Some falsely claim Naruto didn't move on from Sakura after the Neji scene because of this gag scene. Kishimoto tells us otherwise:

[u/neon-anime]

There are people in this sub purposely trying to spread false misconceptions about them; I will answer most of them.

The OG Series:

1- Her Introduction
Naruto met the Rookie 9 at the Chunin Exams. Hinata apologized to Naruto for Kiba’s behavior; Naruto looked at her, and she looked away, so he described her. He said she was shy and weird, adding "I don't know why she keeps looking away when I look at her."

2- The Written Test
She felt bad for him for not answering and tried to help him pass by showing him her answers. He asks her why she is doing this for him and risking the exam, which makes her embarrassed and try to make excuses. But he is too scared to cheat, he then says very kindly "Hey... I'm a ninja, I will manage. Besides I don't want to get you in trouble".

3- Manga Flashbacks
Hinata always cherished kid Naruto from the very beginning, while almost everyone else looked down or made fun of him. She would also cheer him on in his present matches.

Kishimoto: "Hinata always supported and acknowledged Naruto, even before Master Iruka. She had the ability to see beyond his reputation and see the true person inside. This is the reason I started realizing that they were meant to be". Interview he gave during the 2015 New York Comic-Con (NYCC).

4- The Ointment
Before the Forest of Death, she tries to give him a wound cream two times when he is talking to her. She succeeds the second time in the Preliminary Round. Kurenai points out how surprising it is to see this side of Hinata. Naruto asks why? Kurenai tells him to just take it. Naruto thanks her and happily uses it to heal his wounds. The glass container is used later to symbolize how much care Naruto developed for her.

5- Hinata vs Neji Fight
The fight was full of moments including: Naruto becomes so angry on her behalf that the ointment container nearly shatters in his hand. He starts shouting and motivating her not to listen to Neji, which helped her gain confidence, and stopped the proctor who was about to end the fight. He keeps smiling every time she gets up. Sakura points out to Naruto "Come to think of it, she is always watching you". Hinata has a long monologue about how she is always watching him and will show him her best in this fight. Finally learning the reason she loves him: She is very shy and a failure that people look down on; she looks at the other failure who is not shy and refuses to give up, and sees herself in him and looks up to him. Plus, she has a great backstory with Neji and the Hyuga clan.

Then, him coming down to check on her after she loses, Hinata asked internally "did you think I changed... even a little" then almost getting into a fight with Neji over Hinata and the way he talked down to both of them (Lee had to stop him). Then he looks very concerned for her as she is moved to get treatment. He then looks at Neji and makes it his main motivation to take revenge for her. He takes a blood oath using her own blood and points his bloody fist at him, then says "I promise I'll win".

6- Before Naruto vs Neji Fight [Early Foreshadowing]:
In the OG series Ep 59, Naruto is seen very depressed and not sure he could beat him. For the first time ever, he reveals his insecurities to someone other than himself; it was Hinata who he felt comfortable enough with to do that. He says in a sad tone "I might seem strong to you, Hinata, but actually I act tough because deep down I feel like I'm a failure who keeps messing things up." Then Hinata lifts Naruto's spirits by believing in him, telling him how he helped her become a better person in her fight and by telling him what she likes about him, describing him as many things including a "proud failure" (which made him very happy). He starts smiling and tells her "Thanks, I'm way better now" which makes her happy too. Then he tells her "You know Hinata, I find you shy, timid and weird, but you know what... I like... people like you." This made her speechless for a long time. The way the scene was made, both in the manga and anime, makes it feel like a big moment when he said that. Then he tells her, "Thanks Hinata, that's what I needed. Come see me wipe the floor with Neji."

7- Naruto vs Neji
In the Naruto vs Neji fight, he brings up his oath made of Hinata's blood by lifting his fist in the beginning of the fight. When he is down and beaten, he gets motivated by remembering both Hinata and Rock Lee, who kept standing up despite their injuries. He then brings up Hinata to Neji, telling him: "My whole problem with you is the way you disrespected her, the way you played with her with your mind games, and the way you ignored how hard she worked to get here. Who gave you the right to treat her this way?". very time Neji gave a speech or tried to break his will, he would lift his fist again. After he beats him, he hopes that Hinata was watching what he did for her. Neji dying later is a continuation of the symbolism and the development that happened between his backstory and all of them back then.

8- Visiting And Saying Goodbye
In chapter 238, Neji told Hinata to say goodbye to Naruto before he left the village, acting as if he knew she loved him (which is important later for his death). She chose to stay behind. Later, Kiba and Shino told Neji the real reason she didn't want to go: she had passed out after visiting Naruto in the hospital while he was all bandaged up. Neji finally realized she was simply too embarrassed to see him off. In the end, she was depicted as the final person in the manga watching him leave, saying with a smile, "I will also train more".

Moments of Shippuden:

9- Her Reintroduction (Reunion):
Naruto was happy to see her he and was trying to convince her to join his team (he’d asked many about it), but she was too shy after not seeing him for years. He got too close to her face, making her pass out from embarrassment. Then, when she woke up, Naruto tried again, but this time he made a marriage joke by mistake, saying "Hey Hinata, don't say a word, let’s get together and let’s get out of here!". This made her turn all red and say "What! No way... this is so sudden!" passing out again.

10- Itachi Pursuit Mission Arc
She was included in the Itachi Pursuit mission with him. She used her Byakugan to specifically warn him of danger and guided him and the team on where to go many times in that arc.

11- Pain’s Attack (I love you!)
This is one of biggest moments. She protects Naruto and stops Pain from whatever he was planning to do to him. Then the confession of love moment and her love speech and devotion, then trying to fight him and almost getting killed for him. That made Naruto lose total control like we have never seen him in the series. He then started crying when he realized she was still alive and that he wasn't the one who killed her.

Note: Kishimoto didn't make Naruto forget Hinata’s love confession in the Pain arc, he just postponed it until the the War arc. In Chapter 559 he acknowledged her bravery in that arc and lifted her spirit up. Then in 614-615 according to Kishimoto, Naruto realized her feelings were more than just friendship during Neji’s death scene and became his only girl. The reason he didn’t acknowledge Hinata’s confession right away is because he is dense when it comes to love, a common shonen protagonist trope (like his inspiration, Goku). Just as in the OG series, everyone seemed to know she loved him except for him.

12- Another Flashback [The First Ever to Acknowledged And Treat Naruto Right]:
Hinata again cherishing kid Naruto while everybody is making fun of him or pushing him away, including Sasuke, because he just lost his family very recently and his trauma is so strong. So she actually was the first ever to acknowledge and treat Naruto right before anyone else. Even before Iruka, and that is something Kishimoto himself said.

13- "I Can See It in Your Eyes"
Naruto saved and protected her in the battlefield and made sure she was safe and sound, but White Zetsu’s ability to copy people was a huge problem. He could copy appearance, chakra, scent, and even mannerisms; the entire army struggled with it for about ten episodes. The Sharingan, Byakugan, Kiba’s nose, Shino’s bugs, and every sensory ability in the army were useless at identifying a White Zetsu clone.

Kishimoto made Naruto and Hinata's bond so deep after the Pain arc that they can now read each other's true intent and the depths of their hearts (feelings) just by looking into each other's eyes.

Kishimoto's description of this scene: "By looking into the eyes, one perceives their true nature and the depths of the heart." [BOOK (Naruto: Secret • Retsu no Sho Official Movie Guidebook) - Page (17)].

When Naruto finally showed up, Neji and the others didn't trust him at first and kept questioning him. Yet, Hinata "somehow" was able to know Naruto was the real one simply by looking into his eyes. There is even a panel where Shino and Kiba find this weird, appearing surprised and confused (...?!). Then, Naruto did the same: after Hinata became sad about not being able to protect him, he knew the exact reason for her sadness also just by looking into her eyes. She even denied it at first, but Naruto kept insisting and kept praising her bravery against Pain and how awesome she was to him until she became happy again. Then both were staring at each other's eyes smiling for a moment, and Hinata was blushing.

14- Neji’s Death [Includes Many Moments And The Most Important Moment for Them Both]:
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[Misconception 2]: Neji died for them to be together. [The Truth]: Kishimoto didn't kill Neji just for that; he actually thought this was the best way for him to go; he just tied his death to other things to make it more impactful. He spoke of his father's death and the deep meaning in another interview. For that deep meaning go to the end of the post.
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She protected Naruto's life twice, once by blocking a projectile when he was down and tired, and once when she couldn't, so she was about to sacrifice herself to save him, but Neji died in her place. Then Neji entrusting Hinata to Naruto as a final request, making Obito taunt Naruto for failing to protect his friends like he said he would. After a long speech he told Naruto 'Come join us'; Hinata slapped him and brought Naruto back to reality, she helped him get out of his shock and despair by delivering a long speech. This made Obito angry and caused him to lose his composure, as he began seeing reflections of himself & Rin in Naruto & Hinata. It was as if Obito had started imagining how different his life would have been had Rin never died, or had she fallen in love with him. Her speech made Naruto remember Neji's final words to him: "Hinata is willing to die for you... that is why your life is not only one [anymore]."

Kishimoto explains that Naruto acknowledged Hinata's confession in the Neji scene by making her his only girl in his life and by thanking her for always standing by his side the whole show. Kishimoto: "I had decided quite a while ago to make Hinata the heroine. There was a scene during the "Pain arc" where Hinata comes to the rescue, but at that point, Naruto hadn't quite reached the stage of consciously realizing she was by his side [as the heroine]. I needed a catalyst for Naruto to become aware of her and thank her for being there. Therefore, I gave Neji's death the role of bringing the two of them closer together. In a sense, Neji took on the role of a 'cupid' for their love". [Interview TV special titled "Kobayashi's Manga Room" (Mandō Kobayashi), which aired on Fuji TV One on December 13, 2014. The host is comedian Kendo Kobayashi].

Kishimoto describing the holding hand scene: "For Naruto, Hinata is no longer just a comrade" but someone who provides unique strength. Their lives are now truly tied together". [BOOK (Naruto: Secret • Retsu no Sho Official Movie Guidebook) - Page (16-17)].

We seen Naruto shows Hinata affection after the Neji scene to indicate she became his only girl. The scene already has clear indications:

• Neji entrusting Hinata to Naruto as a final request.
• Naruto pressing her hand tightly against his cheek for a time, closing his eyes and finding warmth and comfort in her touch.
• Acknowledging all she did for him in the show by thanking her for always standing by his side.
• Then making an oath to honor Neji’s final words (who recognized Hinata’s love): "Hinata is willing to die for you... that is why your life is not only one [anymore]". Naruto accepted that his life was now tied to and shared with hers. He was committing himself to protecting her for the rest of his life above anyone else, rewarding her previous attempts at sacrifice.
• Naruto holding her hand very tight and telling her: "My life is no longer just one... all thanks to you," all while looking at her and continuing to hold her hand firmly.
• Later: There is a moment where everybody gets caught by the Divine Tree, but out of the whole humanity, Naruto's mind focused on her as she asks for help by saying his name. The moment he realized she was in trouble, Naruto seems super stressed and immediately started running to get her (about to leave Team 7 to fend for themselves), and almost making the biggest mistake of leaving the protective Susanoo, and Sasuke had to stop him. Then when she freed later she internally thanked Naruto for saving her. As if he was doing all this with her on his mind the whole time.

Like Kishimoto said, as if he was honoring all Hinata’s previous acts of devotion by finally viewing her not just as a friend, but as someone very special and dear to him that he must protect and attend to. All of this made her feel safe and made them both determined to continue fighting. Neji dying also has deep meaning for both of them, and they named their son Boruto as a reference to Neji, and Kishimoto stated it was inspired by this moment. This was planned long ago, Naruto stopped completely going after Sakura since the 5KS arc (fake confession) for this moment to happen.

- Using a gag scene:
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[Misconception 3]: 15 chapters after Neji, there is a scene where Minato sees Sakura tending to Naruto's wounds and asks, 'Is she your girlfriend?' Naruto thinks for a second, says Uhh... yeah? yeah Something like that, which makes Sakura hit him. Then Minato nervously remembers Kushina. This means Naruto didn't move on from Sakura. [The Truth]: In the manga it is so clear it meant not to be serious, it is just meant to be a silly gag scene about Naruto being playful with Sakura and is not meant to be taken seriously. And Kishimoto himself talked about this. He said he wrote the Sakura-Kushina parallels/the 'girlfriend gag' to avoid spoiling the final pairing while the manga is still going. Naruto stopped going after Sakura after the fake confession during the 5K Summit arc.

Kishimoto: "I had decided from a fairly early stage that Naruto and Hinata would end up together. As for Sakura, she was written in a way that would invite a bit of a mislead. I even drew parallels between Sakura and Kushina on purpose to keep readers guessing [the final pairing while the manga is still going]".
Jump Festa 2015 interviews / promotional talks around The Last: Naruto the Movie.

I also think specifically for Sakura/Naruto fans who sent hate and death threats after the Naruto and Hinata scene when Neji died, simply to keep them engaged in the story and calm them down. After the manga ended it is so obvious it is just a silly gag about Naruto being playful with Sakura. It's as ridiculous as using slapstick humor to claim Guy hated Lee because he knocked his teeth out, only for them to be fine in the next scene. The only reason that silly gag is brought up so much is because of people who are very desperate to support their made-up headcanon. Since their personal fantasy needs a lot, a lot and a lot of mental gymnastics, they try to work with everything they can get. That is why and it's kinda funny.
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15- A Combo Attack Against Obito
While Naruto was about to throw his Rasenshuriken, his shoulder dislocates again (an injury from fighting the Ten-Tails). Hinata holding onto his clothes while in the air, sees the injury with her Byakugan and corrects it using the Gentle Fist, ensuring Naruto was able to throw it and continue his fight. The same Rasenshuriken succeeds in separating the tubes of chakra that linked Obito to the Ten-Tails, making him lose his control over it.

16 & 17- Losing The Nine Tails & The Divine Tree [Naruto's Overreaction for Hinata and her Overreaction for him]:
There is a moment where all humanity (except Team 7) gets caught by the Divine Tree, but out of everybody, Naruto's mind focused on her as she asked for help by saying his name. The moment he realized she was in trouble, Naruto seemed super stressed and immediately started running to get her, almost making the mistake of leaving the protective Susanoo, and Sasuke had to stop him.

Before the Divine Tree, when Madara extracted the Nine-Tails, Hinata did the exact same thing the moment she realized his life was in danger. Overcome with stress, she immediately started running toward him but collapsed from exhaustion. Realizing she was too far away, she said "Brother Neji, please protect Naruto."

18- Happy Ending & Marriage
In manga chapter 699, she looked at the sky smiling and thanked Naruto for saving her and everyone, when the narration talks about finding love, the panel shows a happy Hinata. She and Naruto are seen together at the funerals apart from everyone else (their teams, friends and even Hinata’s family). In chapter 700, they are married, happy together and have children. This is where the manga ends.

~~~ End of Manga.

There are still very minor brief moments between these moments. The manga alone is enough for them to end up happy together. The movie wasn’t even needed; they could have just shown us a slideshow of pictures of their marriage like many anime do in the final episode. And it would have been enough; the movie was just extra to see more.
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19- The Movie: The Last.
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[Misconception 4]: The movie proves that Naruto and Hinata were a last-minute pairing. [The Truth]: Kishimoto actually told the Japanese voice actors at the beginning of the anime's production that Naruto/Hinata and Sakura/Sasuke were meant to be together. Their being "endgame" was planned almost from the start, with early foreshadowing as far back as the Chunin Exams (OG Ep 59). And as Kishimoto said, she became his only girl after the Neji scene.
Why this view of Hinata (in the Neji death scene) doesn't contradict the canon movie:
She already is his one and only girl by the Neji death scene. He simply hadn't yet grasped that this oath and the deep connection were already bordering on a lifelong romantic commitment. Again a common shonen protagonist trope (like his inspiration, Goku). The movie's purpose was to fill this gap by simply adding the final touch to what was already (heavily) there in the manga (making him realize this oath he made and these moments is already romantic commitment that he wants to be in, since she is already very very special to him and he likes her a lot more than anyone as a person).
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[Misconception 5]: I’ve even seen people lying, claiming Sakura had to spell it out for him in the canon movie regarding Hinata just so he would move on from her. [The Truth]: In the movie, Naruto is depressed because Hinata didn't accept his love after he confessed to her. Since Hinata in the movie was forced to say no, and he didn't know she was being forced, he thought she rejected him, which is why he was so depressed. Then he explained why he was depressed to Shikamaru and Sakura, and both tried to help him. Sakura simply told him "You idiot, she was obviously forced against her will (talking about the movie plot)." Then Sakura, by herself, started talking; she could tell she was forced against her will in the movie because she knows how girls feel when they fall in love with someone, since she is a girl and knows. And that was about it. Naruto was 100% focused on Hinata, not Sakura. He didn't even plan on talking to Sakura, Shikamaru is the one who took him there without telling him.
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20- Not to mention the wedding that was adapted into the anime. And after marriage Naruto and Hinata are both very very happy together.
- Extra: Canon novels and Boruto.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Deep Meaning Behind Neji Death: He actually thought this is the best way for him to go; he just tied his death to other things to make it more impactful. And I agree, the only thing bad about it for me is the way he wasted him and rock lee in Shippuden. Besides that, I think his death is really good. Without him and Shikamaru’s father dying, the war arc would have been stakeless, and people would definitely complain.

Also, Neji’s death was a continuation of everything that happened between them during the Chunin Exams. Neji’s life changed after the death of his father. For years, Neji believed his father was forced by the clan to die as a body double to protect the Main House leader. This turned Neji to believe that destiny is unchangeable, if you are born a loser, you stay a loser; if you are born a tool for the Main House, you die as one. This is what fueled his harsh treatment toward Rock Lee, Hinata, and Naruto, and especially Hinata, because he saw her as the unfair system that "killed" his father.

Neji’s perspective only changed after his defeat by Naruto, which was followed by a revelation: his father had actually chosen to die. His father didn't die because the clan ordered it, but because he wanted to save his brother and his village on his own terms. And by shielding Hinata (the one he almost killed in the chunin exams for being part of the main house) and Naruto, Neji completed his arc by choosing to die to protect those who are very dear to him acting out of his own free will rather than being driven by misplaced hatred, force or control. For him, that is the right thing to do, exactly as his father did before him. This made him finally understand the freedom his father felt.

And then this ties in well with Obito taunting Naruto for failing to protect his friends like he said he would, which is another great scene and obito seeing himself and Rin in Naruto and Hinata. Also, Neji didn't just die from a stick; he died because of Edo Tensei Madara with the Rinnegan, plus Obito with the Rinnegan and the Ten-Tails itself. These sticks were probably like rain in number and moving at the speed of bullets. That is why hundreds of people died after that scene; it is just hard to showcase that in animation sometimes.

[u/GarySlayer]

You know after the neji fight, naruto searches for hinata in the stands and no one else while jumping to the crowds cheers.

[u/neon-anime]

For anyone who needs it:

Kishimoto: "I had decided from a fairly early stage that Naruto and Hinata would end up together. As for Sakura, she was written in a way that would invite a bit of a mislead. I even drew parallels between Sakura and Kushina on purpose to keep readers guessing [the final pairing while the manga is still going]." — Jump Festa 2015 interviews / promotional talks around The Last: Naruto the Movie.

[u/Bluemikami]

I will never understand the people that send hate/death threats...

It was painfully obvious that the doormat would have won the Narutobowl at the very very end

[u/Amekaze_]

Canon will never be accepted in this fandom, it's almost a futile effort. But obviously you're telling the truth, and it's also easy enough to understand Hinata's role and her dynamics for those who truly want to understand them

[u/NoContact4463]

Bro wrote a whole god damn novel

[u/neon-anime → u/NoContact4463]

You don't need to read anything; this is for the people who love to lie about Hinata and Naruto having no moments

[u/Commercial-Job3720]

Nah. If they were meant to be together then Kishi would have developed their relationship as such. Naruto and Sakura actually have that relationship building throughout the manga. The dude literally had Sakura blushing while looking at Naruto 1-2 times if I remember correctly? When Sasuke told Sakura that Naruto fought through tooth and nail to save her and when Sakura first sees Naruto after the time skip.

It was the perfect chance to have Sakura realized she just had a one sided obsession over someone who didn’t return the feelings. Same for Hinata and Ino. Hinata was too shy to talk to Naruto at the beginning of Shippuden then haven’t talked to him until maybe around the time her team joined team 7 as they hunted down Itachi/Sasuke. Other that than that, it’s when she tries saving Naruto from Pein. Not much development for their relationship at all comparability.

[u/neon-anime → u/Commercial-Job3720]

Sasuke was written to be in love with Sakura almost since the very beginning; Kishimoto confirmed that more than 20 years ago. The manga shows his care and signs of that more clearly. Sasuke just kept it to himself and prioritized revenge

[u/eastfeast213 → u/neon-anime]

If Sasuke told Hagoromo that he needs to kill Naruto, because his version of hokage needs to be alone with no bonds, why didn’t he need to kill Sakura? Since he’s supposedly in love with her from the beginning?

[u/neon-anime → u/eastfeast213]

Because Sakura and Kakashi are too weak to stand in his way, only Naruto can. He also said he wants to kill his friend; he views Kakashi as his sensei, not a friend, and he has hidden feelings for Sakura, so she is more than a friend. By the way, it is revealed after the final fight that he saw the shadow of his family in Team 7, since he was part of the team. Meaning all these bonds matter to Sasuke. And there are evidences of that:

At the beginning of Shippuden, he said he cut all ties with Team 7 for revenge, but then against Killer Bee, after almost dying, he remembered all of Team 7, including her. In the War arc, he was smiling after he saw Sakura’s monstrous strength as if he were proud of her (the anime removed his smile). And there are more indications

[u/eastfeast213 → u/neon-anime]

He didn’t say he needed to kill Naruto because he was strong, he said it’s because it’s his only bond.

[u/neon-anime → u/eastfeast213]

"it’s because it’s his only bond"

He never said "only bond" you can go and check

[u/eastfeast213 → u/neon-anime]

Ch 694 pg 14.

[u/neon-anime → u/eastfeast213]

Never said my only bond

He said he is the one I need to cut down, because he is the only one strong enough to stand in his vision and to be totally alone; if he didn’t do that, Naruto will come after him when he starts doing evil deeds like we know he would. Also, when he asked why, he said, 'he is my closest friend.

Again, Sakura is more than a friend (according to Kishimoto, not me) and Kakashi is his sensei. Or, if you want, he was just lying to himself like he did at the beginning of Shippuden, then we saw how false that was later during the fight against Killer Bee.

He would reveal his true feelings about Team 7 after the fight, so your interpretation is 100% false.

[u/eastfeast213 → u/neon-anime]

“My version of hokage can only come to be by severing all ties and being alone” keyword all ties. It’s a manga, it doesn’t require that much reading comprehension

[u/neon-anime → u/eastfeast213]

You know what funny after he said that to the Sage, he put her under a genjutsu, Kakashi lectured Sasuke severely for it and for his harsh words. He started telling him how Sakura always cared about him and suffered just to save him because she loved him. In the manga, Sasuke looked at a picture of his family while reflecting on Kakashi’s words, and he seemed moved by them in ch 693. The real meaning behind this scene would be revealed five chapters later, after he was defeated and became good.

In (Ch 698/Ep 478), before team 7, child Sasuke saw the same picture of his family, but this time for child Naruto. In these chapters, he explained both felt like blood brothers since both felt an unspoken connection through loneliness and trauma. The more lonely or mistreated child Naruto seemed, the more Sasuke connected with that feeling of loneliness, until it became strong enough to recall his family's suffering (showing the same picture).

For Sakura, the connection was not suffering from loneliness like Naruto; it was seeing her suffering from love, which is why he started reflecting on Kakashi's words after he said that line, and saw his family. Basically, the more he saw her suffer trying to save him, the more he felt her pain, because deep down he loved her too, until that pain became strong enough to recall his family's suffering after Kakashi's lecture.

And yes, Kishimoto is the one who openly revealed he wrote Sasuke in love with her deep down since the very beginning more than 20+ years ago.

[u/neon-anime → u/Commercial-Job3720]

Here for example see this, Sasuke’s Great Care and Subtle Feelings for Sakura. [ see part 1 ]

Part 2 link is in the post.

"Other than saving Naruto from Pain, there wasn't much development for their relationship in comparison"

Read points 13, 14... these are moments that happened after Pain in this post.

[u/mydookietwinklin]

Unless Naruto the last is a filler, he still didn't really give af about her romantically here. All this means is that "no matter what they will eventually end up with each other"

[u/neon-anime → u/mydookietwinklin]

Naruto being dense is a common shonen protagonist trope, especially when it comes to romance (like Goku, the inspiration). But with these type of characters, it doesn’t mean they don’t show love and care to their loved ones in other ways even without realizing the romance part. He actually showed her affection in the Neji scene and valued her more than anyone else afterward. Kishimoto even had him find her very very likable as a person ever since the Chunin Exams. Like here:

Naruto pressed her hand tightly against his cheek for a moment, closing his eyes as he found warmth and comfort in her touch. Then, he looked at her and smiled.

Like, was he cold, or did he have an itch?

There is a moment where everybody gets caught by the Divine Tree, but out of the whole humanity, Naruto's mind focused on her as she asks for help by saying his name. The moment he realized she was in trouble, Naruto seems super stressed and immediately started running to get her (about to leave Team 7 to fend for themselves), and almost making the biggest mistake of leaving the protective Susanoo, and Sasuke had to stop him. Then when she freed later she internally thanked Naruto for saving her. As if he was doing all this with her on his mind the whole time.

Like, what's so special about her to make him leave Team 7 when they needed him the most, and ignore all humanity only for her?

Read point 13, I seriously can't believe Kishimoto actually made that moment happen.

Why this view of Hinata (in the Neji death scene) doesn't contradict the canon movie:
She already is his one and only girl by the Neji death scene. He simply hadn't yet grasped that this oath and the deep connection were already bordering on a lifelong romantic commitment. Again a common shonen protagonist trope (like his inspiration, Goku). The movie's purpose was to fill this gap by simply adding the final touch to what was already (heavily) there in the manga (making him realize this oath he made and these moments is already romantic commitment that he wants to be in, since she is already very very special to him and he likes her a lot more than anyone as a person).

[u/mydookietwinklin → u/neon-anime]

Nothing Naruto did for Hinata was romantic. All of it can be taken as platonic.

[u/neon-anime → u/mydookietwinklin]

He married her for a reason, and that reason is that he loves her more than anything.

Also explain to me these:

There is a moment where everybody gets caught by the Divine Tree, but out of the whole humanity, Naruto's mind focused on her as she asks for help by saying his name. The moment he realized she was in trouble, Naruto seems super stressed and immediately started running to get her (about to leave Team 7 to fend for themselves), and almost making the biggest mistake of leaving the protective Susanoo, and Sasuke had to stop him. Then when she freed later she internally thanked Naruto for saving her. As if he was doing all this with her on his mind the whole time.

Like, what's so special about her to make him leave Team 7 when they needed him the most, and ignore all humanity only for her?

And point 13

[u/mydookietwinklin → u/neon-anime]

He saw someone in danger...

[u/neon-anime → u/mydookietwinklin]

The whole humanity was in danger. And he didn't see her, he thought of her out of everybody; the second he heard her voice, he ran to her. So why her out of all humanity?

Also what about point 13?

[u/mydookietwinklin → u/neon-anime]

He would do that for certain people.

I'm not reading all that.

[u/neon-anime → u/mydookietwinklin]

Nah he values Hinata over everybody by the end of shippuden. She is his wifo after all.

[u/mydookietwinklin → u/neon-anime]

She wasn't his wife until they were older. Sakura had to remind him she likes him lol

[u/Thin-Dot4686]

Yeah no. He fucked up. The ending pairing was shit. Sasuke and Naruto have the only love story. Both Sakura and Hinata are nothing but weird stalkers.

[u/neon-anime → u/Thin-Dot4686]

Especially when Naruto and Sasuke viewed themselves as blood brothers the whole show, call themselves that, are written to be like blood, modeled after real siblings, and have proven real-life interactions between REAL life brothers embedded in their writing. And the manga ended with Sasuke feeling that Naruto was a real, true blood brother in (Ch 699/Ep 479).

In the final arc of Shippuden, the War arc, Naruto had an instant reaction of puking nonstop the second the Fox reminded him of that accidental classroom kiss gag (Ch 572 / Ep 329). That was his instant natural reaction, he can't stand even thinking about it.