Hanasaki

Hanasaki ( 花咲き , literally meaning: Flower Bloom) is a style of ceramics mentioned in Akatsuki Hiden: Evil Flowers in Full Bloom . A Hanasaki ceramic is identifiable by its pure white colour and its relatively simple design, but its trademark is the series of fine cracks that run all along its surface; the intertwining cracks resemble blooming flowers, hence the name. A white clay found near Ceramic Village is the most ideal way of producing the Hanasaki effect, but (as later discovered by Kanyū ) any clay that is rapidly fired at a high enough temperature can also achieve it. A muddy clay found in the Valley of Lies is also suitable for Hanasaki.

After being pioneered by Mashō , Hanasaki brought fame to Ceramic Village. Ninja of Sunagakure frequently requested that parts for their puppets be made in the Hanasaki style, because Hanasaki ceramics were heat-resistant and conducted chakra well. But Hanasaki was already difficult to produce for mere ceramics, and to create parts to the puppeteers' specifications only added to that difficulty. Mashō was one of the few who were talented enough, but he was so uncompromising in his idea of art that he rarely took requests.

When the village's supply of white clay began to run low, Mashō was unwilling to give up on Hanasaki, nor was he willing to find new sources of clay. To prevent him from leading the village to ruin, his son, Gōshō , secretly killed him and the other Hanasaki ceramists, enabling the village to pursue new art styles. Kanyū found no artistic value in these new styles and tried to revive Hanasaki. Since Gōshō wouldn't tell her the secret to Hanasaki, she spent ten years doing trial-and-error. With help from Deidara and Sasori , she finally learned how to perform Hanasaki. She later sets up several kilns in the Valley of Lies, and the explosions from their rapid firings are commonly heard throughout the valley.