones. Training like you said… I wouldn't know where to start."
Naruto was quiet for a moment. Then he chuckled—still in toad voice. "Funny. I didn't know either, when I started. I was just a kid everyone hated, alone and clumsy. But I had a dream, and that dream told me not to quit."
He lifted one webbed hand and gently flicked Sparky's head.
"Start there. With a reason. You've got fire, Sparky. You want to protect. You want to grow. That's better than any training manual."
Sparky blinked. His cheeks buzzed faintly with electricity—not from an attack, but from something else. Inspiration.
"…Then… will you train me?"
Naruto's toad-mouth turned into a wide grin. "Heck yeah I will! But be warned—my training is the real deal. Might make your fur stand on end."
Sparky giggled, a rare sound. "I'm electricity, remember?"
The two bumped fists—paw to webbed knuckle—as the sun dipped behind the dunes.
After an hour or so, the desert was no longer silent.
What had once been a peaceful—if awkwardly bumpy—ride on the back of a massive, lumbering Naruto-Toad had turned into a thundering chase across golden sands.
"YOU COULDN'T HAVE MADE US A LITTLE LESS VISIBLE?!" Izzy shouted as he clung to one of the large warts on Naruto's back for dear life, his laptop bouncing wildly at his side.
"How was I supposed to know giant toads are easy to spot in an empty desert?!" Naruto croaked back, leaping from dune to dune with heavy thuds that kicked up sand like mini-storms.
The sky was darkening—not from clouds, but from the circling forms of Dark Birdramon, their crimson eyes glowing with eerie hatred. A shriek pierced the sky as one dove, talons extended.
"Birdramon, intercept it!" Sora shouted.
"Meteor Wing!"
Wings of flame tore through the air, catching the descending enemy mid-flight and sending it crashing into the sand in a flaming spiral. But more came—many more.
From the horizon, streaks of fire roared across the dunes—Meramon, their bodies engulfed in living flame, were boosting themselves forward by launching fireballs from their hands like rockets.
"We've got incoming from the front too!" Matt called out grimly, his eyes narrowing. "Gabumon, let's do it!"
"Gabumon digivolve to… Garurumon!"
The white-and-blue beast landed beside Naruto's moving bulk, howling into the sky before unleashing a Fox Fire blast to melt a flaming boulder hurtling toward them.
Joe adjusted his glasses, heart pounding. "Ikkakumon, long-range support!"
"Ikkakumon!" Gomamon called out, transforming into the bulky walrus-like creature in a flash of light. "Harpoon Torpedo!" One of the charging Meramon exploded in a burst of flame and smoke.
"Togemon, we need buffs!" Mimi said, holding onto her hat as she kept balance on Naruto's back.
"Needle Spray!" Togemon spun in place, flinging glowing needles to slow the faster enemies. "Support Style: Power Bloom!" A pulse of green energy rolled over the team, subtly strengthening their attacks and restoring fatigue. Garurumon's next fireball tripled in size.
"Nice combo!" Naruto shouted, bounding over a ravine and landing hard. The entire crew bounced violently.
"I don't mean to alarm anyone," Joe said, pale as ever, "but we are very very outnumbered!"
"We're trying, Joe!" Sora snapped as Birdramon let out another shriek and clipped two Dark Birdramon mid-air. "Keep those blasts coming!"
Behind the group, TK held Patamon close as Sparky stood alert, crackling faintly.
"They're amazing…" TK murmured. "It's like a whole army's fighting together."
"Yeah…" Sparky's eyes sparkled with awe and hunger. "This is what I want to be like. Fighting to protect everyone… side by side."
Back on the battlefield, Naruto gritted his teeth.
"I'm gonna get us out of here!" he yelled. "One more leap—HOLD ON!"
The great toad form bunched its legs, chakra building up until the air around him buzzed.
BOOM.
He launched forward like a living rocket, soaring high above the battlefield for just a moment. Everyone screamed, wind whipping through their hair, Digimon roaring as they unleashed attacks mid-air to keep enemies off their tail.
They landed hard on the other side of a canyon, dust and sand exploding around them.
For a few moments, silence returned.
The enemy was momentarily stunned, unsure how to cross. Naruto returned to human form, panting and sweaty.
"Okay… maybe… that wasn't the smartest idea," he wheezed.
Everyone looked at him.
Then Izzy said dryly, "You think?"
"Hey, I didn't see you guys complaining." Naruto retorted but then he suddenly turned back, his stance rigid from instinct.
:
The heat of the desert still shimmered like a mirage across the golden dunes, but the brief calm after the escape was shattered almost immediately—they hadn't escaped at all.
From the front, rising like shadows in the noon sun, came the enemy they'd tried so desperately to outrun. A tide of black and crimson swept across the sands—Dark Tyrannomon, their jagged claws dragging trenches in the ground; Greymons with eyes as empty as forgotten tombs; Meramons, their bodies like dancing infernos with cold, merciless grins.
And leading them all—he came.
Strutting forward like a peacock cloaked in chaos, Etemon appeared with a slow swagger, his orange fur gleaming unnaturally in the sun, his shades glinting with disdain. The sound of his laughter—mechanical, sharp, echoing with mockery—rattled across the sand like the slither of a serpent.
"Well, well, what do we have here? My little friends from the desert cruise—how thoughtful of you to walk right into my arms!" Etemon grinned, arms spread in a theatrical welcome as if greeting old friends at a party, though the only thing waiting was doom.
The children and their Digimon froze. They were outnumbered, overpowered, and—for once—completely without a plan.
Tai stood at the front, his eyes wide, his hands trembling at his sides. Agumon, loyal as ever, stood next to him. But neither moved.
The sand beneath them could have been ice.
Tai's mind spun in place, lost in a storm of guilt and fear. He could see Greymon—his Greymon—roaring, twisting, corrupting. That terrible night when his partner had evolved into the monstrous SkullGreymon played again and again in his head. The power had been too much. His ambition had nearly destroyed them.
And now… now, he couldn't bring himself to try again.
Agumon looked at him, eyes searching. "Tai…?"
But Tai stepped back.
"I—I can't," he whispered, voice breaking like fragile glass. "I can't let you change. I'm sorry."
The others felt the silence in that moment. It was heavy. Final.
Etemon's laugh rang louder.
"Is that it? That's your fearless leader? Pfft—what a joke! I've seen Numemon with more spine than you!"
The enemy forces began to encircle them, a tightening noose of flame and fang. Naruto stood beside Matt, teeth gritted, Rasengan swirling faintly in his palm—but even he knew this was no ordinary enemy. Not one they could just punch and laugh off.
Mimi clutched Palmon—her voice trembled, "This can't be it, right? We—we can't lose here…"
Sora stood firm, her face pale but determined. "Not if I can help it," she said. But even Birdramon, majestic as she was, seemed to waver in the face of so many ultimate-level foes.
A heavy silence settled, broken only by the low growl of Garurumon and the trembling breath of Ikkakumon as they prepared themselves for what would likely be their last stand.
And then—
A flash of brilliant pink light soared across the battlefield like a comet.
A high, piercing war-cry rang out:
"Pixi Bomb!!"
From the sky descended a blur—a small, winged warrior with a pointed helm and a spear of light: Piximon.
He struck Etemon with the force of a cannon, knocking the villain back with a yelp of surprise and a plume of sand.
"Fools they may be, but they're under my protection now!" Piximon barked in a voice so fierce it echoed across the dunes.
Etemon staggered, snorted, and scowled. "You again?! You overgrown glowbug!"
Piximon twirled his spear and hovered over the ground like a firefly of vengeance. "Be gone, Etemon. This fight isn't yours to win today."
Without wasting another moment, Piximon turned to the children, voice sharp and commanding. "Move! Now! While you still can!"
Naruto didn't argue. He grabbed the nearest person—Izzy—and took off running.
"GO!" Sora shouted, leading the others. The Digimon fought to create a path, throwing blasts of fire, ice, and needle-thorned fury to keep the enemy at bay.
Tai remained rooted for just a second longer, watching Piximon clash with Etemon, their energies cracking the air around them.
He looked at Agumon, his heart heavy.
"I'm sorry," he whispered again.
And then he ran.
With the clash of titans still echoing behind them—Piximon's radiant strikes meeting Etemon's roaring darkness—Naruto knew hesitation was no longer an option.
"We're not sticking around to see how round two goes," he muttered, determination flashing in his eyes.
The Digimon, drained from the earlier escape and the brief but brutal skirmish, had all reverted to their rookie forms—tiny, panting, and spent. There was no way they could keep up on foot.
Naruto spun on his heel, forming a familiar seal with practiced ease.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke erupted beside him as his clone emerged—an exact double, minus the wild urgency now blazing in Naruto's eyes.
"You carry them. I'll take the lead," Naruto ordered, his voice tight but calm, like a commander under siege. The clone simply nodded, already understanding the weight of the task.
Without waiting for protest, the clone crouched, arms extending. One by one, the kids and their partners were lifted and placed on his back—like a living transport. Joe wobbled. TK clung tightly to Patamon. Mimi squeaked as she was picked up with unexpected swiftness.
"This… is a little weird," Matt muttered as he was hoisted into position like a bag of potatoes.
"Shut up and hold tight!" the clone barked.
With everyone secure, the real Naruto took point, his chakra swirling and building beneath his feet. The sand trembled.
Then—with a blur—he bolted forward, his clone not far behind, galloping across the dunes like a streak of golden lightning.
The desert became a whirlwind of shifting shapes and colors. Heat shimmered around them, the wind howled against their ears, and the only sound louder than the rush of air was the occasional, involuntary yelp from one of the riders.
"Is it just me or are we going way too fast!?" Joe cried out, gripping Gomamon for dear life.
"I feel like my face is peeling off!" Izzy added, glasses barely hanging onto his ears.
"Wheeeee!!" Mimi shrieked with delight, arms in the air like she was on a theme park ride.
Even TK, clinging to Matt's waist, was laughing breathlessly. "Naruto's better than any monorail!"
Above them, the sky slowly began to shift—from burning azure to a soft, dusky orange—as they put mile after mile between themselves and the battlefield. The oppressive heat gave way to a welcome breeze, and the dread that had held them like shackles slowly began to lift.
At last, after what felt like hours—but was barely twenty minutes—they crested a sand dune and Naruto finally skidded to a halt, kicking up a colossal wave of sand.
His clone dropped to one knee, panting hard, before dispelling in a puff of smoke.
The group rolled off, groaning, coughing, collapsing onto the blessedly cool evening sand. Matt groaned something about never walking again. Joe declared he had no bones left. Mimi asked if they could do it again.
Naruto, hands on his knees, took a breath and gave them a thumbs-up with a wide grin.
"See? Easy peasy."