Chapter 11: Fellow wounded soul

It was the morning after the battle with Osial, the harbor was bustling with all the people out and about, some opening their shops others making preparation for the Rite of parting set to take place at noon. Or some just getting out of bed like one blond shinobi.

"*yawn*That was a very good sleep. You always sleep better after spending some chakra." said a half awake Naruto.

He got up from his bed and went to the bathroom of his hotel room to freshen up. Which for some reason had a sink made out completely from jade, that was pretty extensive even if he did pay for the best room they had to offer.

'Today's the Rite of parting, I should probably be there since I kinda played the hero.' Were his thoughts as he washed his face.

'I might even invite Zhongli for some tea if I see him, quite the pleasant guy to talk to.'

He finished wiping his face and went to check out for the day. Naruto started walking leisurely through the harbor, with him in no hurry to be anywhere there was no reason not to enjoy the morning market district.

"So Ningguang has a speech prepared. I wonder what approach she's gonna take." Naruto said as he blended in with the crowd.

It was a bit past noon and people were gathering at Yujing terrace to witness the Rite of parting. Murmurs were going around, the people discussing different rumors with one-another. Some saying how the Fatui's 11th harbinger was involved. A new forest suddenly growing in the middle of the ocean etc.

"Quiet everyone! Please don't indulge in gossip you heard in the street, it is most unbecoming to believe baseless rumors."

The crowd, after hearing the guard speak quickly quieted down and started to pay attention to Ningguang.

"Even mighty soaring dragons will someday fall. Even a god must face the diving trials before them." Ningguang started her speech with a powerful voice.

"And now Rex Lapis has fulfilled his final contract."

People around had different reactions to those words, differing from understanding to uncertainty. Though before they could process their feelings any longer Ningguang continued.

"However, we must now forge and build a new contract, our own contract to preserve and protect Liyue even without the guidance of the Geo Archon."

Ningguans' voice now becoming more and more passionate as she continued.

"We the Qixing will continue to make Liyue prosper and together with the Adepti we will protect it from anyone or anything that desires to bring harm."

"So,are you with me, people of Liyue? Will you commit yourself to making this contract?" asked Ningguang, her voice almost having the people entranced.

The moment she finished her speech the crowd burst into cheers and applause, praising the Qixing. The somber mood from before turning into conviction as people not only regained their hope but the desire to make Liyue even better.

"Well, isn't she talented." Naruto chuckled, impressed with her as she not only brought hope and conviction back to the people but also made them admire her. Basically indirectly making herself the center pillar of the people gaining their trust.

As the ceremony finished and the crowd started dispersing, Naruto spotted Zhongli in a corner of the terrace overlooking the city.

"Nice view."

Zhongli turned to the voice, seeing Naruto approach him.

"She sure knows how to win people over." commented Naruto as he came to stand beside Zhongli while looking at the city.

"That she does." Zhongli continued as a comfortable silence settled over them.

After a while Zhongli decides to break the silence with a question.

"Any plans on what you want to do?"

Naruto didn't answer immediately, mulling the question for a bit.

"Not really."

"I'll probably just travel around, visiting the other nations seeing as they all have different and unique standings and beliefs." Naruto added afterwards.

"Any idea where you want to start?"

"Hmm, I'll head back to Mondstadt first. Their annual Festival is coming around, Windblume I think it was called." Answered Naruto leaning on the railing.

"Ah! It is that time of year indeed." added Zhongli.

"Well after I do that, I might go to Inazuma. Barbatos mentioned that the Electro Archon was replaced after the Khaenri'ah disaster. So I'm curious what her principles are."

Zhongli thought for a bit before addressing Naruto again.

"I see Barbatos still knows more than he lets on. Some people never change." said Zhongli with a small smile at the end.

"I don't know what exactly happened in Inazuma during the Khaenri'ah war, but I do know that the Inazuma of the present is closed from the outside world." As he said this, Zhonglis' expression became unreadable.

"Beside that, the Raiden Shogun issued an order to seize all Visions in Inazuma in what came to be known as the Vision Hunt Decree."

Naruto didn't like the sound of that, after all from what Venti told him Visions are linked with their holders ambition. So taking away someone Vision means taking away their ambition. And without ambition the people lose their will to live leading them to sickness sometimes even death.

"I'll see what's going on in Inazuma once I make my way there." spoke Naruto after a little time.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. But in the meantime I have to bid you goodbye for now, since as of today I am merely the mortal known as Zhongli and I have a job to uphold." Zhonli said as he stretched a hand out.

Naruto accepted the handshake saying, "Good luck with that."

"We'll get tea again some time in the future to continue where we left off with our stories" said Naruto as they ended the handshake.

"That we shall." finished Zhongli as he walked away.

Two days have passed since the ceremony to mourn Rex Lapis and the official enlistment of Qixing as the new rulers and guardians of Liyue. People now were going about their lives as normal having had their doubts quelled by the speech Ningguang gave during the Rite of parting.

"How can you eat so much without as much as a problem?" asked a dumbfounded girl.

She looked to be around 15 years old yet that didn't stop her from cooking at her fathers restaurant. This girl is Xiangling, also known as the best chef in Liyue. Currently she was busy cooking the custom meal the most recent customer asked for.

"Don't worry about it. Your Ramen is the second best I've ever tasted." answer Naruto.

The reason Xiangling was so shocked was because the blend had just eaten enough food to feed a normal person for a whole week.

Xiangling did a double take at his comment.

"Only second best?" she asked curiously.

"Meh, don't think too much about it. It's just that the best food for me has a special place." Naruto reassured her with a nostalgic look on his face.

Xiangling just nodded in understanding seeing that it was not something she could make to change that. After all everyone has something special to them be it physical or memories.

"Naruto Uzumaki. I have a request for you."

Naruto turned to look at who was looking for him with a request only to see the woman who was hidden in Ningguangs' office. Her looking for him specifically probably meant that the request was not from her but from Ningguang.

Taking some mora out, Naruto paid for the food he had eaten and walked outside the restaurant to talk to the newcomer.

"So? What does Ningguang require from me to send her best agent to find me?" he asked her as he came out.

Yelan didn't answer for a second, only observing him. Before taking notice of him waiting for her answer.

"Ningguangs' secretary Ganyu, the one who invited you to come to the Jade Chamber was sent to deliver a letter to the Adepti known as Cloud Retainer but has yet to return, something that should not take so long." she said in a professional voice.

Meanwhile Naruto already had an idea what Ningguang wanted him to do. Having probably heard from her contacts at the inn that he is a very good sensor, she most likely wanted him to look for her. Which shouldn't be so hard considering she was a half Human half Adepti form what he'd felt from their brief meeting.

"So she wants me to look for her?" he said, deciding to play along for now.

"That's pretty much it, yes. Just that when you find her to try and bring her back." she said uncaringly.

"And why exactly should I agree to this?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"*sigh* Ningguang said that should you do this she'll owe you a favor." Yelan said wanting to finish this as soon as possible.

Thinking about the pros and cons of agreeing to the request, Naruto started leaning more towards accepting as having a favor from the ruler of a nation never hurt and the only reason for him not to accept is that he's too lazy to do it.

In the end he decided to help, "Sure. I'll do it. Shouldn't take too long anyway and I was getting a little bored just sightseeing around here."

Having left the city Naruto found the highest peak closest to him and entered sage mode. Spreading his senses as far as he could, looking for the unique chakra that the Adepti had.

Their chakra had a lot of similarities with nature chakra the difference being that instead of constantly pulling the chakra from the nature around them they had adapted the nature chakra inside them making it their own. Which also explains why most of them take the form of an animal.

After feeling around for a bit he finally found the specific ice infused chakra that identified Ganyu. It would seem she's at an enclosed area together with another Adepti.

Getting up from his meditation position, Naruto used Kamui to appear at the entrance of the mountain so as not to appear hostile.

Standing at the edge of the lake in mountain Aozang, Ganyu was looking over the clouds thinking about what to do now that she decided not to go back to Liyue. But as she was going deeper into her thoughts she felt someone entering Huaguang Stone Forest.

When she turned around she saw the person who had single-handedly killed Osial, something even Rex Lapis couldn't do.

"Hello there. I was looking for you." he said nonchalantly as he came closer.

"Why are you looking for me? And most importantly how did you even find me in the first place?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well to answer your questions in order. Ningguang sent me to find and bring you back to Liyue. As for how I found you, let's just say I have my ways."

"And why would Lady Ningguang send you to find me when I'm not welcomed in the harbor anymore?" asked Ganyu, lowering her head, her tone turning somber.

"Ahh! I see what's going on." Naruto proclaimed.

Ganyu snapped her eyes back at him in surprise. "I know what it's like to feel unwelcome in your own home. To feel lonely and alone even in a city surrounded by people." Naruto said in a soft, understanding voice.

"However, even if you feel like that I doubt you would be unwelcomed in Liyue harbor, trust me." said Naruto with a small smile.

Meanwhile Ganyu looked a bit unsure. "If that's true then why did they replace me?" she asked with a bit of desperation.

"They sent me here to deliver a letter and give my job to Baiwen, Baixiao and Baishi. Asking me to deliver this letter was but a pretext to remove me from the Qixing."

"They gave me the chance to leave with dignity, so I decided to be tactful and left." she said now her voice back to being sad.

Naruto gave a sympathetic look thinking of a way to help her. After all, now that he knew why she hid herself away kind of reminded him of his own reason why he left his home village after the war.

"If they tried to remove you Ningguang would've never asked me to find you, even giving away a favor in return. So how about you go back and clear things out with her? You trust her right?"

Ganyu was taken aback by that, Lady NIngguang almost never gives away favors. So maybe the blond wasn't wrong. Maybe she was just too hasty.

Realizing that she was acting like a child she wanted to slap herself. "Thank you, for bringing me out of my tantrum." she said, a little embarrassed.

"Think nothing of it. I've had a similar experience before so I know how it feels." Naruto said with a smile.

"But before you go back to the harbor you should go to Qingxu Pool, someone is waiting for all the Adepti there so he can tell you something."

"So that's the reason why master wasn't here when I came to look for her. Anyway you have my thanks. If you ever need anything just look for me, I'll help in any way I can." Ganyu said while bowing a little before going towards her new destination.

"Now that that's over with, I'll head towards Mondstadt, I still have some time before the festival so I'll go around looking for Venti." Naruto decided as he began walking in Mondstadts' direction, after all teleporting everywhere is not always fun.

-end-

Thanks for reading this even tho its been a while but I'll try to not take this long for next chapter and thx for following I appreciate all feedback be it by reviews or PM

Anyway, see ya next chapter.