Well things are possible for a Sakura/Rin parallel, even Naruto mentioning how if he lost Sakura he wouldn't commit to the stuff Obito did.
I understand how some NH fans relate Neji to the incident, but neji is just one friend of Naruto's the first close life friend he ever lost, not a love. Besides Naruto lost Jiraya first, he had experienced a loss before, but that also had development that made sense, tied into Shikamaru with his loss towards Asuma. But if we want to parallel Neji to anyone, its his own father. Neji's father died on his own will, just as Neji followed. Yes Rin died on her own will too but its not to the same extent of the other traits which still relate her towards Sakura. Main point of a parallel, aside from being established, there are certain traits in one character and another that are errly similar, hence why naruto is paralleled in aspects towards Minato and Kushina, but that Minato aspect is dominant as we've seen it so much more. In this case, out of all the similarities rin has around herself, she is easier to relate to Sakura than Neji despite the sacrifices she and Neji made. Rather how is Neji supposed to relate to Rin when there are more reasons relating towards Sakura, such as well Naruto loves Sakura and wants to protect her right? If Obito is supposed to be the opposite of Naruto, being the bad of everything Naruto could have done if he gave into despair, then we should guess that if Sakura had been harmed in some way, Naruto would have turned out the same right?
Neji isn't like Rin despite acts of sacrifice. While the sacrifices can be seen as similar in some cases, the potential of a parallel is much more apporpiate to see Sakura and Rin rather than Neji and Rin. Its just like when people tried to compare Hinata towards either Minato or Kushina, until an established parallel is made then everything else is speculatory. Sakura = Kushina as the only girl compared to her right now, Sakura is the only girl like Kushina, that parallel was established by Minato no less yet there was plenty of screen evidence to support who Kushina was more like.
A Sakura/Rin parallel is likely, but at this point some fans are hoping for a sudden 450 surprise but from NH this time. I'm just going to say, while it can occur, whats the point? I mean Hinata had her moment in the pain arc, Sakura's moment in 450 was a first time event, like after all that chaos, this was the first time Sakura was truely compassionate to Naruto on her own choice, she was thankful for him saving the village. I still feel Sakura's hug is a more significant scene than Hinata's confession for these reasons:
1. Look at Hinata before the pain event, chunin exams and her short appearances in the sasuke and sai arc and tagging along with her team and team 7 in the itachi pursuit arc. What did Hinata do on her own with until that time? Not much, her only major arc until the ten tails revival was the chunin exams and that was rather well, her intro arc. After neji was pummeled, she really had no significance in part 1 after that.
2. Hinata hasn't been used as much, she had no real development in part 2 until the pain arc, literally its like this, chunin exam she is introduced, finals she just gets motivation after seeing naruto beat neji. Part 2 starts, she is reintroduced but faints, she tags along with the itachi hunt team but has no real development. In all respect, the itachi pursuit was focused on Sasuke and Itachi obviously, Naruto and the rest took a backseat to hunt, only causing more anguish if anything upon Naruto and Sakura for failing to save Sasuke again.
3. So we reach Pain, guess what? she confesses, at this point, how much had Hinata actually changed? Its like this was a big part of her character and its already been spoken to her idol. We still haven't had enough time with Hinata at this point, literally with just one arc of moderate development and nothing else, now she is suddenly important? Thats the deal there, the confession wasn't unmerited just, may have come at the wrong time, if kishi had used her more and given her more scenes, even just in downtime it wouldn't have been as offputting, I mean the biggest offense, this confession happened and just practically vanished with only a short memory of Naruto's clone when he meets her again during the war. Thats the only notion of continuing this so far at presant.
So why the hug then?
Look at Sakura, easy enough. She hated Naruto, wanted nothing to do with him. Became friends, and after the big fight and damage event, she hugs him. Why? It was a sign of how much she had changed. It was something that occurred for the first time that could never have 3 years ago when they were 12-13. Sakura hugging Naruto in one way was not only thanks but to show how far she had come with him, how far their friendship had become. Naruto was shocked, he didn't expect Sakura to do that. People can try to downplay it all they want and try to make issues about how he doesn't react, no its simple. Naruto was shocked that Sakura did that because he never expected her to act that openly to him. It was a major stride between them and it was the first time, in chp 450 we saw the girl who once hated and dispised Naruto, now embracing him for his efforts and thanking him.
Many people still have the ideal of Hinata Hinata as the main character or part of the main cast, they think she is the heroine. Others think that for some reason Kishi is messing with the fanbase or that fan size for Hinata makes a difference.
Again these are wrong, all accounts. There is a difference for characters, in position and role and focus. A position is like the critical spots a story needs, a protagonist, antagonist, both have secondary protraginoists aka main characters. A role however is something like hero, villian, heroine, villianess, anti-hero, anti-villian (yes these exist, as an anti-hero lacks all the qualities of other heroes, anti-villians exist to do evil stuff but less severe or they hold some neutral self interest, sometimes sparing others if they are not worth a kill or blow etc). Not all roles are given in every story, I mean look at Dragon Ball, Bulma was by all acounts a secondary protagonist and the heroine. By DBZ she was only a secondary protagonist until the frieza saga ended. So by all acounts, Dragonball had a heroine but DBZ didn't. Obviously under these, the major, minor, and reoccurring characters exist. In Naruto, simple examples of Major include Shikamaru, Gaara, and Tsunade. Minor include team 8, various Akaskui members, and tenten. Reoccuring are guys like the ramen man, Iruka, and 3rd hokage. The focus however is the point of the story at which we are seeing, the current setting. The mains, majors, minors, and reoccuring all have their positions, but at times the focus shifts towards one or some characters despite their role. I mean like this: Hidan and Kakuzu were minor villians, only had one arc, yet the arc focused on them even though main villians like Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Itachi (at the time) were still of more importance. This is exactly the ordeal for team 10 and shikamaru in the hidan and kakazu arc, the focus was mostly on them with team 7 including Naruto going on a different lesser focus (training in this case).
As for the other reasons of kishi trolling the fanbase, no this is a dumb reason, he doesn't go out of his way to make the story seem like an emtional rollercoster of who dates who like in romance series, he doesn't. The emotional rollercoster Kishi puts out is based on constant aspects of friends and loss in a world where they must fight. NOT WHO DATES WHO. Seriously, 631 wasn't made to screw NH fans over, it was made because kishi wanted to say regardless of any ending, NS or not, Sakura has some similatires to Kushina, thats all. Not inducing love aspects as many think. Likewise, fanbase size makes no difference either. Anyone who seriously still believes this needs to stop reading and realize, theres a difference between fanbase appiriation and fanservice. Kishi isn't going all fanservice, otherwise if NH was making an impact then why would he do 631 as Sakura to Kushina when he could have easily just surprised everyone with Hinata to Kushina? Seriously, fanbase size matters not. Otherwise, 631 as it was written proves that fanbase size doesn't matter since it caused such an uproar for fans and Kishi did this along with Sasuke's recent choice to aid the allaince (until later).
But as far as anything goes, if NH was shown as much as NS, if Hinata had more of the focus despite being a minor character, if Kishi developed more with Naruto and Hinata at anypoint in the gap between 469 to 631 to the point it made Naruto see her more than Sakura, then yeah NH would have been better. But seriously, what does NH have left aside from simply resolving the confession? Sakura has her feelings towards both Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura has focused on Naruto practically 90% this arc, bypassing Sasuke and saying she doesn't trust him. NS has Sasuke as a factor and the final fight can be a major resolution one for NS. NH has nothing even connected to Sasuke. The fact that Hinata and Sasuke never even talked together once, thats a big gap right there. If Hinata isn't even important around the main plot like Sakura is, thats a big disadvantage right there. This exists, Hinata without Sasuke ever interacting equals what is her real importance? Nejis gone, if not for Naruto Hinata would be reduced to what Tenten has been, a simple unimportant background character whos just there for the sake of being there. At this point Hinata is basically that spare romance token character, but with so much invested development in Sakura and what remaining acceptable development to finish Hinata, to just slap Naruto with her and send Sakura to Sasuke... what on earth would that accomplish? Its just a big waste. Hinata can suprise us again, but with this battle about over, with what Naruto is talking about, its so likely Sakura can be brought up in how he loves her or she can again suprise Naruto for accomplishing the fight. But seriously, people hoping for a neji revival, that would completely negate the importance of 615, it would just be more BS and just really undue what Hinata just did.
If Neji comes back then NH fans would need to acknowledge this:
1. They cannot blame Sakura for his death, he would be fine
2. Neji coming back by rinne tensei would absoluitely cancel out the importance of Hinata's speech of giving up lives when one can come back just because of your efforts, wheres the perpose of sacrifice neji did then?
3. Hinata would go back even further, just cause she mastered 64 palms, what about her forced growth in the war to help naruto? With neji now she is back to being focused on both naruto and neji but doesn't have a direct focus on naruto anymore does she?
4. 631 was untouched yet still in effect, sakura being compared to kushina had no impact on nejis actions anyway shape or form. This big factor is still in play regardless if neji is stuck dead or if he came back.
But neji isn't coming back, NH fans need a choice, reduce hinata's character development or go forward with neji's death for more in the future. Either way 631 is untouched and still the biggest hint of what lies ahead.
NS has been constant, it has that most important element, development and screentime. Its been there, its gone through so much. 631 is just a small hint building on top of kushinas foreshadow. Its a small bonus. NH meantime remains unaddressed and long untouched. I cannot say I will be suprised if didn't take much to resolve it. Seriusly anytime now there can be a Naruto thinking how he feels about sakura. If his feelings havn't changed at this point. If this is the final battle before sasuke, this was Hinata's last fight. So how can Hinata, having no importance around Sasuke, having to compare with all of Sakura's development and growth and time with Naruto, having little change in herself, having to deal with the 631 and 635 events, manage to gain some sort of importance over all this in a fight she has no correlation with at all? She can't. Its becoming harder and harder to make Nh believable at this point and if this was the last battle with her, well if there is even a moment Naruto shows thinking how he wants team 7 or loving Sakura, if he hasn't changed at this point. Its just impossible for NH to become canon at that time. Its just very very hard for it right now.
As said many times. NS has all the development, screentime, and pacing to stand as a well developed story relationship from shaky starts to a great fully developed ending one. Development is what counts and the dynamics between them are just that, believable. All the parts for it are laid out, kishi can write it virtually anyway now. He did some with 631. The parallels are just a bonus yet they still hint where kishi can be heading.