I would agree with you because holding hands is something really meaningfull for Hinata because it was the first they had a physical contact but if it were to be a pairing hint would be better if Naruto were thinking about Hinata, the scene for a pairing hin was ugly, Naruto holding hands with Hinata, meanwhile he was thinking about Neji and talking with Kyuubi.
It's different than Sakura's confession when they were thinking about each other.
this is the reason why i dont take 615 as a pairing hint, Naruto never had doubts about his feelings and got his feelings reassured even after the confession, also as a development 628 undid the possible development of 615.
Well, it's like what people have argued. This isn't the time for a NS moment in the middle of the war. Same thing with NH above. So we have to wait and see if it going to mean something down the road.
And how does 628 undo 615?? all we have is Sakura worrying about Naruto in her head and Naruto doesn't even know that.
I'll answer this since no one else did. It's what grabbed me in your post anyway. lol
There's a distant difference between the two, and then take into consideration that when Sakura does it, it's with VERY good reason. Back then when she told Hinata not to worry, she really had nothing to worry about then now did she? Now, Naruto's chakra is messing up jutsu from others. It's nice that she does worry about him, but that wasn't the first time that she's worried about him to the point where it looks like her belief in him in miniscule compared to someone like Sakura who's shown time and time again that she has faith in him. I personally don't think that it's a contradiction but meh.
And, I agree the bolded. He's had her quiet and on the sidelines long enough.
I'm also surprised at the surprise of Sakura not flat out saying some of the things she says mentally. It's just like with Naruto. Naruto doesn't always speak his mind when it comes to Sakura and vice versa. It also does seem as though Kishi has to push back Sakura for characters like Hinata to have any significance with Naruto but that's normally not the case with Sakura. When it came to Sakura ad her hug, the village was right there looking. When it came to Hinata's confession, no one but Pain was around, and Sakura didn't witness it. If Hinata witnessed some of the stuff that goes on between Naruto and Sakura, one would of wondered then if she would of caught on but she never does. Sakura has seen a lot of what goes on between Hinata and Naruto though and so she was able to see that Hinata does in fact have feelings for him.
This is where I'm going with this, and of course, this is just what I think.

I feel as though Kishi might give the floor to Naruto/Sakura interaction/development but it'd be the first time Hinata will catch wind of it. She probably thought nothing of that hug but it's possible she'll think something if she sees them in the light that we have. Looking back, I don't ever remember Hinata actually seeing how Sakura and Naruto are or even once catching a glimpse of how he feels for Sakura. This could of been done purposely to keep her affections for Naruto constant. I starting to find it quite funny how Kishi pretty much played the "poof disappear" trick on Sakura just so Hinata can have Naruto to herself even though she was never gone... I mean, did Kishi really not want Sakura to kill their little moment?

It was already bad enough that he had her sitting idly but before when he was an uncontrollable beast, she ran at him with the intent to save him.

What I'm hoping for at this point is of course some Sakura and afterwards some NS development. She seems as though she's gonna be doing something given her response to Naruto's talking. He's pushed his heroine to the side for others long enough and if he cares about her character, he'll make her prominent once again. At this point, I'm tired of waiting.

Don't know why I even rambled here...
I was mostly talking about the concern both of the girls had in separate situations, not the situation surrounding it. While yes, the argument you stated is valid, but the reason I brought that up is; why do we dismiss Hinata's concern while we celebrate Sakura's?? doesn't that seem like a double standard?? shouldn't we actually appreciate Hinata's concern just as much as we appreciate Sakura's?? let's switch things, if it was Sakura worrying about him at that time, would we not celebrate it as well??
As for the bolded, it's nice that Sakura is in sync with Kurama's thoughts, but it's not a two-way interaction, so I won't count it as a NS moment.
People here, I think, just want to be able to hope and speculate and predict(for fun even!) without being told its pointless because Kishimoto is a troll(what the hell do you even say to that? I mean...I don't think he's a troll I think he's just trying to tell a story that pleases people.).
It's actually something people have stated several times now and if you have noticed, some people have stopped posting due to the 'negativity'; and yet the 'negative people' who constantly complain that their opinions are being shushed keep showing up and posting. Doesn't look like any of you/them are going anywhere, and yet....I mean, the people who really are leaving get no love.
It's the same people too. And I think people understand by now that you, HauntedCake(hehe), and...maybe Codus?(I am honestly not sure what in the flying HELL he's doing) don't like how the story is going and hate Kishimoto for not doing more things with Sakura. It's understood. Really. We get it. I noticed you have changed your tune a little recently, but you still were one of the ones before who liked to bring ppl down.
And as for the 'let me speak my opinion' thing, you should let other express their OPINION that they wish you guys would stop. The fact that more than five people have complained about this should be something to think about about.(also Don-kun you specifically told SasuKarin fans that they can't talk about their own opinions here because it makes members uncomfortable, yet you turn a blind eye to the fact that the constant negativity makes people here WAY more uncomfortable than sasukarin ever did. At least THAT could be debated and talked about without fighting.)
Last thing to note, you say that NS gets bashed by Anti-NS all the time but I can see some of the same arguements against the fandom being used here against fellow members. if you guys care, speaking as a neutral Fan, I don't think anyone here(cept Codus) is arrogant. Kinda hard to be when you have members beating down your predictions and hopes lol.
Nice job bashing me.
Arrogant?? really?? all I have been doing is offer a different opinion on things, if you see that as arrogant, wouldn't it be within my rights to say you are as well??
The reason I have been keeping this up for so long is because
some people doesn't seem to get it. Get what, you mean?? get the fact that not everything will go your way. And I recall some people who implies that should Kishi not do what they want, Kishi would be a lame-ass author. Wouldn't that be indirectly bashing Kishi?? another thing, does Kishi even kittening care about us here?? he doesn't even know how to jack up to the internet for heaven's sake. For all we know, we don't even exist to Kishi's knowledge.
I too, believe Kishi would be a lame-ass author if he doesn't do so and so, but does Kishi know that?? for instance, if NH happens, and we all complain about it, would Kishi actually know that?? NO. Sure, you can complain all you want, but don't go expecting that Kishi will do what you say if he doesn't even know we exist in the first place.
Next, I don't mind people having fun speculating, but what I mind is the fact some people go way overboard to the point their speculations evolves into
expectations. That's the problem with our fandom here. It's no wonder opposing fandoms starts to get the notion we're arrogant.
So, let's leave the man alone, let him do what he wants, and if NS doesn't happen, so be it.
Finally, I am a Naruto fan before a NS fan. I put reading the manga as a whole as opposed to reading it from a pairing perspective. 'Cause honestly, if I was somebody new to the manga and read Vol.64, I would actually think NH is canon. And then if I were shown Slex's compilation of NS moments, I would most certainly be confused as hell because I wouldn't get which pairing is canon, but the bottom point I can be sure of is that both NS and NH have equal chances of happening.
And I am honestly tired of people accusing my posts as bashing.....
In this chapter Kishi shows Sakura clearly worries for Naruto, despite what some may say, so that leads me to question why he had her M.I.A for so many chapters. Why show Naruto handing his chakra out to fodder and offscreen Sakura? Why does he extremely offscreen her when Hinata comes to play the selfless sacrifice character? Isn't this the same as what happened during the Pain arc? Sakura cries out for Naruto to come help, Hinata goes to confess, Sakura is nowhere to be seen until she has to heal Hinata.
I'm convinced he doesn't know what he's to do with her or this pairing clusterf***k he has created. He has her recognize that Hinata loves Naruto but then he confirms with Sai that Naruto has genuine feelings for Sakura. He has Sakura fake confess to Naruto and then has her go on a mission to kill Sasuke which we knew she wouldn't do. Are you going with NaruHina or not? Are you trying to tell us NS has no chance or that there's more to it? Are you trying to redeem Sakura or demolish her further? What is it Kishi? I'm tired of waiting for the next week in hopes he'll make her do something to relieve me of feeling on the short end of arguments against all the anti-Sakura fans which never comes. And that like 75% of the English speaking Naruto fandom.
I'll just quote kirabook here as her opinion is the same as mine regarding this:
QUOTE
Kishi has shown to me that he doesn't know what he's doing. He thinks these 'plot twists' makes people excited because they're looking forward to the outcome, but he doesn't realize he's alienating some of his fanbase that finds these plot twists TOO plot twisting TOO late in the game.
Everything is becoming so sudden and makes little sense in the big scheme of things. He thinks it's a great plot twist, I think it's a big inconsistency.
That's where my mistrust in Kishi's recent writing lies. It has little to do with pairings, even if Naruto and Sakura suddenly starting making out mid battle, wouldn't you think something is wrong? Don't you feel that Sasuke's sudden switch to 'protecting Konoha' only NOW after knowing for a while what Itachi wanted is a little strange? Hinata's hand holding was already foreshadowed so I don't particularly care about it (but still, I find it pretty stupid to give her THAT moment in THE battle of their lifetime)
Yes, everyone's opinion is equally valid here, and no one should feel stifled or silenced as long as they are respectful to others. The mods have been very clear about this.
But to be honest, I think it's an exaggeration to suggest that anyone here is demanding only "rainbows and sunshine" opinions -- at least it didn't start out that way.
From what I have observed, the "positive users" didn't start out upset that negative opinions and reactions are expressed, or that there is disappointment with chapters, or dissent among members about the quality of the storytelling. This should always been expected on a discussion board, and it is approved by the mods.
But I think it is important to recognize that what may be perceived as the hypersensitivity of some "positive users" has been systematically developed over time. It has developed because the negativity from some users, at least, is relentless and condescending.
It's because there seems to be a desire on the part of some users to counter -- if not outright squash -- any positive argument for the story, the characterizations, or the pairing this community supports.
Have some "positive users" been relentless and condescending too? Yes. Everything shouldn't have to be rainbows and sunshine any more than it should have to be a festering pool of raging bitterness.
It might help to remember the header of this website:
Heaven & Earth: The Naruto x Sakura Fanclub. It says
Fan club, not
Complainer club. I personally don't believe it is unrealistic for users to come to this website and expect to encounter other FANS who support and still enjoy the story and characters.
If you can't go to an online FANclub to be a positive and hopeful fan, where can you go? Maybe people have forgotten that the word
fan is short for
fanatic, and being a fanatic means having an "excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion" to something.

And before anyone misunderstands my point, I'm not saying that expressing disappointment and criticism means you're not a fan. However, when disappointment and criticism become the only feelings you have or want to express for a story and its characters, then the old question comes into play again: why continue to read?
H&E is a community. It's a good community. Whether we like it or not, the way we express our reactions to the manga -- good and bad -- can profoundly affect the emotional climate here, and most of us could use some work on our tolerance for the opinions of others.
Just my opinion.
I think maybe it's about learning to manage expectations. Speaking only for myself, I can speculate "for fun" and wonder and hope about things that might happen, but when they don't I am not crushed or angry. I mean, I do it all the time. I was right in there, speculating that Sakura might have gone to the Kages, or that she had somehow left the battlefield.
Well, guess what? I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, WRONG. But I'm not angry with Kishimoto for not meeting whatever expectations I freely chose to create for myself. He didn't promise something and not deliver. It doesn't make him an idiot slacker mangaka because I choose to daydream other ideas or would choose different content than he does. It's his story.
I've said this many times, but I know I'm on Kishimoto's ride. Personally? I'm enjoying it. For me, it's not only impossible but a complete waste of time and energy to be sour and critical about what he's doing until he's done it and it's all over.
First bolded: It's not about "crushing" so to speak, it's about telling people to be more open to opposing ideas because at the very least if things happen that way, people would get why things happened the way they did. It may not be satisfactory to some people but it would at least help make sense of what happened. Call it an asspull you want, but if you try to see it from a different view, you can sort of get why it happened.
Second bolded: You have just summed up what I have been trying to say these past months into a single, short sentence.
THANK YOU.Yeah, I love that. I wrote a fic about Tsunade traveling to the place where Jiraiya died in Amegakure to say goodbye to him; they have a conversation during which I have booms of thunder speak for him.

To my knowledge, though, no one who read the story got the reference.

Wow. I loved that fic. I had no idea that was what you meant!! I must applaud you for your research.
P.S.: Sorry if I come off as sexually harassing, but your OrochiSasuke predictions are so wild and crazy that it must have come out from your very fine high-quality ass. 'Cause only an idea that crazy can come from one fine ass

. And I LOVE IT!!
(oh, and your ass too)
Edited by Codus N, 26 April 2013 - 07:38 AM.