So I've thought more about my answer and what bothers me about NS and trying to pinpoint when it died.... And that's just the thing. There isn't a single moment! There is no NS panel, no last connection between them, or last heartbreak. There is literally just nothing.
For me, I guess it would have been at the bitter end, with Sasuke's forehead tap and Hinata in the cemetery. It was just confirmation of the end. But not the death of NS. There just was no end to NS, along with no beginning of NS or no beginning of NH.
I realize the storyline was fleshed out in The Last and the novels, but you know, I don't really count those as canon to the story (the manga) because that Naruto is so vastly different from the original. Same with Sakura, Hinata and all the rest.
I wish i could go back and pinpoint a definitive panel between Naruto and Sakura when their romance was officially over...but there just wasn't one.
(In fact, their last panel together has Naruto thanking Sakura, which is used as 'I love you' throughout the whole manga. So even their last manga scene was an NS mixed message.)
I'm not arguing that NS wasn't canned for NH. It absolutely was. It's just...that all their development, all their mutual feelings were thrown out the window without a second glance. NS didn't end...they just went on like it never happened at all.
You're absolutely right !
And the worst of it all, is that Kishi kept including NS moments until the very end (y'know the moment Minato asked Naruto ifshe was his girlfriend ! and Naruto said Yes ) it was still shown that Naruto loved her, so, it confirms that it was a last moment decision the make Naruto return Hinata's feelings.
I think that, if they really wanted to make NH, they should've said that to Kishi earlier (it's way too obvious it wasn't his own decision), so that he can make a conclusion to Naruto and Sakura's relationship, but NO, they preferred making a movie about it, to make more money and kitten on this manga, and make, as you said, as if it never existed.