So now that I had let it sink in and read it several times, I want to give a real review.
The chapter was indeed amazing, especially for us. This doesn't make NaruSaku canon, but it indeed just ruins the other pairings and makes them hard to see them as anything more than wishful thinking by fans. Kishi is really driving the point home with it. That being said, I don't see how NH or SS can even make up ground now and might as well officially call them dead. There is no way to make those two couples real without just asspulling them into reality. Especially for SS which not even the Tsukuyomi can fix it.
I don't know that I'd be content to hang my hat on the idea that there is no way for them to be real without asspulling when Kishimoto gets accused of it so often.
I also don't see how it's amazing for us. As to SS, it follows up on last week, which was the real break. As to NH, I'm not sure how this hurts at all. It showed Hinata's innermost desire and that's it. The relationship isn't any more or less like than it was a week ago. In fact, if it does anything it harms the herworship argument by placing it in the romantic category. However, I don't see that as a big deal. That really isn't NH's problem.
I do have to comment on a few things though:
"Sakura is seen being afraid of Sasuke and almost like she is saying "Don't hit me""
Truth be told I don't see this at all. Instead I just see a girl who once again is disappointed by the fact that Sasuke again proves he doesn't really care about Team 7. All he cares about is himself and Naruto. (Maybe Team Not 7 as well, but whatever.) He hates his old life and wants to get rid of it and he has proven these feelings three times now in this war. I don't know why people keep keep ignoring these moments, but they are there. Sakura, however, is not some abused girl flinching like Tina Turner and Ike. It is her just feeling disappointment. Almost the exact same face she had when Sasuke tried to stab her through with his sword and not cared about her at all.
I don't think Sasuke cares all that much about Naruto. Naruto's abilities are simply more useful, if they weren't I bet he'd have been told off too.
Naruto did stand up for Kakashi and Sakura, but I see people see as more of a comedic than an actual standing up. Well, we can chalk this one up to Naruto's nature as a character. He is always hyperactive and expressive of his emotions. Doesn't mean his emotions aren't powerful. In fact, I could say that when he isn't that expressive or when he really is with a calm demeanor, it means he is heavy with burden or he is really pissed off to the point that you know you really messed up. Some people are like that. They can get angry and expressive, but when they get quiet and controlled, you know you really messed up. Does this diminish the reaction and Naruto sticking up for Sakura and Kakashi. No, it's just that Sasuke has done worse. Comparing to say when Sasuke tried to kill Sakura, he wasn't being that expressive at all. He in fact has this really pissed off face like "Oh no you didn't."
Didn't help that his face looked more like bad constipation instead of genuine anger.
Some people have been saying that Sakura's powers are not impressive and that Kishi is terrible at making her be as strong as Naruto and Sasuke. Okay, well to be frank, Naruto and Sasuke cheat with their powers. Even more so with Sasuke. Let's really put this into perspective: Sakura has never been a jinchuurki, she doesn't come from a special clan, she started with nothing, and she had to train the hardest out of anyone.
Given that I just said it like two pages ago, I think it's reasonable to believe you mean me. Just quote me instead of this generic stuff. Stop beating around the bush.
That they cheat is irrelevant. That they cheat is the reason her powers come across as a distant third doesn't change the fact that they still do. This is a cheap moral victory; they kind of this you reach for when you are otherwise losing the battle. She still getting one-shots with her power-ups and being allowed to defer back to Naruto and Sasuke. That they had to cheat to do it shouldn't make it any more tolerable.
Keeping pace with her teammates has been her objective. That is the standard as it has been her goal.
Would you say that Rock Lee sucks because he can't compete with Sasuke? No, because Rock Lee's case is about overcoming those struggles. He has so much handicap while everyone else got free boosts simply because they were born into a clan.
Sakura trained hard for her powers and I love her for it. It makes her real and it makes Rock Lee real. People are so willing to easily criticize her, yet want to play off that the fact that she is probably the third most powerful from her class. Again, and I know I am beating a dead horse, but why is Hinata getting a free pass again? I really am tired of the whole "because she is a side-character" arguement people propose because I could apply the reverse to Naruto and Sasuke: "They have to gain free stuff because they are the main characters." Yet, people still find BS with them. So I find BS with why everyone else can't be like Sakura and keep up or at least be at that steady pace. Not even Gaara is that powerful and he is a Kage.
No I would not say he sucks because of it, but it does mean he's not fit for the task at hand, which is what matters. Lee is a strong ninja. Sakura is probably one of the best, but that's not her goal. And that still doesn't make her effective against her current opponent, which, again, is the task at hand. Lee is a side-character who gets minimal attention. As an abstract matter, it is an accomplish to be better than him, but this story is not written in the abstract. The battle is against Madara and the goal, I would think, would be to stand on even ground, so she too, can effectively aid in the battle. To get a power up, serve as a meat shield and then end up ceding the field back to her teammates isn't impressive and shouldn't be satisfactory.
You dodge the problem by lowering the bar.
I'm not sure what Hinata gets a pass at? And the side-character bit is a legitimate argument in that you expect less of them in terms of quality development because they tend to exist for a more limited purpose. They story is not about them. They are aids to help tell the story. There are reasons they are side character
They aren't similarly situated characters and shouldn't be treated as such.
It's also kind of hard for Sakura to keep up especially when you keep moving the finish line and yet she is still in the race despite it. It really is shameful how much people criticize her for it and really I want to facepalm every time. They can't see a character trying so hard with effort, instead they just see a character who can't keep up. Well, then I will start heavily criticizing Hinata for this now. Everytime someone criticizes Sakura, I will poke at Hinata or any other character and express my disappointment that no other character is as powerful as Naruto and Sasuke right now.
Go ahead and criticize Hinata. That doesn't really do anything for the issue surrounding her character. The only person I see moving the finish like are you. Her goals has always been to keep pace with her team. SHE defines it this way numerous times. So, I am unsure why it's so shameful to expect the author to allow her to do that rather than hand her a power give a fraction of the action the then turn it back over to Naruto and Sasuke. I suppose Kishi moves it when they get strong, but is it so much to ask that when they do she follows suit? I think people are overly satisfied with what come across as token gestures.
If the goal is to keep pace with them then that is my expectation. I think the disappointment is that Kishimoto's treatment appears to have dumbed down the expectations of her character. When you compare her to Rock Lee that is moving the finish line backwards. Rock Lee has never been the objective and to say she's at that level in insufficient because that has never been the goal and he's stuck in dreamland anyway.
"Why not? Every character should be important." Sounds stupid to you? Think I am being impractical and not understanding the situation? Yeah, that feeling is the same feeling I get every time people bash Sakura with terrible reasons.
It does sound stupid to me (you asked) because not every character is important.
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The Gold Saints
