19964 replies to this topic

[PachucoDesigns]

well that is for sure that this is the only pairing with mutual development and only this pairing wil make sense!! But do u think the mutual development which was early shippuden was thought to be going in romantic direction instantly turned only to friendly development can make this pairing be sure in the end! I mean even though many of u will not believe but sakura is being showed to olove sasuke and only have very deep caring for naruto!

it won't be very shocking to me (although i will be sad but not shocked) if

SS happens because in many mangas even if the bad person tried to destory or kill a person he gets that person in end. Very big example is bulmaxvegeta.Moreover i think as much as i have got to see sakura's character she will fall for sasuke if he turns good and comes back and will not go to naruto
NH happens because naruto has to end up with someone if he survives the war and if sakura doesn't chose him i think kishi will end him up with hinata considering naruto won't like to hurt hinata's feelings!

This is just my thoughts and i will be very happy if NS happens in end but i can't just see it happening

Well, there are reasons why I see the idea of pairing Sakura with Sasuke as a betrayal to her character, to the flow of the story, and to Kishimoto's overall intentions for the development therein. The love triangle of Sakura/Sasuke/Naruto depicts the confusing and conflicting dualities of love and lust, true affection and infatuation, crush and commitment. Now, it is not to say that either character is more worthy of love, but whether or not their actions have justified the love of Sakura. I've heard it said that the choice is Sakura's alone in this case, but that isn't true. If it was, then the conflict basically wouldn't exist. Her choice is to either continue hoping for Sasuke's return and the return of her feelings, or to recognize and honor Naruto's feelings and acknowledge her growing affection.

Kishimoto's intention for Sakura is clearly in growth. Yes, as a ninja, but more as a mature person. That's why her starting point was one of shallow ambitions without giving credit where it is due, or in reality, thinking of anyone but herself. There was a point to that, and it was to show the dramatic gradation of her character growth from then until now. She went from fearing for her own life to having courage for the sake of others. She went from fickle and unstable emotions to a stalwart and caring heart. She went from harboring grudges in past rivalries to strengthening bonds because of them. She went from believing Ino's analogy of a budding flower signifying beauty, grace and charm to understanding that there are far more important, lasting qualities to strive for. She went from a shallow debutante to loving caregiver.

Now, at the very heart of her growth, we have the most ingrained part of her emotions: her love for Sasuke. Anyone can tell that her basis for "loving" him was the very same as every other girl: because he was elite, cool and handsome. It had no basis beyond that. Therefore, she was infatuated with him, she did not love him. We see how she shed so many tears of desperation for him, but really, can we call that emotional frailty a virtue? Or was it merely an immature heart, the sign of a naive little girl who had yet to understand what was truly important to her? Was it her caring for Sasuke, or was it the sycophantic behavior of a girl who places all value in the adoration of this young heartthrob, while having no value or respect for herself? Her saving grace was that Kishimoto had her grow since then, to face and fix her character flaws, as a heroine is supposed to do. This was his intention all along, and it can be seen clearly in context.

I hear fans say that she didn't start to love Sasuke until the forehead remark, which is why they place such importance on it for a NaruSaku justification. But it's not true, and to suggest it is to diminish the worth of her character. After all of her growth as a person, after the expansion of her maturity, having so much importance placed on that moment for its own sake is to say that her values never really changed, and that a shallow compliment still has such a major impact on her heart. Yes, I understand that it was a major insecurity for her, and that is what gives the compliment weight. But over time, she has attained greater insecurities, and she has overcome them. She felt insecure for her weakness, and she gained strength to overcome it. Naruto's acknowledgement of her growth beyond her insecurities of self-worth should, and does, hold far more worth than a compliment about a perceived physical flaw. And I know this will come to be evident. He may use that compliment as a recall, but it will merely be for a smile. It will not be the fulcrum on which her feelings turn, and it will not be the deciding moment which makes her love him. If anything, it will just trigger the memory of all the more important things her has done for her, all of the other way he has helped her grow.

And this is precisely why I think the Tsundere argument needs to be dropped as well. Yes, she is a Tsundere. And yes, I know what it means. Yes, I understand that her harshness toward Naruto was toward that end. But the thing about it is that the Tsundere archetype is merely a tool to develop her character, and lends nothing to context. It is far more beneficial to attribute her earlier harshness toward Naruto as one more mark of immaturity that she has since overcome. Her feelings are dramatically shifting. She is starting to understand that her infatuation for Sasuke had no susbstantial basis, and that love is much more than fantasies of cheesy romance. She is starting to understand Naruto's true value, regarding him as someone to confide in and trust instead of an annoyance. She is starting to see him as a hero, her "rock," and not a burden. She is starting to be proud of his strength instead of jealous of his growth in light of (what used to be) her inadequacy.

These are a major reasons why Naruto has made a much more lasting impression than Sasuke, and why he must be the one to win her heart. If he doesn't, then Kishimoto will have betrayed everything he has established to this point. Character growth, change, conflict and resolution, rising action and climax...all of it will be for naught, because the SS pairing will suggest that nothing has changed at all, especially for Sakura. It will be anticlimactic and a complete waste of everyone's time.

Edited by PachucoDesigns, 08 April 2012 - 09:49 AM.

[xxRomanceGirlxx]

well that is for sure that this is the only pairing with mutual development and only this pairing wil make sense!! But do u think the mutual development which was early shippuden was thought to be going in romantic direction instantly turned only to friendly development can make this pairing be sure in the end! I mean even though many of u will not believe but sakura is being showed to olove sasuke and only have very deep caring for naruto!

it won't be very shocking to me (although i will be sad but not shocked) if

SS happens because in many mangas even if the bad person tried to destory or kill a person he gets that person in end. Very big example is bulmaxvegeta.Moreover i think as much as i have got to see sakura's character she will fall for sasuke if he turns good and comes back and will not go to naruto
NH happens because naruto has to end up with someone if he survives the war and if sakura doesn't chose him i think kishi will end him up with hinata considering naruto won't like to hurt hinata's feelings!

This is just my thoughts and i will be very happy if NS happens in end but i can't just see it happening

I have to respond to this. I can't hold my thoughts in any longer. Why do you instantly think their development turned to friendly? It didn't at all. It was and still is romantic. Sakura's feelings are ambigious to an extent but there is clear evidence that Sakura harbors unrealized romantic affection towards Naruto. I'll point it out the proof right now: Unfinished sentence which clearly hinted more
than friends(That sentence wasn't even necessary. Why do it?), Sakura feeding Naruto when his arm was broken and she looked at him oddly(Considered romantic in Japan.), and Sakura hugged Naruto twice in front of crowds and was smiling happily then which is also considered romantic(Especially the first one. Even the people in the background were blushing). Don't say Sakura's confession was
a flat out lie. We don't know that and she obviously telling the truth to an extent. Sakura got furious when he called her out on lying and didn't even look nervous at all(Quote: "I'm the only one who knows
what I'm feeling!"-Sakura). Not only that, but she flat out stated that she doesn't want him to chase Sasuke if it means he'll be in danger and she meant that, telling a half truth. She put his feelings before hers. She then tried to kill Sasuke herself in order to shoulder Naruto's burdan and keep him safe, not caring if she died or not. As long as Naruto was alive, that's all that mattered. How is none of that love?

Sakura does have feelings for Sasuke still but there are not nearly as strong as they once were. Her feelings for Naruto overpower that(Proof: When Sasuke was critizing Kakashi, she was quiet. But
when he did that to Naruto, she grew angry and raised her voice towards Sasuke, defending against the man she supposedly loved more. Not only that but at the same time, she called out
Naruto's name unconsiously in worry, when Sasuke was the man she supposedly loved.) Sakura does have lingering affection towards Sasuke but she's not proud of it and Kishimoto isn't destroying her character by bringing up her feelings for Sasuke. Quite the opposite. He's depicting her as a very compassionate person for still caring for a murderer as well as showning she's sickened by it.
The purpose of 540 was to show that Sakura's character isn't done yet but Kishi is planning on getting over her romantic feelings towards Sasuke and fully realizing as well as accepting her
love towards Naruto is stronger than her feelings for Sasuke.

Sakura isn't a fangirl anymore! She won't just run into Sasuke's arms after everything he's done. That would absolutely destroy her character and Kishimoto is aware of this. He has a
fondness towards her character and would never ruin it by making her do that. You should already know this and I'm slightly insulted on Sakura's behalf that you have such little faith and respect in her.
She's wouldn't be able to even trust Sasuke for YEARS, let alone be with him. Sakura is holding onto a ridiculous crush towards Sasuke which she thought was love but is just an infatuation
and she's on her way to recognizing that. You know why she is confused by her feelings for Naruto? She has never felt this way towards anyone before, not even Sasuke. She doesn't know what it is.
My theory is that she has never truly been in love before, Sasuke was/is a crush which she thinks is love. Her feelings for Naruto are geninue, untarnished love. That is what I believe and why it is the source of her confusion. I personally would be shocked if Sakura ended up with Sasuke and my respect towards her would drop. I know that won't happen because I regard Sakura so highly and I know she
wouldn't do that after everything. What makes you think Sakura would chose Sasuke again? More importantly, what makes you think Sasuke would even accept her feelings? She knows that
Naruto has always been there for her and even if she wanted to be with Sasuke, she wouldn't because she knows how Naruto would feel over it. Sakura already gave up on being with Sasuke
romantically, and doesn't want that anymore. Sakura knows Naruto has always been there for her and would do anything to make her happy. He's all she really needs. Sakura would be
nothing if Naruto dies. She cares for him MORE than Sasuke, romantic or otherwise. It's only a fact.

Sasuke accepting Sakura's love is not only highly unlikely but also extremely out of character. He doesn't care about romance at all and likely never will, even when he's good. Sasuke displays
no interest towards Sakura or any girl so I'm seriously at a loss at why you think SS is more likely . Naruto will survive the war. I have no doubt. He still needs to surpass the previous generations
and become Hokage. Naruto will end up with Sakura, not Hinata and likely anyone else. True Naruto wouldn't want to hurt her feelings but at the same time he won't accept Hinata's love and force
himself to love her. It's just not happening. Naruto's too nice to use someone's feelings just because he would be alone. That's like she's just his second choice because he wouldn't have Sakura and that's just out of character for him not to mention mean to do to her. Hinata won't end up with Naruto. I'm postive. If he truly won't get Sakura like you think, then he would probably still love her throughout his life and be single, just like Jiraiya was with Tsunade.

It saddens me that you doubt NaruSaku so much and I only hope my post can revive some of your hopes again

Edited by xxRomanceGirlxx, 08 April 2012 - 10:00 AM.

[Namaenash]

well that is for sure that this is the only pairing with mutual development and only this pairing wil make sense!! But do u think the mutual development which was early shippuden was thought to be going in romantic direction instantly turned only to friendly development can make this pairing be sure in the end! I mean even though many of u will not believe but sakura is being showed to olove sasuke and only have very deep caring for naruto!

it won't be very shocking to me (although i will be sad but not shocked) if

SS happens because in many mangas even if the bad person tried to destory or kill a person he gets that person in end. Very big example is bulmaxvegeta.Moreover i think as much as i have got to see sakura's character she will fall for sasuke if he turns good and comes back and will not go to naruto
NH happens because naruto has to end up with someone if he survives the war and if sakura doesn't chose him i think kishi will end him up with hinata considering naruto won't like to hurt hinata's feelings!

This is just my thoughts and i will be very happy if NS happens in end but i can't just see it happening

Please dont bring DBZ pairing reference, the series has never stressed the romance part. Akira Toriyama was also trying to piss his fans

The problem with your statement is: what's the point of doing the development for Naruto and Sakura then?

If SS happens, the message is girls should always give chances to the guy that never appreciate them, never knew them in depth, tried to kill them twice. At the same time, they should not waste the time for the nice guy that hold them in highest regards, always there to help and always there to save them when they're in pinch. As for boys, you know what, try to be cool and unappreciative to the girls that adore you. They will always give you a chance and provide a bear hug, even though you treat them like trash.

If NH happens, the message is boys should give up on their dream girl, because there's another girl that has confessed her love even though you hardly knew her. Give a chance to this girl you never talked to. That girl was also not there for most of the time, but she did look upon you from far far away. As for girls, you just need to declare your love once and sit patiently for the boys to come back to you. Dont do anything else. Just watch from far far away. You dont need to be there for him most of the time. You dont need to talk to him.

If NS happens, it has better message to convey to the audience. Sure, it will need to go a lot of obstacles for it to happen, and that is essentially the message of Naruto as manga in general. Bonds, hardwork, never give up, never loose hope, at the same time being a selfless person to give happiness to others. One of our member, @Chew, mentioned in another thread which I totally agree:

Quoted from Chew, I hope she/he doesnt mind --Click here to view--

...But I feel a huge part of what makes this pairing so rich and full of development is the tension. Not just the subtle flirtatious hints, but even the subtle bold statements that have pivotal roles in this pairings development. Statements and moments that pop up in one-sided situations; when Yamato had that unfinished sentence, Sakura was the one listening, while Naruto was unconscious. When Sai pointed out to Naruto that he can see he really likes her, it was Naruto present, not Sakura. The fact that a lot of these moments happen to only one side of the pairing at a time creates an odd tension- frustrating, in a sense that 'WHYYY, WHYYY COULDN'T YOU BE THERE TO LISTEN', but satisfying because it only builds up more confidence and evidence in the pairing. Of course, we have a few mutual moments that I think are amazing, and while these are very nice to see, my favorite N/S moments are usually those in which only one of the two is directly included in it.

@PachucoDesigns,

Well Said Pachuco... --Click here to view--

I hear fans say that she didn't start to love Sasuke until the forehead remark, which is why they place such importance on it for a NaruSaku justification. But it's not true, and to suggest it is to diminish the worth of her character. After all of her growth as a person, after the expansion of her maturity, having so much importance placed on that moment for its own sake is to say that her values never really changed, and that a shallow compliment still has such a major impact on her heart. Yes, I understand that it was a major insecurity for her, and that is what gives the compliment weight. But over time, she has attained greater insecurities, and she has overcome them. She felt insecure for her weakness, and she gained strength to overcome it. Naruto's acknowledgement of her growth beyond her insecurities of self-worth should, and does, hold far more worth than a compliment about a perceived physical flaw. And I know this will come to be evident. He may use that compliment as a recall, but it will merely be for a smile. It will not be the fulcrum on which her feelings turn, and it will not be the deciding moment which makes her love him. If anything, it will just trigger the memory of all the more important things her has done for her, all of the other way he has helped her grow.

The way I see it, it is a symbol that she was not able to see who is her true 'love' when she was younger. To come back to a full circle, that scene need to be revisited to trigger the memory of who Sakura's true love is --the one who always understand her, helped her and be there for her. I also agree that it may not be literally complimenting her physical attributes (e.g. Naruto saying that her forehead is charming), I'm not sure how Kishi's going to do that, but I hope he make a full circle by closing that bench scene...

Edited by Namaenash, 08 April 2012 - 10:14 AM.

[PachucoDesigns]

Please dont bring DBZ pairing reference, the series has never stressed the romance part. Akira Toriyama was also trying to piss his fans

The problem with your statement is: what's the point of doing the development for Naruto and Sakura then?

If SS happens, the message is girls should always give chances to the guy that never appreciate them, never knew them in depth, tried to kill them twice. At the same time, they should not waste the time for the nice guy that hold them in highest regards, always there to help and always there to save them when they're in pinch. As for boys, you know what, try to be cool and unappreciative to the girls that adore you. They will always give you a chance and provide a bear hug, even though you treat them like trash.

If NH happens, the message is boys should give up on their dream girl, because there's another girl that has confessed her love even though you hardly knew her. Give a chance to this girl you never talked to. That girl was also not there for most of the time, but she did look upon you from far far away. As for girls, you just need to declare your love once and sit patiently for the boys to come back to you. Dont do anything else. Just watch from far far away. You dont need to be there for him most of the time. You dont need to talk to him.

If NS happens, it has better message to convey to the audience. Sure, it will need to go a lot of obstacles for it to happen, and that is essentially the message of Naruto as manga in general. Bonds, hardwork, never give up, never loose hope, at the same time being a selfless person to give happiness to others. One of our member, @Chew, mentioned in another thread which I totally agree:

Quoted from Chew, I hope she/he doesnt mind --Click here to view--

...But I feel a huge part of what makes this pairing so rich and full of development is the tension. Not just the subtle flirtatious hints, but even the subtle bold statements that have pivotal roles in this pairings development. Statements and moments that pop up in one-sided situations; when Yamato had that unfinished sentence, Sakura was the one listening, while Naruto was unconscious. When Sai pointed out to Naruto that he can see he really likes her, it was Naruto present, not Sakura. The fact that a lot of these moments happen to only one side of the pairing at a time creates an odd tension- frustrating, in a sense that 'WHYYY, WHYYY COULDN'T YOU BE THERE TO LISTEN', but satisfying because it only builds up more confidence and evidence in the pairing. Of course, we have a few mutual moments that I think are amazing, and while these are very nice to see, my favorite N/S moments are usually those in which only one of the two is directly included in it.

@PachucoDesigns,

Well Said Pachuco... --Click here to view--

I hear fans say that she didn't start to love Sasuke until the forehead remark, which is why they place such importance on it for a NaruSaku justification. But it's not true, and to suggest it is to diminish the worth of her character. After all of her growth as a person, after the expansion of her maturity, having so much importance placed on that moment for its own sake is to say that her values never really changed, and that a shallow compliment still has such a major impact on her heart. Yes, I understand that it was a major insecurity for her, and that is what gives the compliment weight. But over time, she has attained greater insecurities, and she has overcome them. She felt insecure for her weakness, and she gained strength to overcome it. Naruto's acknowledgement of her growth beyond her insecurities of self-worth should, and does, hold far more worth than a compliment about a perceived physical flaw. And I know this will come to be evident. He may use that compliment as a recall, but it will merely be for a smile. It will not be the fulcrum on which her feelings turn, and it will not be the deciding moment which makes her love him. If anything, it will just trigger the memory of all the more important things her has done for her, all of the other way he has helped her grow.

The way I see it, it is a symbol that she was not able to see who is her true 'love' when she was younger. To come back to a full circle, that scene need to be revisited to trigger the memory of who Sakura's true love is --the one who always understand her, helped her and be there for her. I also agree that it may not be literally complimenting her physical attributes (e.g. Naruto saying that her forehead is charming), I'm not sure how Kishi's going to do that, but I hope he make a full circle by closing that bench scene...

I have no problem with him using that scene as some sort of device to realize everything that has happened up to this point. But I think putting weight on the compliment itself, in hindsight of everything else, is an insult to the growth of her character. If she still cares about her forehead being wide, then she hasn't changed at all. That's my point.

[Konoha'sCrimsonFox]

well that is for sure that this is the only pairing with mutual development and only this pairing wil make sense!! But do u think the mutual development which was early shippuden was thought to be going in romantic direction instantly turned only to friendly development can make this pairing be sure in the end! I mean even though many of u will not believe but sakura is being showed to olove sasuke and only have very deep caring for naruto!

it won't be very shocking to me (although i will be sad but not shocked) if

SS happens because in many mangas even if the bad person tried to destory or kill a person he gets that person in end. Very big example is bulmaxvegeta.Moreover i think as much as i have got to see sakura's character she will fall for sasuke if he turns good and comes back and will not go to naruto
NH happens because naruto has to end up with someone if he survives the war and if sakura doesn't chose him i think kishi will end him up with hinata considering naruto won't like to hurt hinata's feelings!

This is just my thoughts and i will be very happy if NS happens in end but i can't just see it happening

That's just looking at it from fitly-fifty. Now on to the positive 50 percent chances of NS happening.

When Naruto told her she was lying to herself. It was not about her love for him, but her denial of not loving Sasuke. And she had shown to hold her ground against Naruto's rejection stating that he doesn't know what's on her mind. And perhaps the best ting about it is that she has yet to apologize Naruto about it. She, to my believe is obscure about her feelings for Naruto. There is the feeling that she wants Sasuke, but when ever she looks at Naruto. She wants to embrace him too. So this is the reason why Sakura couldn't apologize to Naruto for using his feelings because Sakura know she is in love with him, and wants to sort out her feelings after the war. And what does she think about NH, or Naruto to be involve romantically with another woman? There is one evidence, but its certainly unclear what Sakura is feeling when Konoha was still under siege and turmoil.

Sakura's reaction to Hinata's affection for Naruto. --Click here to view--

Got this one off MF before the removed all SJ manga, and kept it in storage for reference. Kishi did a great job to mask her expression, but I'm being optimistic about this evidence that it proves that Sakura does not want Naruto to be involve in a relationship with another woman.

But being a fifty-fifty chance of happening now--the percentage will escalate. What she knows about Naruto is just the surface. She has yet to see his SM and BM form. She has yet to learn his heritage.

What is going to happen one way or another when Naruto's generation (except Sai) knows that Naruto is the son of the Yondaime Hokage and a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan? And better yet if you're Sakura?

My thinking is that whatever Sakura wanted Sasuke to become in the past. Naruto has become that of a man. Now that his bloodline and heritage is just as big as Sasuke's. It will be like almost impossible for her not to choice Naruto because i'm sure he will have fan girls just like his father had in the past (I wondered how Kushina could ever put up with that lol). A hero and a son to the most handsome Hokage ever in the eyes of women. How does one not choose such a selfless man?

And she did the right thing to wait until the war and the Sasuke issue has been resolve before sorting out her love life.

Still, I see NS happening^_^

[FoolishYoungling]

That's just looking at it from fitly-fifty. Now on to the positive 50 percent chances of NS happening.

When Naruto told her she was lying to herself. It was not about her love for him, but her denial of not loving Sasuke. And she had shown to hold her ground against Naruto's rejection stating that he doesn't know what's on her mind. And perhaps the best ting about it is that she has yet to apologize Naruto about it. She, to my believe is obscure about her feelings for Naruto. There is the feeling that she wants Sasuke, but when ever she looks at Naruto. She wants to embrace him too. So this is the reason why Sakura couldn't apologize to Naruto for using his feelings because Sakura know she is in love with him, and wants to sort out her feelings after the war. And what does she think about NH, or Naruto to be involve romantically with another woman? There is one evidence, but its certainly unclear what Sakura is feeling when Konoha was still under siege and turmoil.

Sakura's reaction to Hinata's affection for Naruto. --Click here to view--

Got this one off MF before the removed all SJ manga, and kept it in storage for reference. Kishi did a great job to mask her expression, but I'm being optimistic about this evidence that it proves that Sakura does not want Naruto to be involve in a relationship with another woman.

But being a fifty-fifty chance of happening now--the percentage will escalate. What she knows about Naruto is just the surface. She has yet to see his SM and BM form. She has yet to learn his heritage.

What is going to happen one way or another when Naruto's generation (except Sai) knows that Naruto is the son of the Yondaime Hokage and a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan? And better yet if you're Sakura?

My thinking is that whatever Sakura wanted Sasuke to become in the past. Naruto has become that of a man. Now that his bloodline and heritage is just as big as Sasuke's. It will be like almost impossible for her not to choice Naruto because i'm sure he will have fan girls just like his father had in the past (I wondered how Kushina could ever put up with that lol). A hero and a son to the most handsome Hokage ever in the eyes of women. How does one not choose such a selfless man?

And she did the right thing to wait until the war and the Sasuke issue has been resolve before sorting out her love life.

Still, I see NS happening^_^

All's good but why are you saying the pairings at 50-50? It's more 95-5 than anything. Only manga counts.

[Don-kun]

Well, there are reasons why I see the idea of pairing Sakura with Sasuke as a betrayal to her character, to the flow of the story, and to Kishimoto's overall intentions for the development therein. The love triangle of Sakura/Sasuke/Naruto depicts the confusing and conflicting dualities of love and lust, true affection and infatuation, crush and commitment. Now, it is not to say that either character is more worthy of love, but whether or not their actions have justified the love of Sakura. I've heard it said that the choice is Sakura's alone in this case, but that isn't true. If it was, then the conflict basically wouldn't exist. Her choice is to either continue hoping for Sasuke's return and the return of her feelings, or to recognize and honor Naruto's feelings and acknowledge her growing affection.

Kishimoto's intention for Sakura is clearly in growth. Yes, as a ninja, but more as a mature person. That's why her starting point was one of shallow ambitions without giving credit where it is due, or in reality, thinking of anyone but herself. There was a point to that, and it was to show the dramatic gradation of her character growth from then until now. She went from fearing for her own life to having courage for the sake of others. She went from fickle and unstable emotions to a stalwart and caring heart. She went from harboring grudges in past rivalries to strengthening bonds because of them. She went from believing Ino's analogy of a budding flower signifying beauty, grace and charm to understanding that there are far more important, lasting qualities to strive for. She went from a shallow debutante to loving caregiver.

Now, at the very heart of her growth, we have the most ingrained part of her emotions: her love for Sasuke. Anyone can tell that her basis for "loving" him was the very same as every other girl: because he was elite, cool and handsome. It had no basis beyond that. Therefore, she was infatuated with him, she did not love him. We see how she shed so many tears of desperation for him, but really, can we call that emotional frailty a virtue? Or was it merely an immature heart, the sign of a naive little girl who had yet to understand what was truly important to her? Was it her caring for Sasuke, or was it the sycophantic behavior of a girl who places all value in the adoration of this young heartthrob, while having no value or respect for herself? Her saving grace was that Kishimoto had her grow since then, to face and fix her character flaws, as a heroine is supposed to do. This was his intention all along, and it can be seen clearly in context.

I hear fans say that she didn't start to love Sasuke until the forehead remark, which is why they place such importance on it for a NaruSaku justification. But it's not true, and to suggest it is to diminish the worth of her character. After all of her growth as a person, after the expansion of her maturity, having so much importance placed on that moment for its own sake is to say that her values never really changed, and that a shallow compliment still has such a major impact on her heart. Yes, I understand that it was a major insecurity for her, and that is what gives the compliment weight. But over time, she has attained greater insecurities, and she has overcome them. She felt insecure for her weakness, and she gained strength to overcome it. Naruto's acknowledgement of her growth beyond her insecurities of self-worth should, and does, hold far more worth than a compliment about a perceived physical flaw. And I know this will come to be evident. He may use that compliment as a recall, but it will merely be for a smile. It will not be the fulcrum on which her feelings turn, and it will not be the deciding moment which makes her love him. If anything, it will just trigger the memory of all the more important things her has done for her, all of the other way he has helped her grow.

And this is precisely why I think the Tsundere argument needs to be dropped as well. Yes, she is a Tsundere. And yes, I know what it means. Yes, I understand that her harshness toward Naruto was toward that end. But the thing about it is that the Tsundere archetype is merely a tool to develop her character, and lends nothing to context. It is far more beneficial to attribute her earlier harshness toward Naruto as one more mark of immaturity that she has since overcome. Her feelings are dramatically shifting. She is starting to understand that her infatuation for Sasuke had no susbstantial basis, and that love is much more than fantasies of cheesy romance. She is starting to understand Naruto's true value, regarding him as someone to confide in and trust instead of an annoyance. She is starting to see him as a hero, her "rock," and not a burden. She is starting to be proud of his strength instead of jealous of his growth in light of (what used to be) her inadequacy.

These are a major reasons why Naruto has made a much more lasting impression than Sasuke, and why he must be the one to win her heart. If he doesn't, then Kishimoto will have betrayed everything he has established to this point. Character growth, change, conflict and resolution, rising action and climax...all of it will be for naught, because the SS pairing will suggest that nothing has changed at all, especially for Sakura. It will be anticlimactic and a complete waste of everyone's time.

I told you before I agree with you before and I agree with you now, Sakura change a lot because of Naruto and would be a shame to betray her change because of him just to pair her up with someone that never love her and only come to say that he love her now because she become that amezing person Naruto inspired her to be.
Then force Naruto to be will Hinata when he never lover her and she was never the person that help him become the person he is now.
Naruto change because he really want to be strong to seve Sasuke and keep that promise to Sakura.

Hinara was the one that always admire him, but Sakura was the one that really start to care about him, Hinata was the one that with no basis change her admiration to love, Sakura was the one that start to respect Naruto has a man and a grat person.
Hinata see a hero in Naruto.
Sakura se an amazing person in Naruto and a man with a big heart.

So Sasuke doesn't care or adknowledge Sakura and try to errase her from existence.

Naruto is the man that always believe in her, support her, comfort her and love her more that any other alive person.

Hinata see a hero in Naruto a person that help her to believe in herself a person she copy his nindo and with out any true friendship she say that she love him.

Sakura see Naruto as an important person in her life, a great person, amazing person, a great friend, a person that change her to become a better person, a person with a great heart to help change others, a person that really care about his friends, a person that make her feels safe from the button of her heart, and a person she believe and start to like more than a friend. (in Yamato's and Sai's eye)

Sakura see Sasuke, has a cool dark guy, strong and hot.

Again why he really think that Sakura will run back to Sasuke, she already made her choice, now she need to understand how deep is the feelings she have for one she choose to stick by his side and to be with. She believes in Naruto not in Sasuke
So why did he really think that she will run back to Sasuke.
he needs to have more fate in the characters he love, they change a lot.

[Phantom_999]

If you think the confession was true, why do you think it was not well received?

Well I mean by the fans mostly. They did not see it as a positive thing just because Naruto did not did not "swallow the bait" as they see it and were thinking that he was rejecting her, stating she's still in love with Sasuke. but did Naruto direclty say that she doesn't love him and to stop pretending? did he say that Sasuke is the one she should keep sticking to? No. It's just that he was blinded by his obsession to return Team 7 to the way it was and though it may happen, the changes through out the plot will not permit it to become carbon copy of its former self; things will be different even if they are still together. Besides the way it was presented did seem off to Naruto in a sense, so let me explain it: Naruto was travelling to the land of Iron to stop The Raikage from issuing an international hunt from Sasuke, and after hearing about the current circumstances about the Uchiha, Sakura suddenly pops up and tells her she loves him and Doesn't feel a thing For Sasuke anymore, and so is asking him to give up trying to get him back. Naruto would be wondering why she would EVEN say that; He wasn't aware of her changing behavior around him; And I know this for a fact as he isn't very good at telling when a girl really likes him (*cough Hinata cough*, just saying), even though he's blatantly in love with Sakura. So he is likely seeing it as just becoming closer friends because they both want to bring Sasuke back and was always under the impression Sakura was that same little girl that wanted him to get her prince back for her, which was why he was appalled by the fact that Sakura was telling him to give up on the teammate that they care about so much and and worked so hard to try get back for all this time, questioning if she did not have some other motive for saying such a thing. Sai later explains everything, and here's the kick; Did Sai say that Sakura was pretending to love Naruto so as to have him give up on his promise, did he say that Sakura's feelings were an act or lie? No, he said She was confessing to him to ease his burdens; in other words she was apologizing for hurting him so much by telling him how she really feels about him, albeit lying just a little about not having any affection for Sasuke anymore; that's how I see it anyways. But you know this speaks to me that maybe she was trying to convince HERSELF that she did not love Sasuke anymore cause she was resolving her self to kill him, which would be devastating as he is someone she still holds dearly even if he was evil. So yeah that was what I meant to say before, but my head wasn't clear at the time. Although either way it would make no sense to Naruto that she would just come to him just to confess so you were right to say the timing was off and inappropriate for that particular series of events.

Edited by Phantom_999, 08 April 2012 - 04:11 PM.

[Gravenimage]

Pachuco@ why are you comparing Naruto to Twilight and Potter???

[Don-kun]

@BabyVee
Sorry but 573 makes me feel very uneasy.

Pachuco@ why are you comparing Naruto to Twilight and Potter???

Pachuco is a nice person and most of is argument are not biased. I like it when he is not bashing Sakura.
I like to read coments about NS and also like to read them more when the person is pointing out the flaws.
When I read biased NS post it only of irks me. Because we don't need that.

[AzureWaters]

Sakura's line right after "we're going to be together" clarified that she was speaking about supporting him (with the rest of the rookies.) She sees his struggle, and is determined to help him this time, as she thinks she never did so properly in the past. In that sequence, her quote seems more about helping to support Naruto on his fight/journey. I don't think anything romantic was supposed to be taken out of it in this instance.

[KnS]

People say Hinata's confidence in chapter 573 came because of some off screen conversation after 559.

Who are these "people" saying this? Hinata fans?

I think readers should be very careful about assuming off-page conversations or actions between characters. Missing moments are fun to imagine and exploit if you're a fan fiction writer, but in terms of current canon interpretation, assumptions or wishful thinking about what might have happened off the page are just that: assumptions and wishful thinking. You can steer yourself into the abyss thinking you can guess what's been left off the page. Kishimoto will show (or eventually show) readers what he considers important to understanding the plot or the characters, and that's what counts. Not what "people" choose to imagine because it supports their crack theory or makes them feel better.

So what I'm asking is, do you think Sakura's thoughts in 573 also happened because of an off screen conversation?

No, and not just because of what I just said above. It's my opinion that everything Sakura says in 573 is the unification of what she's learned about Naruto, learned about what drives him, learned about her relationship with him, and learned about herself. What's she say?

1Naruto... you saved Konoha... 2and now you're trying to save the entire shinobi world... 3You always get left with these insurmountable tasks. 4But no matter what you say this time... 5we're going to be together... 6Not just me... We're going to all fight together this time!

Here's the breakdown as I see it:

1. Sakura's direct experience of having screamed for Naruto during Pain's attack. He arrived and saved the village.
2. She understands what's driving Naruto and what his goals are.
3. Sakura is acknowledging that Naruto's strength, bravery, and determination distinguish him from his peers or really any other shinobi at this point.
4. She's referring to many things Naruto has said in the past -- the POAL that he was determined to keep for her, his request that no one interfere while he fought Pain, him taking a beating from Karui to protect both Sakura and Sasuke, his intention to save Sasuke by himself even if everyone else gave up on him, etc. -- and she's confronting his stubbornness in doing things alone.
5. Sakura is unmistakeably aligning herself completely with Naruto and his intentions.
6. She's acknowledging not only Naruto's stubborness to take matters into his own hands, but her own mistake in trying to do the same when she tried to go after Sasuke.

There's no need to grasp for some off-page explanation. Sakura's thoughts in 573 are a big sign of her growth and unwavering support of Naruto based on everything that's happened to this point.

There's no need to grasp for an off-page explanation of Hinata's over-sized fan service panels in 573, either. Hinata's thoughts are a big sign of her growth too, which is unfortunately restricted to a self-centered pep talk about how she's going to fulfill her romantic daydreams.

Just my opinion.

[Don-kun]

You should really stop lurking your post are fantastic.

[James S Cassidy]

I noticed most of the arguments are based around what Sasuke does or feels. I can definitely say with confidence that Sasuke is never coming back, he is NEVER going to turn good (unless Kishi goes for the self-sacrifice thing), and he will never love Sakura. I know these three things as facts and I can prove them.

In recent interviews, Kishimoto has said that Sasuke will always be the opposite of Naruto. Rivals tend to have to be this opposite of what the main hero is. While the main hero is selfless, he is selfish. While the hero is trying to save the village, he is trying to destroy it. Sasuke even confirmed in this past chapter that he still plans on destroying the village. No, I don't believe anything Itachi says will change his mind on this one. Kishimoto also said that a Naruto vs Sasuke will occur, but it will be at the end of the manga or around there of. Turning Sasuke good will go against everything he has said up to this point. The writer himself has confirmed that the only way Sasuke is coming back is he is coming back as the villain.

People say Naruto will be heartbroken if Sasuke dies and he couldn't save him. I think Naruto, by this point, has accepted that he may not be able to bring him back. It was hard for him, but he has accepted this by now. He accepted that he going to fight Sasuke. He has accepted that chances are they are both going to die in the final battle. I think failing to take Sasuke down would be a bigger failure to him than Sasuke dying and being unable to bring him back. Around the time of Sakura's confession and how he saw how he behaves, how they collided blows, and how they saw each other from that point. I know he has fully accepted the fate that has come to pass. He doesn't like it, but he has accepted it. (Remember the panel of him with the Team 7 picture shattering? Yeah. That's when I believe he finally realized that what he wants may not be possible)

Sakura's love for SASUKE. Let me ask this, Ladies...If the guy who you had a crush on took a knife and tried to kill you, but you were saved by the guy you knew had a crush on you, would you still love the guy who tried to kill you? Realistically, no. If you want to bring realistic views into it, the women would probably run thinking the "He is not the man I thought he was." If she DOES stay, I think even fellow females would say she is stupid. What say you my fellow female forum goers? Honestly, would you still be in love with someone if they tried to kill you? I think NOT.
As for Naruto being the second LOVE is really not what people think. When every time someone says that Naruto would be her "second choice" I can see in there mind SAKURA saying "Well, the boy of my dreams is never going to be mine so I will stick with what I can get." Which is not what she thinks at all. That insinuates that Sakura is shallow and stupid and I don't believe SHE is.
Instead she thinks: "Maybe I have been wrong all these years. What I thought was a great guy turns out to be nothing, but a selfish jerk. Naruto treats me better than anyone, but do I deserve him after everything I have done to him?" As for Naruto not being her first choice, who cares? How many oeople are in a loving relationship with their first LOVES? Not very many. I guarantee most happy relationships were never their first choices the people fell in love with. From what I can tell, the best relationships always start out as the best friendships that turn into something more. I feel this is where NaruSaku is going. It started out as a friendship and ends as a loving relationship. NARUTO may not be her first choice, but he will be her best choice.

Subliminal message.

[AzureWaters]

It goes both ways, Cassidy. "Who really ends up with their first loves anyway?" isn't a very good argument since it would not only apply to Sakura--->Sasuke, but to Naruto as well.

I don't believe Sasuke will come to like Sakura romantically either, but I am sure that he's going to turn good and go back to Konoha. This direction has been obvious for awhile now.

Edited by AzureWaters, 08 April 2012 - 08:55 PM.

[James S Cassidy]

It goes both ways, Cassidy. "Who really ends up with their first loves anyway?" isn't a very good argument since it would not only apply to Sakura--->Sasuke, but to Naruto as well.

I never said it didn't, but life is all about double standards and two-way streets and two-heads of the same coin and so many other analogies that everyone here can point out and give an argument on why this manga could go any way. Instead I am looking at the negativity that people have about a certain subject that people view differently.

I am just making the point that Naruto being Sakura's second choice is not a bad thing. People always make it out to be a bad thing when really it isn't. It's all in the matter of why. If Naruto goes with Hinata because he feels like he has no other choice, that is not love or romance. That's a lie based around being desperate. Do you think Naruto or Sakura is so desperate to be in a relationship that they will be with anyone just to get a fix? Of course not, but how everyone keeps describing the "second choice in love" you all make it seem like Sakura is only going to be with Naruto because she is desperate.

It's shallow and it can be applied to any and all pairings in this entire manga, but do you really think Kishimoto would go that low? The only relationship this can't apply to is Asuma and Kurenei and maybe Konan and Yahiko.

I don't think

I don't believe Sasuke will come to like Sakura romantically either, but I am sure that he's going to turn good and go back to Konoha. This direction has been obvious for awhile now.

And what obvious facts say this? From what I can see, Sasuke still plans to destroy Konoha. Like I said, he even said to Kabuto "I have my own reasons for destroying Konoha." I think he might do a supposed "good deed" or two, but he won't do it for the safety of the village. He will do it because of the "villain standard." What's that? Basically, "I will be the one who does it and if anyone tries to stop me, I will go through them too even if they are an ally."

So enlighten me, where does it say he will turn good?

Edited by James S Cassidy, 08 April 2012 - 09:25 PM.

[xxRomanceGirlxx]

I never said it didn't, but life is all about double standards and two-way streets and two-heads of the same coin and so many other analogies that everyone here can point out and give an argument on why this manga could go any way. Instead I am looking at the negativity that people have about a certain subject that people view differently.

I am just making the point that Naruto being Sakura's second choice is not a bad thing. People always make it out to be a bad thing when really it isn't. It's all in the matter of why. If Naruto goes with Hinata because he feels like he has no other choice, that is not love or romance. That's a lie based around being desperate. Do you think Naruto or Sakura is so desperate to be in a relationship that they will be with anyone just to get a fix? Of course not, but how everyone keeps describing the "second choice in love" you all make it seem like Sakura is only going to be with Naruto because she is desperate.

It's shallow and it can be applied to any and all pairings in this entire manga, but do you really think Kishimoto would go that low? The only relationship this can't apply to is Asuma and Kurenei and maybe Konan and Yahiko.

I don't think




And what obvious facts say this? From what I can see, Sasuke still plans to destroy Konoha. Like I said, he even said to Kabuto "I have my own reasons for destroying Konoha." I think he might do a supposed "good deed" or two, but he won't do it for the safety of the village. He will do it because of the "villain standard." What's that? Basically, "I will be the one who does it and if anyone tries to stop me, I will go through them too even if they are an ally."

So enlighten me, where does it say he will turn good?

Well Sasuke's fate isn't exactly clear no matter how you put it. There is about a 50% chance he'll die but also a 50% chance he'll live. I don't think Sasuke will die despite the state of mind he's in
right now. Sasuke "turning good" is pretty much inevitable. Yes the last chapter isn't exactly supporting it but let me explain. The entire goal of this manga is to save Sasuke from the darkness
and retain some pieces of his former self. He won't die a villian and if he would, then what was the point of Naruto's goal? He may turn good and die which is a possiblity but that only fulfils Naruto's goal
partly. He wants Sasuke to live and return to Konoha. That's one of his objectives and Naruto would still feel like he failed Sasuke if he died. That's why I believe Sasuke will live but its still kinda
iffy if Sasuke will return to Konoha. I personally hope he does just because I want Team 7 to be together again like Naruto and Sakura do. I just really don't want Sasuke to die either and I doubt he
will.

[redragon88]

I never said it didn't, but life is all about double standards and two-way streets and two-heads of the same coin and so many other analogies that everyone here can point out and give an argument on why this manga could go any way. Instead I am looking at the negativity that people have about a certain subject that people view differently.

I am just making the point that Naruto being Sakura's second choice is not a bad thing. People always make it out to be a bad thing when really it isn't. It's all in the matter of why. If Naruto goes with Hinata because he feels like he has no other choice, that is not love or romance. That's a lie based around being desperate. Do you think Naruto or Sakura is so desperate to be in a relationship that they will be with anyone just to get a fix? Of course not, but how everyone keeps describing the "second choice in love" you all make it seem like Sakura is only going to be with Naruto because she is desperate.

It's shallow and it can be applied to any and all pairings in this entire manga, but do you really think Kishimoto would go that low? The only relationship this can't apply to is Asuma and Kurenei and maybe Konan and Yahiko.

I don't think




And what obvious facts say this? From what I can see, Sasuke still plans to destroy Konoha. Like I said, he even said to Kabuto "I have my own reasons for destroying Konoha." I think he might do a supposed "good deed" or two, but he won't do it for the safety of the village. He will do it because of the "villain standard." What's that? Basically, "I will be the one who does it and if anyone tries to stop me, I will go through them too even if they are an ally."

So enlighten me, where does it say he will turn good?

I don't think saying "Second Choice" is the correct term here.

Second choice implies that a person is settling for someone else since the first choice will never be available and as you explained that's not what Sakura's feeling are about. She's simply shifting her romantic feelings from Sasuke to Naruto.

Being second choice would imply that if Sasuke would suddenly say he's in love with Sakura and wanted to be with her then she would say yes since he's her first choice. But since what Sakura's doing is developing romantic feelings for Naruto while those she had for Sasuke disappear then even if Sasuke said he wanted to be with Sakura she would reject him since the one she loves is not Sasuke anymore but Naruto.

Naruto would not be Sakura's second choice of love, he would be her new love.

Edited by redragon88, 08 April 2012 - 10:26 PM.

[PachucoDesigns]

Pachuco@ why are you comparing Naruto to Twilight and Potter???

When did I compare Naruto to those horrid abominations?

[Fenris]

The manga is starting to confuse me with all of this..... Anyways, I wouldn't say it's the entire goal of the manga, that sounds a bit exagerated if you ask me. To be honest, I think Sasuke will die. I just can't imagine Sasuke coming back to village without him being executed at first sight, (he's a nationally recongnized criminal after all)

As for Team 7, the very idea of them being together again doesn't sit with me very well. After all that they have been through, don't you think it's going to be awkward? Very awkward....?

Oh and one last thing..... Has Sasuke been using drugs? I could have sworn that I read that in a chapter.... Maybe the drugs will one day have a horrible negative effect on his body and he'll die from that.

Let's put it this way... in Skyrim, if I kill a chicken, and walk back into the village, I get executed by villagers and guards on sight and a whole mob of angry villagers comes after me.
Sasuke has no chance.