Here we are again.

Updates will be inconsistent for the foreseeable future.

So like normal, really.

Hope you enjoy it.

Shout out to Blazeraptor54.

Has a small section in the second scene dedicated to some of his stories.

If you catch the references, kudos.

"I have one myself if you don't mind answering first." Naruto retorted to the blue-haired woman that flew down from the heavens with her brown-haired friend before tilting his head and grinning as he coughed into his fist to clear his throat to help deepen his voice. "My dear lady, did you descend from the heavens to rendezvous with me? Ah, such tragedy, for I am already spoken for and cannot acquiesce to such divine beauty!"

"For you see, I already partake of divine elegance. My heart cannot be dissuaded no matter how much yours yearns for me! Alas, it is not meant to be!" Naruto theatrically knelt before her, holding back tears in his eyes as he held up his hands in despair.

Eula took a step back; her face flushed scarlet as this stranger proclaimed her beauty to the world in such a garish manner that she almost mistook him for a member of her clan. The intensity of his speech, the glow of his eyes. Ah, it was so off-putting! It was everything she hated yet…

Why did she feel so elated about someone complimenting her appearance?!

And Amber wasn't helping as she held her hand to her mouth and giggled. "Oh, I like this one!"

Crossing her arms, she immediately turned her head and refused to make eye contact with the man. She bit back a snarl and held her tongue. "I'm afraid I am not here to rendezvous with a prestigious gentleman. We are here on an investigation, my fellow…"

"Inazuman?" Eula's eyes caught the crest on Naruto's left arm, and a deep frown replaced her flush. "That ornament is of the Archon's…"

"It is my fair maiden!" Naruto exclaimed as he tilted his head and grinned mischievously. "I have been absent from my homeland for quite some time, and it has been a long time since I last saw it! In fact, I have been sleeping for some time, so I'm afraid I don't know how long it has been. Several years at least!"

"Sleeping for some time?" Amber joined Eula as she frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "I might not be an expert in many things, but how can anyone sleep for an entire year, let alone multiple?"

Turning and facing the smaller of the two girls with designs he recognized on their clothing, he understood why the two were out here. They were most likely reconnaissance and sent out to gather information about what had happened.

He would be as truthful as possible with them, as the Knights were only here to protect the land. However, there were a few things he needed to keep secret.

"My dear, I am a Kitsune." Naruto grinned slyly as Aether appeared surprised by that revelation, as he had no visible markings to distinguish him. "And I'm rather advanced at my age, so when I sleep…"

"I sleep for quite a while and tend to forget a lot of things when I do! I just so happened to wake up to find the boy out here in trouble, rescued him, and then you two lovely ladies came along! I was intending to look for answers in the town I believe is ahead…"

"It's still there, right? Nothing terrible has happened since I've been asleep." Naruto grimaced as he looked between both women in a slight panic.

Not because he thought something may have happened. It was more because he wasn't sure if there was a town between here and the principal city of Mondstadt or if he was confusing it with some other region. And he didn't deign to use his scroll to search his memory in front of the lavish duo.

"No, no! Springvale is still there! Nothing has happened! All is good!" Amber jumped and put her hands up in front of her to calm and alleviate the worried kitsune.

Eula, however, continued to frown. She felt something was off as she looked at the man before her. She couldn't quite put a finger on it and didn't feel like calling out his age, for she specifically didn't know how kitsunes appeared as they aged or if he was using a trick of his to look as devilishly handsome as his younger self.

Did she call him handsome?

Rolling her eyes as his earlier flirting had infected her, and she needed to squash that thought within, Eula found a point she could engage upon. "You said when you woke up, you found the boy. I'm sorry, what is your name?"

"Aether." He scratched the back of his head, feeling kind of left out of the conversation, before pointing out over the ocean. "Yeah, I was kind of drowning, and he pulled me out of the ocean."

"I was seeking the light, and suddenly I was dropped into the water and couldn't get out of the wake."

Naruto wasn't sure if the kid was adept at covering his tracks or telling partial truths, but he grinned. He was a natural and followed his lead perfectly! He liked him already. It gave him the perfect out. "Yeah, I was down on the beach when I saw the kid plummet and fall into the water. Dove right in after him and have been taking care of him since that explosion of light."

"Dove right in? During that explosion?" Eula narrowed her eyes as she felt she had caught the blonde, for she saw the crater and could tell this was near the epicenter of the blast. "Are you aware of how strong that blast was? It was pulling trees out of their roots or snapping them in half on the clifftop we glided down from for miles."

"That is a crater?" Aether looked at the sheared cliff face and whistled before quickly covering it up. "How did I survive that? I fell from there!"

Ignoring the other blonde, Eula focused her full attention on the tall blonde with odd whisker marks on his cheeks."You would have to withstand gale-force winds and shockwaves unparalleled to anything I can imagine. I cannot believe…"

"Young Knight." Naruto's tone changed and deepened as he took a more serious one as he gazed into Eula's eyes. "You recognized me as an Inazuma for this ornament."

"Well, this ornament is a gift directly from the Raiden Shogun herself," Naruto explained as he tapped the pauldron on his left arm. "I stand alongside the Shogun and have fought countless battles with her. I have been in the presence of Archon when they used their full power to destroy Gods and stood tall."

"Even directly next to it, a force of that magnitude was nowhere near close enough to stop me."

Silenced by his directness and the unwavering eye contact he was keeping with her, Eula took a step back. Was she standing in front of one of the Shogun's vassals? So many more questions were raised by his appearance here, but…

"What was it that caused the explosion of light?" Amber immediately asked as her eyes widened, hearing he was here directly when the explosion happened, and they had a lead. "Was it an ancient god like we thought? If so, did you see what happened to it?"

"It was." Naruto gave a half-hearted chuckle at the brown-haired knight's enthusiasm before shaking his head. "But you needn't worry."

"That particular God and I have a track record against one another, and after I confronted it, it retreated out to sea in fear of my retaliation. Didn't want to be on the other end of a beatdown, I guess!"

"Seriously!" Amber looked genuinely excited before she shook her head and put her hands on her hips. "Well, we still have to explore the area more to confirm that story, but I haven't seen anyone else, so I doubt there will be any other eyewitness testimonies."

"A kitsune with the power to match a God, wait…" Eula muttered as she recalled something, and it felt like it was on the tip of her tongue.

"Someone studied history," Naruto muttered in response as he frowned at the light blue-haired knight as she seemed to have a basic grasp of what he was or at least was putting it together. "Well, if that's all you two need from us, I think we best be off."

"Okay! Thank you for all your help!" Amber grinned brightly as she gave a small wave before her eyes widened. "Oh, we never introduced ourselves! My name is Amber! My friend here is Eula!"

"Guess we learned your name when Eula asked you, huh?" Amber scratched the back of her head and laughed as she looked over at Aether.

"Yeah, that's okay." Aether smiled in return and shook his head. "I didn't have much to offer in the conversation here, so I stayed out of it."

"Sometimes that's for the best." Naruto patted Aether on the shoulder before bowing to Amber and Eula. "Ah, where are my manners? I never introduced myself to two lovely ladies such as yourselves!"

"My name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

"Nice to meet you!" Amber chirped as she attempted to bow back in respect while Eula brought her hand to her chin, still pondering something in her mind. "And it was nice meeting you!"

Waving as he turned around with Naruto, who seemed ready to leave the two knights and let them do whatever they needed to do, Aether stopped as a thought crossed his mind. "Oh, before we go!"

"Kid, come on! We were almost out of here!" Naruto complained as he stopped in the sand and groaned, not wanting to wait for Eula to connect the dots.

"It's important!" Aether stated and made Naruto sigh as he waved him on and let the traveler do what he needed to do as he turned back to Amber. "By chance, have you run into a girl who shares similar features to me recently? We traveled together all the time, and she and I were separated. I'm afraid I don't know where she is, and it's been so long since I've seen her."

"You've been separated from your sister?!" Amber looked horrified at the thought of a lost loved one before shaking her head, upset. "No, sorry, I haven't."

"Tell you what I can do!" Amber grinned as she pumped her fist up in the air. "When I get back to Mondstadt, I can put up posters for you if you're around, and we can set up a search party if you like!"

"That's optimistic." Eula bitterly replied as she darkly looked out to the ocean. "If you haven't seen her in quite some time, there is a likely chance the wilds…"

"Eula!" Amber's eyes widened, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. "Come on! You have to have some hope! It's just as likely she made it to some town somewhere!"

"She does have a point," Naruto validated Eula's thought before giving Amber a confident grin and seeing her give him a disapproving scowl. "That being said, I agree with you on this one. I think the kid's sister is just fine in this case."

"Call it a hunch, but I think she's doing just fine if she's an adventurer too and is probably out looking for him as we speak and just needs the awareness to know he's looking for her too."

"Well, okay then!" Amber beamed in full force once more and vigorously nodded. "I'll meet you guys sometime back in Mondstadt, and we'll make those missing posters to help you out!"

"Actually," Eula perked up with a slight smirk as her eyes glinted toward Naruto. "It is our duty as Knights of Favonius to help those in need within Mondstadt's borders. And I say we've learned all we can here, so let's escort these fine gentlemen back to Mondstadt, shall we?"

"After all, our dear friends here don't seem to know the lay of the land very well. It would be a shame to let them go out all alone."

Growling in his throat as he locked eyes with the blue-haired knight, he rolled his eyes and palmed his temple. Of course, this was going to be a headache. And feeling the wind blow gently behind him, his growl grew even stronger.

He wanted to smack a certain Archon really hard at the moment.

"Go, Roaring Sun! It's time to use your ultra-secret, super supreme attack and put this bug to bed!" A loud, obnoxious oni with red horns cried out, waving his muscular arm before him as he towered over the crowd of children gathered around a few wooden crates gathered on the top platform of a flight of stairs in front of a bulletin board, chanting excitedly at the action unfolding before their very eyes.

"Don't get caught off guard Evernight!" A young boy returned as he pumped his fist in the air.

On the crate stood two skittering beetles facing one another. One was a brilliant orange and was quite significantly smaller than the other, much bulkier and deep purple that seemed nearly black beetle. The smaller beetle, however, was able to race past the larger one. It appeared to have a speed advantage, even though the larger one raised its horn to defend itself. "Time to flip the tables and shatter the moon! Reveal your ultimate attack, Broken Moon…"

"Hey, wait, don't let your opponent get under you! No, not again! Sun, you were my last hope to win! I spent hours searching for you! You were real, man! Come on, roll back over and show that fighting spirit…"

"I win again!" A small child with brown hair cried happily, standing across the crate where the two onikabuto had been battling, one with bright orange coloration having been flipped onto its back. "I get the grand prize! A free ramen dinner with Lady Kamisato!"

"Man," Itto hunched over into a slump as he sighed exasperated. "Soon as that fixer guy came by and set out the prizes and said the grand prize was for free ramen at that street vendor, I made sure to pull out all the stops! Although last time I ate there…"

"Ah, best not remember that incident!" Itto shivered as he felt his stomach turn, and he clutched it tightly as the image of a pink-haired fox lady came to his mind and tiny white blocks called tofu that apparently were made of beans…

And he was allergic to beans!

Why did he have to win that competition?!

"Heh, proved to her that no one could beat me eating ramen even with that handicap." He grumbled as he stood straight, pulled out a comb, and slicked it back through his hair before frowning. "Why did she look so smug at the end, though…"

"And say that was a nice try as if she's seen anyone pound more ramen than me! Who is this mysterious challenger aiming to dethrone my reign as ramen king?! Tell me, fox lady, so I can prove you wrong!" Itto held up his fist and shook it angrily, unknowingly, and accidentally holding it at the correct location as he shook it at the blooming Sacred Sakura Tree and its shrine elegantly sitting on top in the distance.

"Boss, have you finally lost it?" Akira, one of his fine and most rotund gang members, stopped joyfully laughing and playing games with the children and looked at his boss in worry. "Oh, no. When we need Shinobu most…"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?! I was having an image what-da-ya-call-it with my memory, so lay off with that, ya hear!" Itto glared at his orange-wearing member before sighing as he hastily pulled out a voucher the fixer had brought earlier from his vest before begrudgingly handing it over to the brown-haired kid. "Yeah, yeah! Here you go, squirt! Won it fair and square this time, but watch out! Next game, I'm winning and taking your snacks! You got that!"

"Same place as always?" The kid grinned at him as many friends joined him.

At the same time, Genta handed out some of the other small toys to the kids to help keep them occupied, and thankfully the fixer, along with the shop owners, were willing to pitch in. The fixer was right, and the Yoimiya girl was quite helpful for the brief time she had available. With what she could do, she helped convince them the Arataki gang was doing them a service today and not their usual causing trouble routine.

Sponsored by the Yashiro Commission. Not that he knew that. Itto simply knew he was getting paid to watch over the little brats and keep them safe.

And they would be entertained and protected, or he wasn't a Red Oni!

"Darn right! I ain't going nowhere til I get my win back, ya hear me!" The muscled oni grinned as he cracked his knuckles and neck while he looked down at the kids hovering around him. "So make sure you are ready, oh, ho, because I'm coming for ya! And I'm going to beat you black and blue next time!"

"You are going to do what?" A voice resonated behind him that haunted his dreams, and he swore he smelled a foul odor in the air.

He could see both of his present gang members deflate and look on in panic. A hush fell over most of the children gathered as the tension was palpable. Itto slowly turned around, his eyes glinting dangerously. His eyes dilated as he stood as tall as he could to tower over the woman standing directly behind him, knowing exactly who it was. He refused to give an inch to this woman as he made her look up into his eyes as he stared into her beady golden eyes.

But he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of letting her anger him, so he took a deep breath and cockily grinned as he continued to look down upon her."Well, ain't this a surprise? Little birdy came to wreck my day when we were having a good ole time over here and keeping the kids entertained while doing a favor for my bro."

"What da ya want, General? You already took the thing that meant the most to me. Trying to ruin my fun too?"

Keeping her gaze steady on the large one that stood before her like a behemoth, a woman with shoulder-length indigo hair cut in an uneven bob crossed her arms over her chest. "Keeping my streets safe is what I want. And what do I hear moments from leaving for my mission?"

"You, one of the largest thorns in my side, is threatening a child? How lowly are you?"

"Wh-wh-what?!" Itto stumbled backwards, a panicked expression overtaking his previous annoyance before he rapidly started to make his appeal. "Wait-wait-wait! You got this all wrong, ya hear! That ain't what this is! We were having a friendly competition for the tournament. I was told to throw for the kids by my good bro. I might have gotten a little worked up…"

"You were told to hold one of your dumb little games? By who?" The woman dressed in primarily white decorative pieces of cloth over her black garment narrowed her eyes at the stuttering fool before her. "Who authorized such activity during this crisis? And who would bestow such a responsibility upon a delinquent like yourself?"

"Maybe if she was still around and in charge, I would understand. You, on the other hand, are nothing more than a troublemaker."

"Oh, is that so?" Itto stomped forward, a flame burning in his eyes, and danced wildly as he brought his face inches within the woman's. "Say, I say we take our chance to make this duel official then! I've been looking for a reason to get back my Vision and, oh, man, I wanted to take a shot…"

"Kids, what are you doing?! Akira, Genta! Come on! Let me at her!"

"It's for your own good, boss! Shinobu said to stop you if you tried to pick fights with her again, and I don't want to face her wrath!" Akira put himself in front of his boss along with Genta, separating him from the leader of the Tenryou Commission's forces. "She didn't want her boss and one of her friends to fight each other."

"Bout to kick her friend's feathery butt and win our Visions back! Ain't no repeat of last time about to happen here!"

Several tugs at his arms pulled him back as several children didn't want to see a fight. And the brown-haired boy who had one, now holding his ticket and onikabuto, stepped up to the official. "General Sara…"

"Yes?" Sara looked down at the young boy, her face straight as she held her gaze sternly upon him.

It made him cringe to see her steely and unwavering eyes focused on him. "Um, we really were having fun here today. Mr. Thoma even had prizes set out for us…"

"The Kamisato housekeeper?" Sara frowned upon hearing the name of the fixer from the Yashiro Commission and brought her hand to her chin as she pondered briefly. "Interesting."

"May I inquire what is so interesting?" A young feminine voice elegantly requested as the soft pitter of gentle footsteps drew the attention of the Tenryou General down the stairs.

Before her, Sara saw two individuals gliding up the steps. One possessed tremendous grace with every step she took; it almost felt like she was watching a dance. The other almost seemed lackadaisical, stretching her arms above her head before placing her hands on her hips as they reached the platform.

She recognized them individually for one held prestige and honorous position in the Tri-Commission.

The other was an occasional pain she had to deal with, despite the nature of her work not entirely conflicting with the law. It was because the nature of her work tended to cause…

Fires if not adequately supervised, which she was far better at now.

"Lady Kamisato," Sara focused on the distinguished young woman in a mix of samurai armor and a fashionable skirt. "As a matter of fact, yes. I wish to inquire where the permits for an event to occur today. It's against regulation to hold unsanctioned events and block valuable space with such nonsense…"

"My brother commissioned such nonsense." Ayaka replied plainly as she held her gaze level with Sara's, whose frown deepened. "Our friend here was given a task like we all were, and he has been performing marvelously. That's why none of the guards here have bothered them until now, I'm sure. My brother simply has not had time to fill out the permits due to the circumstances we are all dealing with."

"If you like, I can do so and take care of this so we can carry on with our duties."

"Dumb bird! I told ya! Maybe next time you should listen!"

"Boss, come on! Stop trying to pick a fight!"

"She started it! I'm gonna finish it!"

"It has been a trying day for all of us. No need to make this any more complicated than it already is." The young woman with blonde hair in a high ponytail responded as she cracked a grin and tried to lighten the mood. "Thankfully, my father and I built a system to deal with all the fires that can crop up thanks to our fireworks! Never thought we were going to have to use it like that, but I'm sure glad we had it in place!"

Flashing a quick glance at the annoyance of muscle steaming toward her, almost glowering at him. However, in passing glance, she noticed the children's reactions around him, which was odd to her. She wouldn't have thought they would be naturally inclined to the oaf, which was not a positive thing in her eyes. With a short sigh, Kujou Sara gave a curt nod at the Shirasagi Himegimi. "Please do. I understand we are in a crisis, so I will let this pass as I am needed elsewhere."

"But remind your brother in the future to properly vet those who choose. Such a scoundrel should not be left in charge of children." Sara finished as she took her leave, striding down the stairs with a grace befitting her stature.

"Oh ho! You and I! We are going to throw down! Just you wait, birdbrain! It's gonna happen!" Itto roared as he shook his fist in the air as he watched the tengu walk away and down the stairs. "No repeats of last time either! Mano-o-mano!"

"I'll get you next time!"

"Boss, she's gone!" Genta tried to soothe the leader of the Arataki gang as he was still raging like a bull. "Look, I understand. We all have beef with her, but…"

"Man, I don't just got beef with her!" Itto growled as he took a deep breath and gritted his teeth as he started angrily down the stairs. "I'll accept that I lost, and because of that, I don't have my Vision. I'll win it back eventually, but man, everything that happened to Shinobu after is not right! And it all starts with her!"

Hearing those words, Ayaka's shoulders softly dipped as she looked away briefly, and her eyes shimmered remorsefully. She knew there was nothing she could do about it. The fact that she was in a position of power yet had to watch her people suffer, even if it was an objectively small percentage of the population, was inequitable. It was unbearable for her, and she wanted to do something more…

Gently turning to the red-horned oni, she bowed courtly toward him while giving him a soft smile. "I appreciate everything you have done here today. I will take care of the permits so there will be no more issues."

"Oh, ah," Itto was taken aback and was humbled into submission by Ayake's act, his anger towards Sara evaporating immediately as he wasn't sure how to process this interaction. "I, uh…"

"I guess I owe you one." He replied, scratching his head. "Usually, that ends up with me behind bars and Granny having to come bail me out. It wasn't until recently that we had Shinobu take care of that issue for us as she is so good at getting us out of trouble, but now…"

"I understand." Ayaka nodded as she gently smiled before turning to her friend. "Yoimiya, if you could, I will take care of this."

"I got you. I'll take things from here." Yoimiya grinned as she puffed out her chest. "With the fires out, I've done all I can, and messing around with the kids sounds like a pleasant way to relax!"

"Thank you." Ayaka gave another bow before turning to Itto. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Oh, yeah, same." Itto tilted his head as he watched the demure young woman turn and head toward Tenshukaku before holding his hands over his mouth and suddenly shouting out at her. "Hey, wait!"

"Tell bro we should hang out sometime! We can do a drum festival or something! I don't know! I'll think of something!"

Turning around with a brilliant smile and a sparkle in her eyes, Ayaka tilted her head, smiled, giggled, and nodded. "I will!"

"Oh, a drum festival! Sounds awesome! I want to throw in something for that!" Yoimiya grinned as the group watched Ayaka turn around once more and fade into the distance before her attention turned to the children. "Anyways, let's see…"

"Say, who wants to go to the beach with me and collect some shells? Maybe go for a swim!"

"Oh, hey, you ain't taking over from me!" Itto popped his knuckles and glared at the blonde-haired fireworks gal. "I promised bro I would look after the kids today, and that's what I'm gonna do! I'm taking them to the beach!"

"Is that so?" Yoimiya grinned widely before she gestured to the crates that lined the middle of the walkway. "Well, I suggest you hurry up and clean up your mess; otherwise, the Tenryou Commission will have another reason to be upset with you. Then you can join the kids and me down at the beach."

Turning to look at where the onikabuto tournament had been taking place, his eyes widened, seeing the mess left around it. "Oh crap!"

"Guys! How'd you let it get this messed up?! We need to take care of this, or bro is gonna be so mad at me!"

"Sorry, boss!" Genta and Akira rushed behind Itto as they flung themselves into cleaning up the area as Yoimya and the kids laughed at the hilarity of seeing the group scamper and clean before she began to herd and lead the youngsters to the beach on the side of Inazuma city away from the Electro particles.

"Maybe when you are finished, we can have a race! See who's the best!"

"Oh, you are so on!" Itto roared as he hefted a heavy crate with little issue back at Yoimiya. "No one bests Arataki Numero Uno! I'll swim laps around ya!"

"See you, big guy!" Yoimiya waved as she took the cheering kids to the beach, leaving Itto further motivated to clean up faster than before.

"Boss!"

"Mamoru! Where have you been?!" Itto cried out as he put down the crate in front of the grocery store, remembering where he received it from. "Never mind that! Get over here and help clean up! I have a challenge, and I ain't backing down from no girl!"

"I, uh, well…" Mamoru buckled under his boss' intense gaze as he glared at him before suddenly shaking his head. "That's not important right now! I was passing by the Omnipresent statue or whatever they want to call it to see if I could snipe yours or Shinobu's Vision while it was left rather unguarded."

"I keep telling you mine is at the top! You aren't getting mine without a ladder!"

"Anyways!" Mamoru continued, ignoring his boss' interruption. "I saw something you won't believe."

"Shinobu's Vision is gone! It's not in the statue any longer!"

"Why are you two in such a rush?!" Mona cried, struggling with her words, as she lagged, gripping her hat in annoyance as she tried to keep pace with the Adeptus and the Divine Crane and was having marginal success.

Looking behind her, for she was several paces ahead, without losing stride as they made their way out of a forest and onto grassy plains with a massive tree off in the distance, Shenhe tilted her head. And without exerting additional effort, she spoke in a relatively normal tone toward Mona. "Huh, I feel we have slowed down to accommodate your traveling speed."

"Are you kidding me?!" Mona bit back a hysterical scream as her eyes shimmered at the long-legged crane in front of her. "This is ridiculous! How can someone travel like this and say this is normal?!"

Xiao huffed as he led and kept a steady pace as they ran through the plains, having slowed down for a different reason than what Shenhe had stated. This kind of travel was all he knew and was what he and his family were trained to do by his masters when they needed to get somewhere in a hurry. A leisurely pace was only for return trips or…

To listen to the bard's melodies to help calm his soul.

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and listened to the wind. As the wind rushed and blew around him, he felt the whispers of every gale surging or brushing the blades of grass. He could perceive everything the wind touched nearby.

And he knew his master was on the move now. So a slower pace was necessary, so they didn't accidentally pass by without noticing him, for there was one thing he knew well about his master and…

Bypassing him was a genuine possibility if he didn't slow down and consider his surroundings. He was a master of stealth and deception and had thousands of years to hone his craft.

If he didn't want to be found, no one would find him.

Xiao could only count on his master, not expecting anyone to be looking for him. Therefore he would be out in the open and easy to find. And with his mastery over the Anemo element and ability to hear the winds, he could roughly locate the feeling of someone that felt like his master but…

As he felt a breeze blow by him, Xiao opened his eyes and saw a pond that was somehow called a lake here in Mondstadt. It was unmistakable what he felt, but it felt so much like…

The other one.

"Destiny, huh?" Xiao muttered softly before frowning, focusing his eyes out into the distance as he slowed his pace to a walk, catching Shenhe by surprise as she stopped at his side while Mona fumbled slowly behind them, breathing heavily.

"Master?" Shenhe looked confused as she looked at Xiao, tilting her head oddly as Mona, even as she struggled to catch her breath, perked up hearing his choice of words. "Is something wrong?"

"I think not…" Mona raggedly caught her breath as she stared out at the small lake in the distance and grinned at the fortuitous occasion. "I think he has finally come to see reason."

"And realized that we were on a collision course all along. By being so hasty, he sped the meeting ahead of schedule, and it's time for us to make our grand entrance into this lovely tale!"

"Now, let's say hi to the Ancient Fox God and the Falling Star!"

A gentle breeze blew through the tranquil woods at the foot of the mountain. Torii gates scattered along a gently sloping trail heading upwards. It led through the forest and helped those keep from getting lost within. This place was once known to many demons, especially the ever-known tricky tanuki and the illustrious kitsune, both known for playing mean-spirited pranks on their victims.

"And that includes our current Grand Priestess." A young woman with green hair held up in a messy ponytail mumbled under her breath as she grimaced at the red and white hakama she was currently wearing. "Ugh.."

"I look horrible in this."

With a simple flick of her wrist, a single kunai flicked out of her hakama and drove into the ground right in front of one particular tanuki statue in front of the path, along with several other sculptures. The statue let out a shrill shriek as a puff of smoke burst around it while violet eyes glared at the tiny form that resided in the smoke.

"And you are terrible at hiding, young lady!" The young woman with green hair frowned as she placed her hands on her hips.

As the smoke dissipated, a tiny young girl with short beige hair became visible, trembling and hunching her head defeatedly. She wore a strange tan costume resembling a mujina, with brown accents at the ears and a long tail that dragged behind her.

She had to bite back a snarl seeing the girl's reaction, knowing it was likely due to her former caretaker's strict handling of her; having seen it firsthand as she trained with her before taking over recently, she took a deep breath. Crouching down and lowering herself to the height of the younger girl, the green-haired priestess softly smiled, something she was uncomfortable with, at the costume-wearing girl and let her voice carry her concern. "I'm not upset with you. It has simply been a long day, given everything that has happened."

"Do you want to know how I could easily find you, Sayu?"

Looking up and into the violet eyes of her new caretaker, the young Sayu timidly looked away and shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't use one of my old napping spots…"

"You might have gotten a little more sleep if you did, given the day's hassle. I hadn't even begun to search for you yet." The young priestess gently laughed and shook her head. "I have an outstanding memory and can recall almost every detail I've seen or read. I know every statue on this path, so I instantly knew something was wrong."

"But do you want to know why I knew it was you instead of someone else?" She grinned as Sayu tilted her head curiously before pointing straight at the young girl's tail. "You didn't transform your tail, silly! It was hanging out of the statue for anyone to see!"

Blushing a deep shade of crimson as she looked behind her at her costume's tail, Sayu grimaced. She was her own downfall. How did she fail to transform it again? Oh, her master would be so disappointed in her…

"Sayu, are you hurt?" The young priestess gently reached out, noticing scuff marks on her clothing. "I know thanks to you having a Vision, you were operating within the Electro particles today, helping evacuate people, and that's why I lost you."

"Are you okay? That much Electro-radiation can be damaging for adults, let alone someone your age, even with a Vision filtering some of its influence."

Snapping her attention back to her shrine maiden, hearing the concern in her voice, Sayu's red eyes shimmered momentarily as an image came to her. An image of her master. And she beamed and shook her head at the green-haired priestess. "I'm okay. Just a little tired."

"Although, can we not train today, Ms. Kuki? I'm really sleepy."

A sudden rumbling echo followed, and Sayu flushed in embarrassment as the priestess palmed her head.

And Shinobu sighed softly as she rolled her eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I swear you were related to him…"

"But let's return to the shrine and get something to eat first. Wait."

"That tanuki statue wasn't there before." Shinobu frowned and felt on edge as a new statue appeared directly behind her as she was talking and comforting Sayu. "Sayu, on my count, we run…"

"That won't be necessary." A recognizable voice echoed from the statue before a puff of smoke dispersed around it, a figure walking out of the smoke and standing before them.

One with pink hair, vivid purple eyes, and a devilish smile.

"It is so refreshing to see that when someone boasts such a feat, they can back it up. I am impressed, young one." Miko clasped her hands together in praise and closed her eyes while tilting her head. "I feel more confident than ever in my choice."

"Lady Miko!" Sayu happily bounced forward, greeting the Grand Priestess of the Narukami shrine with delight. "What are you doing way out here? Shouldn't you be at the shrine?"

"Oh no! You weren't out looking for me, were you? I'm sorry!"

"I do have other tasks that require me to leave. Don't worry your cute head." Yae smirked as she looked at the mujina-dressed young girl, the outfit reminded her of a time when youkai were more commonplace in Inazuma.

"Your choice?" Shinobu drew Lady Guuji's attention, and their similar shade of eyes met, a scornful frown adorning her face. "I feel that needs explanation."

"Which is why I am glad to find you here, as it saves me the trouble of searching for you both." Miko grinned before her face slowly straightened, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I have a vital mission of grave importance for both of you. One appointed by the Almighty Shogun, so failure is not an option."

Sayu froze on the spot. Those words had never been uttered in her direction before, so she didn't know how to handle them and was lost on what to do. Shinobu, however, narrowed her eyes. Something felt off the moment the kitsune spoke, and she could feel she was being misled somewhere. And seeing the tilt in the fox's head, she knew she was being led on. And feeling something within that she had not felt in some time as the kitsune held out her hand, her eyes narrowed further. "So I humbly ask for your cooperation."

"Oh, and there might be something in it for the idiot if you play along."

"Hehe…" A young feminine voice echoed on the woodland path, believing her clever disguise was foolproof.

"He'll never find me." It echoed again from a tanuki statue, shifting ever so slightly on the path as it tried to align itself just right…

"Boo." A cheerful whisper came directly from behind her.

"AAAAHHHH!"

A plume of smoke erupted from the tanuki statue as a small girl with pink hair flew out of the smoke, landing on her hands and feet, her hair and two fox ears standing on end. She then yipped at the boisterous laughter that bellowed from beyond her smoke as she picked up a stone and tossed it. "No fair big brother! I couldn't hear or see you coming!"

"Ow! Who taught you manners? Wait…"

Clutching his head, a spiky-haired blonde wearing an orange yoroi stepped forward and chuckled. "Well, I screwed up there. Hope Saiguu can smooth out some of the rough edges…"

"Sage knows I'm not the greatest paternal figure around." He mumbled as he unlatched and opened a scroll on his pouch, placing his hand on it before closing his eyes momentarily. "Oh yeah."

"Definitely was the secondary parent in that relationship. That job sucked. Why did I ever want it?"

"Na-ru-to!" The young pink-haired girl slunk down before suddenly pouncing gleefully at the suspecting blonde, who expertly caught her with a single swing of his arm, forcing him to swirl her around. "You said today was our date to have time together! I haven't seen you in weeks since moving to the shrine, and I'm not missing this chance!"

"And I want a story! The one about your old friend! The kitsune with nine tails!"

"Well, seeing as that is one of my favorite ones to tell, I would love to, but…" Naruto gave a toothy grin before his eyes shifted and focused behind him. "I believe I need to attend to our guest first and find out what she wants?"

"So what's cooking, Ei? Why are you here?"

Electric purple eyes bore deeply into crystalline cerulean eyes as the Kagemusha stood impassively, meeting his gaze as she stood calmly next to the flowing creek. "I came seeking my familiar when I found out she wasn't at the shrine as I wished to oversee her training. When the priestesses didn't know where she was, I sought her out using our connection."

"I did not realize the two of you had a day planned. My apologies. You may proceed."

"Um, Ei," Naruto blinked as he scratched the back of his head nervously and tried not to laugh at the shadow Shogun as she continued to watch them with her unblinking gaze. "Usually, when someone says that and realizes everything is okay, they head on out."

"Am I not allowed to watch? Curious. Are you two doing something you should not be?" Ei frowned as she brought her hand to her chin and pondered. "Or is there something else I don't understand?"

"We're not doing anything improper, promise!" Miko wildly waved her arms as she stepped beside Naruto, blushing fiercely as a thought came to her head. "No! No! No! Big Brother said he would come to see me and arrange days like this, so everything wasn't so stuffy and overwhelming at the shrine with their stupid rules!"

"Well, let's not call them stupid in front of one of the people that helped set them…" Naruto grimaced and shook his head. "No, you are fine if you want to stick around. Miko wanted me to tell her the story of the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox."

"A Kitsune so powerful that it could destroy mountains and cause tsunamis with a single swipe of one of its tails."

"Isn't that…" Ei began as she looked at Naruto, a curious expression on her face before it returned to its usual impassiveness. "Hmm, continue."

Leaning down, Naruto gently whispered into Yae's ear. "Sounds like someone is interested."

"Yay! There's a nice secluded spot looking over the ocean right over there!" Yae pointed over at the descending cliffside past the forest and grinned excitedly. "That will be a great place to listen to the story!"

"Lead the way." Naruto grinned as he motioned for Miko, slowly following after the young kitsune as she darted in that direction.

Shortly followed by a Kagemusha who slowly trailed behind, her purple eyes trained on only…

Purple eyes snapped open as the planes of existence around her glowed a hue of pink she had never seen before. She knew the dimension represented her state of being, but what was with this?

What emotion did this color represent?

And why was she reliving so many memories? Why now?

Was it because she heard Makoto's voice? Because she felt him once more? That Miko had just visited her? A factor of all these things together?

That particular memory too…

Why was he not there for them?! He was supposed to be at their side! To stand by her sister's side at times of peace and be there for her. And at times of strife…

As the world shifted to red around her, Ei's eyes glowed as Electro bolts sparked around her plane.

He would come here soon enough. Yae was sending a small group most capable of retrieving him and returning him home with as minimal delay as possible. But knowing that man…

She expected him to be more than a nuisance, and she had to be patient.

Naruto was known for getting lost on the road of life.