The Council Hall of Iwagakure was carved from living stone, as ancient and silent as the mountains themselves. Its air was heavy with the scent of earth and incense, the light dim and warm from oil lamps set in carved alcoves. Outside, the winds of the Land of Earth carried a strange stillness not quite storm, not quite calm. A quiet that carried foreboding.
Within the chamber, the air was charged. The Third Tsuchikage sat at the head of the table, flanked by advisors whose faces bore the weight of grave counsel. At the center of the discussion was a single name: Kozan.
An intelligence officer stepped forward, scroll in hand. His voice was low, carrying a precision honed by years of service. "My Lord, intelligence from both Konoha and Kirigakure confirms that the name Kozan has spread beyond the borders of the Mist. It is no longer rumor. It is a subject of discussion in shinobi circles."
A murmur rippled across the council. The Third Tsuchikage, a man as sharp-eyed as stone itself, leaned forward. "Explain. What is the nature of these reports?"
The officer nodded. "They come from multiple sources scouts, intercepted transmissions, and defectors. The Land of Fire has begun dispatching covert units toward Kirigakure. They speak of Kozan as 'a shadow in the Mist,' a figure whose presence precedes action. Some reports describe impossible feats of infiltration and concealment. Others claim he can alter perception itself, as if the fog answers to him."
The Tsuchikage's brow furrowed. "This is not idle gossip. If these reports are accurate, Kozan is more than a shinobi. He is a weapon of influence."
An elder advisor spoke next, his voice gravelly with age. "The Mist is in upheaval. Yagura's fall, Mei's rise, and now this figure. It would be naive to think the Land of Fire would ignore such changes. Konoha's covert movements confirm it. They do not act without purpose."
Another voice cut in, sharp and deliberate. "Then what is our purpose here? Do we wait to see if Kirigakure and Konoha come to blows? Or do we act preemptively?"
The Tsuchikage remained silent for a long moment, letting the question linger. Outside, the wind shifted in the mountains, as though echoing his hesitation.
Finally, he spoke. "We act with caution. But we prepare. Kirigakure is no longer an isolated storm. It has a spear in the form of this Kozan, and that spear carries Mei Terumis will. If Konoha moves, we will be forced to respond."
One of the younger advisors frowned. "Lord, if we respond too early, we risk war. Too late, and we risk being blindsided. Kozan is not merely a name. He is a signal. And the signal is spreading."
The Tsuchikage's eyes narrowed. "Then we must decide what the signal means. Iwa has not been blind to Kirigakure's changes. But we have remained silent. This 'Kozan' may be the turning point. If the Five Great Nations begin to regard him as a threat, Kirigakure will either grow stronger in defiance or crumble under the weight of their own shadow."
An intelligence officer placed another scroll on the table, its edges worn. "There are reports from defectors in Kirigakure that Kozan acts without open recognition. His movements are unseen. His victories unheralded within the village. But his reputation grows outside. In the Land of Fire, they speak of him almost as if he were a myth. That makes him dangerous not only to the Mist, but to the balance between the nations."
A murmur rose again. The elders exchanged looks, weighing the gravity of his words.
The Tsuchikage leaned back, his fingers steepled before him. "Then we watch. We gather our own intelligence. If Konoha moves covertly, then we must match them. But we do not move rashly. Kozan is a shadow and shadows can be traps. We must know what we face before stepping into that mist."
Another council member, a veteran of Iwa's intelligence corps, spoke with quiet resolve. "We should not underestimate Kirigakure. Mei has rebuilt her village with purpose. Kozan is her chosen hand. And if rumors hold truth, then he is not only a warrior, but a strategist in his own right."
The Tsuchikage's voice hardened. "Then it falls to us to test that truth. I will authorize covert observation. We will send watchers into the Mist not open forces, but skilled scouts who can move unseen. They will bring reports. And we will decide what to do based on what they find."
He looked around the council. "We cannot stand aside. The Mist is stirring. And in that stirring is a shadow we do not yet understand. Kozan."
The chamber fell silent again, the weight of the name heavy in the air. Outside, the wind rose once more, carrying with it the sound of stone grinding against stone in the distant mountains. Somewhere beyond their borders, Kirigakure moved within its mist, and Kozan walked unseen.
The Tsuchikage's voice broke the quiet. "Prepare our watchers. But ensure they leave no trace of their presence. Kirigakure must not know we are here. And neither must Kozan."
The council murmured assent. Plans began to take shape quietly, like water carving stone slow, deliberate, inevitable.
Later, the Tsuchikage stood before a carved map of the Five Great Nations, his eyes tracing the borders of Kirigakure. The name Kozan was spoken in the council chamber with care, but outside those walls, it was spoken with something heavier unease.
An advisor approached quietly. "Lord, if Konoha moves against the Mist if they see Kozan as the spark of change will we follow?"
The Tsuchikage's eyes stayed fixed on the map. "We will not follow blindly. But we will not ignore what is coming. Kozan is more than a name. He is a signal. And signals demand a choice."
The advisor nodded, and left him in silence. The oil lamps flickered against the stone walls, casting long shadows. The Tsuchikage remained still, his thoughts hidden. Outside, the wind swept over the peaks, carrying with it the sound of distant whispers.
Kozan's name was one of them.
And the ripple it had started was becoming a wave.