Cherry-Bloss93

I see that the reviews for this cover are quite mixed - so, I figured I would add mine to this splendid concoction.
At first glance, I like the artwork. The colors are bright and bold, and the scene depicted is dramatic and striking. In spite of all it's inconsistencies, I like how it was drawn. However, that is about as far as my praise for this cover goes.
While it in itself stands as a fine piece of artwork, one must remember that this image is intended to represent the ending of Naruto. It's quite strange that, as one tumblr user put it, "Naruto starts alone and he ends alone." What, may I ask, happened to the important people in his life who helped him to achieve his goals? What about his family who he should love very much? Why is he alone? Now, this may not seem to be that big of an issue, but this is Naruto we're talking about - the story that put over 80% of its focus on BONDS. Not to mention this is Naruto the character we're talking about - that sad, neglected boy who put so much value into his very first BONDS, his FRIENDS that saved him from the darkness. This cover combined with the story of Naruto seems to imply that, ironically, nothing has really changed. Even though he is Hokage and he did make friends along the way, this cover emanates a feeling of hollowness, that though the victory is won something is missing. And that, my friends, is drive - purpose. It seeks that once Naruto became Hokage, his purpose was fulfilled, and there is no more need for his character. It's sad, but this is the impression that I get from this.
Naruto no longer has a purpose, therefore he is no longer needed. Since he is no longer needed, the characters who helped to develop him are no longer needed, either. And that's why I don't care for this cover.

Naruto getting rejected by Sakura = Naruto falling into the same failure Jiraya had with Tsunade

I've been realizing lately that it's not good to deny things. I've realized that the best thing is to state what you truly feel, to get these feelings off your chest, so you can move on from that. That's why I opened this post. What did NaruSaku mean to you? What made it stand out from other pairings? What made them so special? Even if Naruto and Sakura are not paired in the end, it's important for us to come to terms with how we felt/feel - so that we might come to experience a peace in our own hearts. This may sound ridiculous to some people - that you can become so invested in a fictional pairing - but it's amazing how incredibly difficult it is to see two people who are so right for each other not be together, even in fiction.

We all put time into this story, and it's time we can't get back - that's probably the most difficult part. But I pray for all of you that you would be able to move on and live your lives - that even though some time has been lost, there is still time in the future for you to experience.


Anyhow - What did NaruSaku represent to me?

Naruto and Sakura represented real people, loving each other in the simplest of ways, in sickness and in health, weather out on missions or in the village, no matter where they were. To me, their relationship was epitome of romances - they had everything: the right amount of give-and-take, the mutual concern for one another's well being, the humor, the understanding, the strong bond of friendship everything I would want in a relationship. Whenever I would think about romance, I would think about Naruto and Sakura. From chapter 3, when Naruto looked at Sakura with hearts in his eyes, I thought, "I want him to gain her acknowledgement - I want him to change her, for her to realize how much she loves him in the end." The story between them grabbed my heart right away. And not something that I can't change.

I hate that I got as invested as I did into NaruSaku. Before this pairing, I didn't really care about fictional couples that much. But with NaruSaku... It's just that they seemed so real... Their relationship, from not knowing each other at all to becoming closer than one could imagine, was just so beautiful. As a fictional couple, they stood out, more than any other characters could. I know that I need to move on, and I'm praying that I do - but that still doesn't change the fact of just how real and beautiful their relationship was shown to be.

Guys only 11 Thursdays until the movie. Meaning the manga will be over in 11 chapters or we will be spoiled by the movie.

Or we'll lead up to a time skip of some sort

I mean, I don't think that Naruto should have to change who he is in order for Sakura to like him. Love is about accepting each other in spite of the faults either of you may have. Of course, spending time away from a loved one can help you realize what they mean to you, but intentionally distancing yourself from someone can also be detrimental in that you have less quality time to spend with each other developing your bond. I think the best relationships are forged from a strong friendship.

My favorite part is how they say that Hinata's feelings are more important than Naruto's, and that because she loves him, she will end up with him.

Exactly. Just because one person has feelings for someone else does not mean they need to reciprocate them. True love is obtained when you have both parties loving one another equally. I understand that at first Sakura was not in love with Naruto and instead loved Sasuke, but there have been several hints about her feelings changing all throughout the manga. What some people fail to understand is that you can go from liking one person romantically to liking another person in the same manner. Your first love does not necessarily need to be your last.

I personally think that Naruto is super adorable :3

What would be awesome is that if Sakura is in the dream and notices something off - then she would be the one the break the genjutsu ;)

Yes, I've supposed that most people don't like NaruSaku because it is a threat to their ship. It's always just baffled me when people think that Naruto and Sakura are such a bad match for one another when they clearly care about each other and have so much chemistry. I also feel like some people are too harsh on Sakura, leaving no room for second chances. Sure, she was cruel to Naruto at first, but she changed from annoyance to true caring. Yet people can't seem to let it go that she was once mean to him.

Looks like Minato's been... disarmed! Skidoosh!

I was just thinking - this chapter is another prime example of the differences between Sakura and Hinata - Hinata runs out of chakra, falls on the ground and does nothing, while Sakura uses her last remaining chakra to make the incision, and then, without any chakra left, gives him CPR, doing everything in her power to keep him alive - just, wow.

^ That's the thing that people tend to forget - things in a story don't just happen out of coincidence or for no reason. The author intentionally puts things into the story for a reason.

I wish Sakura was a bit more emotional, the stuff she was saying was nice, but I want some more  .
Also was she crying? Kinda hard to tell, I'd like to see some tears, just sayin

Maybe we'll get some more emotion when she learns that Kurama was extracted from Naruto. I think that'll bring the Rescue Gaara Arc back full circle as well as all of the emotions that when on in that arc *if you know what I mean ;)*

I'm definitely excited about the next chapter because Sakura doesn't even know what put him in this state yet. I think when she finds out it was because Kurama was extracted, we'll get a huge reaction.