One simple answer can just be character development, just plain simple basic character development. Characters points in the story are that they change in minor and major ways. Characters regressing though over the course of a story can happen too but as long as it remains consistent with the story regression is acceptable in some cases.
Basically Sakura should go through a character arc, just like Sasuke just did in order to love Naruto, there is still time in the manga for it to happen, basically this is the short term of a character arc:
A character arc is the status of the character as it unfolds throughout the story, the storyline or series of episodes. Characters begin the story with a certain viewpoint and, through events in the story, that viewpoint changes. A character arc generally only affects the main character in a story, though other characters can go through similar changes.
Sometimes the character arcs rebound though and as I said before, sometimes regression is good for certain characers as long as the story is acceptable for it, basically Sasuke just regressed or will start too now that he will fulfill Itachi's efforts, he found a new reason to fight, for his brother's sacrifice. For Sasuke, this is an acceptable regression, he was a basically back to acting how he did before killing Itachi, basically when he was freelancing with Taka hunting Itachi.
On someone else though like Sakura, she cannot regress when it comes to loving Sasuke. Her efforts are in part have been her feelings being conflicted with the stuff that troubled Naruto (Kruama, Akakstui, Sasuke, heavy jobs, promise) and her initial love for Sasuke. The thing is, Sakura's love was idealistic. Even Kishi admits this, so he stating this himself is just an acknowledgment, he cannot have Sakura regress or that defeats her purpose for this development. Part of her development was her efforts in helping and understanding Naruto and his pain, they both share a pain in losing Sasuke as a simple friend, but Sakura's negative trait is one that obviously needs to change just like Sasuke's for revenge to truly avenging now has come to be. Sakura keeping this till the end is just not only the biggest waste of development potential, kishi would have literally given people a true reason to hate Sakura. If kishi honestly did this, I feel like what he did to Sakura would have been what the tv show of the walking dead did to the character Andrea. The comic Andrea is excellent, but they made her so damn stupid in the tv show, she actually died recently with little redemption and most fans were actually happy about her death in season 3.
Sakura needs to overcome Sasuke, she can meet up with him like the others during this fight and be conflicted, kishi can do many things between team 7 and new Sasuke as long as Sakura does not regress, she can be conflicted and unsure, but this can potentially make the fight between Naruto and Sasuke much deeper on Sakura's part, she knows Sasuke could have changed at this point and feel conflicted over what he did in the past, but as long as she progresses towards Naruto, that is proper development, no matter how you cut it, any road leading Sakura to choosing Sasuke again is just regression and stupid. It harms Sakura's character because her love for Sasuke is such a negative trait, its like her weakness, choosing Naruto over this is literally overcoming that weakness.
Why does she still love Sasuke? Well as some said, kishi has to keep the triangle alive, but is also for the drama on Sakura's part, when the fight comes she could ultimately be fighting her own internal battle but resolve it because she knows what she and Naruto have done for each other and gone through. Even more simple, she is aware Naruto loves her and is unsure about Sasuke. She can get over him.
Sakura's current state with how she views Sasuke does remind me a bit of Zuko in avatar the last airbender, we all thought in the end of season 2 he would be good but he regressed to his former must capture aang mode, he gets rewarded with his birthright but was unsure of it. He spend half of season 3 going through mental issues of right and wrong and having learned his mistakes defects from the fire nation and joins Aang, becomes an ally and helps end the war. I feel that Sakura needs to struggle with her Sasuke mentality and have some event that gradually makes her realize she and Naruto did everything and became what they were because of each other (well naruto had tons of people helping him but Sakura did a lot for him too, but Naruto did the most for her and she wants to fulfill something big for Naruto). Its still there though, Naruto and Sakura always stood by and helped, protected, encouraged, and empowered each other. All the good and bad any events in the story they had together or experienced only made them stronger and still they come out with an incredible friendship. Naruto still loves Sakura as far as any of us are concerned and Sakura still has close feelings for Naruto. This can become something more and all the pieces of NaruSaku are there, they fit, they can work well into the story. Sakura overcoming Sasuke would be her biggest form of development and the proper way to give proper maturity to her character, Sakura maturing over Sasuke and going to Naruto would literally make her come full circle, hating and wanting nothing to do with Naruto and ending with her loving and always enjoying him and Naruto with her would be proper development to end with Sakura.
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