Did anyone ship NS the first time we seen Sakura? I didn't get into Naruto until 2010 and even before then I thought NS would be endgame.
I was initially SS during part one of Naruto. Being around Naruto's age group, 11-12 years of age at the time, I didn't put too much stock into ships. I focused on the fight scenes and the World of Naruto. Later, once Shippuden finally began, I started to gravitate towards NS, and I just thought it natural because Sasuke is not around to build his relationship with Naruto/Sakura. Right after the Kazekage Rescue Mission, I really started getting into the NS. Sakura and Naruto were the only ones to have a common goal and shared experiences, plus Yamato and Sai subtly revealed to the readers that Sakura hadn't realized what Naruto truly meant to her. Not to mention, during the Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission, when Sakura and Sasuke finally met, she was on the attack, getting ready to punch his lights out. Like no crying, no second-guessing. Anyway, Naruto had so much potential during that time.