James;
I agree that most NH moments are forced - not all of them, but most.
A moment that's not forced is the proud failure speech. I think this was a NH moment, but it was also a failure moment. I think Kishi chose Hinata to give the speech for two reasons; 1. She was also a failure, therefore she could relate to him. 2. It was the first time she expressed how much and why she looked up to him.
Moments like the confession and 615 is forced. The coincidental requirements NH needs to have a moment are often people getting hurt/killed, character degradation/OOCness, or in best case they need to be cheered up.
There are even moments we don't need. I understand from 633, Hinata loved the feeling of Naruto's hand. Did Kishimoto need to make her beat herself up to bring that moment? Unlike 559, she had no reason to doubt herself then.
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About the confession, I agree. One thing I would like to add is that Hinata said she wouldn't let Pain lay a finger on Naruto. While that is brave words, her actions in the following panels really was subcionsciously suicidal. I still wonder to this day why she confronted Pain on her own. Why didn't she use Katsuyu's info on Pain to make a plan? Why didn't she tell somebody? I also think her reasoning to get in there was wrong. I think she did it because she is in love with him and he is that special person to her, not because he's a comrade or a fellow leaf ninja.
I also think it's important to divide Hinata's "confession". In 559, Naruto remembers her sacrifice, not her confession. I don't understand why so many fans say he acknowledged her confession. 
Another thing is that it isn't only her confession that is selfish. It's what she did before that too. Tsunade is worn out, many people are either helping others wounded from the Rinne tensei etc. She uses her byakugan to spy on Naruto, it even looks like she is expecting him to get captured, so she can get in there. We have 2-3 panels of her doing this.
One argument I think many NH fans are misunderstanding is that "She only cares for Naruto". Of course she doesn't. My take on it is that she cares for others, but she wouldn't go far for them. Giving ointment and bandaging someone isn't enough. This might be ridicoulous, but I have questioned myself if she is jump in front of a bullet/risk her life for someone else than Naruto. Of course she is in the war and ultimatically doing this, but I wish she could express a desire to protect her clan, teammates, Neji..at least she and him shielded eachother in this arc.
Lastly about the confession, I want to defend Sakura from people who said she "sat on her ass" or "just watched". She took care of Tsunade, and most importantly she caused the evacuation of the people Naruto was so afraid he had hurt. While he is out defeating villains, she defends his people. That's what she does; She doesn't take lives, she saves lives.
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I completely agree about the speech in 615. I felt like Naruto's character had to get degraded to Hinata's level so she could raise him up again. One thing I would like to add is how fastphased it was. How easy Naruto got all down and how easy it was to lift his spirits. I would've understood if this was a new message, but when it has been brought up before why is he so deeply touched by it now?
I disagree about the handholding, I think it was significant. 633 shows that it was important to Hinata, but volume 64 cover shows that it's important to Kishimoto, romantic or not. Of course it got downplayed in 616, but not to nothing. Just imagine if after Sakura hugged him, everyone else gives him a "buddy hug". That would made me quite disappointed. 
Whether then handholding was romantic or not, it showed two people bonding and facing death together instead of being alone. That doesn't mean Hinata is Naruto's soulmate, she successfully cheered him up because; 1. She was there lol, 2. She could relate to his feelings, because she is also close to Neji. Just like Sakura was able to cheer him up about Sasuke("This time we'll do it together, I'm still with you"), because she is also close to Sasuke. She later got a response that her support in their quest for Sasuke made him happy.
I'll give them that, they both stayed strong for Naruto when he needed help.
We can only speculate he made this face when she hugged him too, that is up to interpretation. That's why I don't really care whether he hugged her back or not, it's like he's literally thinking "omg is this for real?"
We can also speculate he didn't blush or something because of the tragic context. But when we have nothing else to base on (romantic NS moments are always at the right place and right time..happy times), what can we do? 
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NH would've been less forced if Naruto's feelings for Sakura had been portrayed negatively, if NH and Hinata had gotten more development in the beginning of part two. And if Kishi gave us a reason as to why he should be in love with Hinata instead of Sakura, other than the possibility that the latter might not feel the same - which he has thought for years, and it still didn't make him change his mind.
is NaruHina a forced pairing .? Is that even a question that requires a response .?
Of course it's up to debate.
Edited by sushi., 12 August 2013 - 07:32 PM.
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