A list of questions devoted to unresolved plot lines in Naruto.
1. What happened to Naruto’s feelings for Sakura? They were referenced so many times to have no conclusion? This is first and foremost on my mind. It was such a big deal until chapter 698.
2. What happened to the Hyuga clan? This was a big deal back in Part I. Did Hinata abandon the clan and raise a family? Who would the new leader be?
3. What became of Karin Uzumaki? She seemed quite in love with Sasuke. She devoted her time and abilities to him only to disappear completely?
4. What became of Yamato? Him suddenly appearing as an enemy seemed kinda important.
5. Why did Sakura suddenly fall head over heels again when she was clearly not happy at the thought of loving Sasuke? And Kakashi’s comment that her feelings weren’t the same for him? Is it really believable for Sakura, after being shut out so many times, to still feel connected to him?
6. How on earth did Choji wind up with Karui when she only wanted a rich, handsome man and they had never once interacted? How can we piece that together??
7. What became of Taka? They separated once, thanks to Sasuke’s egotism, but found their way back to him. Now they’re just gone?
8. Can Jugo suppress his impulses on his own now? Did he go back to Orochimaru?
9. Sasuke is just given a clean slate since he helped stop the Infinite Tsukuyomi? Is he still serious about becoming Hokage?
10. Sakura is simply a housewife when she was clearly capable of running the hospital during a crisis? All that power in a woman, a possible good message, being swept aside to wait for a man’s return—one who is still distant from her.
11. Sakura’s forehead. Naruto complimented it, yet she is never informed about it? Moreover, she doesn’t even realize Sasuke was using the same method Itachi used on him as a child to push her away but this is somehow cute? Is it okay for her to wind up being so ignorant about Naruto and Sasuke? Especially when it would shed light on who she could be happy with?
12. What was the point of paralleling Naruto and Sakura to Minato and Kushina, Jiraiya and Tsunade, and Obito and Rin? Could panel time have been used otherwise instead of misleading readers…?
13. Asuma told Ino to not lose to Sakura, yet Sakura getting with Sasuke contradicts this. Does this affect their friendship again like it did in the past? There was a good message in Sasuke leaving because they got closer when he wasn’t around.
14. Sasuke saying he didn’t understand Sakura’s interest in him and also saying he wasn’t interested in her at all meant nothing?
15. How did Naruto and Hinata wind up together? There were no true moments of bonding outside camaraderie. Was it coffee after Neji’s funeral? I can’t help but wonder how two people who did not socialize, one of which had crippling fear of being around the other, could have two children.
16. Sakura’s romantic interactions with Naruto were to show…? What exactly? Simple care and friendship? This could’ve been done without things like her offering to feed Naruto, hugging him, flirting with him when they met after separation, not denying being his girlfriend, and so on. What was the point of it?
17. If Naruto was interested in Hinata, could we not have been convinced? Even correcting Minato would’ve been something.
18. What’s Orochimaru up to? Is he still following Sasuke?
19. After all the years of her pigging out, Anko suddenly got fat?
20. Lee’s interest in Sakura was on the same level as Hinata’s in Naruto, based on their dreams alone. What happened with that? Is he okay with losing her to Sasuke?
21. Road to Ninja implied a lot between Naruto and Sakura. What went wrong to have them not even speaking to each other at the end of this narrative? They had NO words for each other???
22. Surpassing previous generations, like the aforementioned ones Naruto and Sakura are compared to, meant nothing? Like, not even giving telling Sakura how he felt a chance? How is that surpassing anyone if no effort is given?
23. The emerging message about rescuing Sasuke was that Naruto and Sakura needed to do it TOGETHER, which is why Naruto failed during the Sasuke retrieval mission and why Sakura failed in the Land of Iron. Why was Sakura knocked out via genjutsu and forgotten until Sasuke suddenly came around? Where did teamwork go?
24. Moreover, Sai said he would assist as well after he tried assassinating Sasuke. Why was he just ignored altogether?
I have a lot more questions, some I can’t even bother to put on here, and I know some of these weren’t the most interesting for an author to address, but damn there are so many plot holes. So much left unresolved. And I have the right to make my opinion known, especially after following this series since it came to the states.
Also, this is probably my last post about Naruto disappointment. I’ve been wallowing in my confusion and dissatisfaction, my fellow fans who are also upset are posting about it, and none of it is helping me forget and move on from one of the worst experiences I’ve had with fictional work.
I love you guys to pieces, so please go find something else to read that might cheer you up. We didn’t deserve the half-assed ending we got, but it’s not like we can change it now. When reason and legitimate development is disregarded for pursuit of popular tripe, we can only shake our heads and hope for a better story that Masashi Kishimoto is not involved with.
But I gotta say, it was so much fun along the way. From ladygt’s fanart, to paptala’s analysis, and chatte’s theories, not to mention the rest of us who faithfully posted and understood there was a decent story and romantic subplot emerging between Naruto and Sakura, it was an enjoyable experience.
We should keep shouting our voices dry with love. Regardless of whether it’s Naruto-concerned or otherwise. Don’t lose hope in good stories (and endings). And let’s not dissipate amongst ourselves. We are family, united by the most beautiful love story never told.