This is a rant I made about the absolute ultimate reason NaruSaku will become canon. IMO, it feels like the most solid, based entirely on logic, and has much less debatable holes in it. Now I don't usually make a whole thread about my rants, but this one just felt like one of my best. :)
I'm not even saying this as a NaruSaku fan really. More like a story interpreter and writer. Prepare for ground-breaking logic:
Anti-fans often bring up arguments like "Hinata deserves Naruto because she always loved him", "Sakura's always loved Sasuke", NaruSaku will never happen and usually like Hinata better because she never hated Naruto.
We hear this all the time, right? Well here's the truth:
These people completely misinterpret the story, NaruSaku's purpose, and the themes
NaruHina being canon does not follow the themes of the story. Hinata was the first person outside of his parents to ever truly care about him, true. But this isn't pro-NH. In fact, the very reason Hinata is this outlier is what works against her.
From the very start, Naruto's character has been about having a bunch of goals or desires that seemed impossible but were gradually earned through hard work. That's the key word there: earned. Hinata was never something he had to earn.
Naruto always had a vague interest in love, but the journey to get it is meant to be challenging and difficult. Hinata being the "easy road to take" is not only unlike Naruto's character but also spits on his character theme and by default the story theme:
"Even if things seem impossible, if you work hard enough to get it and never give up, it will eventually go your way."
On a basic level, this is the message Kishi wants to relay to the audience. What NH implies is to look for a girl that is already there. Now this is not exactly a bad thing, but for the context of this story it leaves a hollow message. It would just be out of place if Naruto got all his other goals (Being Hokage, saving Sasuke, village acknowledgement etc.) after going through obstacles except love that for some reason is just handed to him.
There's also a common belief of the SS fandom that Sasuke will get everything and because of that he will get Sakura. But this is not Sasuke's purpose in anything at the very end and the love triangle is no exception. In fact, Sasuke's presence actually strengthens NS's tie into the themes.
Sasuke is a rival. His journey is also a direct antithesis of Naruto's. He started out with acknowledgment and being favored over Naruto, but gradually lost this as Naruto takes it after starting with nothing. Naruto's also personally marked Sasuke as his rival. But Sasuke had everything he wanted: popularity, acknowledgment, talent, and Sakura's affection. And even more than that, Sasuke has become a severe obstacle to Naruto's goals at some point or another.
Naruto's Goals:
1). Being Hokage
2). Saving Sasuke
3). Reuniting Team 7
4). Having Sakura's love
.... Interestingly enough, Sasuke blocks all of this from happening or makes it very difficult. He is literally a textbook example of a true rival. So ... this is bad? No. Sasuke is supposed to get in the way, but with the theme "achieving goals through time and determination" Naruto will surpass Sasuke one day and have what he wants in his own way. Sasuke---and everything/everyone he affects---are all temporary for the sake of themes and drama.
Now ask yourself this. If we know Naruto will accomplish his first 3 goals ... then why is Sakura suddenly an exception to the rule? There is no reasonable argument for it. Because she still loves Sasuke/has feelings/thinks she still loves him? There's a theme reason for that and it's not anti-NaruSaku. I will say it again:
"Sasuke is SUPPOSED to get in the way, but with 'achieving goals through TIME and DETERMINATION', Naruto will SURPASS him and have what he WANTS in his own way."
People often hate on NS for Sakura's initial hate of Naruto and her love for Sasuke so they prefer Hinata. That's fine, but when you argue canon for NH/SS you're completely misinterpreting the purpose of Sakura's behavior and why it started off the way it did. You're not appreciating the theme behind it or even the story theme to a certain point.
Naruto sets goals. He wants things, but it looked near impossible at first and is actually still difficult. In this example, Sakura's love for Sasuke and how long it's taken for her to move on and she might even still be in the process of it. No matter if you like it or not, this is once again a perfect example of his rivalry with Sasuke and having to jump through hoops for a more fulfilling pay-off. Re-read my message quote and you will know this fits.
Sakura's hate of Naruto? Same thing. It served the exact same purpose as Sasuke in their rivalry. Since Naruto wants Sakura, it has to be difficult. You can say love is a different case, but it's really not. Especially since, just like everything else he desires, Sakura has warmed up to him in a increasingly noticeable degree. It's not just "she acknowledges him as a friend". She should acknowledge him in a love way to compliment Naruto's character and the themes.
If Kishimoto cared about the hard work theme on Naruto's main goals and makes a pairing canon, NaruSaku will undoubtedly happen. NaruSaku canon fits perfectly with Naruto's and the story's main themes.
Sakura is a reflection of the themes. And it's not just in my own opinion. Remember the Pain arc? Naruto was finally acknowledged as a hero and regarded with genuine potential to be Hokage. Coincidentally, instead of Hinata ("the easy way"), Sakura was the one who hugged him in a way that seemed more than friendship. Just like almost everyone else, she disliked him first but acknowledged him. So Sakura does embody the main Naruto theme, but unlike the others it's hinted she represents the romantic side.
I've never found a better argument for NS than the story's own themes. It just makes me more and more reassured NaruSaku will be canon.
(I thank a particular SS fan who accidently made me fully realize this )