The trio stood at the base of Briar Ridge, a jagged stretch of steep cliffs and blooming thornwood trees that twisted upward like claws. Flowers of violet and silver bloomed along the slopes—beautiful, but deadly.
Their goal: to retrieve three Sentinel Petals from the Blooming Sentinel Tree atop the ridge. A task meant to test teamwork, precision, and survival instinct.
Shisui's eyes narrowed. "The constructs are chakra-based and will likely mimic ninja behavior. We should assume they can attack with tactics."
Makoto cracked his knuckles. "Leave the loud distractions to me."
Yua pulled out a spirit charm and nodded. "I'll keep track of illusions and suppress field genjutsu."
Kaien's voice echoed from a communication seal tucked in each of their scrolls:
> "You're being watched. Complete the mission or fail as a team."
Without hesitation, Shisui took the lead, scaling the ridge in swift, calculated bursts. The air grew thick with chakra as they neared the first ambush site.
Three Briar Guardians burst from the underbrush—each shaped like armored samurai with thorn-covered armor and glowing, petal-like eyes.
Makoto charged first, flinging a smoke bomb followed by twin explosive tags on kunai. The shockwave disrupted one of the guardians, but it quickly regenerated with plant matter.
"Iron Tempest: Petal Claw Barrage!"
Shisui summoned thin, glimmering shards of metallic petals swirling from his palm. The chakra-laced iron petals struck like needles, targeting joint gaps and disrupting the construct's formation.
Yua formed a hand seal, whispering, "Illusion Art: Blooming Mirage."
A ripple of genjutsu altered the terrain, confusing the remaining two guardians long enough for Shisui to release a concentrated Arch Energy Pulse, destabilizing them completely.
Once the area cleared, Shisui climbed the final ledge alone to retrieve the three Sentinel Petals, glowing with the spirit energy of the mountain.
Mission: accomplished.