What are your guys counter arguments on this?
What a joke. You don't even dare to say clearly "love" and speak vaguely about some "feelings". But in the same time you manipulate the facts to make it csound like Naruto was proven to in fact be truly, madly deeply in love with Sakura - which is total bullsh**.
Response to NH Fan: That is your opinion. You likewise cannot prove that Naruto isn't truly, madly, deeply in love with Sakura, either.
Naruto won't "drop his feelings for Sakura" you say? Of course he won't. No NaruHina fan ever claimed that Naruto won't remain Sakura's friend and a teammate. Because pretty much this is what was proven and nothing more. Sai's personal opinion is merely Sai's personal opinion and not a fact.
Response to NH Fan: True, it was Sai's opinion. However, it was not denied by Naruto, and was in fact indirectly acknowledged through his answer -- that he couldn't tell Sakura how he felt because he couldn't or hadn't yet kept his promise to her. If they were speaking just about friendship and teammate bonds, then Sai's question and Naruto's response make no sense. In context, it is about deeper feelings. If you don't want to call them "love" that is your option. The truth will be proven by the end of the manga.
Naruto never stated that he loves Sakura.
Response to NH Fan: He has never said he doesn't love Sakura, either. More to the point, he has never said he loves Hinata. He also hasn't said he can't tell her how he feels because he hasn't made an important promise to her that he feels he must keep because her happiness is that important to him.
Naruto never said that he will ever confess to Sakura.
Response to NH Fan: He never said he will never confess to Sakura, either. Likewise, he has never said he will ever confess to Hinata. So what's your point?
He never said that being with Sakura is his goal nor that he will win her heart no matter what.
Response to NH Fan: Naruto has also never said that being with Hinata is his goal, or that he will win her heart no matter what. In fact, despite her declaration of love, Naruto has never commented -- internally, to anyone else, or to Hinata -- on her confession one way or another. It might as well have never happened because he has not reflected on her words or feelings for him once.
The times when Naruto was saying anything about his feelings to Sakura in part 2 were ALWAYS made so that it can be understood as a joke.
Response to NH Fan: That is your opinion. However, there are manga examples of when Naruto is joking about his relationship with Sakura, or ways you can tell when he's not serious. His response to his father about Sakura being his girlfriend does not conform to those examples. Besides, you have urged no proof as to why Naruto would lie to his father. What was his motive in that circumstance, especially if Hinata could conceivably have overhead? (Evidence available upon request.)
So by saying that Naruto "won't drop his feelings for Sakura" you certainly cannot mean love. Because no love was even proven in case of Naruto's feelings for Sakura. All that was proven was a crush back in part 1 and then he had TWO WHOLE YEARS worth of constant thinking about how Sakura can be only happy with Sasuke before he even saw her again. And recently he was lied to by Sakura and witnessed her attempt to murder the man she loved.
Response to NH Fan: That is your opinion, and Naruto's behavior during that time can be interpreted several ways that do not reach your conclusion.
Do you really think a girl who is unable to believe in someone she truly loves is the kind of girl Naruto would want to spend his life with? After nobody believed in him most of his childhood? Naruto believed Sasuke to be possible to save and he was right, unlike Sakura who was and still IS wrong about Sasuke.
Response to NH Fan: You are projecting your feelings and expectations onto Naruto. If Naruto had truly been as disgusted and shocked by Sakura's choices during her confession and subsequent attempts to kill Sasuke, why would he tell his father she was his girlfriend -- even if it was, as you say, nothing more than a joke? That would be extremely hypocritical of Naruto, not to mention in poor taste.
And just to remind you - Naruto have spent twice more time with Hinata recently than during all previous chapters altogether. Hinata suddenly became important and got a lot of screentime because of Naruto. Do you know when Sakura became important and got screentime? When Sasuke appeared on the battlefield.
Response to NH Fan: Just to remind you, claiming that Naruto has spent "twice more time with Hinata recently than during all previous chapters altogether" is truly scraping the bottom of the barrel for something positive to say about the interaction between your favored pairing. Even if true, it is a painfully inadequate comparison for the amount and quality of time Naruto has spent with Sakura. And Sakura was already important on the battlefield, serving closely with Naruto, and was specifically called his girlfriend by Naruto himself -- before Sasuke arrived. Beyond that, it is Naruto to whom Sakura directed her intention to stand with her Team 7 mates in battle, and Naruto who acknowledged Sakura in that moment. Sasuke was not a factor in that interaction whatsoever.
Hinata gets screentime mainly because of Naruto.
Response to NH Fan: I agree with you. She has no depth or purpose other than to serve as a satellite of Naruto's character, and therefore it makes sense that her page time is linked to Naruto. He is the hero of the story, after all. Many characters' page time is linked to him.
Sakura gets screentime mainly because of Sasuke.
Response to NH Fan: That is false. Sakura has appeared in the manga far more than Hinata, and with Naruto throughout Shippuuden when Sasuke's storyline was separate. Sakura is the main heroine, and doesn't need either Naruto or Sasuke to get page time. I will give you that she is linked to Sasuke, and probably will be as the story comes to a conclusion, but that is because the complex love triangle that exists between Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto is likely to be the last thing that Kishimoto resolves.
That's what I would say, but I just did this for fun.
I'm in no way advocating that you debate with this person, or attempt to respond. NH fans have just as much of a right to their opinion as we have to ours. Why try so hard to change them? Let them think what they wish. The story is wrapping up, and it's pretty likely that when it's finished there will be no more pairing debates.
Edited by KnS, 21 October 2013 - 03:19 AM.