Damn! Bail with the epic mike drop!
What's funny is that all of it could have been fixed so damn easily. We know Kishi kept getting bugged by the Hinata fans who kept telling him what he should do with Hinata even if he didn't get why so many liked her. I have said this, but if I were in Kishi's spot, this would be before Pain, and I was told again and again to have Hinata do something to take the spotlight from Sakura.
I would have told my editors I would give Hinata a big moment. Her death at Pain's hands outside of the range, so she isn't coming back. It would be a way that shut up the ones who all pushed for Hinata, who kept bothering to push her into the light.
Then, with Sakura. She, Shikamaru, and Neji would all fight to save Naruto.
I would have it so that as the two keep Pain away, Sakura would free Naruto, saying she believes him and how much Naruto has helped her grow and she wants to be by his side when he becomes Hokage, sadly before she could remove the last rod Pain will use his pull and stab her in the stomach that way we would still get the Minato part.