Hatsuharu

Hatsuharu was only trying to find the best apples. The ninja mask was a last-minute decision to avoid a baker they owed for a pastry, but it led to them stumbling directly into a woodcraft lesson being given by Mokuzai. To blend in, they grabbed their apple-picking stick and tried to look studious. Amused, Mokuzai gave the masked newcomer a “vital, secret mission”: deliver water to a wilting sapling on the other side of the clearing. Taking this far too seriously, Hatsuharu bypassed the well and instead spent an hour building a convoluted aqueduct from vines and carved branches. The device not only worked, but also accidentally irrigated a struggling community vegetable patch. They were hailed as a prodigy in The Heart of the Forest. The sapling they saved now sits on their head, a lucky charm from a mission they still believe was of the highest importance.