The jungle was changing.
What once had been a chaotic, toxic maze of trees and tangled underbrush had grown strangely quiet since the battle with the Ultimate-level Digimon. Yet, for Naruto, Piximon, and Raikomaru, there was no time to bask in the silence of their narrow victory. Every step forward was a step into deeper uncertainty.
And so, they hunted.
It wasn't out of cruelty or for sport. The wild Digimon they encountered along the path to Yggdrasil had been twisted—corrupted by data overload, or simply driven mad by isolation and instinct. Some were rabid, their eyes wild with digital decay; others were blank, as though their very code had unraveled. Mercy wasn't an option. The trio had no choice but to strike, to fight, to grow stronger. Because weakness in this world didn't come with second chances.
Naruto, now in his Narutomon Teen form—a champion-level Digimon—walked with renewed purpose. His frame was leaner, sharper, and cloaked in a fiery aura of golden-orange chakra that pulsed with life. Even in silence, his power hummed beneath his skin like a storm waiting to be released.
Beside him, Raikomaru padded with the feline grace of a warrior reborn. The evolution to Leomon had made him sturdier, more commanding—a lion's might in both strength and nobility. Though he still laughed, still joked, there was an edge in his eyes now. A wildness restrained by sheer will.
And then there was Piximon.
Hovering just above the canopy, his wings flickered like starlight, casting a soft pink glow upon the jungle floor. An Ultimate-level Digimon at level 50, Piximon had fought countless battles in his life—but the path to Mega was another story. The climb to level 80 was a trial few survived. He rarely showed it, but Naruto could tell: behind that small, mischievous face was a weariness that only time could sculpt.
Still, they moved forward, drawn toward Yggdrasil like moths to a sacred flame. But even Naruto knew… the tree might not hold the truth he was looking for.
Naruto had questions no one seemed to answer. Why had he been brought here? Why was his evolution so different—so dense with power? As Narutomon Teen, he required more experience to level up than others; his Champion form rivaled the strength of standard Ultimates. It made growth difficult, but not impossible. Especially with his will.
And with each level, new memories and techniques—once his teachers', now his own—unfolded like scrolls in his mind.
He remembered the scent of Jiraiya's oil and the sharp discipline of Kakashi's voice. Their teachings, once engraved in his muscles, were now coded into his very existence. With his evolution, he had unlocked their legacy.
Along with his old techniques—Shadow Clones, Rasengan, Rasenshuriken, Summoning Jutsu, Transformation, Substitution, Sage Mode, and the fearsome Nine-Tail Forms—he now possessed:
Swamp of the Underworld, Jiraiya's dreadful mire that swallowed enemies whole.
Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, an inferno of chakra molded into the shape of a roaring dragon.
Toad Oil Flame Bomb, viscous and flammable.
Earth Wall, Water Bullet, Wind Bullet, and Vacuum Wave—elemental blasts of raw force.
Wind Blade and Wind Tornado, born from his elemental mastery.
Chidori—or Raikiri, as Kakashi once called it—now flowed through Naruto's fingers like lightning craving release.
Flame Rasengan, Barrier Techniques, and the Five Element Seal, a complex Fuinjutsu now etched into his very DNA.
Even obscure techniques like Hair Needle Senbon, Invisibility Jutsu, and Earth Projection Fish Jutsu had come to him like echoes of a forgotten life.
And then there was the spear.
Piximon had once gifted it as a token, a symbol of trust and power. Now, it had become something more. It was no longer a weapon that Naruto held—it was a part of him. The spear could appear anywhere he willed it to, humming with chakra and radiant with energy. When thrown, it cut through the very fabric of the digital world like a shooting star with teeth.
"Another one down," Raikomaru muttered, brushing moss from his blade as the data of a fallen enemy dissolved into sparks.
Piximon circled once overhead before floating down. "That makes seven today. If this keeps up, I might actually make it to Mega before my next birthday."
Naruto smirked and shouldered the glowing spear. "Yeah, but your 'next birthday' is measured in centuries, isn't it?"
"Only if I die of boredom before then," Piximon replied with a huff.
They walked on, through sun-dappled groves and over gnarled roots, where light trickled down like whispers from the immortals. Every battle they fought brought them closer to something—Naruto could feel it in his bones. Not just evolution. Not just power.
Truth.
Because somewhere at the top of the world, under the eternal leaves of Yggdrasil, was the answer to everything. And Naruto was going to drag it into the light—clawing, kicking, and screaming if he had to.
--------------------
The jungle didn't warn them.
No eerie silence. No strange scents. Just one second of peace—and then—
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!
The sound sliced through the air like an angry blender on overdrive. The sky darkened. Trees trembled. And Naruto, who'd been squatting beside a bush poking something he claimed was an edible root, looked up with a frown.
"Okay, that's not a friendly buzz."
Piximon zoomed down from above like a glittery comet of doom. "Incoming! Giant metal hornets! This is not a drill!"
Behind them, the trees exploded as a swarm of Waspmon burst through—hundreds of mechanical insect Digimon with laser stingers, missile launchers, and the collective mood of a Monday morning commute in rush hour.
"Oh come on!" Raikomaru bellowed, already sprinting. "Why do they always appear when I'm hungry?!"
Naruto bolted. "WHY ARE THERE SO MANY?!"
"They heard your singing earlier!" Piximon screeched, darting ahead like a panicked firefly. "You summoned the swarm with your chakra-offensive vocals!"
"I was humming the ramen theme song!"
"EXACTLY!"
Behind them, a Cannonbeemon the size of a small cruise ship burst through the canopy, followed by another. Their massive, tank-like bodies buzzed and shuddered as they revved up their main cannons.
"Okay, okay!" Naruto yelped, ducking a laser blast that turned a tree into matchsticks. "Plan: Run now, blame each other later!"
And so began the most undignified chase the jungle had ever seen.
Piximon darted left, right, then zig-zagged wildly like a toddler with too much sugar. "They're targeting me! I'm the smallest! This is size discrimination!"
"You glow like a bloody flare gun!" Naruto shouted, swinging his spear behind him more for drama than aim.
Raikomaru huffed beside them, sword drawn, yelling battle cries that definitely didn't match his current fleeing state. "Come back here so I can bravely punch you!"
Missiles exploded around them. Trees fell. A monkey Digimon watching from a branch hurled a coconut and immediately ran the opposite direction.
"Okay!" Naruto gasped, sliding down a muddy hill. "Any ideas?!"
"Turn into a fox and tunnel out!"
"I can't tunnel, I didn't unlock that move yet!"
"Well excuse me, Princess of Incomplete Skill Trees!"
They hit a clearing—flat, open, and just as fatal. The wasps buzzed louder, surrounding them like a bad day about to get worse.
"This is it!" Piximon cried dramatically, flinging sparkles into the air. "Tell my fan club I died fabulous!"
"You don't have a fan club!" Naruto shouted.
Raikomaru growled, taking a stance. "Fine. If we go down, we go down swinging!"
"Or buzzing," Naruto muttered, raising his spear.
The wasps surged in.
And then—
BOOM.
The sky lit up. A spear of energy ripped through the clouds, obliterating an entire section of the swarm mid-screech.
"Wait, what?!" Naruto blinked, shielding his eyes.
Another spear. Then another. They rained down like divine fireworks, impaling wasps mid-air, blowing Cannonbeemon into shrapnel. Explosions filled the air with the scent of burnt metal and ozone.
Piximon peeked over Naruto's shoulder. "...Are we saved or is this the apocalypse?"
"No idea," Raikomaru muttered, eyes wide. "But I'm good with either at this point."
One final bolt slammed into the ground, kicking up a whirlwind of dust and insect legs.
Then silence.
Complete, buzzing, wonderfully awkward silence.
The jungle, once filled with screeches and missiles, now crackled only with fading static.
Naruto stood slowly, patting his hair. "...Am I still on fire?"
Piximon hovered cautiously. "No. But your pants are singed. That counts as character development."
Raikomaru looked to the sky. "Who did that?"
No answer.
No figure.
No voice from above. Just drifting smoke, a faint breeze, and the scent of deep-fried bug.
"Well that's comforting," Naruto muttered. "Mystery sky lasers. What's next? Giant frogs raining from the clouds?"
"I vote fruits," Piximon said brightly. "At least you can eat those."
Raikomaru sheathed his sword. "Should we thank someone? Offer a fruit basket to the sky?"
Naruto looked around, shrugged, and cupped his hands. "Thanks, whoever you are! Please don't be evil!"
Piximon added, "And if you are evil, please delay your villain speech until after lunch."
Still no reply.
"Okay," Naruto huffed, dusting himself off. "Let's never speak of this again."
"Agreed."
"Also," Raikomaru added as they started walking, "if anyone tells this story later, I was definitely about to win."
"Sure," Piximon said, snickering. "And I'm the Queen of the DigiRealm."
Naruto chuckled. "Come on, your majesty. Let's find somewhere safe before the sky starts throwing spiders."
-----------------
No sooner had the dust settled, and Naruto proclaimed their miraculous survival, did the heavens answer back with a definitive:
BOOM.
Another spear of energy split the air right beside them, narrowly missing Raikomaru's ear by a non-zero margin.
"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!" Raikomaru yelped, flailing dramatically. "This savior's got terrible aim!"
Piximon hovered in place, staring at the smoking crater. "Or perfect aim. That one was definitely a 'move, or lose your beard' warning shot."
"Guys," Naruto muttered, already sprinting sideways. "We're still in the target zone! MOVE!"
Cue another round of comedic chaos.
More energy lances rained down from above, not quite killing them, but enthusiastically trying to herd them. Left, then right, then back again. It was like a divine game of whack-a-mole and they were the moles.
"Who is this maniac?!" Naruto screamed as he dove behind a very confused Armadillomon. "Is this what divine guidance feels like?!"
Piximon zigzagged furiously. "This is less divine guidance and more being chased around by someone with a cosmic laser pointer and no adult supervision!"
"Turn around and fight them!" Raikomaru roared, only to backpedal immediately as another energy spear narrowly missed his left butt cheek. "Okay never mind, running is noble!"
They dashed through vines, waded through swamps, leapt over chasms—one bolt even blasted the log bridge after they crossed it, which felt very passive-aggressive.
"This is a psychological attack," Piximon panted. "They're playing mind games."
Naruto growled. "If I find out who's doing this, I swear—I'm going to pants them with chakra. Publicly."
Still no sign of their mysterious attacker.
Still no explanation.
Just more shots. More directional nudges. More shrieking. And more wildly flailing Naruto, who swore loudly every time a bolt came within chakra-buzzing distance of his behind.
Then, finally, as they scrambled through yet another blasted cliff pass, the landscape began to change.
The trees thinned. The jungle gave way to twisted metal and shattered glass.
And there—sprawling ahead of them like a dead kingdom—stood a city. Or rather, the skeleton of one.
Half-sunken towers jutted from the ground like broken teeth. Buildings leaned sideways, their walls carved open like gutted beasts. Faint webs shimmered from rooftops to streetlights, and a disturbing amount of crackling sounds echoed from the shadows.
"...Oh no," Piximon muttered, halting mid-flight.
Naruto took one look and paled. "Please tell me this is the city of cotton candy and not what I think it is."
A nearby streetlamp twitched. Then it blinked. Eight eyes gleamed from the metal post as a spindly leg curled down from above.
Raikomaru squinted. "Yeah. I think this is Spider Town."
Piximon shivered. "Population: us. Menu: also us."
Naruto sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "So... let me get this straight. Mystery laser lunatic herded us through the jungle, made us dodge death for twenty straight minutes, and then dropped us right in the middle of the arachnid apocalypse?!"
"Looks like it."
"Awesome."
A large silk strand dropped from above. It made a twang sound, like a violin string, and Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
Piximon glanced skyward and deadpanned, "I regret all of my life choices."
A faint clicking sound echoed through the ruins, sharp and rhythmic, like claws on glass.
Raikomaru slowly drew his sword, eyes darting around. "Guys. On the bright side…"
"Yeah?" Naruto grunted, not sounding hopeful.
"At least the giant wasps aren't here anymore."
---------------------
Arachne was not amused.
Her eyes—eight gleaming rubies set into a pallid, deathly face—narrowed as she watched from the shadowed heights of a broken skyscraper, her many limbs tucked into the webbed ruins like a monstrous queen enthroned. Her patience, already threadbare, snapped like an overstretched silk strand the moment she saw them.
Naruto. Piximon. Raikomaru.
She recognized them immediately.
Takeru's little pets.
She had heard far too much about them—blathering stories woven with heroism and laughter, with heart and fire. Takeru had spoken of them with hope, with affection, as if they were the chosen ones destined to disrupt the old order and bring balance to a world Arachne had long since decided should belong only to the strong... and the cunning.
"Fools," she hissed under her breath, each syllable curling like poison in the air.
The silken threads quivered around her, relaying the movements of the invaders as clearly as if she had eyes in every corner of her city of ruins. They scuttled about like panicked insects, lost in her domain. And yet, she knew better than to underestimate them.
She tilted her head toward the sky. The clouds churned, the air was thick with the scent of ionized power, and the last echoes of those energy lances still trembled through the rooftops.
Her glare turned skyward.
Minervamon.
The name tasted like venom on her tongue.
She didn't need to see the celestial brat to know it was her. Only Minervamon could strike with such flair and galling precision. It had always been like this. They were rivals once—equals, in a fashion. But the tides of fate and power had not been kind to Arachne. While she remained a powerful ultimate Digimon, bound to shadows and cunning to survive…
Minervamon had ascended. One of the Olympus Twelve now. A paragon of divine warfare and maddening light. A Digimon hailed in the same breath as the Royal Knights.
Arachne seethed.
"I see your game," she whispered to the sky, her voice like silk dragging across bone. "Sending them here. Pushing them into my web. Just like old times."
Her lips curled, revealing needle-like fangs beneath her veil of elegance.
"One day… I will devour you."
Her voice was calm, cruel, and quiet.
"No. One day, I will devour everything you love. I will enslave it all—every knight, every beast, every child you dare to lift up. I'll wrap them in my web, strip them of pride and purpose, and feed them to your soul."
She clenched her clawed fingers, the structure around her creaking in protest.
"And then, Minervamon… I will make you watch. I will pin open your radiant little eyes and show you the price of mocking me. You'll live. You'll endure. Because the worst punishment for you will be knowing—you created me."
Her voice trailed into silence, like the last note of a funeral song.
Outside, Naruto and the others stumbled further into her domain, oblivious to the ancient hatred they had awakened. Her webs were already shifting. Her plans already changing.
Arachne, the Arukenimon, began to smile.
There would be no escape.
Not from her city.
Not from her vengeance.
And certainly not from her web.