Going back to the discussion of Sakura losing feelings for Sasuke and how she could acknowledge her love for Naruto.
One thing that is not certain for me is that Sakura's feelings for Sasuke are decreasing because he is evil. I know this is the position that some have here and why they think her feelings haven't changed after all as it would harm her character in their eyes. Could Sakura's feelings not be changing because she realizes that Sasuke doesn't care about her romantically and possibly never cared about her that way, or maybe that she also has growing feelings for someone else? This wouldn't preclude her from thinking sadly of Sasuke as he is still her old friend and still in darkness.
This is a possible scenario I have for how Sakura will resolve her feelings.
At some point Sakura may confront her own feelings for Sasuke and why she developed them in the first place. The user Redragon88 on this site has a good theory on why she did. (Hope I got your name right!) She would maybe come to realize that her love wasn't exactly based on the purest of feelings. She sought validation from the most popular, talented, and good looking boy in the class. Having him return her feelings would make up for the insecurities she felt. Later her love evolved into wanting to save him from darkness yet she still sought his validation. Maybe at the time she's realizing this she would recognize everything Naruto had done for her and even the feelings that she she felt for him at certain times. She would realize that Naruto had been acknowledging her from the very start and that she in turn had grown closer to him without fully realizing it, not wanting to see him fail and putting her faith in him entirely. But maybe Sakura would have uncertainty about Naruto's feelings for her until he confessed his own feelings as his earlier conversation with Sai implied. Alternatively maybe she doesn't even think about Naruto until he actually makes his confession.
This isn't very well thought out as I honestly haven't thought about this aspect too much and I'm sure I've reiterated much of what others have said. Also it's pure conjecture. It may happen or it won't. Regardless I think it makes sense and it doesn't put Naruto into a position of silver medal. Sakura will resolve her feelings on her own. She may or may not reveal this information to Sasuke to finally get it off her chest though I'm hoping that she will. Naruto will be given agency in asking for Sakura's love and she will be happy to give it rather than her going to him as a sense of obligation as many here seem to fear.
This is probably more or less the idea that's been floating around my head for the final resolution for a while now, but I haven't up till now tried putting it together. I guess I more or less assumed that everything would turn out alright but many people are worrying about it and even I was starting to wonder how it was going to be resolved. Again I've borrowed bits and pieces from what other users have mentioned in addition to my own thoughts.
Please whoever reads this, criticize and point out any contradictions you may find so we might discuss it. This is a seriously sticky issue on this forum and I'd like to be able to address it in a way that makes us all feel better. Thanks!
Hmmm... Maybe I should have posted this in the debate thread?
Edited by TrueSacrifice, 22 May 2014 - 06:24 PM.