Thank you for being respectful. You can pick apart my argument, I have no issues defending what I publicly post, I tend to pick apart arguments myself.
No problem.
Firstly Kishimoto does not state Sakura's love for Sasuke is selfish.
In one of the chapters when they were fighting in the Forest of Death(I'll find it for you.) , Kishimoto DID say that her love for him was shallow AND selfish. He stated it in the author's notes before the chapter began. Also, Kishimoto's famous, "Love doesn't need a reason" line that he had Kakashi say, says A LOT. Nevermind the fact, that Kakashi previously said that her feelings for Sasuke changed.
If love equals crush, then you are right on the Naruto part, and I agree with you. Otherwise, I strongly disagree.
Naruto from way back in Chapter 3, says he realized why he loved Sakura so much. It was once again proven by how he was willing to put aside his feelings for the sake of hers during the Promise of a Lifetime. How even someone as emotionally inept as Sai could see that he loves her, and how Naruto even admitted that he loves her to Sai, when asked if he would tell her how he felt. His feelings for her was and is true love. Even the creator of Naruto says that he loves her in the Databook that HE wrote.
The "doesn't love Hinata" and never will is objectively false.
Only reason he's with Hinata was because of him feeling guilty because of not recognizing her feelings. Other than that, I don't see any signs of him loving her. He barely even cared about going to his own wedding with her, he barely home with her, even though he could easily create a Shadow Clone to take his place in the office. He rather eat cup ramen than go home and eat his "wife's" dinner. Yeah, his actions speak louder than his words. Even up until the last chapters of the Manga, Naruto was in love with Sakura. There is nothing to suggest otherwise.
The Sasuke bits I would counter in that it is the employed language that suggests otherwise, but this can be a matter of interpretation we disagree on. I'm happy to concede that SS needed a little bit more, more so in its roots than the end.
In other words, no evidence that backs this up.
Sakura hitting Naruto for doing his thing is probably not a sign of agreeing. Naruto also later says he needs to stop teasing Sakura after seeing his strength. We can tell he wasn't being serious. Possible development pulled back down.
Or she could have simply been in embarrassed about the whole thing. All she told him to do was to stop talking so much, so he wouldn't waste energy. A sign of her being embarrassed of him speaking for her and saying that to his father and she never denied them being boyfriend and girlfriend. Back before the Chunnin Exams, she was willing to beat the crap out of Naruto for even joking about that. A playing around Naruto laughs, and sometimes even puts his hand behind his head while joking. Naruto in this scene, was dead serious as shown with lack of laughing, and the fact that he was speaking to his DEAD FATHER. Also, remember all of the times Naruto did the Sexy Justu in front of her? Called her Monstrously strong? THAT'S what he meant about teasing Sakura. And he never said he was teasing her, he said joking around her. Not about him calling her his girlfriend, he was serious about that. Development went NO WHERE. Also, I don't know about the "we" you speak of.
Sakura was upset, because Naruto saw through her and called her out. Her plan was not working. We -know- Sakura is lying here, and she still loves Sasuke, and this is pressed over and over again at us.
"If you don't love me just say so!" Seems more to me that she was upset that Naruto called her a liar about her saying that she loves him, and which of course Naruto couldn't deny loving her once again. Her blushing around him, her hugging him and even giving reasons as to WHY she loves him suggests otherwise to me.
The admiring/blushing scene quickly gets played up into humor.
Don't know how it "turning into humor" changes the fact that she was blushing around him, admiring him, and even flirting with him. In a way I've never even seen her do around Sasuke I might add. The only reason why that happened was because Naruto tried to do the Sexy Jutsu around her and Konohamaru. That doesn't change what she was feeling at all.
The Wave Arc is the beginning of Sakura's growing friendship in Naruto, her beginning of her acknowledgement of him.
lol. I never knew the beginning of a growing friendship included blushing and her commenting on her feelings for Naruto that she never felt before. You're just denying on panel evidence at this point.
For the last bit, considering the platonic-ness, Naruto is protecting a dear friend.
Yet, in the very scene when he was protecting her. The little frog(forgot his name) told Gamabunta that she was Naruto's girlfriend she was trying to protect. He even teased Naruto about it. Sasuke later commented that he had NEVER seen Naruto fight that way in his life and that he fought tooth and nail to protect her, which sounds exactly like what Haku did for Zabuza. Sakura is his special person. Hell, even Sasuke learned a new technique in order to protect Karin. He NEVER did that for Sakura.
This is why I would boldly counter-argue there is little to no NS romantic progression, while there is plenty of NS platonic progression. All development that would be more is quickly taken away, humorized, or shot down.
Nawl, honestly. No disrespect? I stand by the fact that you are a NH/SS fan. Sakura and Sasuke had NO romantic development, neither did Naruto and Hinata. However, there is PLENTY of scenes showcasing Naruto's love for Sakura and showing Sakura's growing feelings for Naruto.
Edited by FutureHalfofFamer, 20 September 2017 - 12:59 AM.
"
