Yeah. The cheating part too also seems to serve realistically as a way to show us just how much Hinata doesn't believe in what Naruto can do, considering how we do see it more and more as the Chunin Exams go, like how she flinches easily when he fights Kiba, while Sakura is his loudest supporter, with Lee in a close second after he'd underestimated Naruto himself but realizing how wrong he was, and also how she wanted Naruto to give up as she was suffering from her wounds after her fight with Neji when Naruto got walloped by the 8 Trigrams 64 Palms and had his Tenketsu sealed before he tapped into Kurama's chakra to reopen them.
That, in retrospective, instantly can tell you Hinata only admires the Naruto she has watched from afar, without knowing the real him, without knowing how motivated he can get when he sets his mind on something, how he'll stand up for people when push comes to shove, how he isn't a fan of quitters or people who have suffered like he has but chose to not punch back when the world punched them first (look at Inari and Tsunade as big examples), etc. And it even shows too in other arcs afterwards too. And it shows why NaruHina was a last minute decision, not something that was planned intricately like NaruSaku was.
This another problem with their perception of Hinata and who Hinata really was.
To them Hinata was always eternally devote loyal loving towards Naruto. But the fact that she calls Naruto a "Proud Loser" and she admires him because he keeps trying even though he always fails unlike her who give up the second things got difficult. Along with the original scene in the manga during her confession where she stumbled upon him training while moping about how much of a failure she is. Means she must have looked down on him likely even thinking before that, "at least she is not Naruto," whenever she fails at something before that. Then being shocked and realizing that, "if even Naruto gets up and tries again after he fails how could she not do so as well." This led to her first respecting him. Then admiring him. Then after interacting with him and him being the first person to admit he likes her in any form; falls in love with him.
The thing about the test scene is it clear that Naruto was struggling and about to have a nervous breakdown due to the stress that he was going to fail because he can't answer the questions (and isn't able to understand he is suppose to cheat and even if he did, do so). Its natural for most people to help out someone who is clearly struggling even when your not suppose to; especially after whatever they are struggling with is going on for a decent amount of time in front of you. I've done it at least a dozen of times and I imagine everyone else here has as well.
Edited by Bail o' Lies, 13 November 2021 - 02:01 AM.