Interlude: The Watcher Beneath the Surface
Ao had seen too many things to be easily impressed.
He had served under three Mizukage. He had fought in wars, watched entire clans vanish, and survived assassins who killed in their sleep. He had seen what chakra could do when twisted—and what loyalty meant when it cost more than blood.
But Kozan…
That boy was different.
Ao stood at the edge of the observation balcony inside Mei's base, watching Kozan descend the stone stairwell without a sound. No dramatic flair. No trace of chakra. Just silence.
Like mist with intent.
"He's too quiet," Ao muttered.
Mei stood beside him, arms folded. "So were you, once."
Ao didn't deny it. "That's different. I knew who I was."
Mei turned her gaze to the fog outside. "And Kozan is still becoming."
---
The first time Ao saw him kill, it wasn't flashy. It wasn't brutal. It was precise. Kozan had slipped into a compound, bypassed five elite guards, and incapacitated a war criminal without ever being seen. No blood spilled. No alarm sounded. The man never even woke up.
It reminded Ao of the old Hunter-nin tactics.
But there was something colder in Kozan. Not empty, like most tools the Mist created—purposeful. He didn't enjoy the work, but he didn't flinch from it either.
Ao respected that.
And feared it.
"Is he loyal to us?" Ao asked one evening.
Mei looked up from her maps. "He's loyal to the village. Just not the version we inherited."
Ao grunted. "Dangerous."
"All good tools are."
---
Still, Ao watched Kozan closely.
When he trained, it was with focus beyond his years. When he fought, he calculated six steps ahead. When he slept—if he slept—it was with one hand always near a blade.
Ao saw the signs: Kozan had lived through something most children didn't survive.
And instead of breaking… he'd buried the pieces.
---
"You're watching me again," Kozan said one morning without turning around.
Ao raised an eyebrow. "Not very subtle, am I?"
"You're not meant to be."
They stood in silence for a moment. Mist hung between them.
"You think I'm going to turn on her," Kozan said flatly.
"I think people like you don't follow leaders. You follow visions."
Kozan nodded. "Then be glad hers and mine match. For now."
Ao let out a dry chuckle. "You really are terrifying."
Kozan looked at him at last. "Good."
Then he walked into the fog.
And vanished.
---
Ao remained behind, watching the mist swirl.
He didn't trust Kozan fully. But he believed in him.
And sometimes, that was the more dangerous kind of faith.
---
End of Interlude