Shisui and Team Nine returned to Hanagakure by nightfall.
The Hidden Bloom Village sparkled softly under the moonlight, its lantern-lit streets filled with cherry blossom petals drifting in the breeze. Despite their victory, a weight pressed on Shisui's chest—the rogue shinobi's twisted Arch Energy was unlike anything they had encountered before.
At the village gates, Kaien awaited them with his arms crossed.
"You encountered resistance," he said without preamble.
Shisui gave a short nod. "A rogue shinobi wielding synthetic Arch Energy. We neutralized him, and Yua has him sealed. He should be interrogated by someone high-level."
Kaien's sharp gaze narrowed. "I'll take it from here. You all did well."
Team Nine was dismissed. Shisui's steps were quiet as he crossed the cobbled roads toward his mansion on the northern terrace of Hanagakure—an elegant structure surrounded by a garden of blooming dusk roses and iron-bark trees.
As soon as he opened the gates and stepped into the foyer, warm light greeted him.
So did Naoko.
She was waiting in the entrance hallway, dressed in a soft pink robe embroidered with pale gold flower patterns. Her hair was tied back loosely, and the moment she saw him, her soft amber eyes lit up.
"You're home…" she whispered, stepping forward.
Shisui opened his mouth to speak, but before a word left his lips—
She kissed him.
Warm. Gentle. Longing. A soft sigh escaped her as their lips met. It wasn't rushed or explosive—it was intimate, filled with affection built over years of growing up together, training, confiding, and laughing under the same roof.
When the kiss broke, she rested her forehead against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"I was worried," she murmured.
"I'm okay," he said softly, brushing a lock of hair from her cheek. "I missed you."