I'm not sure how much I will care. It'd be shoddy writing because the set us just isn't there. I wouldn't understand why either cares that deeply for each other. I don't understand why Sasuke would care much at all and given how Sakura's feelings just got defined, why they would suddenly shift back to love when Sasuke's treating her like crap.
The development would have to had started much sooner or this manga will have to drag on. Still, I don't know that it'd bother me more than any of the writing I have seen. My feelings for the pairings just aren't what they were. The constant weaving and bobbing on moral issues is a bigger problem as is characters constantly taking their common sense and cramming it down the potty for difficult to identify reasons.
Umm...more like Sasuke's plot relevance and huge asspulls he has going for him. The whole thing with Naruto trying to save Sasuke is okay. It's not that bad of a plot idea. What was bad is how Naruto thinks of Sasuke as a "great friend," when Sasuke really hasn't done anything to earn that title.
I disagree. Sasuke's relevance has never been an issue. He's always been Naruto's objective. That, alone, I don't think is an issue. I think the mistake with Sasuke is two-fold: (1) trying to split the baby on the whole being evil but still being redeemed bit (which has been a total disaster for more than one character) and (2) taking what was a personal goal of Naruto and attaching on the whole save the world crap. The series was better when it focused on the mirco.
The two brothers thing is bad for both of them, but it's really the coup de'grace of a longer standing problem that began by turning a personal struggle into massive world-wide one that has spanned multiple generations. Thus, they in their awesomeness will solve a conflict not even the greatest of ninja could solve.
t's also the reason why i feel people have misdirected rage against Sakura for not being as powerful as Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura is actually one thing Kishi actually wrote correctly, but because he had to asspull Sasuke into the picture AND have Naruto be of equal status to him, he had to pull out probably the biggest asspull of the manga.
I don't see how it's misdirected if there are problems with both (which there are). That Sasuke's issues are worse (which they are) doesn't mean he isn't screwing Sakura up too.
The whole thing with Naruto trying to save Sasuke is okay
I think so, too. I think it'd be more accept to readers if more time had been spent justifying the whole best friend bit and more time going into why Naruto is so desperate to never lose any friend. The latter isn't necessarily rational, but given his history I understand. I think its implied, but maybe it would be better received if Naruto openly explained this.