While the sands of Hueco Mundo remained still, the world of Shinobi was in motion. Following the original timeline, Jiraiya and his young ward would have been searching for the legendary healer, Tsunade. But with Naruto gone, Jiraiya traveled alone, his heart heavy with the mystery of his student's disappearance and the terrifying aura that had swallowed Konoha.
In a small town known for its gambling dens, Jiraiya finally found her. Tsunade was at a tavern, drowning her sorrows in sake, flanked by Shizune. But they weren't alone.
The Emerald Shadow
Standing at the entrance of the tavern was a girl with pink hair, wearing a white Espada uniform that looked like it was woven from starlight. It was Sakura Haruno, but her presence felt like a freezing winter.
"Sakura?" Jiraiya stood up, his hand reaching for a scroll. "You disappeared with the others. What has happened to you?"
Sakura looked at Tsunade, ignoring the legendary Sannin. "Tsunade-sama. The Master has watched your life. He sees your grief—the loss of your brother, the loss of Dan. He offers you a world where those losses are erased by the Void."
"Get out of here, kid," Tsunade growled, her first cracking the table. "I don't know who your 'Master' is, but I don't follow cults."
Sakura didn't move. "Hado #4: Byakurai."
A bolt of concentrated spiritual lightning shot from her finger. Tsunade dodged, the bolt shattering the wall behind her with more precision than any lightning jutsu. Jiraiya lunged forward, summoning a toad's stomach to trap her, but Sakura simply stepped through the space as if it didn't exist.
"You seek a Hokage," Sakura said, her voice devoid of human warmth. "But the Master has already decided. Tsunade will not be the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf. She will be the Healer of the Gods."