The only issue I have with that is that Sakura would just be like any other standard character if that's the case. Almost everyone found Naruto annoying and didn't have any type of faith in him. This story is meant to proven everyone of those people wrong. If Sakura was just meant to be like the rest then there was not point in making her be Naruto's love interest.
Well, I guess I sort of see her as "just" one of Naruto's friends, as one of the standard characters you mentioned. I mean, she is a good and loyal friend, but Naruto has other good and loyal friends besides her. I have never seen NaruSaku bond as some extremely close and larger-than-life relationship, nor have I ever seen it as an epic friendship or love. I know that several NS shippers view it in this way, though. Personally I have never seen it this way. Hinata was the one who saw the potential in Naruto from the start. Maybe she is meant to be his true love because of this? And Sakura is "just" one of those friends of Naruto, just like Shikamaru, Gaara, Chouji etc. Chapter 573, IMO, made this same point: Hinata is the one who desires to be with Naruto, just she and him alone in a relationship. Sakura is the one happy to be just another friend of Naruto's who is there to support him.
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If Naruto can give an extremely good reason for not loving Sakura anymore then it would be fine, but so far even with this chapter the general believe is that Naruto still loves Sakura and saying otherwise is just fooling yourself.
It is possible that Naruto still loves Sakura and I expect some kind of resolution between them, maybe a talk or something. But I also am willing to consider the possibility that Naruto has since the summit arc slowly moved on from Sakura and now Kishi might be building NH on that clean slate.
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The reason I can't believe that Naruto can just go up and love Hinata is because he doesn't really have a reason to stop loving Sakura. If her loving Sasuke was a good enough then he would've moved on by the end of Part 1. So besides Sakura loving Sasuke, is there another reason for Naruto to stop loving Sakura? That's the question that I keep asking myself. There's also the fact that Naruto never gave indication of viewing Hinata as a romantic interest, but now he's gonna suddenly decide he should?
Hinata is a good and loyal girl and has been supporting friend and is in love with Naruto. She would be very tempting opportunity for him. Naruto did, in a way, give Sakura up when he did promise to bring Sasuke back. That was Naruto willing to step aside and spend his life without Sakura's (romantic) love. Maybe Naruto has realized that Sakura is too deeply in love with Sasuke and Naruto will never have a chance with her. Sakura has endured so much and yet still loves Sasuke. Her feelings seem like steel. If Naruto realizes this, he might consider moving on. Now Hinata stands out to him, since she has come out of her shell. Naruto could be only just now noticing her, finally, truly, and maybe he likes what he sees. Or NS will be canon and recent NH is red herring. What do I know?
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And no, the "he hasn't thought about her in a romantic light in a while, his love is gone" is a very poorly thought excuse. This happened with many people's view on Sakura's feelings for Sasuke during most of Part 2, but then enters the Summit arc and it's brought up tenfold.
It is not, IMO. It is a very good reason to suspect the possibility of Naruto having moved on. It would be, however, poorly thought to conclude that he definitely has done so. It is a possibility, not anything definite. When ch 539 came out, it was resonable to consider the possibility that Sakura had moved on from Sasuke because of the events of the summit arc. After ch 540, not so much.
Bolded, you said it yourself and yes, it's true.
Think about it, which it's not hard at all, why would Kishi cut it off if he don't want to confirm something this soon and/or why would he cut it off in a middle of well known sentence for each reader that at least 90% is sure what he meant ?
Sigh. He might have cut it off
because he might have been misleading the readers. You can't at this point know which option is true.
If the NH happens:
Do you think we will not have a conversation Naruto and Obito having similarities Sakura/Rin?
Obito could notice the similarity between Sakura and Rin without it leading to NS, so maybe we will.
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What will happen with Naruto Vs Sasuke, what role will play Narusaku in that scene?
I would turn the question back at you:
What role would NS play in the confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke? What could NS contribute to Sasuke's bond with team 7?
Edited by Poison_In_Your_Coffee, 29 December 2012 - 05:11 PM.