19964 replies to this topic

[narulsaku]

it makes me feel you are a pain in ****

[HauntedCake]

well orochimaru is a woman....

MJ approves

[StriderC]

MJ approves

LMAO. You are evilllll Haunted Cake. EBILLLLLL!!

[HauntedCake]

LMAO. You are evilllll Haunted Cake. EBILLLLLL!!

Hehehe i know right

[StriderC]

Hehehe i know right

LMAO.

Edited by StriderC, 26 April 2013 - 02:16 PM.

[TouKen4Life3g]

Well, today is a slow day for a Friday. Well, at least in here. I guess it's a good thing for me. I'll be busy for a while. Hm, trying to think of a topic to leave you guys hanging. I'll think of one.

Btw, that Orochimaru moment was creepy, I like it.

[HauntedCake]

Well, today is a slow day for a Friday. Well, at least in here. I guess it's a good thing for me. I'll be busy for a while. Hm, trying to think of a topic to leave you guys hanging. I'll think of one.

Btw, that Orochimaru moment was creepy, I like it.

Ye... we have no chapter next week.... but we will have the RTN prolouge episode to look forward to and hopefully the RTN japaneese release

[Chatte]

I am making more and more connections in my head every since I discovered the Heaven and Earth mythology. OMG, can't wait to finish it! It's gonna take a while, though, given I have some other stuff to do in RL, but OMG, I promise it's going to be badass!

[Inferno180]

I am making more and more connections in my head every since I discovered the Heaven and Earth mythology. OMG, can't wait to finish it! It's gonna take a while, though, given I have some other stuff to do in RL, but OMG, I promise it's going to be badass!

If it actually turns out that with this whole chaos thing and the heaven and earth thing from the story comes into play just like it did before in the series that would be funny.

I mean the first 2 times we saw it was the chunin exams and then the 4 tails event. So it could be possible that Sakura could be the one to help Naruto defend everyone, that is a possiblitiy.

Its just funny that aside from the development, mutual growth, parallels, and other media for NaruSaku, these things pop in, its kinda like how even with both of Hinata's big moments, Sakura was nearby with some effect or reaction from her. Now we got RtN and a second OVA with RtN! with just more NaruSaku in it.

Geez just how much of it is there?

I mean given only the manga is the evidence we need for NS to be possible(and we have the majority of the stuff in the manga too with both what occured and what can occur, our pairing can come in a very logical and understandable way that make the story end well).

But just seeing stuff like the actual legend just makes it seem just funnier. Its not evidence just a neat side element for this stuff.

[Chatte]

If it actually turns out that with this whole chaos thing and the heaven and earth thing from the story comes into play just like it did before in the series that would be funny.

I mean the first 2 times we saw it was the chunin exams and then the 4 tails event. So it could be possible that Sakura could be the one to help Naruto defend everyone, that is a possiblitiy.

Its just funny that aside from the development, mutual growth, parallels, and other media for NaruSaku, these things pop in, its kinda like how even with both of Hinata's big moments, Sakura was nearby with some effect or reaction from her. Now we got RtN and a second OVA with RtN! with just more NaruSaku in it.

Geez just how much of it is there?

I mean given only the manga is the evidence we need for NS to be possible(and we have the majority of the stuff in the manga too with both what occured and what can occur, our pairing can come in a very logical and understandable way that make the story end well).

But just seeing stuff like the actual legend just makes it seem just funnier. Its not evidence just a neat side element for this stuff.

Yup, it's like everything points towards NaruSaku, lol!

[TouKen4Life3g]

I am making more and more connections in my head every since I discovered the Heaven and Earth mythology. OMG, can't wait to finish it! It's gonna take a while, though, given I have some other stuff to do in RL, but OMG, I promise it's going to be badass!

If Heaven and Earth does come in play like how we imagine, now I only rep you, but I will kneel for Kishi. That's right, you hear it here, ladies and gentlemen.

[Kadardi]

I have a topic/question.

I bet you guys have discussed this 100s of times before I even started lurking, but I haven't seen it so...I'll just ask and you can answer.

So even tho I disagree with him, Codus' Hinata's concern vs Sakura's concern did make me think of one thing. When Hinata was worried about Naruto in the Pain battle, she did a thoughtless action and jumped into the fight with no help and no plan. It was selfish, but it is also called stupid and other junk for causing Naruto and others pain even though it ultimately lead to a good ending.

But at the same time, Sakura's concern with Naruto's pursuit of Sasuke also lead her to commit a thoughtless stunt that caused Naruto and arguably others pain even though it ultimately lead to a good ending.

So my question is, in that situation does Sakura's concern deserve the same criticism Hinata gets when she fought Pain? Why or why not?

I personally think she does because even with her good intentions, something like that really should've been brought up in an honest way. The biggest dent I see in Naruto and Sakura's relationship is that there aren't many times lately that they've been upfront and honest with each other. I like when they fight together because they actually fight together instead of worrying all the time about protecting one another(yes I am excited for future chapters haha).

As for the Juubi question, aren't they all in a crater now? Or did I read that last page wrong.

EDIT: And Chatte I also support your Heaven and Earth theories. They are really well thought out and I hope they come true!

Edited by Kadardi, 26 April 2013 - 04:29 PM.

[sushi.]

I have a topic/question.

I bet you guys have discussed this 100s of times before I even started lurking, but I haven't seen it so...I'll just ask and you can answer.

So even tho I disagree with him, Codus' Hinata's concern vs Sakura's concern did make me think of one thing. When Hinata was worried about Naruto in the Pain battle, she did a thoughtless action and jumped into the fight with no help and no plan. It was selfish, but it is also called stupid and other junk for causing Naruto and others pain even though it ultimately lead to a good ending.

But at the same time, Sakura's concern with Naruto's pursuit of Sasuke also lead her to commit a thoughtless stunt that caused Naruto and arguably others pain even though it ultimately lead to a good ending.

So my question is, in that situation does Sakura's concern deserve the same criticism Hinata gets when she fought Pain? Why or why not?

I personally think she does because even with her good intentions, something like that really should've been brought up in an honest way. The biggest dent I see in Naruto and Sakura's relationship is that there aren't many times lately that they've been upfront and honest with each other. I like when they fight together because they actually fight together instead of worrying all the time about protecting one another(yes I am excited for future chapters haha).

As for the Juubi question, aren't they all in a crater now? Or did I read that last page wrong.

EDIT: And Chatte I also support your Heaven and Earth theories. They are really well thought out and I hope they come true!

Difference between Hinata's concern and Sakura's concern:
- Sakura is worried that Naruto might get hurt, and that he takes on a burden he can not carry all by himself. Naruto doesn't know this, but she does. Hinata was worried that he would lose the battle and die. She wanted to hold him back, and Sakura wanted to go with him. Although now it seems that Hinata is not holding him back anymore. I'm glad she's gotten rid of her habit of wanting Naruto to quit. Silently begging him to quit in his fight with Neji, some may like it, but I found it much better that Sakura cheered him on. I even wrote a post about this, that Sakura always comes off as better for Naruto whenever she and Hinata is watching him do his errands.

And the confessions
- Sakura really wanted to help him. She wanted to ease the burden on his chest and lay it on her own(Sasuke), while Hinata wanted to ease her own burden(to tell Naruto about her feelings, because she thought she would die and never have to confront him again.) Sakura tried to make the situation benefit Naruto for what he needs(needs-not wants), but Hinata only benefitted her own wants.

Uhum., lots of rambling. I just hope my point is clear. >D

Edited by sushi., 26 April 2013 - 04:52 PM.

[StriderC]

I have a topic/question.

I bet you guys have discussed this 100s of times before I even started lurking, but I haven't seen it so...I'll just ask and you can answer.

So even tho I disagree with him, Codus' Hinata's concern vs Sakura's concern did make me think of one thing. When Hinata was worried about Naruto in the Pain battle, she did a thoughtless action and jumped into the fight with no help and no plan. It was selfish, but it is also called stupid and other junk for causing Naruto and others pain even though it ultimately lead to a good ending.

But at the same time, Sakura's concern with Naruto's pursuit of Sasuke also lead her to commit a thoughtless stunt that caused Naruto and arguably others pain even though it ultimately lead to a good ending.

So my question is, in that situation does Sakura's concern deserve the same criticism Hinata gets when she fought Pain? Why or why not?

I personally think she does because even with her good intentions, something like that really should've been brought up in an honest way. The biggest dent I see in Naruto and Sakura's relationship is that there aren't many times lately that they've been upfront and honest with each other. I like when they fight together because they actually fight together instead of worrying all the time about protecting one another(yes I am excited for future chapters haha).

As for the Juubi question, aren't they all in a crater now? Or did I read that last page wrong.

EDIT: And Chatte I also support your Heaven and Earth theories. They are really well thought out and I hope they come true!

I'm gonna address a few things that stand out to me in their relationship personally. Seems like you may agree with a few of them. We'll see.

1. I feel as thought Naruto and Sakura lack certain communication. Especially when it comes to desires and such. I feel as though if Sakura were more vocal about what she wants to do, or what it is she desires, Naruto would see that she may genuinely have feelings for him. I feel as though Kishi purposely keeps her feelings/desires and such at bay because they'll push the relationship. Throughout Part 2, we've seen her countlessly say how little she feels she does for Naruto, how she wants to assist him in anyway possible, how she feels he goes too far sometimes, and stuff like that. The bridge scene for instance. She wishes she could do more for him, and Yamato tells her it doesn't matter how big the things she does for him is. Naruto's unconscious at this time. Other times of course, she's either alone, around Naruto and it's more of a mental thought.

I've personally always felt that in Part 2, the ball was in Sakura's court. There was really no need for us to see Naruto's feelings in play because of course, in Part 1, we were constantly shown who Naruto loved. We were shown the lengths Naruts would go for Sakura. It was perfectly set up IMO. Part 2 was more of Sakura coming around after actually SEEING Naruto in Part 1. Throughout Part 2, we're slowly shown Sakura becoming closer and closer to Naruto to the point where we are now. We're unsure of what her feelings are for Naruto. Of course, she cares deeply for Naruto and she'll do anything she can do assist him but is there more? Does she love him? Hopefully we're given some insight to this soon. ^^ I'm rambling. LMAO. I hate when I do this because I lose track of what the hell my point is.


To answer your question, are you talking about her when she confessed?

Ahh, I agree with Sushi.

I don't hate Hinata's confession but she was definitely selfish and she used the situation to her advantage. She felt she was going to die jumping down there and so she wanted to go out relaying her feelings and not deal with the aftermath. She focused more on her feelings there than anything else.

I always feel like I have a lot to say but its a matter of getting it all out the way I want. I'll get sidetracked, and all type of jazz while making a LAP. LOL

And your post was great Sushi. ^^

Edited by StriderC, 26 April 2013 - 04:59 PM.

[KnS]

So my question is, in that situation does Sakura's concern deserve the same criticism Hinata gets when she fought Pain? Why or why not?

Sushi pretty much nailed it.

Likewise, StriderC made a really good point about Naruto and Sakura's communication problem. What's interesting about it (to me, at least), is they communicate very well as team partners. In fact we recently saw them, in the middle of battle, acting as if they hardly needed to speak to know what the other is thinking. In terms of fighting and their skills, they seem rock solid.

But when it comes to their feelings for each other (and Sasuke, yuck) they can't seem to get through to each other. It's absolutely maddening to know that Naruto loves Sakura so much he would let her go to Sasuke without a fight, and that Sakura has been so blind she couldn't see it. I've jokingly called Sai a meddling yenta, but honestly, without him -- a self-described noob when it comes to feelings and relationships -- Naruto and Sakura wouldn't be as close to understanding each other as they are. I seriously heart Sai for that.

Of course, like StriderC said, all the romantic miscommunication between Naruto and Sakura is intentional on Kishimoto's part, because if they DID connect heart-wise the pairing aspect of the story would be over. It's a super common trick employed by authors to increase the angst and anticipation of a couple getting together. So, no surprise there.

Back to the original question -- both girls displayed flawed judgment in their respective moments, but the big difference was the motive. Sakura had just come away from a serious slap-in-the-face indictment from Sai that she was hurting Naruto as much as Sasuke and that Naruto was in love with her. She believed she was acting to right her previous wrongs, and to preserve Naruto's best interests in a way he didn't feel he could because of her.

Conversely, Hinata was off in her own world, absorbed by her own feelings with absolutely no clue what Naruto thinks, feels, wants, or what lies at the center of his heart.

IMO, there's no contest.

[Kadardi]

Difference between Hinata's concern and Sakura's concern:
- Sakura is worried that Naruto might get hurt, and that he takes on a burden he can not carry all by himself. Naruto doesn't know this, but she does. Hinata was worried that he would lose the battle and die. She wanted to hold him back, and Sakura wanted to go with him. Although now it seems that Hinata is not holding him back anymore. I'm glad she's gotten rid of her habit of wanting Naruto to quit. Silently begging him to quit in his fight with Neji, some may like it, but I found it much better that Sakura cheered him on. I even wrote a post about this, that Sakura always comes off as better for Naruto whenever she and Hinata is watching him do his errands.

And the confessions
- Sakura really wanted to help him. She wanted to ease the burden on his chest and lay it on her own(Sasuke), while Hinata wanted to ease her own burden(to tell Naruto about her feelings, because she thought she would die and never have to confront him again.) Sakura tried to make the situation benefit Naruto for what he needs(needs-not wants), but Hinata only benefitted her own wants.

Uhum., lots of rambling. I just hope my point is clear. >D

Lol don't worry you're fine. I do agree wholehearted with what you've said in that Sakura has faith in Naruto and knows him best and Hinata was selfish. But I think in the Kage Summit/Pain arc, for both of them their concerns(no matter the intentions) led them both to making the same mistake(hurting Naruto).

I'm gonna address a few things that stand out to me in their relationship personally. Seems like you may agree with a few of them. We'll see.

1. I feel as thought Naruto and Sakura lack certain communication. Especially when it comes to desires and such. I feel as though if Sakura were more vocal about what she wants to do, or what it is she desires, Naruto would see that she may genuinely have feelings for him. I feel as though Kishi purposely keeps her feelings/desires and such at bay because they'll push the relationship. Throughout Part 2, we've seen her countlessly say how little she feels she does for Naruto, how she wants to assist him in anyway possible, how she feels he goes too far sometimes, and stuff like that. The bridge scene for instance. She wishes she could do more for him, and Yamato tells her it doesn't matter how big the things she does for him is. Naruto's unconscious at this time. Other times of course, she's either alone, around Naruto and it's more of a mental thought.

I've personally always felt that in Part 2, the ball was in Sakura's court. There was really no need for us to see Naruto's feelings in play because of course, in Part 1, we were constantly shown who Naruto loved. We were shown the lengths Naruts would go for Sakura. It was perfectly set up IMO. Part 2 was more of Sakura coming around after actually SEEING Naruto in Part 1. Throughout Part 2, we're slowly shown Sakura becoming closer and closer to Naruto to the point where we are now. We're unsure of what her feelings are for Naruto. Of course, she cares deeply for Naruto and she'll do anything she can do assist him but is there more? Does she love him? Hopefully we're given some insight to this soon. ^^ I'm rambling. LMAO. I hate when I do this because I lose track of what the hell my point is.


To answer your question, are you talking about her when she confessed?

Ahh, I agree with Sushi.

I don't hate Hinata's confession but she was definitely selfish and she used the situation to her advantage. She felt she was going to die jumping down there and so she wanted to go out relaying her feelings and not deal with the aftermath. She focused more on her feelings there than anything else.

I always feel like I have a lot to say but its a matter of getting it all out the way I want. I'll get sidetracked, and all type of jazz while making a LAP. LOL

And your post was great Sushi. ^^

LOL no no don't feel bad for rambling! You guys are fine debaters seriously! And I like reading LAPs haha.

Yeah I'm talking about when she went up to Naruto and did the whole 'I love you now let's forget Sasuke together' thing.

There many other ways she could've done and I think the best way would've been an honest and upfront "We need to talk about Sasuke" discussion. But like Hinata I think her concern and worry for him(with regret of course considering her role in the promise) scewed her sense of judgement a little which is why it went so battle.

I actually did wonder what if she sat him down somewhere and tried to seriously discuss how painful this chase for Sasuke was for the both of them and how to best move forward with it. Whether other people could've been there, like Lee and Kiba, I think depends. Sai would've had some good points but I don't think Naruto would've listened to anyone other than Sakura and maybe Kakashi. And I wondered what if she confessed her love for him AFTER she brought up the Sasuke thing. I came to conclusion that if they were still discussing Sasuke, Naruto still wouldn't have believed her. BUT if they came to a conclusion together about what to do and THEN Sakura confessed, I think it would've been a little easier for Naruto to believe(and the fandom to swallow).

Of course, that couldn't happen because they were rushing to get to Sasuke before he disappeared again. So with other alternatives out there I can't help but think what Sakura did really was a mistake like Hinata's even though she had more selfless intentions.

If anyone here is wondering why I'm bringing this up it's because I think it'll lead to a difference between them when it comes to learning from that mistake(so to speak).

I'm not entirely sure what Hinata learned other than to be more confident(maybe a Hinata fan can help me out?). It doesn't look to me like she learned anything about Naruto as a result of that.

Sakura on the other hand, I think can learn from her mistake. In fact I agree wholehearted with you StriderC in that they don't talk to each other about their desires. But now I also think they also really need to talk about their concerns with one another. Sakura did it all because she was worried about him but Naruto wouldn't have known that had Sai not told him. I think(I might have to go look at the build-up again) that the last time she really told Naruto she was worried about him was in the Rescue Gaara arc. I think she need to learn from her confession that Naruto appreciates honesty and if she has a problem she should be honest and bring it up with him. After all, Naruto isn't a little boy anymore and if he wants to be Hokage, he needs to learn how to deal with people telling him their problems lol.

With that said, Naruto isn't so innocent in this whole thing either. Sakura probably stopped talking to him about her concerns because when she tried he brushed her off(those panels were pretty sad). And of course, he too has a looooooooooot of issues when it comes to expressing his worry for her with more than a look she doesn't even see.

So...yeah I think the confession should be a springboard for them to address those problems because it looks like something that's been building up for a while. StriderC you are right in that when it comes to romantic feelings, the ball is ultimately in Sakura's court. But when it comes to an actual relationship getting started, I think BOTH of them have basketballs they don't know what to do with(lol did that make sense?).

Of course...I could be wrong .

EDIT: Just saw your post KnS. (Let me just quickly say that you guys are AWESOME speakers and I agree with a lot pf your points . Thanks for answering my question! And thanks in advance to anyone else who answers)

First YES SO MUCH about the fighting! That's what I loved about their panel in 559! It shows they are not just teammates, they are GOOD teammates and nothing will stop them from working so well together. Not even what happened in the Kage Summit. And yes to the communication problems and the meta reason for why they are happening(Kishimoto does need something to draw up the suspense and to me it's not too unreasonable that Sakura and Naruto would have problems talking about something so painful to them). And I do not like Sasuke either*cough*.

I think I explained myself above but to summarize, if you take out intentions for a second they BOTH made a mistake that was a direct cause of their concern. And I wonder how that might help them them grow either as characters or in relation to Naruto. Hinata got her confidence and now I wonder if Sakura will learn something as well(mainly in communication but I'd also like to add now that perhaps she will also realize that she tried to do the same thing Naruto did and take on a burden herself. Her speech in 573 suggests she might've learned by now that they really should be doing things together).

Edited by Kadardi, 26 April 2013 - 06:09 PM.

[TouKen4Life3g]

@Sushi., StriderC, KnS: You guys are the best!

[KnS]

I have another comment on re-direct.

In terms of assigning blame or bad judgment during her confession, I bristle when all the blame is heaped on Sakura when Naruto owns at least half of their miscommunication problems.

Naruto had a chance to say something meaningful to Sakura during her confession -- to admit what's in his heart -- to admit what Kishimoto showed the audience through the first heartbreakingly hopeful panel of Naruto's face when Sakura said she loved him -- and yet he didn't. Instead he chose to focus on her feelings for Sasuke -- AGAIN. He chose to squelch his own feelings -- AGAIN. He needs a swift kick in his little self-deprecating butt.

The closest Naruto got to admitting anything was when Sakura said, "If you don't like me then just say so!" and he didn't deny it. Again, the message is (or should be) clear to the audience how he feels, but Naruto is allowing Sasuke to run the show in absentia.

I so want to HULKSMASH Sasuke. I'm so tired of him being the emo poison pill that ruins everything, lol. (Speaking of Kishimoto's intentional frustrations....)

[Sakamaki Izayoi]

I have a topic/question.

I bet you guys have discussed this 100s of times before I even started lurking, but I haven't seen it so...I'll just ask and you can answer.

So even tho I disagree with him, Codus' Hinata's concern vs Sakura's concern did make me think of one thing. When Hinata was worried about Naruto in the Pain battle, she did a thoughtless action and jumped into the fight with no help and no plan. It was selfish, but it is also called stupid and other junk for causing Naruto and others pain even though it ultimately lead to a good ending.

But at the same time, Sakura's concern with Naruto's pursuit of Sasuke also lead her to commit a thoughtless stunt that caused Naruto and arguably others pain even though it ultimately lead to a good ending.

So my question is, in that situation does Sakura's concern deserve the same criticism Hinata gets when she fought Pain? Why or why not?

I personally think she does because even with her good intentions, something like that really should've been brought up in an honest way. The biggest dent I see in Naruto and Sakura's relationship is that there aren't many times lately that they've been upfront and honest with each other. I like when they fight together because they actually fight together instead of worrying all the time about protecting one another(yes I am excited for future chapters haha).

As for the Juubi question, aren't they all in a crater now? Or did I read that last page wrong.

EDIT: And Chatte I also support your Heaven and Earth theories. They are really well thought out and I hope they come true!

She did think, she made the confession because it was the only way to pacifically way out of that situation, then she was forced to take drastic measures while her plan B was something she did not think, the part where she made the confession was the part where she thought carefully and the part where she tried to kill Sasuke is the same thing that Hinata did for Naruto, uncareless and unthinkable plan.

It doenst matter if it would lead to a good or a bad ending, Hinata or Sakura could even had died but this dont change the difference of their thoughts.

Edited by Dαrkrєrsŧ, 26 April 2013 - 06:32 PM.

[StriderC]

Lol don't worry you're fine. I do agree with what you've said in that Sakura has faith in Naruto and knows him best and Hinata was selfish. But I think in the Kage Summit/Pain arc, for both of them their concerns(no matter the intentions) led them both to making the same mistake(hurting Naruto).



LOL no no don't feel bad for rambling! You guys are fine debaters seriously! And I like reading LAPs haha.

Yeah I'm talking about when she went up to Naruto and did the whole 'I love you now let's forget Sasuke together' thing.

There many other ways she could've done and I think the best way would've been an honest and upfront "We need to talk about Sasuke" discussion. But like Hinata I think her concern and worry for him(with regret of course considering her role in the promise) scewed her sense of judgement a little which is why it went so battle.

I actually did wonder what if she sat him down somewhere and tried to seriously discuss how painful this chase for Sasuke was for the both of them and how to best move forward with it. Whether other people could've been there, like Lee and Kiba, I think depends. Sai would've had some good points but I don't think Naruto would've listened to anyone other than Sakura and maybe Kakashi. And I wondered what if she confessed her love for him AFTER she brought up the Sasuke thing. I came to conclusion that if they were still discussing Sasuke, Naruto still wouldn't have believed her. BUT if they came to a conclusion together about what to do and THEN Sakura confessed, I think it would've been a little easier for Naruto to believe(and the fandom to swallow).

Of course, that couldn't happen because they were rushing to get to Sasuke before he disappeared again. So with other alternatives out there I can't help but think what Sakura did really was a mistake like Hinata's even though she had more selfless intentions.

If anyone here is wondering why I'm bringing this up it's because I think it'll lead to a difference between them when it comes to learning from that mistake(so to speak).

I'm not entirely sure what Hinata learned other than to be more confident(maybe a Hinata fan can help me out?). It doesn't look to me like she learned anything about Naruto as a result of that.

Sakura on the other hand, I think can learn from her mistake. In fact I agree wholehearted with you StriderC in that they don't talk to each other about their desires. But now I also think they also really need to talk about their concerns with one another. Sakura did it all because she was worried about him but Naruto wouldn't have known that had Sai not told him. I think(I might have to go look at the build-up again) that the last time she really told Naruto she was worried about him was in the Rescue Gaara arc. I think she need to learn from her confession that Naruto appreciates honesty and if she has a problem she should be honest and bring it up with him. After all, Naruto isn't a little boy anymore and if he wants to be Hokage, he needs to learn how to deal with people telling him their problems lol.

With that said, Naruto isn't so innocent in this whole thing either. Sakura probably stopped talking to him about her concerns because when she tried he brushed her off(those panels were pretty sad). And of course, he too has a looooooooooot of issues when it comes to expressing his worry for her with more than a look she doesn't even see.

So...yeah I think the confession should be a springboard for them to address those problems because it looks like something that's been building up for a while. StriderC you are right in that when it comes to romantic feelings, the ball is ultimately in Sakura's court. But when it comes to an actual relationship getting started, I think BOTH of them have basketballs they don't know what to do with(lol did that make sense?).

Of course...I could be wrong .

Very nice response.

I'll just tackle everything by paragraph adding my two cents. ^^

As far as Sakura confessing while trying to show Naruto that Sasuke means nothing to her anymore, I think she went about it wrong. It's really hard to pinpoint whether her feelings for him were real or not given she..

1. She basically retaliated herself when Naruto told her she was lying to herself.

2. Didn't she blush while giving her confession also? I think she did. I've never seen someone blush while giving a fake confession before.

I feel like even though she may not have been entirely sure about her feelings at that time, it's possible her subconscious may have and so we get what we got here.

I also feel like Kishi used this opportunity in a very smart way. It caused quite a bit on controversy. The BEST way would of been what you've noted. I bolded it for you so you could see, but he went with the most controversial way as to not set up a canon relationship. What it did do for us was set in stone as to what could be FINALLY. I personally don't understand why people took Naruto's word for what happened there, and not BOTH. As Sakura stated, she's the only one who knows what's going on in her head. If she hadn't retaliated, I would of likely fully believed Naruto but that wasn't the case at all so we're left with opposing individuals here. Once again, their communication isn't where it should be when it comes to their desires and such. Hopefully, Kishi delves into this sometime in the future. I was actually thinking Sakura MAY start being vocal pretty soon if she does assist Naruto. Here's a scenario I thought of yesterday.

Naruto's chakra acts up, and so Sakura goes in to assist him by balancing it out or something like that. At this time, Sakura says something like, she's always wanted to help him and assist him but she never felt like she could do enough. Naruto then reaffirms her that just her being their by his side has always been enough for him. ^^

I'm more anxious than anything to see what their talk will be like on the battlefield or after and hopefully with it, many things spring to the surface.

As far as them learning from their mistakes, I definitely agree with you. I don't think Hinata actually LEARNED anything about Naruto. The only thing they truly share IMO that stands out to be is the nindo in which she got from him. Other than that, I can't really think of anything else. We need a Hinata fan here for that one. LOL

Sakura sees Naruto on a completely different level. While he's been a source of inspiration for her, she's also learned about him, and wishes to assist him in anyway she can. She believes in his dreams, and wants to be there through the hardships in his life. Tis why I find their relationship to be more genuine given the lengths they'd go for one another. I think she learned from her mistake. We'll have to see in the coming chapters when she becomes a bit more prominent in the chapters/story. Seems like she's making her way there again right now.

Sai played a very nice part in the chapters after the Pain Arc, because he was sort of able to propel them forward though it wasn't allll positive, realizations were in fact made at the end of it all. That's the time I thought about when I was yapping about her concerns for him, but even then, he cut her off, and thought she was talking about Gaara. It's almost like he puts himself down when it comes to her in a way if you're understanding what I'm saying. Like he refuses to believe her focus can on him. Ultimately, they both still have a bit of work to do, but that's why I like them so much. They're not perfect. ^^

Annddddd yes, I understood what you meant about the basketballs. It's about time Kishimoto brings things to the light given the manga is nearing it's end. ^^ I look forward to hearing Sakura tell Naruto just how far SHE'D go for him. They'd go past the limit for one another at this point, and they don't even truly know it.

I think talking about this, I appreciate Sakura's concern in the recent chapter a bit more than I initially did.