Sakura trained under a different Sanin is easily "one of the best Naruto What Ifs"

Naruto depicts a major turning point when the titular protagonist, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno get trained during a time skip by the legendary Sanin, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade, respectively. This event results in the three characters getting stronger, especially Sakura, who has recently become the protagonist of "one of the best Naruto What Ifs," thanks to a fanart made by X user @KokoDraws01.

This piece of fanart features Sakura being trained by Orochimaru instead of Tsunade, showcasing her wielding a powerful axe and having the Curse Mark on her as well. This illustration has gone viral online, evoking curiosity among fans about how different things would have played out if the story had taken this path, especially regarding the future of the main trio.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the opinions of the writer and the people quoted.

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A recent Sakura Haruno fanart leaves the Naruto fandom in awe regarding this potential "What if?"

The user named @KokoDraws01 has recently come up with a fan illustration of Sakura Haruno in a hypothetical scenario where she's trained by Orochimaru instead of Tsunade, thus changing the events of the story. This could be a situation where she is likely trained by Sanin, instead of Sasuke Uchiha, or perhaps they go together by the end of the first portion of the story.

The illustration of Sakura—donning an outfit reminiscent of Sasuke's after the time skip, an axe, and also wearing the Curse Mark—has sparked people's imagination. While her being trained by Tsunade is something that many fans have appreciated throughout the years, there is no denying that this concept has appealed to a good percentage of the fandom online.

Moreover, the idea of the main trio being trained by a different choice between the likes of Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade could generate a lot of unique outcomes when it comes to the story. This is particularly possible with Sakura's character, who could have turned out quite different depending on that choice.

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More reactions online

It is common knowledge that the character of Sakura Haruno divides the Naruto community, but most people agree that she is filled with potential as far as her abilities could go. This has been depicted during her training with Tsunade when she manages to gain the latter's super strength and medical ninjutsu abilities. She does it without having the genetic benefits of being from a ninja clan, highlighting her development during the time skip.

While it is true that author Masashi Kishimoto could have handled her character better throughout the manga, her effort and dedication cannot be put into question. When considering how the protagonist and Sasuke get trained by Jiraiya and Orochimaru, respectively, in the beginning, Sakura's growth is perhaps the most impressive.

Some fans have reacted on X:

"You know what maybe she should somehow gotten the heaven seal from Anko. There telling how powerful it be if combined with the diamond seal," a netizen said.

"This concept just put me on a whole train of alternative arcs for all three of them. Badass!!!" another person said.

"Nah tbh, this would've been fire vise versa," someone else said.

This fanart highlights how Sakura still gets so much love from a section of the Naruto fandom and how a different part for her could have been quite interesting to see.

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