From Sasuke’s Perspective
Since the completion of Naruto and Gaiden, I’ve really wanted to do a huge master post about Sakura and Sasuke’s relationship from Sasuke’s perspective, based from my interpretation of the manga and data books. I think their relationship is often greatly misunderstood. It’s a complex pairing that requires a deep consideration for their characters and application of the values that Naruto as a whole story wishes to convey.
Kishimoto put a great deal of thought and passion into his story and characters. He dedicated over a decade worth of his life creating Naruto for us to love and enjoy. Knowing this and the nature of his work, it should then be no surprise that Sakura and Sasuke’s relationship depicts deep messages about growth, endurance, faith, forgiveness, empathy-and of course- love.
Also, I worked really hard on this post, so please refrain from any rude comments. I respect others opinions, so I hope that mine will be respected too. Anyways, I hope that other sasusaku shippers and lovers of Naruto will enjoy this post and maybe even see the relationship in a way they hadn’t considered before (-:
To begin, I think it’s important to start from the very beginning of their relationship. Like most girls at the academy, Sakura is infatuated with Sasuke
Sakura’s feelings towards Sasuke has been unrequited since childhood. Despite having to handle tough training and missions, she also gives her all in love - certainly she might be an ideal among the girls. Watching her, I can’t help but root for her!“ (Databook 1)
Sasuke, uninterested in love and obsessed with revenge, is dismissive and uninterested. However, he is not just dismissive towards her, but with everyone. He considers them only as a hindrance to achieving his ultimate goal of revenge.
The only time we see Sasuke show any type of animosity towards Sakura is when she complains about Naruto not having any parents.
In this moment, Sakura had unknowingly attacked not just Naruto, but Sasuke as well. And I think it’s important to add that despite his harsh words, they were necessary and an important source of reflection for Sakura.
Despite this moment, Sasuke doesn’t treat her any differently, or really hold it against her. He says what he needs to and moves on; He has his revenge to focus on.
It also doesn’t stop him from being slightly embarrassed from Sakura’s advances. Sasuke is seen blushing while Sakura shares her dream, and hugs him during their meeting and test with Kakashi.
Also, for those who want to say Sasuke isn’t blushing, he definitely is (-: Someone else actually makes a separate post about it here.
However, I certainly don’t think that this means Sasuke had feelings for her. Instead, I just think it demonstrates that Sasuke, despite the hardship in his life, is still like any boy his age who can be flustered and embarrassed. This shows a softer side to Sasuke, one that isn’t so stoic and distant. These brief moments lets the reader in on this sweeter side of him. Sasuke is not as cold-hearted as he seems or wants to be, which Kabuto actually mentions during the chuunin exams.
This is a really important aspect to remember about Sasuke. Throughout the genin period, this side of Sasuke is declared a “weakness” by various antagonists of the series.
But what I find most important during this point of the story is Sasuke’s decision to open up to Sakura about his past.
Although he stopped himself from divulging too deeply, he begins to open up to Sakura, if even only for an instant. Again, we see a more tender side to Sasuke. It is certainly not characteristic of him to open up about his past, especially to mention something like crying. This moment also sets up the reader for some events in the future, which will be shown later in this post.
Immediately after this, Kakashi “fails” Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, giving them a second chance at his bell test. As a result, we get to see Sasuke be the first to make an effort to work together as team by sharing his lunch. This is where we really see the first step towards Sasuke forming his meaningful bonds with Team 7(-:
We know from the manga that team 7 continued to go on minor missions for some time after this, which Naruto complains about.
Although we didn’t get to see these (aside form them capturing a cat), it’s safe to say their team dynamic became more solidified. Kakashi always being late, Naruto and Sasuke’s constant rivalry, and Sakura’s consistent display of affection. All of these things became a part of every day life for them.
This goes on until eventually we reach the Land of the Waves Arc- their first “real” mission. During this arc, the reader really gets to see the shift in Sasuke’s feelings for his team.
Before I go any further, It’s important to remember that the lesson of this arc/mission was to emphasize the importance of protecting those special to you. These bonds, feelings of love and companionship, are our strength.
When the readers keeps this in consideration, they can understand the importance of Sasuke’s behavior throughout this mission. Constantly we see Sasuke worry about and protect Naruto and Sakura on multiple occasions.
Here, the reader is able to see that growth that I had previously mentioned. Even through their “small and petty” missions, Sasuke began to view Team 7 as something special, something that he wanted to protect. So much so that he sacrificed his own dream and life for Naruto during their fight with Haku. And when Naruto asks why, Sasuke infamously says:
This dialogue is important for understanding Sasuke’s character. Sasuke had spent much of his life alone harboring feelings of only hatred and revenge. So much so, that Sasuke is even confused by his own willingness to sacrifice his dream for others.
However, when Sasuke awoke to Sakura crying for him, he was able to finally understand these feelings.
First, there are several things I would like to point out about this moment.
Notice how Sasuke is letting Sakura hold him. He doesn’t push her away nor does he tell her to stop. Kishimoto also conceals Sasuke’s eyes during this moment- a technique frequently used throughout the series to depict when a character is experiencing strong emotions or an influential moment.
However, I think to truly understand the depth of this moment, the reader needs to remember the conversation Sasuke and Sakura previously shared during Kakashi’s bell test. Remember how Sasuke had described himself crying over the loss of his family.
This conversation shared between Sasuke and Sakura set up the reader to understand that for Sasuke, the act of crying is something he relates to his own family and feelings.
So as he saw the way Sakura cried for him and felt the way she held him, I believe Sasuke saw himself in her. It brought back the repressed memories and feelings he had for his own family. Sasuke was able to assimilate those same feelings for his family, to the ones he has for Team 7. As a result, Sasuke was able to understand why he was willing to sacrifice himself for Naruto and Sakura: they had become special to him, and he was special to them. And as Sasuke says in his own words, they had become like family to him.
“Though until then he had taken no notice of either love or friendship, after meeting with Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke begins to accept them as nakama, even if only little by little.” (Databook 1).
After this arc, we know that Team 7 goes on an abundant amount of more missions together. Unfortunately, the reader doesn’t get to really see these (much like the smaller missions before the Land of Waves), but it’s safe to assume that these missions are what made them significantly closer. You can tell by the way Sasuke has grown accustomed to their behavior, and the way Sakura describes this time period during Sasuke’s departure.
I also personally believe that this is when Sasuke became more receptive towards Sakura’s feelings. Now, I’m not saying that he started to feel romantic towards her, but his perception certainly changed. Just knowing how important Sakura and the rest of Team 7 had become, he must have grown accustomed to, and even enjoyed, the attention that Sakura gave him, even getting a little jealous when he isn’t the center of attention.
I think it’s somewhat comparable to the situation where Sasuke said, “I don’t know, my body just moved on it’s own.” I don’t think Sasuke at this point in the story was capable of understanding romantic love. He needed to learn how to accept the love of friendship first. If he couldn’t understand that, then how could he understand a romantic love? There’s no frame of reference.
I think this is best explained by Kishimoto who stated that “deep down Sasuke has always been grateful to Sakura for loving him. Despite not reciprocating her feelings until the series’ conclusion, Sasuke has always had deep feelings for Sakura, which were eventually restored and grew stronger once his hatred and desire for revenge faded away” (source). These feelings may not quite be love yet, but perhaps a feint start. He feels this connection, but it just isn’t capable of growing at this time.
But as Sakura points out, this time shared together as a team “was fun” for them. Even in the beginning of Ch. 181 (Sasuke’s departure) these times are referred to as “comforting memories” for Sasuke.
However, the reader doesn’t really gets to see this growth until the chuunin exams.
From the beginning of the chuunin exam arc, the reader is given the opportunity to see this growth. Sasuke is quickly able to notice that Sakura is not acting like herself.
But what makes this so special is that, not only is Sasuke aware of Sakura’s feelings, but is actually concerned. So much so that he actually does something about it, instead of just ignoring it.
Sasuke goes out of his way to compliment Sakura, which is unusual for Sasuke. It’s not Sasuke’s personality to openly recognize and compliment others, but for Sakura’s happiness, he did. And what is so important to recognize is how happy this makes Sasuke in return. Furthermore, when the reader is really able to consider Sasuke’s character, this moment holds so much more importance than what we may initially believe.
As we know, acknowledgement is one of the main driving concepts in the whole series of Naruto- especially for Naruto and Sasuke. Looking at Sasuke’s past and his relationship with his brother and father (before the massacre), one can see how it important acknowledgement is for Sasuke.
Sasuke had constantly felt inferior and doubted himself, comparing himself to his brother, Itachi. He spent his childhood prior to the massacre seeking acknowledgement from his Father. Before the massacre and desire for revenge, Sasuke was just a boy seeking acknowledgment from the ones he loved. This is much like how Sakura seeks that acknowledgment from Sasuke as well.
Sakura even expresses this to Naruto (who was disguise as Sasuke).
"Sakura’s goal is to have Sasuke notice her… for him to turn around and really see her.. so that he might fall in love. Little does she realize that this goal acts as a powerful weapon in her arsenal, constantly motivating her to sharpen her skills as a shinobi so she can impress Sasuke during every task and mission!” (Databook 1)
After spending so much time with Sakura on their various missions, and the moment they shared during the Land of Waves, Sasuke began to recognize Sakura’s feelings as genuine and even relateable.
Understanding this, the reader can see that Sasuke smiles, not just because he made his teammate happy, but because he was able to understand and connect with Sakura on a different level. Sasuke knows how special it is to be acknowledged, but he is also able to recognize what it means for her to seek that from him. Sasuke knows that he and his acknowledgement are important for Sakura, like his father’s was to him.
Something also interesting to note is that when Sakura was telling Naruto about her desire for acknowledgement, Naruto realizes that this was why he liked Sakura so much. He must have felt that same connection Sasuke did.
Knowing how similar Naruto and Sasuke are in this regard, it’s probably safe to assume that this is also something that Sasuke likes so much about Sakura. Especially considering the “deep feelings” Sasuke has for Sakura that Kishimoto had mentioned.
In addition, in a 2015 Da Vinci interview, the anime voice actors of Team 7 revealed that right after the anime started airing, Kishimoto told them that Sasuke would eventually end up together with Sakura. Knowing this, the reader is reassured that scenes like these between Sakura and Sasuke do hold a much more significant meaning for their relationship. They were created with the intention of making Sasuke and Sakura closer and establishing a unique connection between them.
During this arc we also see a strong sense of pride in his team.
Again, this is such a drastic difference from the Sasuke we were first inroduced to. He is shown as confident, and most importantly, happy with Naruto and Sakura. This shows the growth in how Sasuke feels about Sakura and Naruto. They aren’t holding him back, but they are moving forward together.
Another thing to point out is the considerable shift in his level of physical comfort with Sakura. An example of this is seen quite early before the exams, after he reassures her.
Although he says “Don’t pull me,” he certainly hasn’t put up much protest, nor does he remove his hand. His posture is also significantly relaxed as he allows himself to be guided by Sakura (-:
But of course, this sadly leads us to Team 7′s encounter with Orochimaru…
For the most part, Sasuke and Sakura handle this encounter alone together. And what they experience is pretty intense. And when Naruto was taken down by Orochimaru, it was Sakura’s encouragement that finally pushed Sasuke to fight back.
This further demonstrates the impact that Sakura and Naruto have made on him. But, despite his best efforts, Sasuke receives the cursed seal from Orochimaru, leaving him in agonizing pain.
Again, this is an experience really shared between Sasuke and Sakura. She is right there by his side eager to help and support him like always. Something I’m sure Sasuke has noticed before.
Although Sakura tries her best to protect Sasuke and Naruto, the sound ninja do a pretty good job roughing her up. And as we know, Sasuke is seething when he finds out.
For Sasuke to feel so enraged over seeing Sakura hurt, truly reflects how important she is to him. This is also descibed in the first databook:
“Sasuke’s killing intent sharpens like a blade, and he starts shooting at the opponent who tried to hurt his precious friend who he was supposed to protect.” (Databook 1)
But what I find the most amazing of all is Sakura’s ability to calm Sasuke down in his cursed-seal state.
“Sakura willingly and bravely calms the rampaging Sasuke under the influence of the cursed seal. Sakura’s heart, thinking of Sasuke, devours the wicked power.” (Databook 1)
Like many sasusaku shippers, this is one of my absolute favorite moments between the two. Not just because of how this scene demonstrates the importantance of Sakura to Sasuke, but the powerful message it conveys: Love has the power to overcome hate. Overall, to me, the story of Naruto is the embodiment of this message.
We also get this moment, where Naruto comments on Sakura’s hair:
Sasuke and Ino both look pretty annoyed with Naruto’s obliviousness. I think it’s also interesting that Sasuke is comparable to Ino, Sakura’s best friend. Sasuke and Ino both know how much Sakura loved her long hair and kept up with her appearances. Sasuke recognizes the importance of this showing his deeper understanding of Sakura’s character.
From this point forward we also see the difference in Sasuke and Sakura’s teamwork. Although Sakura may not be matched in physical power, analytically, Sasuke and Sakura work together very well together.
This is even shown during that Land of Waves Arc as well
As previously mentioned, there is also a shift in the level of comfort Sasuke feels with Sakura. This is clearly observed as he grabs her hand to help her up, and leans on her for support.
There’s a really cute gif post that you can see of it here (-:
As they move on to the next portion of the chuunin exams, sakura grows increasingly more worried about Sasuke and asks him to withdraw.
This scene is also very significant. Seeing Sakura’s tears puts Sasuke at conflict between choosing Sakura or his revenge. And what is most remarkable about this, is that he actually seems to consider it, even if it is only for a second. His brows furrow in thought and sweat forms on his face showing his inner turmoil. But of course, Sasuke explains that he can’t, recalling their conversation from Kakashi’s test. He is an avenger.
When it comes to his vengeance, Sasuke pushes himself away from those he cares about. Notice the emphasis on “this pain is my burden to bear alone.” This is something Sasuke actually says quite frequently. It reflects not only Sasuke’s obsession with revenge, but his loneliness as well. He denies himself these bonds, because he views them as a weakness.
It’s also important to recognize the language used as Sasuke says, “I can’t forgive even you if you take that away from me.”
Here “even” is being used as an adverb, which works to “ emphasize something surprising or extreme.” This places Sakura on a different level from others. It would be shocking, or even extreme, of Sasuke to not forgive her. She is something special. Kishimoto even emphasizes in an interview that “despite everything, Sakura is the last person Sasuke ever wanted to hurt” (source).
Despite wanting to achieve his goal alone, Sasuke still thinks of Naruto and Sakura to control his curse mark during his preliminary match.
Their concern, while he denies it, actually makes him happy and pushes him to overcome Orochimaru’s curse. Again the reader can see that having those precious to you, gives you strength; love can triumph hate.
We then skip ahead in the story to Sasuke’s pursuit of Gaara after the interruptions of the chuunin exams. Weakened by the cursed mark, Sasuke is left defenseless and both Naruto and Sakura come to his aid. However, when Sakura saved Sasuke, it seemed to have held a deeper significance.
Despite the fact the Sakura didn’t stand a chance against Garaa, she grips her kunai and hold her guard without wavering. All in the hope of protecting Sasuke, she willing gives herself. And once again, we are able to see how love is more powerful than hate, causing Gaara to faulter in his attack and reminding him of his own repressed feelings.
This also impacts Sasuke so much that he overcomes the pain of the curse mark (that had hurt so much previously he couldn’t even move) so that he could save Sakura. Once again, he knowingly scarifies his life and dream for revenge, for the ones he holds dear.
Here, Sasuke openly declares that Sakura is someone who he holds dear to him. Saying, “I don’t ever want to watch those dear to me die before my eyes again” means that she is considered dear to him like his family was. Of course, he also feels this was about the rest of Team 7, but notice how Sakura evokes the vocalization of these feelings. Again, Kishimoto seems to reserve these more tender and “out of character” moments for Sasuke with Sakura.
In this scene, the reader again gets to see a more tender and caring side of Sasuke with Sakura. The way Kishimoto chose to panel this, makes the reader pay close attention Sasuke’s expression as he looks down at Sakura. This panel is used to emphasize how much Sasuke truly cares and demonstrates his growth as a character. This is not the same stoic and distant Sasuke we used to know.
However, when Sasuke reunites with Itachi, he declines back into his hatred and revenge. But first, the reader gets to see this important scene between Sasuke and Sakura at the hospital after he is healed by Tsunade.
I think there’s definitely a lot going on in this scene. But I think It’s important to remember that Sasuke had just previously been in a genjutsu by Itachi, which forced him to relive the massacre of his family and clan.For so long he had harbored the pain and memories of this night alone. So for Sasuke to wake up to a loving embrace by someone who cares so much for him after this experience, must have felt surreal.
You can tell from the softness of his expression and the way he looks at Sakura, as she cries holding him. He does not push her away or say anything, but remains in her embrace. Sasuke, who once had to deal with these memories and feeling alone, now had someone to hold and love him- a stark difference between his past.
And the reader should also pay attention to Naruto’s reaction.
Naruto recognizes this as something special between them and leaves, even having Tsdunade calling him “considerate.”
Naruto, like Sasuke, deep down wants to be cared and loved. Their pain and loneliness is what connects Sasuke and Naruto so deeply. Sasuke and Naruto’s bond revolves around understanding one another and having empathy for each other’s pain. So for Naruto to see Sasuke receive this love must have been, in a way, bitter sweet for him. He understands the importance for Sasuke to have someone like Sakura. He is happy for Sasuke, yet is reminded of his own feelings of loneliness.
Unfortunately, things really go down-hill from here, staring with Sasuke smacking the apples out of Sakura’s hand. This is also where I think a lot of confusion starts around Sasuke and Sakura as a pairing, so I have quite a few things to highlight about this scene.
First, let’s look at what Sasuke was thinking about prior to getting angry.
Sasuke is recalling his traumatizing encounter with Itachi. Hatred and vengeance begins to consume his mind once again. He then looks up to Sakura and watches her happily cut apples for him.
Seeing her smiling face makes Sasuke remember, with a pained expression, the way that Sakura smiled at Naruto after learning he how he had saved her.
This infuriates Sasuke because he was not able to protect her. Instead, Naruto did. As a result, Sasuke feels inferior, and much like in his past, feels he is unable to protect the ones that are most precious to him (in this particular instance, Sakura). Kakashi also explains this to Jiraiya:
It’s also important to remember that Sasuke uses this memory as a driving force to train harder, showing just how much it meant to him.
Failing to save Sakura in combination with his enounter with Itachi and jealouy of Naruto, causes him to aggressively smack away the apples offered by Sakura. However, this wasn’t a direct attack on Sakura, but an outburst of rage and disappointment with himself. He was too consumed with hatred, anger, and jealousy. Unfortunately, even in real life, we tend to take our our negative emotions out on the people closest to us even though they don’t deserve it…
But what’s so important about this scene is how Kishimoto mirrors Orochimaru with Sasuke immediately after Sasuke smack the plate out of her hand.
This is to show that Sasuke is not himself. He is being consumed with hatred and Orochimaru’s cursed seal.
However, despite his killing intent towards Naruto, he still does not want to hurt Sakura. We see this as she tries to intervene between their fight on the roof of the hospital:
Fortunately, Kakashi was able to stop the fight and decides to have a serious talk with Sasuke about vengeance and asks him to reflect on what is most important to Sasuke.
Here we see Sasuke’s struggle to once again choose between his “precious friends” and revenge. Sasuke was in such turmoil that he sat there, not moving, for hours in turmoil. The reader knows this becasue Kakashi had initially spoke with Sauske during the day, but is now late into the night. Sasuke probably would have stayed there longer in thought, had Orochimaru’s henchman not attacked and provoked him.
I truly believe that had they not came and beaten him so badly, Sasuke may have chose his friends over revenge. But unfortunately, Sasuke chooses to leave Konoha in pursuit of his “purpose.”
As Sasuke is about to leave, the one to appear before him is Sakura. The fact that Kishimoto decided to create this parting scene between Sakura and Sauske, as Sasuke’s last moment in the village signifies the importance of their relationship.
As the 2nd Databook states, “The one who filled his lonely existence with the emotion called love was Sakura.” This is so important considering everything about Sasuke’s past, which he describes as being “starved for love.”
Sakura desperately tries to convince Sasuke to stay, reminding him of the times they shared and what that meant to him. In particular, she asks if Sasuke remembers when he first called her annoying when the were first placed on teams together.
“Growing distant, towards darkness.. the one to appear before him as he began to leave was Sakura. To the back of a Sasuke that tried to face away from what was left behind, Sakura desperately conveys her feelings.” (Databook 2)
Although Sasuke denies it, he does remember. Sasuke denies remembering because it is his way of separating himself from the “comforting memories” of the past.
But there are two particular parts of this scene that I think are the most important, and had the most impact on Sasuke’s character. The first is when Sakura describes how lonely she would be if Sasuke were to leave.
Notice how what Sakura says softens Sasuke’s expression so greatly. She reminds him that his choice will be a path of pain and solitude. He understands what Sakura is saying and how she feels, because he feels it too. Again, Sakura is able to reach Sasuke, causing him to remember feelings of love and companionship. Through out the story up until this point, we seek how Sakura consistently evokes softhearted emotions from Sasuke.
But what I feel truly impacted him the most was when Sakura said:
Take notice to how, when Sakura asks, “If you can’t then… Maybe I can go with you?” the panel is completely blacked out. This was meant to show the weight and impact of what Sakura was saying to Sasuke.
Sakura was willing to give up her own family, friends, and future so that she could help Sasuke and stay by his side. Sasuke, who even struggled to leave the village despite his drive revenge, and who misses his own family so much, was truly able to understand the weight of her love and conviction in this moment. Sasuke understands what she is willing to scarfice things she holds precious for him, like he is sacrificing for his revenge. This finally causes Sasuke to turn around and say:
“They are the same words that he uttered back when Team Kakashi was formed… but so many missions have passed since then, and now the meaning that he puts into those same words differ greatly. Even though he understands the love that she feels for him, in order to sever all his connections Sasuke turns his back to the village" (Databook 2).
Much like the databook said, Sasuke was not calling her annoying like in the past. This time she was annoying, but for a different reason. Sakura was annoying because she was causing him to falter in his path to revenge. Sakura was reminding him of his bonds and feelings of love and companionship, something that Sasuke was trying so desperately to forget. Sasuke is denying himself these things because he believe they are his weakness.
Friendship and love, a future filled with warmth. But as long as he is there, he cannot make his dream come true. This is why he throws away a future with his friends. To make dreams of revenge a reality…" (Databook 2)
And of course, Sasuke finally appears behind Sakura and says:
“Sakura, who needed him to the last. His words are not a deceit but his true feelings” (Databook 2)
He then swiftly knocks her unconcious, and places her on the bench, finally leaving Konoha and “a future filled with warmth” behind.
Even Shikamaru is surprised that Sakura was unable to convince Sasuke to stay. Shikamaru (who knows how much Sakura cares for Sasuke, and watched Sasuke angrily attack the ninja who hurt her in the Forest of Death), recognizes the connection they share. Using the adverb “even” again, we see the emphasis placed on the influence Sakura has on Sasuke.
2 and half years later, Team 7 is finally reunited with Sasuke after infiltrating Orochimaru’s hideout.
But, as we know, this doesn’t go well at all. After spending so much time away from his companions, Sasuke was left with nothing but his hatred causing him to plunge deeper into the darkness. However, when Sai questions Sasuke about the importance of his bonds with team 7, Sasuke responds:
He then proceeds to try to kill all of Team 7 (Not just Sakura) but is stopped by Orochimaru and escapes. This scene once again emphasizes Sauke’s philosophy and even deeper descent into darkness. Despite this, Sakura and Naruto both decide to train harder together and bring him home.
During Shippuden, the reader isn’t really given any sign that the old Sasuke is still there until he remembers Team 7 as a result of Team Taka risking their lives to save Sasuke during their fight with Killer Bee.
I believe Kishimoto gave his readers this little peak into Sasuke’s heart to remind us that there is still hope. Because, as we know, it gets so hard to believe in Sasuke as the story progresses. But as Kishimoto wants the readers to know, there is still a reason to believe in Sasuke the way that Naruto and Sakura both do. Despite his best efforts to push them out, they still remain in the depths of heart.
But, unfortunately, sometimes things need to get worse before they can get better…
The second reunion between Team 7 is the most drastic. Sasuke, who has learned the truth about Itachi, is consumed with rage and vengeance like never before.
Constantly through out this reunion, it is emphasized that Sasuke is no longer the Sasuke he used to be. He tries to kill everyone there.
This is where many who are against Sasuke and Sakura believe that Sakura is stupid for loving Sasuke after what he has done to her and the crimes he has committed. While I certainly can’t deny the violent acts that Sasuke commits, it’s important to recognize what this chapter is saying about Sasuke. This is not the same Sasuke. And despite all of this, even when Sakura and Kakashi had lost faith, Naruto didn’t. But, personally, I think this is what Kishimoto wants the reader to feel. This is because he wants to test and push the reader…. Knowing what we do, can we really believe in Sasuke, the way Naruto does? Kishimoto constantly pushes to show how Naruto accomplishes what seems like the impossible. Sasuke even says himself:
Now as for what this means towards his feelings towards Sakura, he seems to have completely pushed them away, but like I have said before and as this chapter illustrates, he is not himself. Sasuke is past the point of being able to understand words.
At this point, no one can help Sasuke now except for Naruto. Not just because Naruto is the only one who can match Sasuke physically, but also because he is the only one who can understand Sasuke. Sakura cannot share that connection with Sasuke because she has never experienced it.
It kind of goes back to what was discussed at the very beginning of this post: Sasuke needed to learn how to accept the love of friendship first before he could accept, or even understand, the romantic love that Sakura was offering him. And this is something that Sakura also understands.
Many also like to criticize Sakura for this as well, thinking she’s just weak. But admitting when something is out of your limits is not weakness. Itachi best explains this during his fight with Kabuto:
And it is actually through this fight with Itachi, that Sasuke decides to find the answers himself by resurrecting the previous hokages of Konoha.
After speaking with the Hokage, Sasuke decideds that he will protect the leaf, and decides to join the battle.
Like many other sasusaku fans, I was quick to notice that Sasuke only acknowledges Sakura once he enters the battlefield, and explains only to her why he as come back. Plus, we get some super awesome Team 7 Nostalgia (-:
Here we get so see Sasuke and Naruto protect Sakura, like in their genin days (: And Sasuke even says, “Don’t drag us down, Naruto!” These moments shared on the battlefield give readers a sense of hope. But as we know, Sasuke still hates the village at this point. The readers, much like the characters, are unsure of Sasuke’s motives.
Skipping ahead in the war, after Madara has gained both rinnegan, we get this moment:
Sakura, despite the great power disadvantage, willingly puts herself in danger so that Naruto and Sasuke could have an opening to attack Madara. Sasuke doesn’t let her risk go to waste, and attacks Madara as Naruto takes Sakura to safety. Sakura, unsure of Sasuke’s feelings, feels insecure about what seems to be Sasuke’s lack of concern about her.
But, when you consider Sasuke’s character and previous behavior, this is expected. In fact, you could even say it his perception of what team work is.
And as for what seems to be a lack of concern, Sasuke just can’t afford to be distracted. He emphasizes this several times during the war. Even when Naruto was concerned for his Dad, Sasuke urged him to stay focused and on guard.
Furthermore, there wasn’t a need for Sasuke to worry, as Sakura pointed out. Sasuke, considering Sakura’s healing abilities, know that she can take care of herself. And if things were to really be bad, Sasuke just watched Naruto replace Kakashi’s missing eye- so Sasuke is also aware of Naruto’s healing abilities as well. Sasuke is just extremely focused on the task at hand, which can be perceived as uncaring.
This is actually further emphasized after Sasuke protects Team 7 from the Infinite Tsukuyomi with his susanoo:
While his words are harsh, even Kakashi acknowledges that they are true. And even when Sasuke tries to deny that he was protecting them, Naruto says:
Seeing Sakura’s insecurity and Sasuke’s harsh words, are actually what makes this scene so important:
There are a lot of things to notice about this moment.
First, is the obvious. Sasuke used his rinnegan to switch places with Sakura’s jacket that she had thrown off during the acid dimension. However, Sasuke not only switched placed with her jacket, but immediately went to catch Sakura so she would not fall to the ground.
But Kishimoto wants the reader to focus on the way that Sakura and Sasuke look into each others eyes. Seems reminiscent of the Forest of Death, doesn’t it?
This moment shared between the two, not only shows that Sasuke still cares but reaffirms the connection that Sakura and Sasuke share.
I would also like to point out that Sasuke continues to hold Sakura, despite the fact that he could have easily let her sit down, and thanks her for saving his life. It once again gives the reader, and Sakura, hope in Sasuke’s character.
After this, we also that Sasuke was going to save Sakura with his rinnegan until Kakashi did instead:
However, after Team 7 successfully defeats Kaguya and is transported back to their dimension, Sasuke’s true intentions are revealed.
But before Sasuke and Naruto leave for their final battle, Sakura begs for Sasuke to stay. To which Sasuke again says that she is annoying, and puts her under genjutsu…
This scene truly takes a lot of patience and careful consideration of Sasuke’s character to understand.
First, let’s start with the fact that Sasuke has decided to call her “annoying” like he did in the past. Sakura was annoying because she was causing him to falter in his goal of solitude and darkness. Sakura was reminding him of his bonds and feelings of love and companionship once again.
And this is also why I believe he placed her under such a shocking genjutsu- he wanted her to hate him. Sasuke needed her to stop loving him so he could become the “object of all hatred” like he desired.
Furthermore, had Sasuke really wanted to hurt or kill Sakura (like Naruto), he would have. Sasuke merely didn’t want her getting in the way, much like she had during their fight on top of the hospital.
When Kakashi defends Sakura, Sasuke also responds by saying:
Again, this goes back to something we’ve already discussed in this post: Sasuke is not capable of understanding romantic love. Sasuke can’t even understand the love of friendship that Naruto has to offer.
He can’t understand why Sakura loves him. He can’t even understand Naruto’s feelings, who is suppose to be his closest friend. Even the Sage says:
It’s also important to note that Sakura reminds Sasuke of his family, and his own feelings of loss.
Sasuke is able to understand her pain and hurt from losing him, much like that pain he felt for his own family. The reader is able to see, that once more, Sakura’s feelings are relateable for Sasuke, but something that he denies himself.
It is not until his final battle with Naruto is he able to let go and accept the feelings of friendship and love.
Even though Sasuke has realized what he’s done and Naruto does not hate him, he worries about how the others will accept him. And this what makes Sasuke’s apology to Sakura even more significant: it is his first chance to receive forgiveness.
And, I mean, just look at the way he looks at her!
After this, we are finally lead to Sasuke’s second departure from the village… And this time, it’s quite different. Sasuke leaves not because of revenge, but for atonement. After everything he has experienced and done, I feel like it would be hard for Sasuke to stay in the village and suddenly just accept that lifestyle (plus he noticed something during their fight with Kaguya that he feels he must investigate for the safety of the village). Sasuke best explains this to Sakura:
And of course, when she asks him to come with Sasuke says:
First, let’s start with how he says, “you have nothing to do with my crimes.” This isn’t meant to push her away or be dismissive, it’s simply the truth. Sasuke has so much to learn and develop as a new person before he can be involved with someone else. Much like how he needed to learn to accept friendship, he must now learn about his “new self.” It’s the mature and responsible thing to do. Again, after everything he has done and experienced, this is a new opportunity for him, one that he can’t afford to miss.
But my favorite part about this, like all other sasusaku shippers, is the forehead poke! Some fans don’t really understand why Sasuke did this. But again, when you really look at Sasuke’s character, it makes perfect sense.
I believe that Sasuke was able to see himself in Sakura once again (like the acknowledgement moment during the chuunin exams). Sakura, I’m sure, reminded Sasuke of himself and how he always use to chase after Itachi. Just look at the similarities:
Something else important to know is the difference in language that Itachi uses versus Sasuke. But this can only be known through the original Japanese dialogue. I’ll be using an excerpt of a post to best explain this:
or the sake of proper writting, let me give reference in advance regarding what dialogues I will talk about:
“「また今度だ」”Mata kondo da” refers to some dialogues spoken by Itachi to Sasuke in various occations in their past before the Uchiha Clan Downfall. It is often translated as, “Maybe next time.”
「また今度な」”Mata kondo na” refers to a dialogue spoken by Sasuke to Sakura by the time he departed from Konoha (Naruto, 699:15). It is often translated as, “I’ll see you soon.”
Both of dialogues have similarity in「また今度」 mata kondo part, in which literally 「また」mata means ‘again’ and 「今度」kondomeans ‘this time’ or depends on the context it can also be ‘next time’. Mata kondo in general is used to politely decline an offer.
The only difference between two dialogues is that Itachi used 「だ」da, whereas Sasuke used「な」na in the end of sentence. This slight difference, however, makes all the big gap regarding the volume of certainty the speakers indicate in their speeches
Particle na in this is dialogue is meant to both the speaker and the addressee. So, it’s important to him to make the addresse agree with his opinion, while he basically makes the promise to himself…. Sasuke was never a man with words. However, regarding Sakura, he always conveyed his heart directly. This time, Sasuke made the promise and the way he said it indicated that really meant it. He puts his emotion and feeling into the speech and indicates a strong desire to fulfill the promise. It’s important to him to make Sakura agree with his opinion by emphasizing it, while he basically makes the promise to himself.”
Please, please, please read the full post HERE (-: It’s really amazing! It even goes into the use of particles in the Japanese language, while taking into account Itachi and Sasuke’s individual characters.
And this leads us to Gaiden…
Although we don’t really get so see what happens between the time period of Sasuke’s redemption journey or his return home, there are several thing we know from Gaiden and the Hiden novels:
In Sakura Hiden Sasuke learns of the kidnapping, he rushes back to the village but Sakura is able to defeat her captors on her own. Sasuke defeats the remaining few, but doesn’t confront Sakura. The last page of the novel strongly hints Sasuke’s return to the village as he says “I’m home, Sakura."
In the novel Akatsuki Hiden, Sakura Haruno’s character introduction "who, no matter how many times he coldly pushed her away, loved him earnestly, trying to give Sasuke’s freezing heart the spring sunlight.”
Sakura is the reason why Sasuke decides to return to Konoha following his journey of redemption
In the novel Shikamaru Hiden, Sakura states that she is with Sasuke, implying they are a couple
The timeline isn’t really explained all that well, but there is a pretty good post about it that you can read, here.
Minus the minor details, we know for sure that Sasuke and Sakura got married, traveled together, and had a child. At some point though, Sasuke realized that there were still remnants of Kaguya and a new possible world threat.
Hence, Sasuke leaves the village on a mission to investigate and find out more. However, this is where many fans insult Sasuke, saying he was a bad husband and father. But again, I implore you to really consider Sasuke’s character. First of all, Sasuke openly explains that this a mission that only he can perform:
Furthermore, Sasuke’s sense of duty to protect the village is strong- something he inherited from Itachi. After all, look at what Itachi did, all for the sake of protecting his village…. Itachi killed his entire clan for the village. So Sasuke, going on a top secret mission to protect the village where he must sacrifice his family life, doesn’t seem like that far of a stretch… He simply has the same conviction as his brother. For the sake of the village and to maintain peace, Sasuke must do whatever is in his power. Not even to mention the sense of guilt or obligation Sasuke feels given the crimes he had committed in the past.
While I, like many other sasusaku shippers, wanted a peaceful fairy-tail ending, it just doesn’t happen that way. And with good reason. But that does’t mean Sasuke doesn’t love Sakura. During The Seishi Kishimoto×Masashi Kishimoto brothers mangaka Interview, Kishimoto even stated. “Although they’re a couple who rarely see each other, their feelings are connected just as Sakura said. I think readers will understand the meaning of her words when they read through the Gaiden till the end, so please read from cover to cover and let the connection between Sakura and Sasuke sink in. “[SOURCE]
All throughout Gaiden, the readers are given plenty of opportunities to see how Sasuke cares for Sakura.
However, I would like to pay extra attention to this little scene here:
Look at how the background behind Sakura is completely black. As we know from Kishimoto’s style, this is to emphasize the Sasuke’s attention is solely on her. In fact, Sasuke’s expression parallels Yahiko’s face when Konan is about to kiss him:
But Sasuke quickly turns around with a smirk (-:
Sasuke clearly gets enjoyment out of teasing Sakura! It’s also very reminiscent of the old Team 7 where Sakura constantly chases after Sasuke’s affection, to which he comically denies (-: In addittion, as much as I would want to see them kiss, I don’t think Sasuke would ever do something like that in public, haha. Again, the readers has to consider Sasuke’s character.
Even Sasuke’s seiyuu (voice actor), Noriaki Sugiyama , said in an interview to “Otomedia” Magazine, “Without words he said to Sakura: Are you really willing to do something so embarrassing in front of your daughter?” It was funny to watch him teasing her (laughs) It seemed to me this shyness was very much in Sasuke’s style. Honestly, after the end of the recording, Naruto’s seiyuu, Takeuchi Junko, said to me: “No, I don’t believe that he could do otherwise!” (laughs), probably Takeuchi-san is right. (source).
From what I can tell from Gaiden, it actually seems likes Sasuke greatly takes after his father, Fugaku Uchiha. This is best illustrated during one of Sasuke’s memories of his childhood:
Another minor detail to point out that Sakura refers to Sasuke as "anata” (アナタ) whereas Sasuke often refers to Sakura as Tsuma (妻, which means wife but with a little adoration). Using these terms of endearment suggest that they really do have a very intimate relationship outside of what we have already seen (-:
And this pretty much concludes my post! To sum it all up, I believe that Sasuke and Sakura’s relationship was another bond used in the story to emphasize the compassion, patience, trust, and power that love embodies. I think their relationship is like the meaning behind the daffodils that Sakura picks for Sasuke:
Their love was by no means easy, and to get to where they are now, it took a lot of time and growth. But, like many things in Naruto, with the strength and determination to believe in the good of yourself and others, you can achieve and overcome incredible things (-:
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