The waterfall cascaded down from the mountain peak, its spray transforming into a soft rainbow under the sunlight.
A young girl sat by the pool, her pant legs rolled up. She dipped her feet into the cool water, swinging them idly back and forth. Her emerald eyes gazed at the crystal-clear water, reflecting a hint of helplessness.
Three years had passed since the last Great Shinobi War.
During this time, Konohagakure had used the substantial war reparations to recover rapidly from its wounds. The village had begun intensive research into Chakra Armor and the cultivation of administrators. Because only three years had passed, the entire shinobi world was still silently licking its wounds.
Compared to Konoha, the other hidden villages—with the exception of Iwagakure—had been shaken to their core.
The Raikage, Kazekage, and Mizukage—the leaders of three major hidden villages—had all perished in the war. Not long after, news of Chiyo's death arrived from Sunagakure. Gaara, the son of the Fourth Kazekage, was swiftly installed as the Fifth Kazekage with the support of Ebizo.
In Kumogakure, Killer B took over as the Fifth Raikage, while Utakata, the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails, became the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure.
It seemed the shinobi world had entered the era of the Fifth Shadows.
Only Konohagakure and Iwagakure had yet to officially elect their Fifth Kage. However, while Iwagakure's situation remained unclear, the entire shinobi world knew exactly who Konoha's Fifth Hokage would be.
Even the children playing in the streets knew what kind of existence had been born from that war.
A pair of fair feet splashed the water aimlessly. The pink-haired girl lay back onto the grass, staring blankly at the azure sky. Now that the war was over, no one wished for conflict to rise again.
The world seemed to be at peace.
It was Konoha Year 64.
A year that had diverged completely from the original timeline.
The Akatsuki organization had faded from public view, but Sakura knew better. They were merely waiting in the shadows for the Three-Tails to revive. Once it did, the shinobi world would be plunged into conflict once more.
"Hey!"
"Sakura!"
As the pink-haired girl lay on the grass, a lively voice called out to her. A blonde youth wearing an orange jumpsuit appeared in her line of sight.
Three years later, Naruto had grown much taller and more robust. Under Sakura's forceful intervention—forbidding him from eating junk food—Naruto had miraculously grown to 1.7 meters. He was finally no longer the 1.6-meter "shorty" he used to be.
Seeing the boy, Sakura performed a kip-up and landed steadily on the surface of the water.
Her open red-and-white sports jacket revealed the black mesh armor underneath. Her black shinobi pants were rolled up to just below the knees, exposing her fair skin. Her long pink hair flowed freely, and her features remained as exquisite as ever. The purple Strength of a Hundred Seal on her forehead acted as a finishing touch, giving her a distinct, refined aura.
As time flowed, the Yang Release constantly refined her body, making her physique increasingly perfect.
Naruto stared blankly for a moment at the girl standing on the water, framed by the waterfall and the rainbow.
"You..."
The girl parted her lips slightly.
"It's been three years..."
"Do you have any idea how I've spent these three years?!"
Naruto looked at her with a conflicted expression, scratching his head sheepishly. "Uh, well, it's not like I wanted it to be this way..."
The Nine-Tails Chakra Mode required one to face their inner darkness. For three years, Naruto had been exploring his psyche with the help of the Falls of Truth, and he had long since encountered his inner darkness.
But... he couldn't overcome it.
He had been stuck at this hurdle for three entire years. Sakura was exasperated. In the original story, with Killer B's help, he seemed to have mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode in a single day. Without B, he had actually been stuck for three years?
What a joke!
Where was Kushina?! Why hadn't she shown up to help her precious son?
Looking at the grinning blonde in front of her, Sakura couldn't suppress her irritation. She strode toward Naruto and raised a finger.
"Oh... no way..."
Naruto broke into a cold sweat. Over the past three years, Sakura had suppressed the Nine-Tails' rampages countless times. Though Naruto didn't know exactly how strong the Nine-Tails was when it took over, the surrounding area was always left in ruins, yet the pink-haired girl always looked completely unfazed afterward.
Naruto had even dejectedly thought that even if he mastered the Nine-Tails' power, he might not necessarily be able to beat Sakura.
Haruno Secret Technique: The Flick!
Her fair fingertip unleashed power that completely contradicted its delicate appearance. In an instant, the headband on Naruto's forehead was flicked clean off. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut in terror.
However, the expected pain of a forehead flick didn't come.
He cautiously opened his eyes to see that the girl had already turned around. She was sitting by the pool, wiping the water from her feet and getting ready to put on her shoes.
"Sakura?"
Naruto was confused that she hadn't actually hit him.
"Forget it, take your time," she said. "Besides, you still have me, don't you? By the way, I'm heading back to the village first. Jiraiya will bring you back in a few days."
After putting on her shoes, Sakura hopped in place twice.
"Eh? Sakura, you're leaving already?"
Naruto picked up his headband and hurried to her side with a grin. During these three years, Sakura hadn't spent every moment training him; she only set aside a portion of her time to be with him. After all, the "old man" (the Third Hokage) was getting on in years, and he was finding it increasingly difficult to handle the village's affairs.
Sakura had to go back.
"Yeah, I can't stay here forever."
Pushing the hovering Naruto away, Sakura prepared to depart.
"Well... alright then..."
Naruto was reluctant to see her go, but he couldn't stop her.
Seemingly oblivious to Naruto's expression, Sakura pulled a black hair tie from her pocket, tied up her hair, and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
With a burst of white smoke, a massive goshawk appeared before them. Sakura had encountered this eagle during her first trip to Turtle Island; it had tried to snatch her up as food for its chicks.
In the end, Sakura had beaten it into submission. She wanted to sign a summoning contract with it to use as a means of transportation, since she couldn't fly. Surprisingly, the bird had some backbone and refused.
Then she beat it again.
It complied.
With a sharp cry, the eagle soared into the clouds with the girl on its back. Naruto watched the black speck grow smaller until it vanished from the horizon.
"She's already gone, and you're still standing there like an idiot."
Jiraiya appeared beside Naruto. Three years had passed, but Jiraiya hadn't changed a bit.
"Pervy Sage, you don't understand," Naruto said, shaking his head and looking at Jiraiya with feigned disdain.
Jiraiya's lip twitched. He didn't understand? He understood all too well! Wasn't this exactly like him and Tsunade?
"Cut the crap. Get back to training. We're heading back to Konoha in a few days!"
Naruto pouted, but curiosity got the better of him. "Why are we suddenly going back?"
In the last three years, Naruto hadn't stayed on Turtle Island the whole time; he had returned to the village a few times. Jiraiya stroked his chin, looking at the curious blonde with a teasing glint in his eyes.
"To attend the inauguration ceremony of our Fifth Hokage, of course."
"The Fifth... Hokage?" Naruto was stunned.
"Yeah. And this Fifth Hokage just happens to be your little crush."
"Sa... Sakura?" Naruto was shocked, momentarily speechless.
"I see... Sakura is still as amazing as ever."
Jiraiya looked at the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
"Naruto. Give it up. Sakura and you... you're not from the same world."
Looking at Naruto, Jiraiya couldn't help but think of himself. Himself and Tsunade. Sakura and Naruto. The gap between Naruto and Sakura was even wider than the one between him and Tsunade. This was a relationship destined to lead nowhere—a feeling meant to be buried deep in the heart, only to be savored and smiled at with a sense of peace when one grows old.
However, the youth seemed not to have heard Jiraiya's warning. He looked up, a bright, joyful smile on his face.
"Sakura is actually the Hokage? Does that mean I can walk through Konoha with my head held high from now on?!"
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