The next day, Shisui stood atop the Hanagakure watchtower, headband catching the morning light.
He met with his assigned team: Kaien, Naoko, and a newly assigned member—Mikazu, a silent, analytical shinobi from the Flower Intelligence Corps.
Their team leader, a veteran jonin named Ayato Ginsen, had been handpicked by the Hanakage herself.
"I've read your profiles," Ayato began. "You're all talented… but talent won't save you out there. Trust, instinct, and unity will."
Their mission: to investigate a series of disappearing shipments along the western border. A simple mission, on paper—but Shisui knew better.
The convoy they were to protect was rumored to be carrying dormant Phase I test subjects—failed experiments sealed in stasis.
As the team departed the village gates, Shisui cast one last glance at the five-petal emblem carved into the entrance wall—the Hidden Bloom's symbol of peace and growth.
But beneath those petals, Shisui now saw something else:
The thorns.
And he knew—this journey wasn't just about finding the truth.
It was about becoming the guardian Hanagakure truly needed.
One who bloomed not for tradition… but for a new future.