It's true that Sasuke didn't give a damn about any fangirl, like Ino.
The conviviality on Team 7 played a key role in making Sakura stand out.
Eventually, Sasuke came to consider her an dear person to him and want to protect he
yes he did that was part of growth but he NEVER showed any form of actual affection or direct return of her feelings throughout this remained consistent to the point where at the end he had to practically spell it out for everyone that NO I HAVE NO FEELINGS FOR HER
Meanwhile, Sasuke made it clear Naruto became his best friend. Sakura's importance to him, however, remained open-ended. Was she just another best friend?
I'm not saying Sasuke will ask her out. never.
But it's possible that eventually, he will come to accept her feelings, if she were to grow even more in importance to him.
Just like he had no problem accepting her romantically at the end of the manga when he stoped to being obcessed about revange and let his past go...
This of course followed the garbage ending we got which i personally consider non canon given how bad it was everything past the manga titled the TRUE ending as it was called
While i wont dispute the possibility as anything can happen the story to that point does not support such a conclusion beyond a what if, No where does he accept her feelings
I don't think this is relevant. Sakura had several opportunities to ask about this moment, but never brought it up to Sasuke throughout Part 1.
When Sasuke left and she tried to stop him, it was the perfect chance to question him about the Forehead scene. But she remembers the later moment when he called her annoying because of her comment about loneliness.
She does question him as the moment happens right at the bench where it happend she asks in a round about way sadly the writing wasnt on point for this but Sasuke clearly states I have no memory of this which refutes her entire claim at the moment of the special moment they shared
When Sasuke returned, Sakura could have questioned him about this moment. But she preferred to ask if she could go with him. This led to the Forehead poke, which ironically, touched at the point of Sakura's insecurity.
And again, Sakura didn't relate or even remember the fake Sasuke complimenting her forehead at Chapter 3.
this sadly is bad writing and a plot hole left over from the eventual editorial interference the event shouldve been bought up as it is one of the pivotal moments in the ""relationship"" and i use the word loosely that had occurred.
yet its never bought up again BECAUSE it would torpedo things on the spot. Wait you didnt compliment and want to kiss my forehead
No I didnt i was tied up in the classroom because that brat naruto jumped me and disguised himself as me for some bloody reason
Naruto was disguised as you and OOOOOHH??? Ill kill him then i ressurect him then Ill kill him then ill kill him again
believe the NaruSaku relationship would develop much slower or almost become nonexistent in Part 2, just as it was in Part 1 and the post-manga period.
What brought Sakura and Naruto closer together was their mutual desire to bring Sasuke back, along with all the drama that surrounded him + POAL. With Sasuke present, this desire that united them and the POAL simply dissipates.
Disagree they were allready moving closer together as multiple interactions showed during the wave arc chunin exams and sand invasion the fond look she gave naruto a smile by the way she never showed to ANYONE but for him alone is more than ample evidence of the relationship growing
the three of them can be analogous to three lines one blue one pink one orange
the blue and pink lines start closer together with the orange line on the outside but moving paralel to them then the pink line moves away from the blue line and closer to the orange line as the story progresses eventually around the POAL does the pink line cross over the middle ground to move closest to the orange line their shared goal being a catalyst but hardly the only thing her own desires to be stronger her own choices to stand by his side all playing into the moment
nother important question: Would Sakura ever spontaneously confess her feelings to Naruto without the pressure from Sai about the POAL, and Sasuke in the village?
Probably not, while she would probably confess her feelings to Sasuke at some point, as she did twice in the canon.
yes eventually she would it would take time but would happen as Naruto always needed a bit of a kickstart in some ways
Sasuke the confessions were the same spontaneous confessions of any love sick crush and dismissed as cleanly as they were
for Sakura and Naruto its a larger deeper narrative one that would end with not so much a spontaneous confession as a mutual one where both just talk to each other and remember all that they shared