I am just sitting here and again saying basically:
Everyone is too caught up in the moment, ever look a few steps back to think that perhaps sakura is still changing in regards to them both?
So this was a victory for the deathblow of SS and people are still going on that Sakura is somehow wasted or pointless?
She is still changing in regards to both Naruto and Sasuke, geez I never thought I would see some NS fans given the idea that Sakura was somehow "love gridlocked" on Sasuke, when you know as well as I do that SS is pointless and has no purpose or acceptability at this point and it otherwise is just a mess to see well, why do naruto and sakura have the best boy-girl relationship yet she only cares for Naruto? So in the end we need to accept that Sakura is always going to love Sasuke?
Ok yeah I doubt that, because if she could go from hating naruto to caring as much as she does now for him, then why are some people thinking it will all just end at friendship? I mean we got a freaking foreshadow that naruto will end up with a girl like kushina and sakura is still the only girl fitting that, did people just flat out forget this stuff?
Lets look at the situation like this:
SS is dead, even Sasuke promoted the answer to why did people even ship it in a nutshell:
"I have no interest in her and frankly I don't know what she sees in me."
Did it ever occur to those panicing that this is perhaps just one step in a bigger moment to come, perhaps a new direction for Sakura? An end to an antagonistic confrontation? Maybe she would be impacted by this and move in some new development progression after this event? Sure the battle will be with naruto and sasuke but as long as hagoromo is around, kakashi and sakura will be there on the side, I mean sakura isn't in the infinite genjutsu, she can be brought out if either kakashi or hagoromo (or herself) has the skill.
But guys, seriously, look again and ask this:
1. Was NS even hurt or given anything this chapter? No, nothing NS happened this chapter.
2. The only death this chapter was SS. We knew it was a mess for years, this was the chapter sasuke himself was able to confirm it with. Seriously, if the notion of him trying to cut through sakura to attack madara or not acting to save them from the lava was like getting kicked in the nuts and beaten by a gang on the ground, if all this stuff before in the year killed SS, this was desecrating the remains of the corpse. It is beyond dead, the very soul of SS is destroyed.
3. The only NS related deal was the promise, we said for years it made no freaking sense for him to have given it up, and honestly, I thought most of you would be happy with this notion. The fact this promise still exists also means the fact that deal of 457 still exists and he has his reasons still for loving sakura and that he cannot confess yet. Seriously, this is the deal saying we are still around. NH is still in limbo unable to act and SS is burning and losing its buoyancy and fast. If you thought 631 was bad for NH, this is the equivalent of a ship getting nailed with toropdeos, missles, water mines, and the grand finale, literally SS was nuked today and nothing will remain in the end. If nothing happens with NS for now, thats not good or bad but the notion naruto still has the promise, this deal just became a twofold problem for NH and SS because it just shattered the deal that he gave up on sakura and likewise still became an even bigger issue for NH!
4. Sakuras development is not done, she continues to change, she has been for the entire series. Remember my question for why I ship NS?
Sakura "loves" Sasuke but "cares" for Naruto, so in the entire series, why is it that Sakura gets such good times and development with naruto but only "cares" for him yet "loves" sasuke despite the antagonism? How much does Sakura "care" for naruto?
And this question still has not been answered, in the event, yes she said what she said to try and stop him from his actions but this time it had a mix of sadness and rage, its not the exact same as before.
But guys, honestly, if you are concerned, don't rely on the tense as the main issue, you need to look at the other events and from what we have seen before, to me, NS is fine, its still around, and its still the big end game one with the development and dynamics, the aspect of sakura going to naruto was going to be a long gradual one just as her getting over sasuke would be if it ever came to that (likewise she could still see him as a friend in the end) the point is, you cannot be caught just in this moment and think Sakura cares nothing for naruto, remember all that other stuff about supporting his dream? Her being like Kushina? Naruto still loving her for crying out loud even after the land of iron events? All this development didn't just vanish or go wasted, nothing exactly changed to bring up or down how she feels about naruto. For those of you worried, you are exactly sounding like those that expect NS to just be a joke or red herring and if this was true well, then kishi would be an utter failure at this point in this subplot, because NH is nothing but a convinent fodder event and SS is just antagonism, its not love, its just a joke at this point. You really think he would do that at this point? Seriously? He has written some odd stuff, but I doubt even he would go that far off the deep end.
For Sakura towards Naruto, she is still in that zone of she is best friends with him but also has gone into that something more area at times like the hug or her memories of him in 663 and wanting him to become hokage.
For all we know this could be the start of something new, perhaps did anyone pause to mention how she would be impacted by this?
I don't know about you but I am just drinking some soda, enjoying the sight of the burning ship known as SS and watching it sink into the bottom of the sea to become what it should, a pointless slag heap. Otherwise I am waiting to see what happens with Sakura next but honestly, I don't see her as love gridlocked, nothing changed with her currently with Naruto, but the point of NS has and always has been that she could turn his way and eventually come to terms with loving him, and this is still very much the case.
Did we get our answer to how does sakura truly feel or "care" about naruto? No we have not, until naruto gets to confess, I doubt we will and for the fact he still loves her and she is still changing in regards to him, thats enough in my opinion. It was ever since that yamato event, this question still has been buzzing around and remains unanswered even today, it remains unanswered because her view of him has constantly changed. Its not like sakura is doomed to love sasuke, she can change and she still is, its not the end. Not by a longshot. In fact NH is still out and SS is dead for sure, so NS just needs to wait for the right time if you ask me. Maybe some side stuff with sakura here, but for changing, yes it is entirely possible.
even then, take the past stuff and the hints, development, and try to think what can come next. Sakura can fall for naruto at any point, she already has a great relationship with him, perhaps it will change to something more in the end? I can certainly see it doing that.
The end of one thing, is the start of many others, if I am anticipating anything, I want to see how sakura was impacted by this and when naruto finally fulfills that promise, well at this point if she comes to love naruto for all the right reasons kishi could easily put on screen, it would still make perfect sense.
For anything else, I cannot convince anyone among their views, but this is just me:
-Nothing has happened to NS, rather the notion its around with the promise is our victory today.
-Sasuke killed SS for sure this time, there is no recovery nor reason or acceptability for it this time.
-Sakura's development isn't wasted or done, its still ongoing and I have said every freaking week, she is still changing in regards to them, and yes that is still going on. She very well will be impacted by this and if this is the case, after this time, this 3rd event, I am expecting a shift of some sorts, some changed outlook, some view upon herself. For all we know Sakura could come to love naruto in the next few chapters after some deep inner look event for all we know!
But until then, to me, yeah nothing has changed for NS but its still the most likely to go canon, SS died today for sure and it has no recovery. Now I have to go get ready for a raid in destiny with my friends. NS still has the lead by a longshot and all that development, screentime, dynamics, and hints with Kushina are still around, it will all lead to something, and again, for all we know, this could all lead to something for NS. Its not about the one moment, its about the whole thing that built it up together.
NH and SS are just destinations at this point but NS is a journey and everything that has come is still perfectly in line for it to go canon, so until then, keep calm and enjoy NS.