277 replies to this topic

[shadow_Uzumaki]

Relax Everyone! This was most definitely a Naruhina moment and I acknowledge that. But just because it's a moment does not at all make it canon or state that Naruto loves Hinata. For me it was the closure that has long been needed and quite honestly required. Kishimoto needed to reopen up the events that had occurred during the Pein fight and the words that were said. With a war going on and the first time Naruto has had a chance to talk to Hinata, quite honestly, this is closure. Yes, it was still a naruhina moment, but moments don't have to be romantic. They can very well be closure and a close, bonding moment and this was that. A moment that bonded Naruto and Hinata in the sense that it finally had Naruto thanking Hinata and possibly as others have said be the words of strength that Hinata has been searching for her entire life so that now she can move on. Hinata now holds a feeling of being accepted from Naruto. We all knew this had to have closure and I believe the Narusaku moment will (would) never happen until Hinata's confession had closure, it just wouldn't feel right otherwise for Naruto to completely ignore Hinata while he confesses his love to Sakura. In the case of Hinata, she is of course still very shy to Naruto, but she directly speaks to Naruto about the situation and without and sense of fear of what she says. She apologizes firmly to Naruto and discusses something very sentimental (eyes) without feeling even slightly shy or nervous about it (no there's no blushing, those are meant to be scratches or battlewounds. I honestly don't read into those words as being romantic at all. But it once again....a naruhina moment. And just saying, when Naruto does respond to Hinata about her eyes and looking strong, he's walking away from her and half looking at her. That is not an open-hearted, sentimental act but a word of encouragement. When Naruto and Sakura confessed, they were both face to face, close and looking straight into each other's eyes. To me, this is absolute closure for Naruhina.

Alright, now that I feel like I cleared about the fandom mess as best as I could..

Yay, you're such a hero.

I do recommend that when writing paragraphs that you space it every 3-4 sentences though. This is a pain to my eyes.

[naruto-z]

Yay, you're such a hero.

I do recommend that when writing paragraphs that you space it every 3-4 sentences though. This is a pain to my eyes.

I'll try, I usually space in between breaks about topics. But as you can see, I started ranting...

[CloudMountainJuror]

Then he did it badly. It was obvious she was still conflicted. What was honest is that she didn't want Naruto to get hurt anymore. Other than that, it seemed like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince Naruto.

That's the point He did it absolutely terribly. That's why so many people think that she was lying, and why I thought she was also until I was proven wrong.

[shadow_Uzumaki]

Ah well, to be honest, despite Kishi apparently saying he was trying to portray an honest girl.... It's still a vague enough answer that it's still open to interpretation. What was she being honest about? Is her attitude basically saying "I'm honest about my confusion?" Yadda yadda.

Until then, I'll hold any NaruSaku celebrations until they actually do get together and the manga ends definitely.....

[FoolishYoungling]

Until then, I'll hold any NaruSaku celebrations until they actually do get together and the manga ends definitely.....

Thats what everyone should be doing, celebrating now would be pointless because we can still lose this battle...

[shadow_Uzumaki]

Until of course, it's revealed that Tobi is Mr. Popo and theJuubi is ASSUMED DIRECT CONTROL by the Harbinger.

Then the Universe will sing unto its death as the greatest threats in the Universe duke it out on a scale that would make Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann seem like a mouse.

Edited by shadow_Uzumaki, 13 October 2011 - 12:39 AM.

[Phantom_999]

That's the point He did it absolutely terribly. That's why so many people think that she was lying, and why I thought she was also until I was proven wrong.

No it's because Naruto reacted badly to it If he didn't THEN a lot of people wouldn't be saying she was lying and it it looks worse because Kishi is not confirming any pairings yet (not that I am accusing him or complaining just stating the fact) Then there was that whole chapter 540 fiasco. Remember He DIDN'T question her until she made that notion she didn't care about Sasuke anymore That is key We just need them to have a heart to heart conversation about their feelings for each other and Sasuke(whatever they may be) to clear things up

[shadow_Uzumaki]

No it's because Naruto reacted badly to it If he didn't THEN a lot of people wouldn't be saying she was lying and it it looks worse because Kishi is not confirming any pairings yet (not that I am accusing him or complaining just stating the fact) Then there was that whole chapter 540 fiasco. Remember He DIDN'T question her until she made that notion she didn't care about Sasuke anymore That is key We just need them to have a heart to heart conversation about their feelings for each other and Sasuke(whatever they may be) to clear things up

That's subjective. I was doubting her when she said "I love you." It was far too sudden and really, when she told their peers that she's the one who'll do the talking, I was sure that at most, she didn't even knew what she truly felt. Hell, my reaction in my head was almost the same as Naruto's. "What? Why now? Do you really know what you're talking about?" etc.

Edited by shadow_Uzumaki, 13 October 2011 - 12:49 AM.

[Paptala]

@ Kenny: You have valid points, and its not like anyone is really denying that this was a moment of significant interaction between Naruto and Hinata. But you should consider the fact that:

- Naruto wasn't recalling Hinata's confession, but her jumping in to save him
- Naruto didn't blush, or stutter or show any other signs of non-platonic feelings towards Hinata when speaking to her

Naruto is acknowledging her actions, and showing his appreciation of them. Sure, I'd consider it a NaruSaku moment if it were reversed, but that doesn't mean that it would actually be one. What did Naruto show Hinata in this scene that he hasn't already shown her before? It's incredibly similar to his discussion with Hinata in chapter 98, which ultimately led to nothing more than solidifying their friendship.

That's not to say that it couldn't lead to more, just that I don't see any reason to worry about it at this point.

Naruto's feelings for Sakura haven't been brought up clearly since his blush in 469, but there's been nothing to contradict those feelings either. If nothing else, we can have certainty that no one's feelings are going to be changing off panel, certainly not the main character's feelings that he's had for the entirety of the manga thus far.

Edited by Paptala, 13 October 2011 - 12:54 AM.

[Super Boom]

Wow, it looks like this thread's pretty active. Dang, I guess I'm late to the party. I'll post my opinion on the chapter, even though I'm sort of interrupting the conversation on this thread.

Like most everyone else, I enjoyed this chapter. I never declared it, so I guess my opinion is moot, but I sort of assumed that Kabuto's trump card would be either the 'real' Madara or the Sage of Six Paths. It looks like the former was correct, but now the question is, who is Tobi? I'm thinking Izuna Uchiha is a good guess, but maybe the theory someone stated above is true, and Tobi is another incarnation of Madara, or something to that extent. I guess I'll re-read some old chapters, and see if I can't think of any other possible theories. I guess it could be Obito as well, but then I'm wondering why he looked like an adult when he battled Minato. Kakashi was a kid during the Kyuubi attack wasn't he? Maybe I'm wrong, and he a teen/young adult, I guess that would lend more credence to the Tobito theory.
It was cool seeing Kakashi's team too. Sai summoning giant tigers and Kakashi using the Kubikiribocho was pretty darn epic. I was a little dissappointed in how fast Fuguki was taken down, but I guess he was just a weaker version of Kisame, and didn't even have the sword, so he couldn't have lasted too long. But now it looks like Naruto's gonna fight Kimimaro and Chiyo. Hmm, hopefully he shares the love, I'd rather see Kakashi fight someone again, if I had to choose between him and Naruto.

Now, for the shipping stuff. Oh, brother. I agree with most people here, there wasn't really any romance in their interaction, but the fact remains that Kishi decided to put some emphasis on their reunion, while at some time not giving the pairing any official closure. Sure, it could function that way, but I honestly wonder how many Naru/Hina fans out there are taking it as such. To me, the fact Naruto thought fondly of Hinata 'rescuing' him (which took place like two/three pages before she confessed her love to him) and the way Naruto and Hinata echoed each others' statements ("you can see it his/her eyes") tells me that Naru/Hina fans actually have a reason to celebrate for once.

However, I also think that it's no reason to jump ship either. I still can't see Naru/Hina happening unless one of two things happen.

1.) Naruto shows signs of reciprocating Hinata's feelings. His fond memory to her saving him could be interpreted as this, but it's still not definitive. So far, his only actual interaction with Hinata post-confession doesn't seem terribly different with how he treats most of his comrades.

2.) Kishi decides to make a point in comparing Naru/Hina to an existing pairing. Generational comparisons have been used countless times in this manga, and is, in my opinion, one of Naru/Saku's strongest pillars of support. However, if Kishi were to make a point in comparing Hinata to Kushina, or Naru/Hina to another existing pairing, Naru/Hina will have shot up several levels in likelihood in my book. It seems unlikely to me, considering how little Hinata and Kushina have in common, but remember, a comparison mentioned in-canon has 10x the weight of one simply pointed out by a fan.

Also, it looks there's a sort-of debate on this thread between the perpetual skeptics and the N/S diehards, so I'll throw my opinion in on that. First off, due to how a big point of the manga is the "Will of Fire" and how Kishi seems intent on drawing constant parallels to previous generations, I really doubt the shipping war is going to be left unresolved. And as far as all the plausible main-character pairings Kishi's drawn in Naruto, I really can't see an S/S or an N/H ending. The vibe I've gotten from S/S, throughout most of Part I and all of Part II, has been anything but positive. N/H hasn't recieved any negative development, but it hasn't really received any positive development either. The only pairing I have a tough time arguing against is Sasu/Naru, but I don't know how likely Naruto is to have a yaoi ending.
So basically, by opinion is this. There's nothing wrong with playing devil's advocate, as long as you have a reason to play to role. I'm a pretty big skeptic myself, but after seeing how Kishi chose to have Naruto's original love interest tenderly embrace him in the arc containing N/H's highest moment, I realized which pairing Kishi cared more about, and decided that N/S was the more likely of the main hetero pairings. And after seeing the blatantly obvious Mina/Kushi comparison, Kishi's endgame became almost certain in my book. After that, playing the part of the devil's advocate in the Naruto shipping debate became as necessary as an umbrella in the Sahara Desert.

However, at the same time, nothing good comes up calling canon too early. Although I enjoy reading parallels, and seeing some people point out the subtle meaning behind some of Kishi's artwork and how it relate Kishi's endgame pairing, to call canon before the end of the manga is dangerously over-confident. My personal stance is just to see how it all plays out. If Kishi is honest to what he's drawn so far, I can only see the shipping game going in one direction, but there's always that chance he will change/has already changed his mind, and decides to go in a different direction.

Whoo, this might be my longest post on this site. Do I get a reward?

Edited by Boom...Winning, 13 October 2011 - 01:01 AM.

[Anguyen92]

You know all of this talk makes me wonder. What if the Naruto that was with Hinata and the others were a zetsu, as speculated? What would the events be like if that scenario happened?

Edited by Anguyen92, 13 October 2011 - 01:00 AM.

[Gravenimage]

You know all of this talk makes me wonder. What if the Naruto that was with Hinata and the others were a zetsu? What would the events be like if that scenario happened?

Nah it was already proven in this chapter that it's really Naruto although I thought it was a Zetsu clone with the way he gave that familar evil grin at the end of last chapter.

[Anguyen92]

Nah it was already proven in this chapter that it's really Naruto although I thought it was a Zetsu clone with the way he gave that familar evil grin at the end of last chapter.

I know it was already proven in this chapter, but might as well play the what if game for now, before moving on to another topic of this chapter.

[shadow_Uzumaki]

You know all of this talk makes me wonder. What if the Naruto that was with Hinata and the others were a zetsu? What would the events be like if that scenario happened?

Then it'd be awkward. And we'd find out that Hinata may be into wood.

[FoolishYoungling]

Then it'd be awkward. And we'd find out that Hinata may be into wood.

hey ohhh! You and them wood jokes!

[naruto-z]

@Boom and @Shadow....Damn, another one from Minnesota? Holy Fu...

Edited by naruto-z, 13 October 2011 - 01:11 AM.

[TerrorKing]

I dunno. The reason why I was hesitant to call the scene with Naruto and Hinata a NaruHina moment is because my definition of a NH/SS/NS moment is that is has to be romantic in nature or at least have some romantic undertones. For example, I didn't consider Naruto and Sakura working together during the bell test to be a NS moment, but I DID consider Sakura's "Do I look more like a woman now" comment to be a NS moment, because that scene had the aforementioned romantic undertones, at least on Sakura's part. Thus, it could be seen as Sakura "catching up" to Naruto romantically.

But yeah, if a "moment" is defined as any development between two people, romantic or not, then the scene with Naruto and Hinata was most definetly a NaruHina moment and to be honest, I don't really mind. Im actually happy that Naruto at least acknowledged Hinata's bravery, even if he didn't adress her confessiono specifically.

Kishi knows that, despite it not being a romance manga, the reason why many people read it is because of the romance. Therefore, he's probably going to keep playing this little game until the end of the manga. Only then will be truly know who the final pairing(s) will be. That is, if there will even BE any final pairing(s).

So all in all, right now im pretty cynical about this whole thing. Like I said earlier, until I get direct confirmation that Sakura loves Naruto or that Naruto loves Hinata, then im going to assume that everything is still at status quo, i.e. Naruto still loves Sakura, Sakura still loves Sasuke, Hinata still loves Naruto and Sasuke doesn't love anybody.

[shadow_Uzumaki]

I dunno. The reason why I was hesitant to call the scene with Naruto and Hinata a NaruHina moment is because my definition of a NH/SS/NS moment is that is has to be romantic in nature or at least have some romantic undertones. For example, I didn't consider Naruto and Sakura working together during the bell test to be a NS moment, but I DID consider Sakura's "Do I look more like a woman now" comment to be a NS moment, because that scene had the aforementioned romantic undertones, at least on Sakura's part. Thus, it could be seen as Sakura "catching up" to Naruto romantically.

But yeah, if a "moment" is defined as any development between two people, romantic or not, then the scene with Naruto and Hinata was most definetly a NaruHina moment and to be honest, I don't really mind. Im actually happy that Naruto at least acknowledged Hinata's bravery, even if he didn't adress her confessiono specifically.

That's the problem. Myself included. a CharChar moment, by connotation, is romantic in nature. Sometimes we tend to forget that a CharChar moment can be a moment of friendly, platonic bonding too. It's just that a pairing is named CharChar. How about, it's a Naruto and Hinata friendship moment... or just say it's a friendship moment?

[Gravenimage]

@ Kenny: You have valid points, and its not like anyone is really denying that this was a moment of significant interaction between Naruto and Hinata. But you should consider the fact that:

- Naruto wasn't recalling Hinata's confession, but her jumping in to save him
- Naruto didn't blush, or stutter or show any other signs of non-platonic feelings towards Hinata when speaking to her

Naruto is acknowledging her actions, and showing his appreciation of them. Sure, I'd consider it a NaruSaku moment if it were reversed, but that doesn't mean that it would actually be one. What did Naruto show Hinata in this scene that he hasn't already shown her before? It's incredibly similar to his discussion with Hinata in chapter 98, which ultimately led to nothing more than solidifying their friendship.

That's not to say that it couldn't lead to more, just that I don't see any reason to worry about it at this point.

Naruto's feelings for Sakura haven't been brought up clearly since his blush in 469, but there's been nothing to contradict those feelings either. If nothing else, we can have certainty that no one's feelings are going to be changing off panel, certainly not the main character's feelings that he's had for the entirety of the manga thus far.

True very true I wouldn't be surprise if Hinata becomes a NS fan like Sai and wants to help Naruto get with Sakura, what would other fandoms would say?

Edited by Gravenimage, 13 October 2011 - 01:41 AM.

[naruto-z]

True bery true I wouldn't be surprise if Hinata become a NS fan like Sai and wants to help Naruto get with Sakura, what would other fandoms would say?

I can not even express the chaos that would cause