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Saw that. Didn't bother replying because the thread has moved on four pages after that.

But I'll sharpen my claws with it here.



Sasuke WILL come home. Sure, SasuSaku seems rather beyond the horizon right now, but it still has a chance of happening because 1) Sasuke WILL come home or the plot be damned and 2) the development Kishimoto gave them in part 1 can't be ignored.

As for Hinata, she DID give him encouragement and support, as much as she could. Remember when she came to him before the last Chuunin matches, and during the First Chuunin exam? That counts. She wasn't there for the really poignant moments because she wasn't Kishimoto's focus. He'd rather focus on the Team 7 FRIENDSHIP bonds.

Sakura has NOT done a total 180, by the way. She may not hate him anymore, but she most certainly does not love him romantically. Maybe not yet, but right now, her feelings are VAGUE and AMBIGUOUS. Any romantic feelings she may have now are mute, hidden, and not focused on. She appreciates him more, sure, but this doesn't make her IN LOVE with him, which I'm sure that this debater is trying to imply.

These kinds of things are upsetting-- because, Sasuke not returning to Konoha destorys the entire plot line of the ending of Part 1 (Naruto's promise of a lifetime and Sakura's promise to herself to become stronger and help find Sasuke-- both things that, if Sasuke didn't come back, would HALT a NaruSaku relationship-- neither one of them would be with someone they couldn't keep their most precious promises to). Sasuke has to return for the sake of the themes of the series (bonds, surpassing the last generation, succeeding where the sannin failed, teamwork, etc). I have no doubt in my mind that he will be brought back to Konoha, because his team certainly hasn't given up on him, and he certainly can't DIE, since that would CRUSH Naruto and Sakura, destory Naruto's ability to become Hokage (remember, he's weighing his ability to become Hokage on if he can save Sasuke or not), and that would be the end of that.

No more series. Sasuke's dead/doesn't come back, the series is over. Plain and simple.

So yeah. He'll come back. He's not the evil person everyone makes him out to be-- and we've already seen demonstrated in Part 2 that his loyalities lie with Konoha, and the teachings of the village are still with him (Suigetsu's comments, anyone?).


As for Hinata, yes, she coudl have come out and said something sooner, but there is not a single character with lower self esteem, or who is shier, than Hinata is. I don't blame her. She lived knowing she was never good enough, do you honesetly think she's going to believe she'll be good enough in Naruto's eyes as well? His cheering her on is what helped her see this, and she always wanted his acknowledgement (becuase he was strong agaistn adversity, which she never was). And let us not forget she not only cheered Naruto up before his fight with Neji, but gave him back his courage AND got him to open up to her. That's a huge feat for her.




AND SAKURA HAS NOT, I REPEAT, HAS NOT, DONE A 180. She's appreciates Naruto (he's all she has LEFT, people) and they've become better friends-- but she still refuses his dates, she's even gone so far as to call him an a*****e for repeatedly asking her. I haven't seen a confession from her toward him. I haven't seen any characters who really KNOW her make any insinuations toward their relationship. I haven't seen her getting edgy and anxious over him like she has been over Sasuke.

Right now the most important thing for her is to bring Sasuke back, Keep Naruto in line (Kyuubi), and get her team reunited. That is the ONLY thing on Sakura's mind, and I doubt anything else is going to come into play until those themes are resolved.