NaruSaku manifesto - Part 1
Previous Sections
( Manifesto Index, rules and comments section )
Next Sections
( NaruSaku Manifesto Part 2: I'm here too, we'll become stronger together )
( NaruSaku Manifesto Part 3: Why NaruSaku? Because being there for each other is the greatest gift of all )
( NaruSaku Manifesto: Annex )
Index
Presentation of the characters
I. Naruto.
I.1. Enter Naruto, the troublemaker!
I.2. A child plagued with a heavy burden, and trying desperately to find acknowledgement.
II. Haruno Sakura
II.1. Strong, understanding, perfect... ah who am I kidding. Enter Sakura: shallow, naive and presumptuous. And rather useless.
II.2. Sakura, a normal child, who through events far beyond her... was forced to grow up.
Manga part I: You don't have to notice me, but I'm right here
I. Naruto to Sakura: From a crush (although not unfounded) to selfless devotion
I.1. The comedic crush! And the very bad start.
I.2. The fairytale, and the realization of why he truly liked her
I.3. Go Sakura! Cheering on the girl he put his faith into.
I.4. As the difficulties arise again... Naruto shows his true devotion
I.5. A glimpse at maturity: selflessness, at the cost of his own happiness...
II. Sakura to Naruto: from rejection based on misunderstanding, to gradual acknowledgement and... trust
II.1. The original misunderstanding, and the shallow start
II.2. From slow acceptance, to acknowledgement of Naruto's spirit
II.3. The beginnings of companionship: this time, cheering each other on
II.4. And gradually... a developing fondness
II.5. As things degrade, the beginning of trust
III. The promise of a lifetime, and the promise to go together!
III.1. The promise of a lifetime
III.2. Naruto vs Sasuke: a battle between brothers...
III.3. The promise to go together
Conclusion of part 1
~ Presentation of the characters ~
I. Naruto.
I.1. Enter Naruto, the troublemaker!
When we first see Naruto, the impression of him is Far from that of a main character. Naruto is: loud, obnoxious, and to top all that, a Loser. He isn't even good-looking. Several people I've come across even admitted that at first, they thought Naruto's better-looking, better-skilled, even cooler rival Sasuke to be the main character instead. So we're stuck with an annoying brat.
However, we soon learn that underneath all that sunshine, laid a character who was truly suffering. Unknown to himself, Naruto is actually the container of the legendary youma Kyuubi, who used to bring havoc until the Yondaime Hokage, then new leader of Konoha, sacrificed his life in order to seal this menace. The container was a newborn baby: Naruto. Yondaime wanted Naruto to be seen as a hero for carrying such a heavy burden, yet instead, all chose to view him as a monster.
I.2. A child plagued with a heavy burden, and trying desperately to find acknowledgement.
The adults were not allowed to tell the children, Naruto included. But because of the parents' attitude, even the children rejected Naruto. So he grew up alone, hated by all... without ever knowing the reason why. Underneath the loud exterior laid a lonely child desperate to get acknowledgement, one who suffered so much that he could barely cry anymore. However, one person did reach to him: his teacher, Umino Iruka.
Everything started on the day of graduation. Having failed the exam again, another academy teacher by the name of Mizuki convinced him that he could graduate if he learned from a sacred scroll. Believing his words, Naruto stole the scroll, only to find that he'd been used all along. When his teacher Iruka shows up, Naruto finally learns of the burden he carries. With the pain he feels then, for the first time, he releases part of the power of the Kyuubi! When Mizuki tries to throw a shuriken at him, Iruka however, jumps in front of him.
After so long, finally, Naruto has someone who recognizes his pain, someone who accepts him. In acknowledgement of this newfound precious person, Naruto unleashes his strength for the first time, and defeats Mizuki. Having mastered the high-level jutsu that is Kage Bunshin, Naruto is finally allowed to graduate from the academy. He thus becomes a genin (a lower nin), and is placed in a three-man team, under the guide of the jounin (upper nin) Kakashi. Thus everything begins. Though he still encounters many difficulties, he starts getting the acknowledgement he seeks, one person at a time: Konohamaru, Kiba, Neji, Gaara, Tsunade, ... and the girl he likes: Sakura.
II. Haruno Sakura
II.1. Strong, understanding, perfect... ah who am I kidding. Enter Sakura: shallow, naive and presumptuous. And rather useless.
It is rather interesting to note that Kishimoto stated in an interview once that he intended for Sakura to start off as someone not likeable. And boy did he succeed.
Ouch. Sakura was quite far off from your typical heroine. Though intelligent and smart, she was incredibly dense at times. Sakura held a crush on Naruto's much cooler rival Sasuke, thought that Naruto was just a troublemaker, was more interested in love than in becoming a good shinobi... in short, she was your typical teenage girl, without too much depth (more like, none at all)...
II.2. Sakura, a normal child, who through events far beyond her... was forced to grow up.
So Sakura basically starts out as a normal girl with normal dreams. But soon, she realizes that things aren't quite as easy. Difficulties start mounting: their very first mission turns out to be way above their level, and Sasuke nearly dies because of that. Thinking that Sasuke has died, Sakura recalls the words she had proudly memorized at the academy. Words that ring hollow now.
No matter what situation, a shinobi must keep emotions on the inside. You must make the mission your top priority, and you must possess a heart that never shows tears.
And that was just the beginning. During the chuunin exams, exams that determine if genins are allowed to become the higher-ranked chuunins, an enemy in the form of Orochimaru appears, knocks out Naruto, leaves a curse seal on Sasuke and leaves her alone to protect her teammates. But this time, confronted with despair and loss, Sakura does not give in. Although it is hard, she draws strength from herself and from her teammates, and starts standing up for those around her.
All her faults, she starts shedding them, one by one: her vanity, her childishness, her dependency on others... And slowly, but surely, she comes to acknowledge and understand Naruto. Thus, Sakura starts to grow.
~ Manga part I: You don't have to notice me, but I'm right here ~
I. Naruto to Sakura: From a crush (although not unfounded) to selfless devotion
I.1. The comedic crush! And the very bad start.
When we first meet Sakura, it's at the academy, right after the graduation. Naruto immediately lets it known that he likes her. ... except the reverse is obviously not true.
Instead she shows an interest in Naruto's much better-looking rival: Uchiha Sasuke, who happens to be the most popular guy in the class.
Of course, Naruto, being not too happy with this, jumps on the desk in front of Sasuke to stare him down. Unfortunately for both, someone in front, by getting up, accidentally pushes Naruto and...
And basically it's the birth of the SasuNaru fandom.
But that's another story. In the meantime, Sakura-chan isn't too happy, and makes it well-known to Naruto.
What a start! ^^;; Then with a strange twist of fate, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke are put into the same 3-man team, under the leadership of the jounin Kakashi. So far, nothing seems out of the ordinary. It seems like your typical teenage crush. But soon we learn that there's more.
I.2. The fairytale, and the realization of why he truly liked her
In order to win over Sakura, Naruto surprises Sasuke and ties him up. Then using the Henge technique (transformation technique), he takes on the appearance of Sasuke and goes to find Sakura.
Sakura is dreaming about her feelings (in short, about Sasuke)... But then Naruto (under the guise of Sasuke) appears before her, looking at her with "warm eyes", and telling her the very words she wants to hear. "You sure have a large charming forehead. Makes me want to kiss it.
Somehow, he knows her That well. As Sakura says herself, it's like a fairytale. Then "Sasuke" asks Sakura her thoughts about Naruto. However, Naruto gets more than he asked for: a reason. There's always been the question of why Naruto likes Sakura. Was it because she's pretty, because she's smart and popular? If it is That simple, why didn't he know before this day?
All I want is for you to acknowledge me.
Today, he gets his answer. Underneath Sakura's bright and confident exterior, Naruto must have seen her real will to get acknowledged, and her real determination to do what it takes. Both of which he could understand.
In some ways, Sakura has also succeeded where he did not, growing from a bud to a flower fully appreciated by her peers, but she's still struggling for true acknowledgement, just like Naruto. In more ways than one, she and Naruto are the same.
It's still a crush, but it had something to start with.
I feel like I finally understand why I like her.
Unfortunately, before they manage to kiss, Naruto gets a stomach-ache from having drunk spoiled milk, so has to leave. By the time he gets back, the real Uchiha Sasuke has already released himself from the ropes and isn't looking too thrilled. Shortly after, they finally meet up with their jounin sensei, who asks them their likes and dislikes, and basically...
The one I dislike... is Naruto.
We're back to square one. Ah well. Poor Naruto.
I.3. Go Sakura! Cheering on the girl he put his faith into.
Over the next months, nothing seems out of the ordinary between Naruto and Sakura.
Naruto cheers on Sakura with his own special type of cheering, and slowly, Sakura acknowledges those cheers. While there are difficult moments, Naruto always ends with his head high, and has a this silly but lovable determination to protect Sakura-chan... even though he often ended up on the short side of Sakura's temper.
But as events unfold, Naruto will soon have to be living up to those words. Their teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, has his own dark past: his brother, Uchiha Itachi, massacred his entire clan when Sasuke was young. Blinded by the pain, Sasuke had vowed to live for revenge. In team 7, he had begun to gradually find acceptance, but the sentiment of his own insufficient power catches up to him. Soon, it will lead him to leave the village. In the meantime, war is brewing.
I.4. As the difficulties arise again... Naruto shows his true devotion
Konoha finds itself in a war against two villages. During this battle, Naruto confronts Gaara, a demon container like him. As he faces this person so similar yet so different to himself, we are fully reminded of Naruto's own painful past.
If I was left alone...
Underneath the joyful appearances lies a child who's lived a lifetime of suffering. But he has finally found precious people, who have saved him from the unbearable pain of loneliness. Sakura, even unknown to herself, is one of them. And as Gaara threatens to kill Sakura, Naruto shows how far he is willing to go to protect her.
To save her, even when Gaara's sand was enveloping him, his thoughts were not towards himself, but towards Sakura. With her in mind, he finally manages to summon Gamabunta, while resolutely telling himself: I'll protect Sakura-chan no matter what. He then tells Gamabunta to avoid hurting her, while pressing the urgency of saving her. Even after he's out of chakra, he takes yet another look at Sakura's distant unconscious form, before turning back to Gaara, a resolute look on his face. One last time, he manages to call forth chakra.
As Sasuke later tells Sakura, "To save you, that guy risked death." Naruto defeats Gaara. He's exhausted, and barely able to walk. Yet he crawls towards Gaara for perhaps a final blow, telling him that he'll never let him harm his precious people. The fight ends only when Sasuke informs Naruto that Sakura is safe now. Only then does Naruto, relieved but exhausted, let himself go unconscious, a peaceful smile on his face.
I.5. A glimpse at maturity: selflessness, at the cost of his own happiness...
And this is the beginning of where things seem to change. On the surface, Naruto is still the same boastful kid. Yet ... he never tells Sakura. Even though he has done his best to save her, even though he deserves the recognition, he doesn't say a single word to her. He could have used this as a means to gain more favour from her, even force her, but he doesn't. In the end, it is Sasuke himself who tells her.
In the meantime, Naruto's own dark heritage catches up to him. While he is off training with the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya, Naruto learns that because of his burden, powerful opponents are after him. He can never be at peace. Sasuke too, sees his past catching up to him. One of those after the Kyuubi vessel is non other than his own brother Uchiha Itachi. Having learned of this, Sasuke gives chase, but Itachi shrugs him off and leaves him in a coma. Sasuke is brought back to Konoha, where Sakura watches over him, while Naruto and Jiraiya attempt to find legendary medic and future Hokage, Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin.
They succeed, and Tsunade heals Sasuke. Thanks to Naruto, Sasuke is saved. And yet...
When Sasuke is healed, Sakura, relieved, hugs Sasuke and completely ignores Naruto. And Naruto... does not interfere this time. He lets out a pained smile, but leaves the two alone. This may not seem like much, but then Tsunade herself notes Naruto's real pain: "He's more sensitive than he looks."
This is Naruto we're talking about after all: Naruto the obnoxious brat, Naruto who never hesitates to speak his mind, Naruto who never gives up on any of his goals, and who worked SO HARD just for the few precious bonds he has managed to forge... Yet for the sake of the girl he likes, he chooses to keep it to himself, to let go of one of the bonds he had fought so much for. And I think this silence spoke louder than any words he could have said. Everything he's done for Sakura... did it change nothing at all?
On hindsight, I found this a really sad scene. Although everything seems alright, Naruto looks so lonely again, turning away in order not to face the situation...
Some people have disagreed with me on the depth of Naruto's feelings. How can a kid act as mature? But they seem to forget that Naruto is no ordinary child. For me, Naruto is above all extremely grateful. As he told Gaara, the pain of loneliness was so unbearable that it nearly broke him. And as such, I think that Naruto simply believes that he can't ask any more of them, that he'd never be able to repay what they've done for him. Even though they've done very little, this little means everything for him, and I believe that as a result he is willing to do anything for them: for them, he is willing to sacrifice his life, to later sell his soul to Kyuubi, even feel guilty about having so many friends when some, such as Gaara (in part II), did not. Even let go of a bit of his own happiness.
And the thing is, this is just the beginning. Before everything starts to go wrong, Naruto reassures a concerned Sakura about Sasuke. And when everything starts falling apart, he makes his ultimate vow, his ultimate display of self-sacrifice, to Her: the promise of a lifetime.
Naruto has thus come a long way. He started out with what seemed like a mere childish crush on Sakura, one not completely unfounded, but a light-hearted crush nonetheless. Even as Sakura doesn't completely return his feelings, he cheers her on with his own loud self. But as events moved on, he shows just how far he's willing to go for her, until this crush evolves into something more: selflessness, even at the cost of his own feelings. A glimpse at maturity. And as said, it will all culminate with the promise of a lifetime.
But before we address that, let's look at Sakura's side. For all this devotion, how did Sakura respond?
II. Sakura to Naruto: from rejection based on misunderstanding, to gradual acknowledgement and... trust
II.1. The original misunderstanding, and the shallow start
Our first impression of Sakura is that of a girl with a perfect student attitude. Yet there's another side to Sakura: her inner repressed thoughts, inner Sakura. Inner Sakura is loud and bratty, and has the same mischievious attitude as Naruto. This side of Sakura should get along rather well with Naruto, yet...
Sakura doesn't like Naruto. Instead she fangirls the much cooler Sasuke. While she doesn't hesitate to show this stronger side of hers to Naruto, she usually does so by scolding him and by putting him down (not that it wasn't justified half the time but still...) She'd act as though she's better than him... and at the "henge" scene, we learn just why she doesn't like Naruto.
Interestingly enough, she doesn't seem to hate him for the same reasons most of the others hate him. The adults hate Naruto because he is the Kyuubi container, the children hate him because their parents do. And in all those eyes, all Naruto ever sees is cold... Yet Sakura:
Sakura: He's always getting in the way of my love, and he enjoys seeing me struggle... Naruto doesn't understand anything about me, he's just annoying.
Sakura dislikes him because of his very insistence besides her. She seems overly aggressive as a result, but later, with Ino then Lee, we see that she manifests the same loud aggressive attitude with just about anybody. So while the adults treated Naruto coldly, Sakura treated him nearly... normally (as aggressive as "normal" happens to be for Sakura ^^;).
But she doesn't understand the true reason of Naruto's attitude around her. At the base of her dislike for Naruto lay a shallow misunderstanding of his very feelings for her. This is for me the original misunderstanding, and of all of Sakura's misconceptions about Naruto, this will be the last to be dispelled. Much, much later on, thinking of this very scene, Sakura will realize just how wrong she was. But that's in the future.
In the meantime, things don't get better. After that scene, when the real Sasuke shows up this time, Sakura goes as far as to claim that Naruto is lucky to have no parents. Sasuke though, angered by this, retorts that nothing she can feel can compare to Naruto's pain of loneliness. Then during the infamous bell test, Sakura doesn't help Naruto who is right in front of her, and sets out to find Sasuke instead. Kakashi berates her for this:
Sakura, instead of Naruto, who was right next to you... You were only thinking about Sasuke, who was far away.
Later on, on their first C-rank mission, she still holds reservations when Kakashi compliments Naruto on his growth, and when Naruto cheers her at a tree climbing exercise, the very type she was hoping to get (but from Sasuke), she completely ignores him, and chooses instead to feel disappointed that Sasuke didn't care.
Even later on, when the tragic events of the Wave country mission are but a distant memory, and Naruto's then displays of bravery are replaced by his usual goof-ups, Sakura takes it very harshly when Sasuke compares her to Naruto. And when friends of Naruto's ask out loud of she's his girlfriend, she makes it quite clear that she's not (by beating them up ^^;).
All this seems to spell a very bad start for this pairing. But it is necessary to note them in order to understand just how they develop later on. And as the chuunin exams loom ahead, Sakura is forced to contemplate both herself and her teammates. She then realizes that slowly, but surely, she is falling behind not one, but both of them. And as the past catches up to the other two, Sakura will soon be confronted with this weakness head on.
II.2. From slow acceptance, to acknowledgement of Naruto's spirit
But parallel to what seems like a constant rejection, Sakura does slowly learn to accept Naruto. After Sasuke scolds her for taking the fact that Naruto's an orphan so lightly, for the first time, she wonders if she should be nicer to Naruto.
There's no real follow-up to this thought, as she later shows by declaring Naruto as the one she hates, but the fact that she is willing to consider this at all is a beginning. During the bell test, even though her strategy is to get the second bell after Sasuke, she does cry out to Naruto when he is in danger of being attacked by Kakashi, while Sasuke remains silent. Then later during that test, spurred by Sasuke's example, she offers Naruto some food as well.
... though they all left Naruto tied to the pole after the bell test. Ah well.
It's not much, but it's the start of team 7, and of her own acceptance of Naruto within the team. While she still puts down his constant bratty attitude, slowly, she does come to acknowledge his dreams.
We finally see this during the first test of the chuunin exams. As Naruto faces the risk of being forever banned from graduating, she contemplates his dreams... and this time, instead of mocking them, she thinks that she does not want to see them crushed. For all the times she put him down, she genuinely cares about his emotional well-being. She slowly raises her hand to forfeit for him, despite her own confidence in being able to answer the question. Naruto interrupts them all however and states that he won't back down.
Things start to worsen during the second test. Orochimaru has infiltrated the chuunin exams. Sasuke is about to make a fatal mistake, but Naruto yells at him and blocks the snake that Orochimaru has summoned. Orochimaru knocks Naruto out but this time, Sakura, for the first time, screams out loud Naruto's bravery:
Sakura: Sasuke-kun! It's true that unlike you, Naruto is clumsy and can get in the way but... At least he's not a coward!! Right!!!
Her screams get Sasuke to fight on. It isn't enough however, and Sasuke gets knocked out as well. On his neck, this time, lays a Curse Seal, a lure to power left by Orochimaru, and the seeds of that which would later lead him to leave the village.
Sakura thus suddenly finds herself all alone, no longer able to count on either her teammates nor her teacher. Faced with the vast forest, she is now fully confronted with her own weakness, her own inability to do anything. And she despite her fears, she realizes that this time... she'll have to be the one to protect her teammates.
So finally, Sakura stands up for herself.
When new enemies appear, she confronts them this time. When she seems to have lost the fight, she thinks of those who have fought for Her all this time: Sasuke, Lee... and Naruto, whom she'd lecture, yet whom she was falling behind as well. No more. She cuts off her own hair, up till now the symbol of her own vanity, and she manages to hold the enemies off until reinforcements arrive and Sasuke wakes up.
After this fight, one of the first things Sakura does is punch Naruto for insulting Lee, who had come to help them. Yet Sakura herself has changed. More than a girl, she is now a shinobi. And not just a shinobi, one who protects her friends. And after the moment of introspection triggered by this fight, she has come to acknowledge Naruto as well.
II.3. The beginnings of companionship: this time, cheering each other on
Later in the exams, she finds herself confronting her very rival Ino. And here we learn more about Sakura. Sakura has not always been a confident perfect student: she too, started off as someone misunderstood and rejected, someone not comfortable with her own self. Yet Ino saw her and saved her from that. Ino back then told Sakura that one day she might bloom, and believing those words... Sakura decided back then to set off on her own. She had decided to no longer remain as her friend's shadow. To show that Ino's words had not gone to waste, she'd prove herself by not losing to her. She'd reappear before her as an equal.
It isn't so simple. Despite her own efforts Sakura is tricked into Ino's mind jutsu and nearly forced to forfeit. But just when everything seems lost... Naruto starts loudly cheering her on.
Naruto: Don't!!! Sakura-chan!!! You've come this far. If you lose to that Sasuke idiot... you're not a woman!!!
Sakura: Geez, that Naruto is annoying. But he's right. I can't lose here.
Sakura: Forfeit? Like hell I'll forfeit!!!
Sakura pushes Ino out of her mind, and ties against her rival. Later on, Ino smiles at Sakura, and tells her that she really did manage to bloom. From then on she is witness to Naruto's own victories, and this time, she genuinely cheers along.
When Naruto has his own match against Kiba, this time, Sakura does not hesitate to think just how wrong she'd been wrong about Naruto all along. While all the others are worried, only Sakura and Kakashi grin confidently at each other, fully believing in Naruto. As he fights, she thinks...
Yeah... I used to always make fun of those words. That he was just a big mouthed idiot.
But... I was wrong.
Naruto... tell everyone...
And when Naruto stands up and tells everyone: "Don't underestimate me," this time she loudly cheers him this time as well! Through a stunning combination of skill and uh... luck, Naruto defeats Kiba! Sakura loudly cheers and comments on how great it feels to her as well!
Then when against all odds, Naruto beats the genius Neji in the final rounds of the chuunin exams, she cheers again, and happily notes the cheers that Naruto is finally receiving.
II.4. And gradually... a developing fondness and contemplation
Some people say that NaruSaku simply doesn't have that "spark", that something to make it "romantic." I believe this to be the contrary: I believe that ever since that fateful henge scene, NaruSaku has one of the highest potential for romance in the manga: Naruto, a brat who's only 12, could know exactly what Sakura wished to hear in her heart. It was like a fairytale.
Yet Sakura never found out that it was Naruto back then. But parallel to the growing companionship, we see this spark developing all over again: little by little, Sakura develops a genuine fondness for Naruto's attitude... It starts as early as the Wave country arc. When Naruto risked his life to gain back his hard-earned forehead protector, for the first time, Sakura asks herself what she's feeling.
What's this feeling? This is Naruto.
Of course, this early on, she still had her reservations, but something clicked.
During the first test of the chuunin exams, when Naruto loudly proclaims that he won't back down, instead of scolding him, she actually lets out a bright smile. "Yeah, you're that kind of idiot." The type of idiot she's grown fond and familiar with. Naruto's bratty attitude is growing on her.
Then after her match against Ino, she smiles at him again when he worries about her, and for the first time, thanks him for his cheers. Unfortunately Naruto manages to ruin the moment. Some things never change. Moving on. ^^;;
Finally, when Naruto beats Neji, she expresses more intimate thoughts this time... as she contemplates Naruto as he loudly cheers and blows kisses, she thinks that she too should do her best. When Ino notes her melancholic expression, she quickly dismisses such thoughts. Thus slowly though... Naruto is becoming one of those dear to her. This is one of the most notable instances where she starts contemplating Naruto from afar. Later, on two occasions, she'd think back on Naruto while looking out the window. The first time would be with a melancholic expression. The second time would leave her smiling.
II.5. As things degrade, the beginning of trust
Sakura did not witness the despair with which Naruto fought to protect her against Gaara. She did not witness his pained yet determined expression as he crawled towards his opponent to make sure that Gaara does not hurt her. She did not hear of Naruto's dark past, nor did she see his relieved expression when he heard that she is safe, before passing out from exhaustion. But while she was unconscious, she doesn't just call out Sasuke's name. This time, she also whispers Naruto's.
Naruto didn't tell her about the battle, but Sasuke does. At first, she does not believe that Naruto saved her, but Sasuke then tells her in the simplest terms:
"Up until now, you haven't really seen him, so you haven't seen his strength either."
Indeed, Sakura had never truly seen Naruto. Even while she was slowly acknowledging him, she never did see him at his best, not when he always put up a cheerful front around her. People blame her for doubting Naruto at this point, but how could Sakura have known?
- she didn't know about Jiraiya
- she didn't know about Kuchiyose
- she likely has never seen the true extent of Naruto's Kage Bunshin
- and the last thing she saw was -Sasuke- in his fight against Gaara, having learned a jutsu from Kakashi that enabled him to be the first to wound a Gaara whom even Lee was powerless against.
And Sasuke was the one she wanted acknowledgement from, the one she looked up to. The one she had a crush on. Yet when Sasuke tells her the truth, Sakura first looks confused, as though realizing something. She looks at Naruto, who is acting like his usual goofy self, and failing miserably at Chidori. Nothing like the hero Sasuke is telling her about. But then instead of seeming disappointed that Sasuke wasn't the one who saved her... again, she lets out a fond smile.
I found this smile somewhat different. More quiet, intimate perhaps. And this time, it lingers. Perhaps she has just realized that Naruto is so much more than meets the eye. That there is much more to him underneath all that hot air. Perhaps, underneath that loud exterior, she is beginning to perceive the real underlying care he has for her, a side he hasn't shown her yet. Whatever it is, slowly, but surely, Naruto and his cheerful attitude is becoming one whom she trusts and knows she can rely on.
And just as she starts gaining this new appreciation of Naruto, team 7 starts crumbling apart.
Sakura did not see Naruto's strength, but Sasuke did. Because of his own dark past, he is unable to accept Naruto's growing power. Shortly after Tsunade healed him from his encounter with Itachi, he challenges Naruto to a fight. Under the eyes of a horrified Sakura, this fight quickly degenerates. In despair, she jumps between the two, hoping to get them to stop, something that would have ended horribly wrong if not for the interference of their teacher Kakashi.
The fight leaves Sakura worried about Sasuke and not knowing what to do. Finally, against Sasuke's wishes, she decides to confide in Naruto. This is the second time she contemplates Naruto while staring out the window, this time over her conversation with him. Naruto had just revealed how powerful Orochimaru is, leaving Sakura saddened. Yet Naruto saw her pained expression, the very pained expression that he'll later recall when facing Sasuke. And surprising Sakura, he gave her a reassuring grin.
Surprised but also relieved, Sakura blushes fondly at this memory. Perhaps she is just smiling because of her newfound hope in Sasuke. But she later shows that she never did believe that Sasuke would stay. Naruto himself, recalling this scene, only noted a pained and forced smile when he mentions Sasuke: she never was reassured. So I think the reason she does smile is actually for Naruto. Because she has just realized that in him, no matter what happens, she has found at least someone she can trust and confide in. He is once again the one to make her smile.
And things indeed do not go as both hope. Shinobi from the Sound are sent to remind Sasuke of the promise of power. Sakura, who has suspected things despite everything, confronts Sasuke on his way out. But despite her most heartfelt pleas for him to stay, Sasuke knocks her out, leaving her with nothing but cryptic words of thanks...
When Sakura comes to, she has no one to turn to anymore, save for the one whom she'd always rejected before, but who was always there for her. The one who, despite all the hardships, was always left standing and smiling, the one whom she'd slowly grown fond of, and whom she's gradually come to acknowledge and trust... Naruto himself.
III. The promise of a lifetime, and the promise to go together!
Recap. So on Sakura's side, we've seen a slow but gradual acknowledgement of Naruto's character. Although she started out completely unnaccepting of him, one by one, her prejudices against him dropped. Instead, we see something else build up. Acknowledgement of his dreams. Companionship. Fondness. And trust. It's slow, but it's there.
But on Naruto's side, we are reminded of just how sensitive this apparently carefree child is. While he started off with just a crush on Sakura (though not completely unfounded), we see just how far he is willing to go. He cheers her on, giving her courage while still acting silly, but when she is truly in danger, he doesn't hesitate to fight with all his might to protect her, at which point we are reminded of his own tragic past. But as Sakura seems to not return any of his feelings, we see yet something else. A glimpse at maturity, as Naruto is now willing to even hide his own pain, and let go of his own happiness, for Sakura. And yet, he still does his best to cheer her up.
Everything will be accelerated by the departure of their teammate, Sasuke.
III. The promise of a lifetime, and the promise to go together!
III.1. The promise of a lifetime
Between Orochimaru's lure to power and his own inability to accept Naruto's growth, Sasuke finally takes the decision to leave. Sakura confronts him on his way out, but despite her most heart-felt pleas for him to stay, he still chooses a solitary avenger's path. Naruto is assigned to the team to bring him back. And before he leaves, Sakura meets up with him.
Bearing the unbearable pain of losing her first love, Sakura finally turns to Naruto. With heartfelt honesty, she cries out that she wasn't able to do Anything. So she begs her last hope. The one she's slowly come to trust. The one who despite his fumblings, came victorious out of the most desperate battles. And the very last one who might be able to reach to their third teammate.
Only you…
Please, bring back Sasuke.
To someone who has always tried to win Sakura's affections... this must have seemed like the ultimate blow. Naruto finds himself in an ultimate dilemma: Sakura, the girl He likes, has just asked him to bring back his rival in love. And whatever Naruto's sad smile way back at the hospital scene meant, there is no mistaken here. Naruto looks downwards, a look of hurt on his face. When he speaks to her, it is with a sad smile, and a surprisingly quiet voice.
Sakura-chan, you really like Sasuke huh?
Unspoken: It's not me you like, huh.
And yet, instead of voicing his own pain, in a soft whisper, he reaches out to hers.
I know how much pain you're in because of Sasuke.
I can understand.
Even though she never acknowledged his own feelings, Naruto still reaches out to her. Instead of voicing his own pain, he voices hers... He is willing to put her own pain before his, when he's lived a lifetime far harsher than anything she could have imagined. Sakura has been endlessly bashed for this.
But... Sakura does respond. In this time of hardship, she finally begins to perceive this side that Naruto has always hidden from her, that she has never really seen yet. Within the darkness, she finally sees into Naruto's heart, and reflected within, is his real care for Her.
Sakura thinks all the way back to that very scene when she first told "Sasuke" what she thought of Naruto: that he was a troublemaker who enjoyed seeing her suffer, that he didn't understand at all. The original misunderstanding, of his feelings, for her. And although she had been gradually acknowledging him as a teammate, as a comrade, as a friend... it seems she had never consciously rid herself of the belief that he is still just a silly child, who doesn't understand her.
How wrong she was. The last of her prejudices crumbles. So I believe this time, her tears are for Naruto as well. Tears of gratitude for him always being there, tears of the hope she's finally found within him.
Naruto, Thank you. This was all she could say. But I believe this to be one of the most heartfelt thanks in the series. She is thanking him, not just for being willing to bring back Sasuke, but for all these times he has been supporting her in his own way. Although she had never fully acknowledged him, although she had never understood Him, he was always there for her, cheering her through hard times, giving her hope, making her smile.
And that's when Naruto makes his promise, to this very girl he cares so much about. The sort of promise you only make once in your life, and that you vow to pursue no matter what. The promise of a lifetime.
The courage behind that smile simply left me stunned. Behind his usual grin is his own pain of losing a teammate, but also of having his own feelings unrequited. Behind that bright reassurance lay his real care and concern for Sakura, a care based on a genuine understanding of her character. But even greater than that, after that quiet admission that his own feelings are unreturned, by promising to bring back the one that She likes, Naruto is effectively... sacrificing all of his own chances with her. And he doesn't even tell her, he doesn't even expect her to acknowledge his sacrifice.
Yet for Sakura, Naruto is willing to push aside his own pain and darkness. For her, he is willing to find within himself the strength, the hope, for two. To find the strength to smile for two. To give her hope as well. Some have claimed that Naruto has given up on Sakura at this moment. I see the contrary. I see Naruto's true devotion to Sakura's happiness, to Her. And I personally can't think of a greater love than one where you put the feelings of the one you love above your own.
And this time, Sakura finally acknowledges the depth and understanding behind that usual grin.
He always knew. He always helped me.
And all Sakura can do now was watch the back of her retreating teammate.
III.2. Naruto vs Sasuke: a battle between brothers...
After a long chase, Naruto finally catches up to Sasuke. Thinking of Sakura's tears, Naruto yells out at Sasuke. But to Naruto's horror, Sasuke has already lost all traces of humanity. His eye shine in an eerie light, and he chuckles in a way reminiscent of Orochimaru. And when Sasuke attacks him, Naruto thinks of Sakura's sad expression, and of his own broken reassurance that Sasuke would not give in.
But the battle soon turns to more. At that moment, Sasuke remembers words left to him so long ago by Itachi. To gain more power, he'd have to kill his very best friend. Naruto. Sasuke gladly decides to comply. Heartbroken, Naruto watches Sasuke thinking calmly of ways to kill him, and he realizes that he is losing him. So Naruto makes his own confession, admitting his own bonds as one last plea for Sasuke to reconsider.
Those bonds trace back to even before the days of team 7. Somehow, within the loneliness then, the two young boys had found each other. But regrettably, they did not reach to each other... So Naruto lied to himself, and chose to call Sasuke a rival.
Yet, to Naruto, it was one of his first precious bonds, his first ties to a humanity that had shunned him. As such, underneath the loud facade, Naruto considered Sasuke... as his very own brother. You expected me to say lover? This is the NaruSaku manifesto, not the NaruSasu manifesto. Shoo!
I think this is one of the saddest confessions in the manga. All this time Naruto cared so strongly about Sasuke, but he always stubbornly pretended otherwise. Now, as he stares at a brother that is even willing to kill him, it might already be all too late...
In the end, despite his desperate attempts, Naruto still loses. Sasuke still chooses the avenger path.
But Naruto manages to knock away a bit of darkness from his heart: in the end, Sasuke refuses to kill him, refuses this particular path to power. Opening up a possibility to redemption. Naruto hasn't completely failed his promise yet. But this comes at a heavy price. In the coming years, the pain of losing Sasuke will slowly start to cripple Naruto from within, until he too, will come dangerously close to losing himself.
III.3. The promise to go together
Naruto has failed his mission, and returns half dead. The sad cover shows Sakura, looking elsewhere, but smiling. Somehow, I believe this to be Naruto's point of view: Sakura is not looking at him, but he is content with her smile. And now... he has failed that smile.
I stayed away from sadness and pain... I wanted to protect that smiling face.
The title:
The promise that I could not keep.
At the hospital, Naruto stares at the forehead protector that Sasuke has left behind, and thinks of Sasuke, Sakura, and his own broken promise. Sakura in the meantime, upon hearing of the return of the rescue team, decides to visit Naruto first. Before she enters though, she overhears the verdict.
Sasuke got away.
She doesn't even cry this time. Her arm falls limply to her side. I think that at that moment, she must have also somehow realized that Sasuke is responsible for all this. For perhaps... nearly getting Naruto, and the others killed. Naruto would have done no less than go all out. For his promise to Her, as well. So Sakura doesn't even gather the courage to enter, until Tsunade shows up. When she enters the room however, Naruto looks surprised for a while, but then finds himself unable to look into Sakura's eyes.
I'm sorry... Sakura-chan...
But Sakura is even more unable to look into his eyes. So she puts on a fake smile. She makes a lame attempt at a joke, she pretends to not hear when Naruto says "I'm sorry... I..." again. Except this time Naruto finds the strength to say out loud, with what I found to be a nearly desperate look on his face.
Sakura-chan I... I'll definitely keep my promise! I said that it was... a lifetime promise!
Who is he trying to convince?
Sakura seems to have lost all hope however. Instead of confronting Naruto, she simply looks out the window, letting her thoughts wander into the distance, instead of facing the harsh realities in the hospital room. The next moment will force Sakura however to confront the situation. Naruto has found the strength to grin again. "I won't go back on my word! Because that's my ninja way!"
He was uncertain a moment ago as well. But looking at Sakura's sad expression, he has somehow found in himself the strength to smile again. The title of the cover comes into mind. "I stayed away from sadness and pain... I wanted to protect that smiling face." For her sake as well, to make her smile, somehow, he has found the strength to smile, to hope, for both of them again. For her.
And forced to face that so familiar grin, but also knowing all the pain underneath it and the strength it took to force out that smile, Sakura nearly lets out the tears that she was unable to cry a moment ago.
But then she stops. The next is a moment of introspection.
Faced with his determination, she clearly remembers her own tears, as she admitted to having been unable to do anything. Faced with the memories of how she begged Naruto, she now clearly sees the consequences: an injured teammate, and the scratched headband of the one who was responsible. ...
There was actually a mistranslation this part. I first found out after reading a Chinese translation, and confirmed besides njt ^_^
私は・・・
I...
泣きついただけ
All I did was depend on you....
頼ってすがりついただけ・・・
I could only cling to and rely on you
She is confronted with her own dependence on that trust. What has she done up until now? ... nothing. What has she accomplished, but add to Naruto's own burdens, taken his smile for granted? For his promise to her, he was nearly killed. Yet here he is, grinning to cheer her up, despite his own pains. In short she has realized what Sakura-bashers keep bashing her about. Her next thoughts are as a whisper...
I... couldn't do anything.
But despite this bitter realization, this time, she does not give in. Somehow, she has managed to find strength in Naruto's determination as well. And she returns his grin with a smile of her own. An emotionally charged smile, but no longer a fake one. When she turns around to apologize to Naruto, it is not for her own uselessness, or for making him keep that promise.
Instead, she apologizes for having to make him wait.
I'm sorry, Naruto. I had to make you wait a while but... Next time, we'll do it together!
So she appears before none other than the last of the Legendary Sannin, the Godaime Hokage herself. Armed with nothing but a troubled heart that does not go unnoticed by Tsunade ("You're also troubled, aren't you") and the determination to make a difference, The difference, she asks her to train her.
Please, make me your apprentice.
Actually, the Chinese translation states "You are also doing your best, aren't you." instead of noting a troubled heart. I haven't checked the Japanese for this one. Ah well. Whatever the case, the text in the manga is telling.
People fight for those they love. With the new strength she gained through her losses, Sakura begins her new battle.
Sakura never had a dark past, but team 7 has become her dark past. The task ahead is daunting: her adversaries includes the likes of no less than Orochimaru himself. But for the sake of their common lost teammate... but also, now, for the grinning boy who would never lose hope, whom she had never really seen before but who despite that, was always there for her and would not let her lose hope either, Sakura too, would face the challenges ahead. The databook says this:
Totally unreliable and full of baseless confidence is Naruto. But this Naruto becomes to Sakura someone she can rely on the most. The moment she acknowledges this, one can say her true development began.
"Sakura, I’ll keep my promise. Because this is a once in a life time promise."
Naruto’s words are always filled with hope. Sakura always finds hope in his words and moves ahead.
Hence the title of the manifesto: "Because I'm here." Naruto was always there for Sakura. By finally acknowledging this, Sakura finds the strength to move onto the next step.
Naruto, alone again in his hospital bed, thinks of words of thanks to Sakura, but believes that there is no time.
Sakura-chan... thank you... But... I'm sorry. There's no time to wait.
Soon he would receive hopeful news however: they have time. They have 3 years. And Jiraiya will train him during this time.
Naruto and Sakura thus part ways, to train separately for the next 2.5 years. They depart, with a silent promise, to meet up again, stronger than before. Thus concludes part 1.
~ Conclusion of part 1 ~
I've once read a few interesting posts (in Chinese though) on the concept of "first love": the first love is the one people most cherish, because when you fall in love for the first time, you have no experience, no prejudices, so you throw yourself into it with everything you've got. Every relationship you will be in after that will bear the scars of that first failed relationship, and people will forever remember that lost innocence. The value of first love lies in the memories it creates, so you will forever be kind to that person you first fell in love with. But it is also said that when you fall in love for the first time, you don't really know what true love is.
Sasuke was Sakura's first love. I believe Sakura was Naruto's.
Still, first or not, I couldn't help but admire just how mature Naruto was in facing this relationship. He sure gave his all for her:
When she was fighting, he loudly cheered for her.
When she was in danger, he fought with all his might to save her, only letting himself faint after her learned that she is safe.
When she was feeling depressed, he put on his brightest face to reassure her, even though it was to reassure her of his rival in love.
And finally, for her happiness, he was willing to let go of his own.
It is ironic that this very selfless attitude of his, his very ability to put up a smiling face for Her sake, is what makes many people say that Naruto does not care that much for Sakura. I think however, that when you truly love someone, That's when you're willing to make that many sacrifices for them without ever asking anything in return.
In the end, that was it though. Naruto could very well have moved on: frankly I don't believe that any two people absolutely Have to be paired up by the age of 13. I don't believe that a person's happiness or eternal sadness for the next 60+ years of their lives is so easily determined, especially by people you've actually only known for a few years. It may take 2, 8, 15 or 30 years, but the world is vast after all. The people you've met in your lives will forever be dear to your heart, but it doesn't mean you can't move on.
Also, some NaruSaku supporters say that Naruto never gives up on anything. But specifically in the case of Sakura, I actually disagree with them: I find Naruto's attitude with Sakura admirable Precisely because of how he is willing to set aside his own goals for her. Yes, Naruto has always given it his all to obtain the goals he's after.
Yet for everything he did for Sakura, he never asked anything in return. Even though he sought her affections, he never put any sort of pressure on her. He could have told her that he saved her from Gaara, thus "guilting" her into returning some sort of feelings, but he didn't. When Sakura was upset about Sasuke, he could have used this as an opportunity to gain an upper hand, instead he chose to reassure her about his rival. And when Sasuke did leave, instead of voicing his own pain of unrequited feelings, he reached out to hers.
He treated Sakura not as a goal, but as a human being with her own feelings, feelings he respected and cared about above his own. And for her happiness, he was willing to set aside his own. Yet he would always remain there for her, bound by a lifetime promise.
But Naruto's care did not go to waste. Instead, I believe it laid the foundations for potentially more to come. I think that Sakura has indeed been unconsciously growing closer to Naruto, as his every strength and quirks have been growing on her. But I think she rejected him as a more intimate partner, not because their characters weren't compatible, but because she still believed that Naruto was just a brat who didn't understand her, and as such could not envision a closer relationship with him.
But now she has finally understood that there was more to his childish facade. And while she took the longest to understand him, having no dark past of her own to predispose her, I think that now, she's among the few who understands him the most: his strengths, but also his limits and his insecurities. So in part 2, it's her turn to help Him.
In the meantime, Naruto might have decided to give up on Sakura, but I believe the potential for romance is still there, because it was inherent to Naruto and Sakura's characters: how Naruto appreciates Sakura for the will he's perceived in her since chapter 3, how he knows her most romantic fantasies, and how Sakura begins to appreciate the doofus that is Naruto.
So Sakura presents herself to Naruto again in part II, as a brand new person: stronger, brighter, and this time free of the prejudices that she held against him in part I. This time, Sakura will show what She's made of. And on the foundations of care, understanding, trust and appreciation that they have now, they can now build something new, and perhaps, fall in love all over again.
Next Sections
( NaruSaku Manifesto Part 2: I'm here too, we'll become stronger together )
( NaruSaku Manifesto Part 3: Why NaruSaku? Because being there for each other is the greatest gift of all )
( NaruSaku Manifesto: Annex )
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