Naruto was taken aback when he entered the hall: there was a strange atmosphere. It was actually a brighter and friendlier room, but still all windows were locked and curtains closed. In the middle of the hall stood the Third Kokage, surrounded by candles whose flames lit the hall. In front of the candles, the battle ready Jonin arranged in rows and columns. Naruto and Tsuyu held their breath. Where have they seen this scene before?

Mahiru Kokage watched Naruto and spoke to him, unexpectedly. “You have been badly injured”

“Ah, it’s fine. It’s not so bad!” The dumbfounded Naruto insisted, and whispered to Tsuyu. ‘It looks exactly like the time in the second ninja war, doesn’t it?”

“You’re right”, Tsuyu replied.

page 16

“Did Shu-Sensei not tell you anything, Tsuyu?

“No, he didn’t…”

“Naruto! Tsuyu! Go to your places”, Shu said, pointing to their respective areas. They watched one another and each stood just before a candle.

In the Shuku village, it was common to preform such a ritual before an important mission. While watching the flames, each Shinobi would recognize disturbances in chakra flow.

Naruto let his eyes wander around the hall. There were many candles burning, but not one of them flickered - a sure sign that the ninja here were only of the elite.

One candle had no one standing in front of it.

“Tsuyu!” whispered Naruto. “Anything new from Renge?”

Tsuyu simply shook her head. “We still don’t know anything specific. We’ve gotten different information, but it seems that the Ton village has disappeared.”, Mahiru Kokage announced, and the eyes of the Jonin lit up. He made sure that none of the candle flames flickered, and then continued. “It seems as if the Hyatsuki Mountain is to blame for the disappearance of Ton. As we know, the mountain lays just 40 kilometers east of the village. Rumors clam that the Mountain moved and is now exactly where Ton must have been.

page 17

“What?” Naruto exclaimed, unable to hold back. “What are you talking about, old man? A mountain can’t just move itself!”

“Shut up and listen to what the Kokage has to say!” Shu yelled, smacking Naruto.

“Ow!”

“Naruto is correct in his objection. I am an old man, but I have in my whole life never heard something so absurd!” Mahiru Kokage said, and stoked his white bead. He paused briefly to think and continued. “Let’s assume for a moment that Ton is in fact actually buried under the mountain. Then we must get to the bottom of this” A heavy silence fell in the hall - the candle flames staying still. Naruto knew that the nature energy which he used in his Sage Jutsu was so strong, that the chakra flow of the Jonin was a a bit affected. And he knew something else: Renge wasn’t at the meeting, because he was no longer in the village. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tsuyu’s face, illuminated by the candle light.

“What is he talking about?”, she murmured.

page 18

The Kokage began to speak. “It was in the time of the first great ninja war. Then the power balances were split differently than they are today. There were three villages, approximately equal in power. Between Shuku in the south and Kotsu in the north lay the picturesque Konton village, at the foot of Hyatsuki Mountain. There was an abundance of water, the residents were well-mannered, and they emphasized education and science. Still Kotsu wanted rule over Konton, in order to expand their influence. Then they would become more powerful than us” Once again Naruto interrupted. “Wait a second. Compared to Konton, we’re a pretty big village right?”

“That is correct” Mahiru Kokage replied, and held Tsuyu back, who was ready to smack Naruto for his interruption.

“From Konton’s standpoint, Shuku and Kotsu were two villages with equal military and political strength. In order to protect itself against the one village, Konton had to make an alliance with the other village - our village”

Naruto stood in silence.

“Since Kotsu had also planned to help smaller villages with military force, Shuku and Konton joined together and formed a Research project. Shuku took care of the cost and provided the equipment. Konton contributed the know-how."

page 19

"I know that!", Tsuyu shouted. "It's the so called Soten-Scheme. They told us at the academy what it was about. It was planned to create a new forbidden technique, which should've been so strong that it would bury even the sky among itself."

"But do you remember what happened too?", asked Shu. Tsuyu frowned. "The Second Kokage of our village, Mahiru Kaen, took the end of the First Shinobi World War as an opportunity to kill everyone who was in association with the Soten-Scheme." "Unbelievable! That's a lie!", shouted Tsuyu and her candle started to flicker.

Mahiru Kokage explained: "He did it so that the forbidden technique would never be completed. He wanted at all costs prevent information and knowledge about this jutsu from leaking. It was especially important, because Konton was now divided. "Yes, but ...", wanted Tsuyu to oppose, but Shu interrupted her: "Back then, there was war. Try to think in Mahiru Kaen's shoes."

Tsuyu clenched her fists and hung her head. Naruto looked shortly at her and then turned to Mahiru Kokage: "Was the forbidden technique from then ever completed?" "That I can't say for sure ..." "Hmm ...?"

page 20

"We should - now that Ton vanished - stick to the village Kon and look there for clues." "Does the forbidden technique have a name?"

"Yes, it is called Gukoizan, the Jutsu of the Moving Mountains ..."

"Jutsu of the Moving Mountains ..." "

And the neither know how it works nor which countermeasures one could use. After all it is a jutsu its developement was officially abandoned."

"If the Mountain Hyatsuki really buried the village among it, then exactly this jutsu must have been used. The name says so already, doesn't it?", wondered Naruto.

"And exactly this you are supposed to find out."

"Super! Cool! Let's make now a move!", exclaimed Naruto and hit his fist boisterous against his palm.

"Don't rush it. We just sent some chunins out to interrogate the survivors of Ton and gather information about the incident", said Mahiru Kokage. Before he even could finsish an Anbu member, whose face was hidden behind a fox mask, appeared straight behind him, whispered something in his ear and disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

page 21

The candle flames still didn't flicker still not one bit. "What did he say? Any news?", asked Naruto eagerly. Mahiru Kokage stared at him and then set on a tone of voice as if something was aggrieving him: "Naruto and Tsuyu, I have a different mission for you."

Naruto looked at him with half-closed eyes. Tsuyu raised interested her head. "As I heard, Renge fled from the village. You will follow and catch him, like a rogue ninja deserves."