Respectfully disagree. Remember, The Last was released exactly one month after chapter 700. Meaning, the movie's script (a script Kishimoto did not write) and production were greenlit well before the manga's end. The middle of 2013 appears to be most probable of when the final decision was made. The new era project was also greenlit around the same time when you consider it was advertised by Shueisha along with the release of the final chapter. Oh, and this is very important; Naruto is a manga and franchise, not a novel or series of novels. More people have more say than just the author in this type of publishing.
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From this point on we get Neji's death. Hinata's speech to Naruto to alleviate his despair. A chapter named "A True Ending" which depicts at it's end the proverbial deaths of Naruto and Sasuke and the women at their sides in that moment. Coupled with a severe lack of on panel affection between the canon pairings, even after their confirmation, points to a very reasonable possibility that the ending really wasn't Kishimoto's original intention. It was an ending solely done for the continuation of the franchise.
You're right. Ultimately, we have no idea what the managerial structure for Naruto the Franchise is. But we do know it's a whole franchise, of which the manga is just one part. If Kishimoto has signed over rights to most of the items, but retained some limited editorial oversight, then he may be very removed from the direction of the rest of the franchise, past what he's contractually obligated to fulfill for the manga.
For example, Kishimoto's contract may have allowed him to continue his job with the manga — writing illustrating and directing his artistic staff — as well as giving him free rein to do what ever he wanted. As long as he ended it with NH, and fulfills they're alotted time scheme to coincide with the movie, the live-action play, the novels, Boruto, and whatever else the New Era project can push out.
This is not a conspiracy theory, it's business. And this hypothetical scenario above takes into account the whole franchise, not just the ending of the manga.
We do know the franchise is continuing beyond the end of the manga, and we know that Kishimoto has stepped back his involvement in the series. Thus we know that Kishimoto has struck a deal to be compensated for his original concept, to retain some artistic and editorial rights in future endeavors, and to reap profits from the sales of past and future Naruto franchise ventures.
And we can take an educated guess that this deal was struck at some point before the end of the manga.
At this point, blaming Kishimoto for the NH ending is like blaming Walt Disney because you didn't like the way A Bug's Life turned out. He may have had very little choice in the matter.
I agree that "The True Ending" is a very telling chapter title. To me, if Kishimoto was a creator with limited artistic control of his art, then a title would be an easy way to insert a bit of his own direction — his own thought on the matter — into a manga that he already knew was going to go a different direction and disappoint a huge section of his fans. An ending which would make him look like a liar after so many years building up NS.
And for the record, I think 'The True End' was the ending he had planned, with Naruto and Sasuke going out in balance, with the clear support of Sakura and Karin, but never even being a fulfilled romance. Instead ending like Jiraiya's novel where the romance was left off-page.
Kishimoto did not write the last. But he did superivse and edit the script, so much so that he makes a comment that he was worried he was frustrating the writers. He wanted them to get it right.
The Last was released a month after the last chapter, yes.
Unfortunately, just because Kishimoto red-inks something does not mean he's heavily involved. It just means that he saw it, altered it and ultimately passed it back. We can't infer if Kishimoto was pleased with it or not.
But all of the language of teamwork and Kishimoto's heavy involvement would be standard in presenting a future of Naruto to the general public. If Kishimoto came out and said,"Eh, it's okaaay...." then that undermines the movie/ending/Boruto franchise.
And if Kishimoto's under contract to support the New Era stuff, then he will do that.
Ultimately, my point is that aside that pointedly strange chapter title "The True End" I don't think there is anything to be gained by analyzing the manga. Or even Kishimoto's statements. Naruto is a business. A multi-tiered international franchise, with interests in everything from perfumes and plushies to fashion, books, and movies. Kishimoto is going to do what is good for business.
Telling people it's going exactly as he planned, from the beginning? Yes. Absolutely. Even if it's a lie, and he knows it. He's not going to go against the direction that Naruto is taking.
While we like to think that Kishimoto is like the character he drew...he's not. The story is about a romantically high ideal. But Kishimoto is in the business of manga creation. Business. He's been at this a long long time. And he is always going to do what is good for his business.
On a personal note, I think one day Kishimoto will give an interview, perhaps 20 years from now, and confirm that yes, he did intend for NS to happen. That the True End was what he had thought, years and years before when he was writing the Pain arc. But then he'll shrug and go didn't work out that way, and that *gasp* he didn't really care.
Because I think that by the end of the manga, he was just pissed that the shipping had overtaken the whole series. That's why he threw all the pairings up in the air, so that no one got what they wanted. Neither fans nor characters. (Well, excpet Shika, but he looks pretty miserable too.)
And last, after understanding Japanese culture a little better, and know that he's been writing this for f20 years, I honestly think that Kishimoto himself changed. And in the end, he wanted Naruto to have a traditional Japanese wife like Hinata. Very sweet, and very much focused on the family — something that is of large concern in Japanese society right now with the well-publicized downturn in population. Sakura was a role-breaker. As was Naruto originally. That's why they were both so perfect together. But in the end, neither of them broke out of their traditional roles. Naruto didn't usher in massive changes, instead returning to be a leader like his father. And Sakura returned to become a housewife, with no word of a career outside of housekeeping.
The message to me was clear: In the end of 20 years of writing the manga — going from a 20yo college student/manga contest winner to a 40yo family man and engine behind a multi-million dollar business — Kishimoto had changed his mind on what was important for these two main characters. Instead of radically changing their world, they went home to have families and uphold traditional Japanese values.
So, I don't think the ending was what Kishimoto planned. And yes, I think he's fibbing when he says he did. But I don't think he's unhappy with the ending. Because it was a good business decision to extend Naruto into the new series, and in Japanese culture, it would be nearly unthinkable to not do what was best for the group.
We can't infer these things from the manga pages, or even from the interviews. But we can make fairly educated guesses about the nature of business and the impact of traditional Japanese culture. And in that light, it helps me see why Kishi went the route he did. (Doesn't make me thrilled, but at least I understand why.)
