The Council Chamber of Konohagakure was cold in more ways than one.
Beyond the carved stone walls and polished wood, the air was heavy with incense and the murmured weight of counsel. Outside the heavy oak doors, the village moved in its usual rhythm market voices, distant training cries, and the occasional bark of a messenger running his route. Inside, however, the voices were measured and deliberate. Every word was a piece of strategy, every pause a calculated measure.
At the center of the chamber sat the Hokage's chair, reserved for the head of the village, but today it remained empty. Around the table, seated in their appointed positions, were the heads of Konoha's intelligence, the council's senior advisors, and a single presence shrouded in shadow Captain Raiken of the ANBU Black Ops. His face was unreadable beneath the mask, but the tension in his posture spoke volumes.
It was Raiken who broke the silence. "The Mist moves differently now."
No one replied immediately. The council knew this statement carried weight. The Mist had always been dangerous, a village of secrets wrapped in fog and blood. But now, something had shifted.
"I want specifics," said Lord Tsunade's voice through a sealed communicator. She was away on medical matters, but her voice carried the authority of her position. "What has changed?"
Raiken's hand rested on a scroll. He unrolled it with deliberate care. "We have confirmation that a name is circulating in the Five Great Nations. Kozan. He is said to be at the right hand of Mei Terumī."
The name landed on the room like a stone dropped in water. Council members exchanged brief glances, some narrowing their eyes, others frowning deeply.
"Explain," said another voice Elder Advisor Hoshi, whose voice was always sharp and quick. "Who is this Kozan? Intelligence reports from Kirigakure have been unclear. Some call him a shadow, others a weapon. What proof do we have of his existence?"
Raiken nodded once. "Proof is fragmented, as is the nature of his work. What we have are reports from multiple sources: defectors from Kirigakure, covert intercepts, and rumors from villages in contact with the Mist. All speak of Kozan by name. They say he is not only Mei's enforcer, but her unseen hand in the bloody cleansing of the Mist after Yagura's fall."
A pause. Hoshi frowned. "The Bloody Mist was chaos incarnate. But if the rumors are true… Kozan would be more than a weapon. He would be a force reshaping Kirigakure entirely."
Raiken's voice was low. "That is what we must consider. The Mist is changing. And Kozan is the spear of that change."
There was silence again. The name "Kozan" lingered between them like smoke. None spoke at first, but the weight of that name was enough to speak for itself.
Finally, Elder Advisor Kaito leaned forward. "Do we know his abilities?"
Raiken nodded. "Partially. He is said to be unmatched in stealth and infiltration. His mastery of chakra is unusual, even for a high-level shinobi. Kirigakure intelligence suggests his skill lies in controlling perception not only concealing his presence but shaping what others see. Rumors call it a kind of living genjutsu, one so subtle it is mistaken for fate."
Another council member scoffed. "Rumors again. That's all we have? Tales told in hushed tones?"
Raiken looked at him steadily. "No. We have reports of missions where entire squads disappeared without a trace. Witnesses describe fog twisting unnaturally around him, as though the world itself obeys his will. And these are not singular incidents. This pattern repeats in reports from independent sources."
Kaito's expression tightened. "If true Kozan is not merely an enforcer. He is a strategist. And if he acts alongside Mei, then her consolidation of the Mist will be more complete than we imagined."
Another voice broke in young councilor Sora, her tone wary. "Then what do we do? We cannot ignore this. Kirigakure is rising again, and now with a figure whose name spreads beyond their borders. If Kozan becomes legend, it will bind Kirigakure in ways we cannot predict."
Raiken's hand rested against the scroll again. "We have options. Watch. Sabotage. Strike. Or attempt diplomacy. But Kozan's existence changes the calculus."
Hoshi leaned back, folding his arms. "We have not acted directly against Kirigakure since the Fourth War. The last thing we need is a repeat especially if Mei is building something deeper than revenge."
Kaito spoke again. "We need intelligence first. No matter what decision is made, we need to know exactly what Kozan is capable of. If his reputation is truth, then he is a threat far beyond Kirigakure's borders."
The chamber fell silent once more. The name "Kozan" echoed in their minds. Outside, the wind carried faint whispers of rain, and beyond the mountains, the Mist was stirring.
Finally, Raiken spoke again. "I propose a covert unit be dispatched. Not an army. Not overt forces. But skilled observers, sent to the Mist. To watch. To report. Kozan will not act openly. His work is in shadows. We need to see those shadows."
Hoshi nodded. "And if they notice? If they know we are watching?"
"That is the risk," Raiken said. "But it is a risk we cannot avoid."
Kaito exhaled slowly. "Then let it be done. But keep this close. If word leaks of Kozan, of this unit it changes everything."
The council murmured assent. Plans began to be set in motion, quiet and deliberate.
But one voice young councilor Sora whispered softly, almost to herself: "If Kozan is truly Mei's sword then we must be certain we are not sharpening it for her."
Later, when the meeting had dispersed, Raiken stood in silence before a carved map of the Five Great Nations. His fingers traced the borders of Kirigakure, and then paused over its misted interior. Somewhere in those swirling shadows, Kozan walked unseen. Somewhere in those whispers, his name had become more than a rumor. It had become a movement.
Raiken pressed a hand to the map. "Kozan," he murmured. "You are no longer just her shadow. You are a signal. And signals demand a response."
Outside the chamber, the winds of Konoha carried that response into the night. Quiet as a shadow, sharp as a blade, Konoha had begun to turn its attention toward the Mist.
And Kozan's name was already on every mind it touched.