Author's Notes: After my long break from writing, I have returned with an update to this story in particular! And yes, I have been playing too much Honkai Star Rail, and no, Kafka will not appear in this story, unfortunately...
Pairings (Final+2)
Mondstadt: Eula, Sucrose, Jean
Liyue: Ganyu, Keqing, Shenhe, Yelan
Inazuma: Shinobu, Yae Miko, Ei
Sumeru: Collei, Dehya, Nilou, Faruzan
Fontaine: Furina
Review Responses
elkenn: Honestly, I just can't see myself writing Amber, and I think I'd do terribly at writing her.
Dragon and Sword Master: Well, Shenhe was told to bring Naruto to Qingyun Peak... And considering she was able to lift a mountain, I doubt he'd be able to say otherwise lol.
Dragonkeeper10: I find it somewhat believable that Naruto could be a stronger traveller, considerably strong, but still not broken completely to the point he one-shots everything.
Midnight Lost: I'm glad it was amusing lol, Admittedly, it's been a while since I've played myself, been wrapped up with college and Honkai.
redlox2: It's a habit of mine to always reply to reviews, I do as much as I can without overstretching the chapter. And you're not wrong, it's a pretty open secret who Collei would be writing a letter to lol.
Dradlos: It's stated above in every review response section at the beginning of each chapter.
Braxtom: I'm glad you enjoy it, I do my best to make it as cute and realistic as possible.
Devil-Fic: No.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"'Kurama talking and thinking"'
-Collei's room, Gandharva Ville-
"I see, don't worry, I'll help you write it, no problem whatsoever," Naruto assured with a smile, pulling a chair over for Collei to sit next to him as they worked, "So... What would you like me to start with?"
"W-well..." Collei stammered, giving it some thought before replying.
"No worries, just take your time and I'll do my best to make sure the letter is as good as possible," Naruto assured as he leaned into his chair, "What sort of letter are you planning?"
"Well... Okay, okay, give me a second..." She mumbled, taking a few deep breaths, before looking up at Naruto again, "Please... Write this word for word... And... Don't laugh... Please?"
"Of course, don't worry. I won't laugh," Naruto promised, picking up the strange pen that he had been provided with, and dipping it in some ink before looking at the paper.
"To my dear friend Amber..." Collei began to say, using her finger to shape a comma before continuing, "It has been a long time... I miss our adventures together, well, I mean, I miss our walks around Mondstadt City, the church, the fountain, Angel's Share, all of it."
Naruto nodded, remaining silent as he wrote the letter word per word, filling in punctuation where he saw fit, and where it would make sense.
"I hope you are doing well, and that all in Mondstadt is well," Collei continued, coughing a little before doing so, "My illness persists still, attacks are still painful at times, and the fatigue that comes with it is still prevalent, but it is manageable now, Master Tighnari has a minor form of remedy now, and it helps! I promise, it does! Although let's not linger on this, I do not want to worry you as much as my previous letter might have... Next paragraph please."
Naruto nodded, finishing the sentence before going to the next paragraph, "Do let me know if you'd like some water, I'll get you some, alright?"
"I... O-okay..." Collei stammered, getting slightly embarrassed again, looking away for a moment to hide her blush, coughing a little as she did so. "Ummm... I... If you don't mind..."
"Very well then, you can read it first, in case you want me to change anything," Naruto assured, passing the draft of the letter to Collei before stepping out of the room to retrieve a glass of water.
"Thank you... This..." Collei began to say, reading it word by word, before pulling out her initial draft of the letter, "Thank you... This is too nice..." She mumbled to herself in silence.
Before long, Naruto returned from his absence, a cup of water in his hands as he gently set it down on the desk next to Collei, who seemed to be leaning downwards as he did so.
"Hmm? Collei? Hello?" Naruto asked, gently tapping her on the shoulder, only to receive no response, as he stepped closer. "Collei? Are you alright? Hello?"
Naruto looked around for a moment, before nodding to himself, picking the green-haired forest ranger trainee up in his arms before setting her over on her bed, fanning her gently with a large leaf he had found outside.
"C'mon... Please be okay..." Naruto mumbled, observing her for a moment before taking a metaphorical leap, taking hold of her hand gently as he watched over her, noticing her silent breathing and breathing a sigh of relief himself.
"You know... There is something called sleep, dumbass," A familiar voice in Naruto's head stated, as Naruto sighed once again, "What? You do realize I am the reason you're alive, don't you?"
'Yeah yeah... Nice to see you again, jerk,' Naruto thought, gently patting Collei's hand as she slept, 'Took you long enough.'
"Well, you didn't exactly need me, in fact, you even used part of my chakra, isn't that clever of you?" The Kyuubi asked, a hearty chuckle following soon after. "Heh... Oh... Nothing here makes sense, does it?"
'For once, we agree,' Naruto thought, shaking his head as he slowly let go of Collei's hand, walking over to the desk once again.
"Well, what else to do but make the most of it, huh?" The Kyuubi asked, a sinister tone in his voice, "And this time... There is no Yellow Flash to stop me, not in this world, not in your head. You're alone, Naruto. It's just me and you now."
'Cut that out, you damned furball,' Naruto thought, flipping open Collei's initial draft of her letter, before beginning to translate her words into the one he had been writing for her.
"Oh? Scorn, is it? Come on then, keep being scornful. We all know how much I like that," The Kyuubi taunted, continuing to allow sinister implications and tone to drip out through his voice, "In fact, I love it."
'Just shut up so I can finish writing this letter,' Naruto thought, continuing to write the letter whilst the fox's laughter continued to grow.
"Hah! Do you think she'll appreciate you after you help her? People show their true faces eventually... Especially after they no longer have use for you!" The Kyuubi laughed, "They'll all hate you just the same! Just because you're different from them!"
'Guess we'll see,' Naruto stated mentally, sighing as he finished the letter, signing off with the words "From your dear friend, Collei.", before folding up the letter, just as the Kyuubi's voice finally faded into the background.
The blond slowly rose to his feet once again, walking up next to Collei's bed and sitting next to it once again, gently holding onto her hand and stroking it to try and provide as much comfort as possible, even if she had been unconscious.
"You. Who are you?" A voice asked from behind, the sound of a bowstring being strung as the voice continued. "No, do not move. Use your words."
"Right... Err... Am I at least allowed to turn around?" He asked, unsure of what was going on, gently letting go of Collei's hand as he raised both of his.
"First off, this generation has some utterly preposterous choice of clothing, dressing entirely in orange makes you appear as a fruit," The woman stated, still having yet to withdraw her bow. "Very well, you may turn, but you are to offer a suitable explanation, with plenty of backing to it, might I add, as to why you're here in Collei's room."
'Well, this might be trouble...' Naruto thought to himself, slowly spinning around on the seat to face a fair-skinned woman, her gradient teal-coloured hair spilling out through the sides, naturally resembling twin-tails, an x-shaped hairpin holding it all together in the front. Most prominently, the blond was able to see an arrow pointed directly at him, a vague shape of a green triangle by the tip of it. "Err... Name first?"
"Yes, that would be preferable..." The woman stated, still not pulling the arrow back, the helms of her layered white dress flowing in the wind created by the arrow, the vision pinned to her skirt glowing as a result of such assertion. "Go on, start with your name."
"Well, my name is Naruto Uzumaki... And, yes, I know this looks bad... But, err... I was in here for a good reason, I promise!" Naruto began to explain, shielding his face with his hands as the arrow was drawn closer to his forehead. "I was helping Collei!"
The woman looked on for a moment, tilting her head before lowering her bow, the string still drawn as she nodded. "Is that so? Do continue... Naruto."
"Okay, okay... So... I'm new here, and Collei found me a few days ago in a forest..." Naruto began to explain, taking a deep breath before continuing, "And Tighnari-san let me stay for now... Collei just let me stay here for now..."
"Tighnari-san? That brat who happens to be the living copy of the Rainforest Survival Guide?" The woman asked, narrowing her eyes, sighing soon after, "If that brat trusts you... I suppose it's reasonable for me to do the same."
The woman held up her bow, aiming it behind her before firing the arrow out of the open window, sending it soaring across the sky, and hitting a tree soon after.
"I must say... I did think you were a local, things have changed as compared to what was here a hundred years ago," The woman explained, putting down her bow soon after. "Anyhow, my name is Faruzan... Might I assume you're from Inazuma? Do you still run your state based on an all-powerful ruler?"
"Err, you see, Faruzan-" Naruto began to say, only for the teal-haired woman to hold up a hand.
"No no... You may refer to me as Madam Faruzan," She explained, "That's only respectful, isn't it? I am, after all, at least a hundred years older than you."
"A hundred years?! But, you look so young-" Naruto began to say, only to be cut off by a quick slap. "Oww... What was that for?!"
"Shh, quiet down, Collei is sleeping..." Faruzan grumbled, placing a finger over her mouth, "As for why... It's rather rude, is it not?"
"It's a compliment!" Naruto explained, waving his arms around.
"Not a hundred years ago, it wasn't!" Faruzan argued back.
"Look, I'm not trying to be rude, Fa- I mean, Madam Faruzan..." Naruto stated, "I just wanted to explain myself like you asked!"
"Yes, and yet, you could've used a more polite way to do so!" She argued back, her hand reaching for her bow.
"Did I do something to you that I didn't know of?" Naruto fired back, placing a hand on a kunai, "Or is it a fight you want?"
"Oh, please, I'd be happy to put a delinquent in his place," Faruzan stated, picking up her bow and drawing the string. "But, as all children, you must be given an opportunity first... So, last chance to apologise."
"Like hell I will, Faruzan," Naruto stated, holding up a kunai, "I don't even know who you are! How could I have possibly offended you already?!"
"Good to see that you're both getting along," Tighnari joked, walking into the room as he set several things on the table, "If you must fight, do take it outside... Collei is sleeping after all."
Both sides immediately put down their weapons, as the blond turned to Tighnari first.
"Tighnari-san, I don't know who this is... But she called you a brat, and demanded that I address her by Madam Faruzan, and claims that she's over a hundred years old!" Naruto stated, receiving a bemused head-shaking in return.
"And you'd be wise to call her by that title. I, myself, address Madam Faruzan as such," Tighnari explained amusedly, "Let's be honest, my yellow friend... If you can call me by the honorific of Tighnari-san, you are certainly capable of addressing our friend here as Madam Faruzan."
"As if I'd ever be her friend," Naruto scoffed, crossing her arms and turning towards Collei to check on her, making sure she was still sleeping soundly.
"I say, Tighnari, I'm not impressed..." Faruzan began to say, sitting down as she crossed one leg over the other. "To let some vagrant from Inazuma watch over little Collei in such a manner, isn't it rather irresponsible? I'd say you've been overworking her again, haven't you? She's got bags under her eyes for crying out loud... Has she been taking her medicine? I'll be sure to prepare more supplements for her on my next visit... Then again, you've got no right being so strict to her regardless."
"For one, Madam Faruzan, Collei is a hard worker, I will not enforce my will for her to go and rest when all she wants to do is to continue to better herself," Tighnari explained, sorting out several things on Collei's desk, and helping her to seal the letter in an envelope. "For the second matter... Naruto has proven to be nothing but helpful in his time here. Whilst his story of not being from Inazuma and being from another land is... Strange, to say the least, he's helped out with looking after Collei. And, as always, the supplements should always come in moderation."
Faruzan scoffed silently, looking away with her arms crossed.
"You know, with how similar your reactions are, and with how frequently you've both argued on your first meeting..." Tighnari began to say, "You'd both make a cute couple."
Both Naruto and Faruzan immediately turned back towards Tighnari, their faces tinged with different shades of pink.
"No way! Nope, no no, there is no way I'll be involved with this deranged woman," Naruto stated, shaking his head rapidly.
"Me? Romantically involved with this brat? No chance..." Faruzan stated, still blushing a little, "Regardless of how attractive you may perceive him to be in my eyes, do you consider my standards as being that low?"
"Touche," Naruto mumbled, garnering another look from Faruzan.
"Truth hurts, doesn't it, brat?" Faruzan asked, a smirk forming on her lips.
"You certainly would know," Naruto retorted, as Tighnari sighed, watching as his two companions appeared to get at each other's throats once again.
"If you two want to argue, go somewhere else to do it," Tighnari stated, pointing at the door, "Collei is trying to get some rest."
"Very well, I'll be off now," Faruzan stated, standing up soon after, "I had wanted to ask if Collei wanted to accompany me to meet with some members of the Akademiya, but, I suppose that ship has sailed. In whatever case, make sure young Collei gets sufficient rest."
"Madam Faruzan..." Tighnari began to say, seeing Naruto's fervent head-shaking as more fuel for his oncoming statement. "I'm sure Naruto here would be delighted to accompany you."
"Excuse me?!" Both stated, looking over soon after.
"I believe it'd be best for Naruto to understand Sumeru more," Tighnari explained, "What better than for him to observe our culture of discussions? I'm sure he has much to learn, especially from one of the best teachers around, of which you are, aren't you, Madam Faruzan?"
"I... Ugh, very well... Come along, brat," Faruzan stated with a sigh, shaking her head as she ushered Naruto to the door.
"At this point... I don't even know what is going on anymore..." Naruto stated, seeing Tighnari wave him off as he followed his new teal-haired companion out of Collei's room.
-On the Road to Sumeru City-
"What is that?" Naruto asked, having been asking a similar question whilst pointing at several different things, be it animals or plants, on their journey so far.
"You've been asking that same question for the last hour, do you not get tired?" Faruzan asked, crossing her arms and sighing as she walked along, "No, Hilichurls are not people, they are hostile creatures that roam the lands. Whilst many have theorised in the past that a mutation existed which turned humans into Hilichurls, there is no actual evidence to support it-"
"Err, no, Faruzan, I was-" Naruto began to say, only to get conked in the head gently with a closed hand. "Oww... What was that for?!"
"First, do not cut me off whilst I am speaking," Faruzan began to say, shaking her head slightly in dismay. "I say, people in this generation have no courtesy... Second, you will be wise to remember to call me by Madam."
"Riiiight..." Naruto mumbled, rubbing his head as he spoke again. "In that case, Madam Faruzan... What is that thing?" Naruto asked, pointing at a short, tower-like structure by the path, a red crystal on top, with a crimson glow circling it.
"Oh... That? Well... It's a good question," Faruzan explained, walking over to the structure. "Many have theorised their purpose for generations, even before mine. Some believe they are used to worship Archons, which, is easily dismissed, considering the larger statues around... Others believe it is used as a resting stop for travellers, which, I personally, whilst it is hard to dismiss, do not believe to be true, as no one would logically spend so many resources on building a resting stop..."
"In that case, Far- I mean, Madam Faruzan, what is your theory about it?" Naruto asked, tilting his head curiously as he stepped over to the structure.
"Hmm, good, you're getting the hang of the 'courtesy towards your elders' part..." Faruzan murmured, as she looked over at the structure, "Me? I always thought it was some form of transportation."
"Transportation? Like... A bike?" He asked cluelessly, looking around it, "I don't see any wheels... Or do you mean a boat? A train, maybe?"
"No, no, no... Though, it does warm this old lady's heart to hear such curiosity from this generation..." Faruzan admitted, before looking over at Naruto, "Basically, I believe this has something to do with teleportation."
"I... Am a little lost..." Naruto admitted, looking over and seeing a small texturally different part on the structure, before placing his hand on it, causing the ground to shake a little.
"Woah! What are you..." Faruzan murmured, looking over at the rising structure, the crimson glow being phased out by a vibrant blue glow, as the structure soon began to float in midair. "How did that... What?"
"Did... Did I do that?" Naruto questioned, taking a few steps back as he soon noticed a small marking on his hand, "What is thaaaat-!"
The blond began to ask, before disappearing and reappearing next to the structure, falling onto his face soon after.
"Well, it seems my hypothesis was somewhat proven," Faruzan mused, stepping forward and placing a hand on the body of the structure, nodding as she took down several notes on a notepad.
"Are you seriously..." Naruto began to ask, picking himself back up, "I just fell on my face, you know?"
"Yes, and you're standing back up, are you not?" Faruzan asked back, "What's the issue with that? You can't blame me for this, surely... You did touch it without thinking... And here I thought this generation had some common sense..."
"Alright, just, stop with this... Generational thing..." Naruto began to say, stepping over to her, "You're not older than me by that much, there's no chance."
"I- Are you doubting my words?!" Faruzan asked back, poking his chest as she did so, "I am a hundred years older than you, like it or not."
"Yeah? I'd bet I've seen more than you have in my time I'd bet you're no professor at all!" Naruto declared, clearly still upset and frustrated by the earlier teleportation thing.
"I-" She began to say, only to be cut off again.
"Try doing something that you know won't cause issues like this, okay?" Naruto asked back as if thinking he held the advantage in this situation. "It'd save a lot of issues for a lot of people as if enough weren't already being caused-"
"In that case, try being trapped in a place for a hundred years!" Faruzan finally fired back, taking a few steps back, her expression pale as she did so, "T-try failing to solve a puzzle, a-and get trapped whilst watching those around you perish! Sometimes... Sometimes I wish I never woke up!"
"I... Sorry, I didn't-" Naruto began to say, his eyes widening as he noticed the tears slowly welling in her eyes, realising that there may be some truth to her story.
"No, you did. Everyone now is just the same, no one understands... No one cares to do so now, not anymore!" Faruzan exclaimed, running off soon after.
"W-wait!" Naruto called out, extending an arm as he soon ran after her.
-Two Hours Later-
Panting for a moment, Naruto soon sat down against the trunk of a large tree, taking a breather before speaking again.
"Look... Madam Faruzan, I... I'm sorry..." He mumbled, lowering his head as Faruzan dropped her head slightly on the other side, "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that..."
"It's alright, brat... I shouldn't have entered such an outburst either..." Faruzan murmured, sighing a little, "It's just... Difficult, sometimes... It's as if I have to re-embrace the reality every day that, everyone I cared for, any family, and friends, any... Lovers... All of them, they're all gone now. I am all that remains from a hundred years ago."
"Well... That is rough, I can't lie, nothing I've ever gone through can compare to that... Well, I am in a similar boat, but at least I know my friends are alive..." Naruto explained as he thought of what to say next.
"A similar boat? Do you so happen to be from a hundred years in the past as well?" She asked.
"Not really... I'm simply just not from this world..." Naruto explained, sighing as he continued, "There, I remember wanting to be accepted for who I am... I remember wanting to be a part of something bigger than myself, you know... To just, make the world an overall better place. I wanted to bring peace like my master and senior wanted but failed to do, as my father would've wanted as well."
"Well, I suppose, in that, we are the same," Faruzan stated, "I was wrong to judge you earlier... You've been through quite a lot as well, haven't you? I'd bet those blue eyes of yours have seen their fair share of trauma."
"I see the worst of people a lot of the time... A snake paedophile, a master who peeps in hot springs, a man with several hearts who can't find one to do good things..." Naruto began to say, before looking up again, "Though, I have seen the best in some as well. An ice user who taught me the importance of having something to protect, and the value of a bond... A teacher who is willing to act as a father to a lonely child, a broken man who is willing to give up his life to save a village's people... And in all of them, good people who live by their standards."
"... Say, how did you find peace with this situation you're in?" Faruzan questioned, "The idea of being trapped in a foreign world... And having to make do with it... How did you do it?"
"I guess... Well, I guess I just accepted it," Naruto explained, "There's no going back that easily... And even if there is, I'm able to smile, to laugh, to enjoy myself here too... It was never going to be an easy task to accept new circumstances... But..."
"But you had people around you... Supportive ones?" Faruzan guessed, to which the blond nodded, even if she couldn't see him.
"Yep. Collei and Tighnari were there. They offered me a home, a support base... A reason to keep fighting on, and something new to protect..." Naruto explained, "Collei was the one who found me originally, and I will kill to defend her."
"... You know, even a hundred years ago... Any girl would've been lucky to have you... You realise that, right?" Faruzan asked, standing up soon after, and walking over before helping Naruto back to his feet.
"Not... Really. Back where I am from, the one girl I liked not only didn't reciprocate, she hit me a lot too..." Naruto explained, chuckling a little as he stood up to his feet.
"Well, that's not your fault now, is it?" Faruzan asked, smiling softly as she walked along the path once again. "Everyone is bound to have their perceptions of you... And whilst this... Boyhood crush of yours may have had such an opinion... I see no reason that everyone else would hold a similar one."
"Well... I suppose you're right..." Naruto assured, "Though, with a hundred more years under your belt, I suppose it was to be expected that you had more experience in this regard... Either way, thank you for your advice, Madam Faruzan."
"In the short time you had here... It seems you've managed to woo Collei... Something I've failed to do for months now..." Faruzan joked, "She's respectful to her elders, diligent, and has a hard-working attitude, the perfect student! That brat Tighnari has no right being so harsh and shrewd with her... Though, if I can't win her over... I can count on you to take care of her, can't I?"
Naruto's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, as he sighed before nodding his head.
"I'll do my best, Madam Faruzan," Naruto assured, walking alongside his companion to Sumeru City, "Though, it'll be Collei's choice to make as to whether she'd want me to."
Omake: A Day at The Grand Narukami Shrine
"Ah, yes, yes... This is very interesting indeed, hehe..." Came the voice of a pink-haired woman, a golden headpiece on her head, earrings adorning her ears with a priestess' outfit draped over her stunning figure.
The woman giggled a little, walking out of her office for a moment, as a shrine maiden walked up to her, holding a box in her hands.
"Lady Guuji... This is the new set of books from the Yae Publishing House," The shrine maiden explained, "I hope they were produced and written to a satisfactory extent."
"Well, you may leave them in there," Yae assured, pointing to a room at the shrine's main building, "After which, you are permitted to take the rest of the day off, as a reward for your hard work as of recent."
"Very well, I thank your kindness, Lady Guuji," The shrine maiden assured, walking away soon after, leaving Yae back to her thoughts.
'Yes... That boy... An untamed fox spirit within him... With such a personality to go along with it?' Yae mused to herself, a sneaky grin coming over her face as well, as she walked into her office to pen a letter to the Shogun.
'I must have him, yes, whenever he does come to Inazuma...' Yae thought, stopping and discarding the letter to the Shogun, before moving to pen a letter addressed to a certain traveller instead.
"What treasure you seek is in the cave you fear... Come to Inazuma, and I, the Guuji Yae, will help guide your way," She mumbled as she wrote, before sealing the letter in an envelope, sending for a shrine maiden to deliver it to a post office, before looking out into the distance. "You will be mine... Naruto."
Author's Notes 2: We are steadily reaching the end of our first Sumeru section, I hope it's been all good so far! Aside from that, I hope you've also enjoyed the small Omake at the end as much as I enjoyed writing it, it may or may not foreshadow some events to come...
Regardless of which, do tell me what you guys thought about this chapter in the reviews down below! I'm always eager to see what you guys have to say!
