What I think anti's don't seem to get about NaruSaku and their preferred ships is words and feelings can only take a pairing so far till it eventually stagnates / remains in the same position it's been since the start. This is precisely the issue I see with SasuSaku when it comes to Sakura's feelings towards Sasuke.
Sakura still loving Sasuke keeps the ship afloat but when you have a character who has no romantic ties / feelings for the former (or anyone for that matter) continually reject and trample on said feelings then maybe it's time to reevaluate just where the ship stands in the story. It's been 690+ chapters and Sasuke's feelings towards Sakura and their overall relationship has devolved into constant negativity / hostility among one another, lack of faith one can be redeemed and general lack of trust.
The relationships Kishimoto himself has promoted lack all the elements and dynamics SasuSaku has. SasuSaku on a platonic and romantic level has (especially since 181) remained fairly consistent throughout the manga and lacks the solid foundations to work. Sakura loving Sasuke is one thing, but what that love does to her mentally and physically is something else entirely. For her affection and care for Sasuke, he has demonstrated that he is not someone that want that from Sakura. While he did appreciate it in part 1 (hence the thank you rejection), it's not something he wants or needs, especially in the world he wants to create. We have absolutely nothing in the manga to suggest that Sasuke doesn't know how he really feels towards Sakura or we can't take his feelings at face value.
NaruSaku on the other hand has copious amounts of positive interaction, both on the battlefield and downtime, as well as selfless acts at the cost of ones own feelings. They have confidence in their abilities and trust each other on the battlefield, where one will instinctively defend the other if they were in danger. Had NaruSaku stagnated in both Part 1 and 2, then the argument that Sakura might harbor romantic feelings towards Naruto would not exist, but Kishimoto on top of showing the user the interaction between Simply put, NaruSaku has the foundation for a romantic relationship to blossom due to their similar personalities, close bond and feelings towards one another.
You see, when I look at SasuSaku, what I see is hostility, insecurity, indifference and stagnation. What it lacks is mutual friendship, genuine care for one another and positive interaction, and that kind of relationship has no place in shounen.
Trying to disregard Naruto's feelings towards Sakura because Sakura simply because it's not in our face as much is not fair because his feelings can't be held to the same standard as Sakura's love for Sasuke. His acts of love are selfless, whereas Sakura's love for Sasuke, while has good intentions behind her actions, are selfish, which was demonstrated in the confession in part 1 and her plea in part 2.
Edited by Silent Storm, 27 October 2014 - 09:44 PM.
The Gold Saints
