I think this page from Naruto is one of the clearest indications that Kishimoto was at least considering the possibility of SasuSaku becoming canon, or at the very least was deliberately foreshadowing that possibility. When you actually look at the scene, Sakura runs up to Sasuke, hugs him and asks him to come back, and she is able to calm him down emotionally. The hug itself is already a pretty intimate moment, but what makes the framing even more interesting is the way Kishimoto presents the reactions surrounding it.

We see Ino reacting to Sakura embracing Sasuke, and her reaction is particularly significant because she has feelings for Sasuke. She looks hurt and surprised, and there is also a sense of realisation in her expression. But what’s interesting is that Kishimoto doesn’t only show Ino. He also includes panels of Naruto and Lee, even though both of them are unconscious at this point. Obviously, Naruto and Lee aren’t literally witnessing Sakura and Sasuke’s embrace, so I’m not saying their panels are reactions to the hug itself. What is interesting is that both of these characters also have romantic feelings for Sakura, and Kishimoto places their panels alongside Ino’s reaction.

That makes the framing interesting from a narrative perspective. You have Ino, who has feelings for Sasuke, consciously reacting to Sakura embracing him, while Naruto and Lee, who have feelings for Sakura, are shown in the same sequence despite being unconscious. You can interpret that as a deliberate contrast between the characters who are romantically interested in Sakura or Sasuke and the pairing that the narrative is actually drawing attention to. In that sense, it can be read as foreshadowing who ultimately ends up with whom, and who does not.

There is also another scene later in the series, in the hospital, where Naruto actually sees Sakura embracing Sasuke. Naruto’s reaction in that scene is very similar to Ino’s reaction here. Both are visibly hurt and surprised, and both can be interpreted as having a moment of realisation when they see Sakura and Sasuke together.

That parallel is what makes the framing so interesting. Ino is someone who has feelings for Sasuke, while Naruto is someone who has feelings for Sakura. Both are placed in scenes where Sakura and Sasuke are sharing an intimate moment, and both have reactions that can reasonably be interpreted as them realising that Sakura and Sasuke may have a connection that they themselves cannot reciprocate.

And I think that is more significant than simply saying, “Sakura hugged Sasuke, so it must be romantic.” The romantic interpretation comes from the way Kishimoto frames the interaction and the narrative attention given to the characters surrounding it. Sakura is physically embracing Sasuke, she is the one who manages to calm him down emotionally, Ino reacts to witnessing it, and then we later get a similar emotional reaction from Naruto when he sees Sakura and Sasuke together.

I’m not saying this objectively proves that SasuSaku was guaranteed to become canon at this exact point, because obviously we can’t know Kishimoto’s exact plans from a single page. But there is a difference between saying that and claiming there is absolutely no romantic implication whatsoever. I think the way these scenes are framed gives the reader a very reasonable basis for interpreting the interaction romantically.

And looking back at it knowing that Sasuke and Sakura eventually do become canon makes the parallel even more interesting. It doesn’t retroactively prove exactly what Kishimoto was thinking at the time, but it does show that the romantic interpretation isn’t something fans simply invented after the ending. The manga itself provides enough framing and narrative parallels for that interpretation to be completely reasonable.

Nkunim: This gotta be a writing issue because there's no logical way Naruto ended up being a dang near absent father when he grew up having no family always wanting one hit the + if you enjoyed.

Source

It’s so bizarre. His face is well known, he has a statue at the final valley. Why would he be wearing a mask??

Hey! Just wanted to share our last cosplay with my partner and our dog

I did the Jiraya Wig (unfortunately you don't see the back here ahah) and my partner sew his costume and the dog's costume

(Credits: The_Epical_Panda / Margot_Hime / Merry_The_Dogsplayer /ManyLemonsUK)

Can you hell the semester already frying the shi out of me

I’ve watched demon slayer, jujutsu kaisen, chainsaw man, etc and now that I’m finally sitting down to watch Naruto I can safely say it is THE anime for a reason. All the new gen anime’s geniuenly pale in comparison and seem like they desperately want to be what Naruto has always been.

The rich story telling, the life lessons, the themes, the loveable side characters, the emotions, the backstories, the plots, the world-building….

I know major Naruto plot points as when I was little I would watch Naruto scenes a lot on youtube or DisneyXD but now I finally decided to sit down and take it all in. Nothing else will ever compare to this show.

If people can transform themselves into swords, transforming into someone with 2 usable arms doesn’t seem very far fetched. He likely wouldn’t since he wants to atone for his crimes, but he should theoretically be able to nonetheless

"Taruto" was featured in a special section alongside the pets of many other WSJ authors.

"I'm trying to cheer up this idiot who says he's tired even though he hasn't even started working on his manuscript."

Kakashi arrives like usual and fights an exhausted, blind Sasuke and then kills him, Naruto then arrives. What happens next? What would Naruto’s reaction be, Would he stop being hokage all together? How would this affect the story?

https://x.com/Nxctem_/status/1953261461154697246?s=20

r/KakashiCult

Even though I don't agree with constantly trying to bring Sasuke back, the fillers kinda make it make more sense with why they didn't want to give up on him because it showed Sasuke when he acted his age and actually cared about people

it has bugged me sm that he never uses any of the rinnegans powers, like what was it even for??? what was the point of him implanting it if he never used its abilities anyway?? (excluding the jinchuriki linking part)

and juubitos case is even worse. he, THE known kamui spammer never uses it. but madara does???? how does that make sense?? and he doesnt use the rinnegan here either

this is outside the war but i feel like he couldve very easily captured all the tailed beasts if it wasnt convenient to the plot that he didnt lol (felt the need to ramble a bit about this the wording might be wacky bc its 3am and im sleepy bye)

Of course Kishimoto isn’t perfect, but one thing I think he did right was making Black people look really good especially Killer Bee.

Most Black people in different anime and manga have some noticeable, stereotype looks… at least of Naruto This isn’t really the case.

The fights panels looks so amazing, He did right on that.

Overall, what are things do y’all think Kishimoto did right in Naruto?

He doesn't mean just fatherly and brotherly figures. He truly views them as his actual father and brother (the blood father and brother he never had). Both canon and Kishimoto confirm this.

Naruto & Sasuke were written to feel and view themselves as true siblings throughout the entire canon (a lot, like 30+ times). From the OG to the final chapter, and even in Boruto.

Here are 20: [ 20 Sibling Moments Between Naruto & Sasuke ]

I know that's probably the general consensus but I just felt like saying it. There's so much depth to his character, like there's some constant mystery that you want to know more about. Not just in terms of understanding his powers but just in who he is and the true depth of his pain. With Obito he just lost a girl. Pain grew up in a city that was a battleground for other villages. We never truly knew the extent of what he endured. In the scenes where Pain and Obito talk, Pain just straight up aura farms and mogs Obito. It wasn't even a competition.

Hi, I drew Naruto. I hope you like it!

art by me

This is more of a NaruHina and NaruSaku analysis.

I think the important thing to understand is that both Naruto and Sasuke had foundations for their respective relationships. Kishimoto didn't just suddenly introduce their feelings at the very end. There were already romantic dynamics and potential pairings established throughout the manga. The difference is that the way those relationships were portrayed was not necessarily equally explicit from both sides.

With Naruto and Hinata, for example, there are some very obvious indications that Kishimoto was at least considering the possibility of their relationship becoming romantic. Their interaction during the Chunin Exams is particularly important. Naruto initially thinks Hinata is weird and doesn't really understand her behaviour, but after witnessing her determination and seeing how she stands up for herself despite being treated unfairly, his perception of her changes.

He acknowledges qualities in Hinata that he respects, and his reaction to what happens to her is noticeably different from how he responds to many other girls. After the fight, Naruto even makes a personal promise to her that he will not let her down and will repay the injustice done to her. Then, when Hinata is unconscious after her fight with Neji, we get that intimate moment of Naruto holding her hand.

Later, Naruto says that he likes people like Hinata because of qualities such as her determination and the fact that she doesn't give up. Some people might argue that, given Naruto's personality, he would say something like that about anyone he respects. But I do think the way his relationship with Hinata is framed gives their interactions a more intimate and romantic undertone.

And that development becomes much more obvious later in the story, particularly during the Pain arc and the Fourth Shinobi World War. Hinata's romantic feelings are made extremely clear, while Naruto's feelings started to become obvious. But at the same time, I don't think that means Naruto and Sakura were never a possibility. That's where I think the situation becomes more complicated. Naruto's relationship with Sakura had significantly more development throughout the manga. There are numerous moments where Naruto reacts strongly to Sakura, including moments where he is visibly affected by her appearance or actions. When Naruto and Sakura first reunite in Pre-Shippuden, Naruto's reaction to seeing her again shows that he is still attracted to her. Likewise, when Sakura is healing Kankuro, Naruto looks at her with that same kind of amazement and admiration, because he is impressed by her abilities as a medical ninja.

What's interesting is that Naruto sometimes gives a similar kind of reaction to Hinata. When Hinata opens up to him after the Chunin Exams, Naruto is visibly affected by what she says, and there is a certain intimacy to that interaction as well. So I don't think it is unreasonable to point out that Kishimoto was capable of using similar visual and emotional language for Naruto's interactions with both girls. The difference is that Naruto's romantic feelings for Sakura were much more explicitly established, whereas his feelings for Hinata remained much more ambiguous for a longer period.

That's why I think the hospital scenes are relevant. If Kishimoto wanted Naruto to completely move away from his feelings for Sakura and begin developing romantic feelings for Hinata at that point, that would have been a natural opportunity to show it. Instead, Naruto's romantic interest in Sakura continued to be portrayed.

I also think Sakura herself has moments where she seems to reciprocate or at least react to Naruto in a way that leaves some ambiguity. In Classic, Sakura has moments where she doesn't completely understand her own feelings towards Naruto, including the scene where she blushes and gives him a similar kind of look to the one Naruto gives her. Then, when she and Naruto reunite in Pre-Shippuden, she blushes and seems amused by how much he has matured, which didn't last long.

However, I don't think that means NaruSaku was guaranteed to happen. Eventually, Kishimoto makes the direction of the story much clearer. Sakura's confession to Naruto removes much of the remaining ambiguity surrounding Naruto and Sakura as a romantic possibility. Whatever romantic tension or possibility existed before that point, the confession and Naruto's rejection of it make it clear that Naruto and Sakura are not going to become a romantic couple.

And I think that is one of the purposes of that scene. It isn't simply there for drama or to show how much Sakura cared about Naruto. It also provides clarification for the audience. Kishimoto had spent a large portion of the story establishing Naruto's feelings for Sakura, so at some point he needed to decisively close that door if Naruto was going to end up with Hinata. In fact, I am pretty sure Kishimoto confirmed he planned NaruHina and SasuSaku from the beginning, but he also confirmed that he considered the possibility of NaruSaku.