An ANBU knelt before the Hokage's desk. Urgency was palpable in his voice.
"Lady Hokage, the village is under attack by a group of beasts!"
Nervous tension immediately filled the office.
Tsunade snapped her head up, her steely gaze locking onto the messenger.
"Report the situation!"
"At once! Dozens of giant snakes have appeared at the main gate. Fortunately, we've managed to contain them in that sector and have mobilized all available personnel to eliminate the threat."
Tsunade closed her eyes briefly—not to hesitate, but to think.
Then she spoke, every word striking like an order carved in stone.
"Deploy ANBU units throughout the entire village! I want continuous patrols on rooftops, underground passages, and civilian districts. Make sure no enemy takes advantage of this attack to infiltrate the village!"
"At your command!"
In a swirl of smoke, the ANBU vanished.
Tsunade rose immediately, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. She turned to those present, her authority crushing any hesitation.
"Shizune, Sakura, organize medical support immediately. Prepare evacuation teams and advanced medical units near the gates. I'm heading to the battlefield."
She then turned to Team 8.
"You—go to the gates. Support the defense and protect the rear lines."
"At your command!" they answered in unison.
The three travelers were impressed by the speed and decisiveness of the Hokage's commands.
Gandalf bowed slightly.
"If you permit us, Lady Hokage, we would like to help defend your home."
Tsunade studied him for a second, weighed the situation… then nodded.
"Any help is welcome. Come."
…
The sight was apocalyptic.
Massive, scaled serpents towered before the walls, their bodies coiling and uncoiling like living waves. The ground was torn apart by their movements trees uprooted, walls cracked.
Shinobi were fighting on every front.
Behind the serpentine horde stood Kabuto.
Motionless.
Silent.
He summoned.
Again.
And again.
His face was empty of expression, his eyes devoid of emotion. He had received only one order: sow chaos and die in battle. His period of "education" under Akeno and her master had turned him into a broken toy, ready to be discarded after use.
Kakashi cut through the enemy ranks with surgical precision.Might Guy shattered serpents with superhuman taijutsu.Dozens of Narutos burst across the battlefield, bombarding the summons with roaring Rasengans.
While everyone fought, no one noticed eight shadows slipping into the village, taking advantage of the chaos and confusion.
It didn't take long for Tsunade and the three ancient heroes to reach the defensive line.
Tsunade summoned Katsuyu.
"Heal them. All of them. No exceptions."
The slug immediately split apart, dispersing among the wounded.
"Lord Elrond," the Istari suggested, "perhaps you could show us your legendary skill with a blade?"
"With pleasure, my old friend. It's been a long time since I've truly let loose."
Brandishing his sword, Elrond cut down a serpent that was about to devour a shinobi. His elven blade pierced the scales like paper. Another serpent charged Gandalf, but a white shield enveloped the wizard, the backlash disorienting the creature. With Glamdring, Gandalf decapitated his foe, none of his movements betraying the weight of age.
Losing his summons faster than he could replace them, Kabuto was finally reached by Naruto and Kakashi.
"Kabuto! How dare you attack our village?!" Naruto shouted.
Contrary to his usual behavior, Kabuto didn't respond. He continued staring into nothingness.
That only deepened the unease of the two shinobi, who had known Kabuto for years and recognized his combat habits. Kakashi charged, Chidori crackling in his hand.
But Kabuto surprised them once more.
He opened his robe, revealing hundreds of explosive tags and bombs strapped to his body.
"Naruto, get back!" Kakashi shouted.
He had become a living bomb.
Unable to evade, Kakashi took the blast head-on.
The explosion shook Konoha's gates.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI!!!"
When the smoke cleared, Kabuto was nothing but a crater.
With their summoner neutralized, the serpents vanished in clouds of smoke. Tsunade rushed to the scorched form of the Copy Ninja. Kakashi was gravely injured—his right arm torn away. His face was bloodied, mask shredded, Sharingan closed. He was still breathing, but each breath looked like it could be his last.
Tears streamed down Naruto's face as Tsunade used every ounce of her expertise to stabilize him.
"G-Granny Tsunade! Save him! Please, save him…"
Tsunade didn't respond. Her hands were already on Kakashi, medical chakra surging with terrifying intensity, her features locked in absolute concentration.
An old man stood nearby, dressed in white, his gaze deep and calm despite the surrounding chaos. Naruto had never seen him before… yet his presence carried an inexplicable serenity.
"Calm yourself, my child," he said in a steady, soothing voice. "Lady Tsunade will do everything in her power to save your companion."
Naruto sniffed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
"But… I can't do anything…" he muttered bitterly. "I hate that…"
"Sometimes," Gandalf replied gently, "the greatest strength is not fighting… but trusting."
"Go home. Calm your mind. We will come for you once we know more."
Naruto wanted to protest. To refuse. To scream.
But to his own surprise, he felt his muscles relax.
He nodded slowly.
"Okay…"
He cast one last look at Kakashi, then turned away, reluctantly.
...
Night had fallen when Naruto returned home.
The village was eerily quiet, as if it were holding its breath. Exhausted and drained, he closed the door behind him and reached for the light switch.
At that instant, the air turned ice-cold.
Eight shadows burst forth from the walls, the floor, the ceiling.
Hands seized him.
Naruto felt his chakra instantly smothered.
"What the—?!"
The light never turned on.
…
A few hours later
It was already deep into the night when Tsunade finally returned to her office, Shizune at her side. The corridors of the Hokage Tower were silent, lit only by a few flickering lanterns. Sakura had remained at the hospital, refusing to leave the wounded admitted after the attack—and above all, unable to pull herself away from Kakashi.
Tsunade had battled death for hours.
She had saved Kakashi… for now.But the loss of his right arm would almost certainly bring his career as a shinobi to an end.
Physically and mentally exhausted, the Hokage knew she could not afford to rest. Too many details didn't add up. Too many questions remained unanswered.
So she summoned the three travelers.
When Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel entered the room, the atmosphere subtly shifted, as though the weight of history itself had stepped inside.
Gandalf spoke first, his voice once again gentle and reassuring, like that of a kind grandfather—yet carrying a depth that betrayed something far older.
"Lady Tsunade… what troubles you so deeply?"
Tsunade leaned against her desk, arms crossed.
"Kabuto," she said bluntly. "The man who led the attack… that wasn't him. Not really."
Shizune nodded at once.
"His behavior was abnormal. Cold. Empty. As if he wasn't making any decisions on his own."
Tsunade continued,
"He was like a puppet. Do you think this Lord of Light you mentioned… could be responsible?"
Gandalf slowly closed his eyes.
"Yes," he said after a moment."Something profoundly malevolent emanated from him. A subtle, insidious presence—difficult to perceive, but impossible to ignore."
He opened his eyes, darker now.
"I could not identify the source with certainty. But it is not impossible that Celebrimbor is responsible.""This is precisely the kind of influence one must beware of. It leaves no visible traces… and no one is immune to it. Not even the people of your village."
Tsunade pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a heavy sigh.The headache was returning—stronger than before.
"You said that when Sauron concealed himself, he used the name Annatar?"
Elrond nodded.
"Indeed. The Lord of Gifts. Under that title, he earned the trust of the Free Peoples and granted them the knowledge needed to create the Rings of Power.Then, in secret, he forged the One Ring—the Master Ring, meant to dominate all others."
A heavy silence followed.
"Tell me more about Sauron," Tsunade finally said."He doesn't seem like a simple enemy. He's dangerous not only because of his power… but because of his mind."
The three immortals exchanged a grave look.
Elrond spoke.
"We have lived a very long time. We were already in this world when Sauron stood at the height of his power."
He turned slightly toward Gandalf.
"Gandalf was one of the Five sent to Middle-earth with a single mission: to contain the Darkness. He knew Sauron long before he bore that name… when he was still called Mairon."
Shizune frowned.
"Mairon…?"
"The Admirable," Elrond explained."A name that reflected what he once was."
"The Admirable?" Shizune repeated, incredulous."I find that hard to believe after everything we've heard…"
Gandalf offered a sad smile, one heavy with memory.
"No creature is born evil," he said softly.
"Not even Sauron."
He drew a deep breath.
"He was once an immense force for good. And… a very dear friend of mine."
The weight of the ages seemed to settle upon him—wars, betrayals, losses, all visible in his eyes.
"He loved life more than anyone," Gandalf continued."He and his wife actively helped build the first civilizations of Arda. He taught the first elves and men how to forge tools, and she showed them how to cultivate the land so they could survive."
Tsunade and Shizune exchanged stunned looks.
"Wait… he was married?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes," Gandalf replied simply."He was what many aspired to be: honest, loyal, hardworking, brilliant… and powerful. He was even the greatest warrior against the Darkness when Morgoth became the First Dark Lord."
Gandalf went on, his voice growing heavier, as though each word carried the weight of a lost age.
"Melkor was the most powerful of the Valar. The strongest. The favored one.But he became greedy. Always more. More power, more recognition, more control. When Creation began, he refused to submit to it. He twisted it, defiled it, corrupted it according to his own vision."
The wizard's gaze drifted, lost in memories no mortal could ever comprehend.
"Thus, Melkor betrayed all the Immortals… and took a new name.Morgoth, the First Dark Lord."
A shiver passed through the room.
"His power was terrible. The Valar rose against him, loyal to Ilúvatar, the Creator of all things. And among those who fought with the greatest fervor… was Mairon."
Gandalf gave a bitter smile.
"Ironic, isn't it?The one who would later become the very incarnation of Darkness was once among its greatest foes."
Elrond continued, his voice calm yet filled with ancient respect.
"Mairon won many victories. And when he suffered defeat, he always made sure the enemy paid dearly for it.But there was one battle… a single one… where even he was overwhelmed."
Galadriel lowered her gaze slightly.
"Morgoth himself led the assault. The forces of Good were outnumbered. Defeat seemed inevitable."
Gandalf resumed,
"Mairon understood then that he would not survive.He ordered all others to retreat. He forced them to live."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Before standing alone on the battlefield, he entrusted his black blade, Gurthang, to a human… Túrin Turambar.He asked him to wield it wisely."
Gandalf's voice intensified.
"Knowing he would die, Mairon held nothing back.He slaughtered monsters, demons, orcs, trolls… nothing could stand against him.He pierced the scales of the oldest dragons.The earth itself trembled beneath his steps."
Then he paused.
"Yet… even the greatest warrior grows weary.Even a Maia has limits."
Everyone held their breath.
"Weakened, covered in wounds, Morgoth appeared.And he brought down Grond, his hammer, upon Mairon."
The impact seemed to echo through the room itself.
"The Maia was struck down."
Elrond clenched his fists.
"We watched as his body was carried away, while the beasts of Darkness roared in victory.It was a defeat for the forces of Good… yet also a blow so devastating that Morgoth's armies were forced to retreat and regroup."
Galadriel raised her head.
"Mairon's sacrifice bought us time.Time to prepare.Time to anticipate."
Elrond concluded, his voice low,
"Almost everything."
Tsunade frowned.
"Almost…?"
Galadriel then spoke, and when she did, the air itself seemed to freeze.
"For it was no longer Morgoth who led the assault."
All eyes turned to her.
"Another being appeared.His black armor was a vision of terror.He wielded Mairon's mace.And when he moved, a blazing eye with a black slit seemed to replace his very presence."
Shizune felt her stomach tighten.
"But his true weapon was not war alone," Galadriel continued."His cunning… his perfidy… were just as terrifying.He invaded minds.He corrupted wills.He brought kingdoms down from within."
Gandalf nodded slowly.
"We do not know what Morgoth did to him, but Mairon was gone.Everything that emerged from Angband was an implacable force in the service of the Shadow."
"When Morgoth was finally defeated," he went on,"this being claimed the title of Dark Lord.And through the Ages, he bore many names…"
He listed them one by one.
The Dark Lord
The Dark Power
The Black One
The Black Hand
The Black Master
The Base Master of Treachery
The Deceiver
The Enemy
The Sorcerer
The Necromancer
The Nameless
The Unnamed
The Shadow
The Ring-maker
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of Gifts
The Lord of Barad-dûr
The Lord of Mordor
The Lord of the Earth
The Ruler
God-King
The King of Men
The Eye
Then he lifted his gaze.
"But the name all learned to fear… was Sauron."
The White Council then continued recounting the age of Sauron—how everything he touched became twisted and corrupted,how only the strongest minds—or the most innocent—could resist him,and how even then, none emerged unscathed from his proximity.
Gandalf's voice dropped to a near whisper.
"Even I… could not resist him.Only Lady Galadriel succeeded—and even then, only when he was weakened.And even she was nearly consumed by darkness in doing so."
Shizune swallowed hard.
"So… it's a good thing he's dead…"
None of them answered at once.
The faces of the White Council stiffened, united by the same expression.
A cold realization struck Tsunade and Shizune at the same moment.
"…He isn't dead," Tsunade murmured.
Galadriel inclined her head slightly.
"The Dark Lord possesses an indomitable will—far beyond even Morgoth's."
Her gaze drifted into the void, as though she were still beholding, beyond time and worlds, the shadow that had once nearly consumed all things.
Elrond broke the silence, his voice deep and grave.
"It is a mystery we may never unravel. Even among the Immortals, his resolve remains an enigma.Morgoth sought to dominate Creation…but Sauron sought to understand it, to bend it, to rebuild it according to an order he believed perfect."
Galadriel continued, her tone heavy with ancient regret.
"After Sauron's defeat, a trial was held in Ilmarin, in the dwellings of the Valar.He was called to answer for his crimes before those he had betrayed.But he escaped… through Melkor's intervention."
A shiver ran through the room.
"We hunted him for centuries. In vain.However, a great portion of his life force and spirit was discovered beyond the lands of Mordor.Those lands were then cast into the depths of Hell, so that no mortal, or immortal, hand could ever seize them."
Tsunade frowned, a deep unease tightening her chest.
"Where is that energy now?" she asked."You didn't leave it uncontained… did you?"
Gandalf slowly shook his head.
"No, of course not, my lady.By our magic, we forged a cage and sealed his power within it.It was bound by countless curses and spells, of light and of shadow, that each of us commanded. All three of us even used our Rings of Power, nearly exhausting their strength, to seal his grave for eternity."
He paused, weighing his words.
"The crypt containing the bodies of his most faithful servants forms the first seal of his prison.The Maia Yahweh then placed this prison within a sub-dimension nearly cut off from the world, known as the High Heavens."
At these words, Tsunade felt slightly reassured.Such a place resembled the legendary Shikkotsu Forest, an extradimensional realm, difficult to reach even for the greatest chakra masters.
But Galadriel continued, and her voice darkened.
"Yet even then, his corruption manifested.A civil war erupted among the angels under Yahweh's protection and Lucifer, whom he regarded as his son. Both perished in the conflict."
The silence grew heavier still.
"Fortunately," she went on,"today, Lucifer's descendants, the demons, guard the crypt within the Underworld, while the angels watch over the cage.The terror of Sauron shall never again reign over Arda."
At that moment, the White Council was overwhelmed by memory.
The Flaming Eye rising from the darkness.The countless armies sweeping across the world.The puppets he had shaped—Saruman, Angmar, the Nazgûl, the Uruk warlords, and so many others.
They remembered the immense joy when he was finally defeated…then the icy horror when they saw him flee Ilmarin.Even now, phantom pain lingered—the echo of the exhaustion born of pouring the very best of their power into sealing him away.
Elrond finally spoke again, breaking the silence.
"Even when the One Ring was destroyed, Sauron was reduced only to a weakened spirit, not truly destroyed.He has endured through the Ages, unable to regain his full strength.His soul is now but a fragment of what it once was, condemned to wander until the end of the world."
He hesitated… then continued.
"However… there is another being.One whose power rivals his own.Celebrimbor."
A murmur rippled through the room.
"He was the one who forged the Rings of Power.He is also the only other being to ever wear the One Ring.But the artifact had a will of its own… and an absolute loyalty to its master."
Galadriel concluded, her gaze grave.
"We believe Celebrimbor survived as a specter, refusing to fade after Sauron's fall. And that he is now attempting to claim your world."
The others stared at the White Council, having completely forgotten Annatar…while the golden rings emitted an almost imperceptible glow.