Keisok

For one thing, I haven't really seen her completely messed up from him leaving. Then again, she probably was for a while before accepting he's gone. Plus from her actions seem to be more of a concern for her, rather than an emotional outburst in trying to find him. To me, those signs point to her getting over her crush, for you, maybe it's a deepening in her feelings or attaining a more mature outlook.

How is it easier to argue anyway? From what I've seen, I see a one-sided relationship between Sakura and Sasuke (admittedly I would say the same thing considering Naruto and Sakura's relationship before the timeskip). However by Shipuuden's terms, Naruto still retains his feelings for Sakura, and she does respond positively to his prescience. Perhaps it will remain camaraderie, perhaps it won't. I have my own convictions, you have your own.

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I'MNOTCRAZY

she hasn't been a wreck because she made an effort to become stronger to be able to get him back. She's grown up beyond the crying wreck she use to be into a strong woman. You can't deny that she has become stronger in character. She's no longer the same Sakura who is an emotional wreck every time Sasuke gets hurt or something and she can easily hold her own in battle.

It's pretty damn easy. Just look at how many pages Kishi spent on her when Sasuke was leaving.
It can be argued that Sasuke at least realizes that Sakura's feelings for him are true.
If Naruto really did love Sakura, he's such a determined person that he wouldn't take no for an answer, or at least accept no as an answer so easily.

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naruto100%

It is hard to say!!!!! I meen Naruto is most of the time fooling around and Sakura hates that. But nomether what they are quite a good tim and friends.....

Highspeed0516

Don't just agree to disagree, that's no fun! I support NaruSaku, but once again, I don't think what Sakura feels for Sasuke is just a "crush" - see the following post for some good reasons.

While I agree with your arguments about how Sakura views her relationship with Sasuke, I must strongly disagree with the statement about Naruto. I reference the scene where Sasuke is recovering from the Gaara fight, and Sakura throws herself on him. Naruto realizes at that moment that he needs to let her go - the ultimate act of love in my mind. But now . . . things are changing again.

I'MNOTCRAZY

so you seem middle stance with a preference? is that right?

actually...that doesn't happen. All it says for Naruto is "..." when she yells "Sasuke-kun!" That's IT. I just read the chapter over. It must have been Anime only.

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Highspeed0516

Well, storytelling in this sense is a lot like poetry - its open to interpretation in many aspects by the reader. It seems to me Sakura loves both the boys (romantically) in two completely different ways. That's why I don't debate her obvious affection for Sasuke. I'm of the opinion, based on life experience, that the kind of love that Sakura has for Naruto is more likely to last. You seem to be much younger than I, and are coming from a different set of experiences - you may even be limited compared to mine. In short, I think Naruto and Sakura are either going to end up together, or end up alone like their mentors.

But I know that beyond the context of the story as it stands right now, I have no insight into the mind of Kishimoto, so the possibilities are endless, and I do consider them all.

Back to the incident in question - I refer to manga chapter 172 pages 18 and 19.

Naruto's face gets three panels as he watches Sakura's reaction, and yes in the Anime the change in his face is animated with a bit more detail. Naruto goes from happy, to stunned, to realization, to acceptance in a very short time.

Both the anime and the manga make it a point to show Tsunade observing the whole thing as an outsider (to which her thoughts at the time are debatable) - just note that her gaze is on Naruto's reaction, not at the scene Sakura is making.

The manga has a thought bubble that the anime doesn't have.

"Heh, Naruto is more sensitive than he looks."

Tsunade is very important to this whole situation because she acts as a marker, pointing out to the reader/ viewer both Sakura's love of Sasuke (she notices that Sakura must have been visiting and bringing flowers every day)
and Naruto's love, and understanding of Sakura.

vesji

She already has strong feelings for him, she will probably fall inlove with him sooner or later..

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ralatone

Also, especially in story telling, love is always far more intresting when you change things up a bit and try to confuse the reader from what their initial assumptions would have been. At least as far as good story telling goes. For example, many people since the very start of the series felt that Sakura would end up with Sasuke and Hinata with Naruto, even though Naruto only showed signs of intrest towards Sakura. Now a few years pass in the story and there seems to be some indication that Sakura has developed feelings for Naruto.

So what should the reader do ? Should they keep to their initial assumption of them ending up with Sasuke or Hinata ? Or should they take into consideration that there is something new developing between these charachters that no one could truly foresee in the beginning of the Series ? You see, instead of allowing the reader to accept their initial assumption, the author throws something new into the mix to keep the reader guessing. That's what all great pieces of literature strive to do, to keep you thinking, this fact goes profoundly well with Love, because if you know what love is, you would know that it's everything BUT a straight line.

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I'MNOTCRAZY

oh yeah. because there's absolutely no chance for a third option, namely Hinata. /sarcasm I think maybe this will help, a quote from Ino: "A flower doesn't matter unless it blooms". I think the same goes for Sakura's supposed love for Naruto. It really doesn't matter unless it comes into fruition. Then the only one that does matter is her love for Sasuke. And what is more attractive, an already bloomed flower or a bud of a more beautiful flower (just saying this for the sake of the analogy. not my opinion)?

you got the chapter wrong...that's after the chuunin exams have ended...no hospital scene...

@realtone: and what if there was to be a second twist, right back to where we started? Would that not be unexpected? *cough* I already know where your opinions lie. *looks at sig and avatar*

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ralatone

The thing with that quote is that Ino wasn't talking about relationships, she was talking about a persons inner growth.

[edit]

I never said there wouldn't be a 2nd twist, and if it has to do with either Sasuke or Hinata then there is no need for a 2nd twist as the Author has already given you those two options to consider as well as the new one he has put in place. Its not reallt about twists actually, it's more about keeping the reader thinking and questioning their own train of thought.

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I'MNOTCRAZY

yeah, but it still fits very nicely. it was for the sake of an analogy.

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ralatone

But if you're going to use that analogy then you gotta admit that there is no love at all between Hinata and Naruto, at least so far, because neither one of them has bloomed. Of course I can say the same thing about Naruto and Sakura, but at least that bud looks like it's further in the blooming stages than the other one. Also, once they all have bloomed and matured, it wont be a question of whether or not they love each other, just of which one they love more.

I dunno i guess using that analogy doesn't work well when it comes to love then...

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conroe

no, you wrong, i mean, look at sakura expression BEFORE she gives her fake smile, RIGHT after Sai told " Betraying konoha, running off to serve Oro, bla bla bla...", Naruto gets angry and Sakura EXACTLY looked at Naruto expression, she punch Sai because she don't want Sai hurt Naruto feelings

Sakura love Sasuke? hell yeah, she did it when she was a cute young brat who doesn't really know what is the meaning of love (read kakashi perceptive about sakura in earlier Manga Chap.4), she just like the "eye candy" of Sasuke

Sasuke already know Sakura like him, but he don't care a little bit, he even get angry at sakura and threatened her when Sakura show her most care and told sasuke to give up in pre elimination chunnin exam, he EVEN want to kill sakura (shippuden eps.1 - opening scene)
Naruto is Shinobi who have spirit which never give up... lol
remember what naruto told before he leaves with Jiraiya-sama to training? read Manga 143 last page.. that time, he know Sakura like Sasuke but he never give up to make Sakura like him.
Naruto loves Sakura, definitely, most of the anime and manga shows that

i tell you that Naruto did REALLY love Sakura very much, and Sakura gets to fall in love too, BUT that doesn't mean Naruto will end up with Sakura,what i mean.., naruto is getting famous around girls .. hehehe.. maybe Ino will start to like him too.....? kidding..)

I'MNOTCRAZY

no. she was just plain pissed off at Sai. The anger and rage came from her, not her feeling bad for Naruto. She really was angry. http://www.narutocentral.com/manga-viewer/286/9/ she wanted to be the one to hit him. if she was doing it for naruto, he could have let him hit Sai instead. She was PISSED that he insulted Sasuke. http://www.narutocentral.com/manga-viewer/286/10/

http://www.narutocentral.com/manga-viewer/181/12/ so she cries her heart out for someone who is simply "eye candy"??? I don't think so. At that point in the manga, she has true, deep-rooted feelings for him, not just so petty crush.

that's not my point. She still loves him. I NEVER said at that point he loved her. And really, he never tried to kill her. who knows what he would have done. he never got a chance to, since Yamato tried to block it. He might have just paralyzed her. you can't say he tried to kill her though.

saying he loves her MAY be going a bit far. We never see anything that he doesn't show for Sasuke besides a desire to date her, which can be simple infatuation. does filial love + infatuation = love love? I would say no.

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ralatone

By you saying that, it kinda makes me feel that you dont know what Love is. Love is something that can live for eternity or die in a heart beat. She was only 12 when she said that she loved him, what 12 year old knows anything about love? let alone most teenagers. I believe that she has a better understanding of her own feelings as she has matured and through that has broken the illusion of love. I mean any 12 year old can go around and say they love a person, doesn't mean they know what it is. That's why i think Sakura hasn't expressed her feelings about Sasuke after the time skip, because she probably has a better understanding of the word, maybe not completely, but at least a better one. I honestly feel that at this point she's really conflicted about how she feels and wants to make some sort of decision, when that decision comes though only time can tell.

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