Summary
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Narutois full of interesting characters, but none more so than Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. The three are the main characters, which is why they are almost always at the center of attention. The relationship between the three characters was never straightforward, and at times, it was almost impossible to discern what was happening. Naruto’s relationship with Sakura was the most complex of the three.
When Did Naruto Meet Sakura?
Naruto and Sakura studied at the same Academy, but they likely met before their education began. Sakura, like the other kids, maintained a distance from Naruto because her parents told her to. However, Naruto didn’t let Sakura’s behavior affect him too much. In fact, he developed a crush on her at one point. He expressed his feelings multiple times,but Sakura only had eyes for Sasuke. For her, Sasuke was the white knight in shining armor, but he had no interest in romance.
Fate brought the three together as they were assigned to the same team after graduating from the Academy. Even after they became a team, their relationship more or less stayed the same. Sasuke and Naruto were rivals, and they constantly tried to one-up each other.Sakura was focused on Sasuke, while Naruto was still interested in Sakura.
How Naruto and Sakura’s Relationship Changed In The Manga
After years of chasing Sakura, Naruto realized that she was never going to change. She was in love with Sasuke, and it would always remain the same. In his heart of hearts, Naruto accepted this and moved on. He began focusing on strengthening himself to catch Sasuke. Eventually, Naruto also started to treat Sakura as a friend, which led to an improved relationship with her.
When Sasuke left the village, Sakura became emotionally overwhelmed. Seeing her plight, Naruto reassured her that he would bring back Sasuke. In many ways, Naruto and Sakura’srelationship mirrored Jiraiya and Tsunade’s. Jiraiya was in love with Tsunade, but the latter only cared about Dan Kato. Despite being rejected numerous times, Jiraiya and Tsunade remained friends.
Naruto and Sakura have been through a lot together. Following Sasuke’s departure from the Hidden Leaf, they had to acclimate a new teammate. They had to listen to the people around them badmouthing Sasuke all the time, but they never gave up on their comrade. They kept on believing that one day Sasuke would change.
Did Sakura Ever Love Naruto?
Sakura Never Loved Naruto
The short answer is no.Sakura only cared about Naruto as a friend, so her feelings were only platonic. There was an instance where she confessed to Naruto about her love for him, but that was all a lie. She only wanted Naruto to stop chasing Sasuke. To make the lie convincing, she gave an entire speech about how Naruto had stuck by her while Sasuke kept running away. Sakura also said that she was no longer a child, so it was important to separate reality from fantasy. She also hugged Naruto and lauded his development from a prankster to the hero of the Hidden Leaf. Despite her best efforts, Naruto was able to see through the lies. Ultimately, Naruto told her that he hated people who lie to themselves.
I hate people who lie to themselves! —Naruto to Sakura
This is a polarizing incident in the series. Fans aresplit on whether Sakura made theright choice. Most believe that she toyed with Naruto’s emotions by lying to him. After all, he had been in love with her for years. Her confession certainly affected him mentally, and it won’t be an exaggeration to say that it hurt him more when he discerned that it was fake. There is no doubt that Sakura had noble intentions, but she went about it in the worst way possible. If Naruto had not figured out her true intentions, he would have lived a life full of lies.
