I feel Sakura's journey was not only to become a splendid ninja, but to discover what true love is. One way love develops is by being around each other, sharing experiences as relationship development. In certain stories though, the future couple really has only each other to focus on. Neither of the characters have eyes particularly toward someone else, not even towards each other, but their experiences together develops their feelings for one another. Also, commonly in those stories, there is a third character that is also introduced to act as interference. You also have the case when two characters have a deep connection after the first meeting, usually in boy meets supernatural/ out of this world girl or with the other way around gender-wise.
However, I'm sure we've all at some point have come across an anime that explored the idea of having a character like another person before getting together with his/ her true love interest. Toradora is one example as both characters liked other characters before realizing they truly loved each other, especially the male protagonist Ryuji as the female protagonist Taiga helps him to try to get with the girl he at the beginning liked. Kimikiss is another example as one of the couples went through being in another relationship with other people to realize that they truly love each other. One I truly wanted to list was Hanasakeru Seishonen, where the female protagonist made a bet with her father to spend time with three guys and decide which one she would experience true love with. The fact the whole story is about a girl discovering for her what's true love takes the concept as it's major plot point. By the way, I recommend all three of these if you have not already seen them.
Sakura thought she loved Sasuke. He was cool, good-looking, and other factors girls could easily fall for. She thought she truly loved him. However, as of right now, her feelings are in confusion. As they were on the same team, she thought she could use the chance to make him fall for her. She got to know him better with his good traits and the bad, but she didn't mind the bad. All that mattered to her is that if she could get into a relationship with him she would be happy. She truly thought that. We can take that as rather selfish, but even Kishimoto stated it was such. However, things rarely go as we wish them to. The guy turns out to be not who she think he is. He's completely uninterested in romance, and rarely says two sentences to her. Even so, she thought she could handle it all, that she could help take his burden off and get inside his heart, but to no avail. Sasuke ends up leaving despite pouring her whole heart out. After two years, he has become completely indifferent towards her in the truest sense. Before, he at least still considered Sakura a teammate. Now, he doesn't care one way or the other, whether she's happy or sad, whether she lives or dies. He just doesn't care at all. His bond with her unlike Naruto was easy to cut off and be disposed of, showing how much he really held her at value: not much. Furthermore, when she becomes an obstacle in anyway, he has no qualms taking her out.
Then, Sakura notices during all this time, the goofball Naruto who always was trying to get her attention. At the start, she only considered him an interference to her romance, but that didn't last long. Being on the same team with him, she saw his determination and heart. Sakura's early assumptions about him turn into misconceptions on her part. During the tree climbing exercise, she thought Naruto would easily give up, but not at all, he turned to Sakura for help in doing it. She was surprised at first, but shook it off and gave him the advice. She continues seeing him do things she wouldn't have expected out of him before, learning about him everyday, witnessing him do the impossible. During the Chuunin exams, written portion, Sakura saw Naruto struggling and when came time for the all or nothing tenth question, she's reminded of the dream he keeps shouting out all the time. She's willing to quit for his sake, despite what her crush would want. It doesn't end there, she calls out her crush for being a coward, and that this goofball she's come to know, and grown concerned of is not one at all, that he always does things all the way through. She realizes she was wrong about him and a friendship has formed between them.
When the guy she likes leaves, she relies on Naruto to bring him back, while learning that this person she once thought as a nuisance was the one who understood her all along. Seeing this friend get hurt afterwards motivates her to get stronger, to be of help. This person who has become a friend has always been with her. She continued learning more about him, his strengths and his burdens, and she sought to protect him as well as help bring Sasuke back. During all this time, she changes gradually, becoming strong-willed and more experienced. A critical point is that she discovers this friend harbors deep feelings for her, and she becomes somber and self-loathed about not noticing it at all. She tries to fix it by taking things on her own, but only resulted in failure. However, it doesn't stop her from still being there for him when needed. Whenever he needs support she wants to be there for him.
However, what about the person she thinks she loves? The times she managed to see him after he left only end with pain. The guy only gives her cold stares and looks of indifference. Even with his supposed return during the war, it doesn't change what happened before. "Oh, he's come back", "He wants to help us", and "Things can finally be like they were". She honestly wants to believe these things, but she can't bring herself too, because she knows things are too different to ever be the same as they were. The situation is different, he's changed, and most importantly, she's changed. She thought this is what she wanted, but it's not the case. These feelings she has for them are not the same as in the beginning. She's suspicious of him, she can't trust, because he might stir up trouble later. Because he might harm who's truly important to her.
The last part I might have exaggerated a bit, but these thoughts could very well be racing in Sakura's head at the moment. She's very wary of Sasuke, and in my opinion she's uncomfortable with Naruto being so close to him. However, she also is confused because this is supposed to be what she wanted for three years now. She's supposed to be happy, but she isn't. Her feelings are in complete confusion and she doesn't have time to sort them out now with the war going on.
This way to show true love takes time and patience and Kishimoto-san has shown to have both. It really took a long time just to get to this point. Considering this is shounen and doesn't focus on romance, it couldn't be helped. However, this way to show how a relationship is formed is definitely one of the best if done right.
Edited by DattebayoXShannaro, 26 August 2013 - 06:46 PM.
. I have a couple of comments too I've made in some videos, like this one http://www.youtube.c...oPwZ5MnTOaObSBA, and you wouldn't believe the amount of hatred responses I receive.
