I have this new prediction for how NS will be canon: The PoaL will be the deciding factor.
In 693, we had Naruto mention his promise to Sakura. That does give the impression he'll confess. But I'm starting to think maybe it will get deeper than that. Assuming a realization OVA moment happens and Sakura is in any way horrified or traumatized over how wounded Naruto was from Sasuke, Sakura might confront Naruto and ask him to give her a new promise of lifetime: that he'll always try to come back to her alive. A moment like this can easily canonize NS.
The PoaL was such a defining moment for NaruSaku's future development that a callback to it with a spin showcasing the change of Sakura's feelings while canonizing it seems very poetic. Instead of the promise being about Sasuke, it's about Naruto and how much she doesn't want to lose him. I also know lately Kishimoto's been making a lot of callbacks to Part 1 and since SS's closure was 693 with the 181 callback, a callback to the PoaL that happened right after that in Part 1 makes a lot of sense.
I'm surprised I never thought of this idea until now. It fits a lot with Kishimoto's parallels and how the NS relationship truly started.
Edited by xxRomanceGirlxx, 28 October 2014 - 03:57 AM.