Naruto stood at the edge of the flower field, his keen eyes scanning the dense forest behind them. His instincts told him they were safe for now, but he wasn't about to let his guard down. Their pursuers might have fallen behind, but that didn't mean the danger was over.
The ambush had come sooner than expected.
"Wow, I didn't think we'd get a surprise attack so soon." Takato's voice was a mix of shock and excitement. He wasn't disheartened—if anything, the thrill of battle had only made him more eager.
This was exactly the kind of adventure he had dreamed of.
"We were too lucky the rest of the day, so I guess bad luck is striking now to balance the books." Henry adjusted his visor, his eyes scanning the landscape as he analyzed their surroundings. His calm and logical tone helped ground the group, even when the situation seemed tense.
"How long do we wait?" Rika crossed her arms, her fingers tapping against her armored sleeve. She wasn't the type to sit back and do nothing, especially after being targeted. The attack had been a personal offense, and her itching desire for payback was evident in her sharp tone.
Naruto gave it some thought before making a decision.
"Let's watch and see. Henry, release the drones."
Henry gave a small nod, already prepared. With a flick of his wrist, ten small, silver drones detached from his storage and unfolded their metallic wings. They hovered for a moment before splitting off in different directions, each one moving with precise grace.
These weren't just ordinary machines.
The drones were part of the standard Tamer exploration kit, designed to map out unfamiliar territory, scan for potential threats, and track movement.
Henry manipulated the controls, creating a set of floating screens in front of them. The live feeds from all ten drones flickered into view, displaying different angles of the forest and surrounding terrain.
What they saw confirmed their suspicions.
The forest was swarming with Digimon.
At first glance, the creatures didn't seem organized—just a collection of various Digimon species. But upon closer inspection, their formation and movement patterns suggested something more.
A gang.
There were Gabumon, Gaomon, Elecmon, Palmon, Floramon, and Kunemon gathered in a loose formation. Their numbers were concerning, but there was one thing missing.
The Champion Digimon—the leader—was nowhere to be seen.
"Tch. So we really were being hunted." Rika narrowed her eyes at the screens. "These guys don't look like random wild Digimon. Someone's controlling them."
Naruto nodded. "The leader's hiding."
A Digimon that could organize a mixed-species group like this had to be intelligent—a planner. The fact that it hadn't revealed itself yet meant it was watching them, analyzing their movements, and preparing for a more decisive strike.
Takato whistled. "This is some gang stuff going on here. What do we do now?"
Before Naruto could respond—
BZZT!
One of the drone screens cut to static.
Then another.
And another.
One by one, the drones were being destroyed.
Henry's fingers flew across the holographic interface, trying to recover the signals. "They're taking out the drones! The first one was hit by something unknown, but the rest…"
His expression darkened as he analyzed the feed.
"The rest were destroyed by the D-Brigade."
The moment the D-Brigade was mentioned, the tension spiked.
The mechanized dragon Digimon weren't just any random opponents. They were a covert military force, operating in the shadows, known for their ruthlessness.
If they were already here, it meant one of two things—either they had a mission in the area, or they had targeted Naruto's group specifically.
Neither option was good.
Naruto exhaled slowly, keeping his cool. The situation had escalated, but he wasn't about to let his team get cornered.
"We'll take it as our first mission."
He tapped his communicator.
"Young, is there an active mission about this situation? This gang doesn't seem new."
From the control room back at the Digimon Association, Young sat in front of her screens, hands hovering over the keyboard. She had been monitoring everything, but now she moved with even more focus.
Her voice crackled through the earpiece.
"Checking now. Give me a second."
The team remained on high alert, scanning their surroundings while waiting for Young's report.
If this gang of Digimon had already been on the radar, then that meant someone had tried to deal with them before.
And failed.
Young's voice crackled through the earpiece, her tone carrying a mix of caution and concern.
"There isn't an official mission from the Digimon Association since they consider this group as a test for new Tamers. But there is one from a private source."
A private mission wasn't unusual, but the details solidified Naruto's resolve before she even finished speaking.
Vengeance Quest
Objective: Find and destroy every Digimon from this group.
Details: The client lost their child to this group and wants them eradicated.
Reward: Modest compensation, but does not match the difficulty level.
Young hesitated before adding, "It's a good mission, but there's too much risk."
She knew Naruto well. She knew what he would do. It was in his nature. He had told her before—losing his child was his worst nightmare. No amount of time could heal that wound for any parent.
Naruto didn't hesitate.
"We'll take it."
Takato nodded. "Trust us, we're more than enough for these evil creatures."
Young sighed, not out of frustration, but out of concern. "I was just saying that you could handle it later. You just stepped into the forest, and it seems too much too fast."
She wasn't wrong.
They had barely begun their journey, and already they were caught in something far bigger than expected.
Naruto exhaled slowly, his mind working through the logistics of their approach.
"We're not going to attack now. We'll take it slow and break them piece by piece."
"Understood. It just felt like you intended to go for it now."
Naruto let out a small chuckle. "I suppose it's my mistake for looking too into it."
Young smiled in relief, her fingers moving quickly as she officially accepted the mission on their behalf. It was theirs now.
With their first major goal set, the team began moving away from the last known area of their enemies. There was no rush—they had time, and they needed information before making their move.
As they ventured deeper into the Digital World, the journey became steadier. They avoided dangerous fights against Champion-level Digimon, choosing instead to eliminate hostile Rookie Digimon that attacked them.
They came across various Digimon, some in solitary existence and others in small groups:
Woodmon stood tall like ancient sentinels, their bark-like skin blending into the dense forest.
Vegiemon and Weedmon slithered through the underbrush, their toxic vines curling around anything that got too close.
A solitary Leomon sat near a riverbank, his arms crossed, watching them silently as they passed.
Honeybeemon flitted from flower to flower, gathering nectar, unconcerned by the humans walking below.
Each encounter was a reminder—this world was alive, with creatures who had their own lives, struggles, and territories.
The team carefully managed the data absorption from their battles.
They didn't rush leveling up their partners like amateurs. Instead, they compressed the data, allowing for controlled growth that would increase long-term strength.
Digivolution wasn't as simple as leveling up—it was a complex process that depended on various factors:
Type of Data AbsorbedBattle ExperienceEnvironmentSpecial Evolution Conditions
For now, Tesla and Luna had access to some of the necessary conditions for their evolution, but they would still need to travel elsewhere for the optimum results.
Meanwhile, Arthur and Asura couldn't evolve at all in this region—they needed a completely different type of data that wasn't available here.
The best option?
Hunting the D-Brigade.
D-Brigade Digimon carried rare and powerful data, exactly what they needed to accelerate their partners' evolution. It was one of the main reasons this place had been chosen for their mission.
But that battle would come later.
For today, they made the smart decision—returning to the city before nightfall.
Instead of camping in the wilderness, they opted to fly back to the Digimon Association Headquarters.
They had only just arrived in the Digital World, and adjusting to its dangers was important before taking on unnecessary risks.
Sooner or later, there would come a time when they wouldn't have the luxury of retreating.
But until then—they would prepare.
Deep in the darkest part of the forest, beneath the thick canopy where sunlight never touched the ground, a gruesome sight spread across the earth. The remains of countless Digimon lay in a twisted heap of flesh and bone, a grotesque mountain of carnage that reeked of death and decay.
Atop this pile of slaughtered prey sat a single figure—a creature so small, so seemingly harmless, that it would have been laughable if not for the undeniable aura of malice radiating from it.
A Tyutyumon.
A mere Rookie-level Digimon, no larger than a small child, yet surrounded by an army of monsters who followed his every command.
His yellow fur was matted with blood, his large round ears twitching at every sound in the distance. His black eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, their depths holding nothing but hatred and hunger. His stitched-up mouth, forever locked in a jagged, eerie grin, never moved—he never needed to speak aloud to control others.
Tyutyumon's body was frail compared to the larger, stronger Digimon that prowled the forest, but his mind was sharper than any blade. He was a tactician, a creature of manipulation and precision.
And he hated Tamers.
For five years, Tyutyumon had survived in a world that rejected him.
He was born with no evolution path, no potential to grow beyond the limits of his cursed form.
Other Digimon evolved naturally, reaching new heights of strength, becoming warriors, titans, gods. But he?
He was trapped.
A dead end.
The Digital World was always changing, its very foundation shifting as new evolutions, new species, and new abilities were introduced over time. Some Digimon who had once been weak gained new forms through system updates or external intervention.
But nothing came for him.
There was no update that would grant him a future.
And the Tamers—the humans—they saw him and laughed.
They dismissed him as worthless, an inconvenience, a waste of space. Not a single one ever chose him as a partner. He was weak in their eyes, nothing more than fodder for their own ambitions.
And so, he learned to hate.
He learned that if he could not evolve, he would make sure no one else would either.
At first, he had been just another weakling, scurrying between the cracks, hiding in the shadows of stronger Digimon. But his mind was his greatest weapon.
He discovered a gift—his voice carried a power beyond brute strength.
He could manipulate others, warp their thoughts, twist their desires.
Rookie-level Digimon were naturally weak-willed, easily swayed by emotion and instinct. And he took advantage of that.
One by one, he whispered into their minds, twisting them into puppets that obeyed his every command.
One by one, he gathered an army of brainwashed followers.
And when he had enough?
He hunted his own kind.
Tyutyumon was not a fool—he knew that if another of his species rose up, they might try to steal his place.
So he killed them all.
Every last Tyutyumon in the region was exterminated by his own hand.
Now, he was the only one. The sole ruler of this part of the forest. His kingdom, his empire—built on the bones of the weak.
But still, it wasn't enough.
No matter how many Digimon he controlled, no matter how many Tamers he killed, he never evolved.
He stole energy from Digivices, draining the data of slain Tamers, but it did not grant him the growth he desired. It made him stronger, yes. His manipulative abilities improved, his mental influence expanded, but he remained a Rookie.
And now, a new group of Tamers had entered his domain.
A powerful group.
Their Digimon were strong, their leaders were sharp, and they had escaped his trap.
Tyutyumon's stitched mouth curled slightly.
That had been part of the test.
He never expected them to be so weak that they would die instantly. If that had happened, they wouldn't have been worth his time.
But now?
Now, he was hungry.
Now, he wanted to play.
His tiny, clawed fingers curled as he mentally sent out a new command, his voice slithering through the minds of his subordinates like venom.
Find them. Watch them. Learn about them.
And when the time is right… break them.
Tyutyumon did not charge blindly into battle.
He calculated every move.
And this time?
Naruto's group was the prey.