“I wasn’t very conscious of it”: Despite Hinata Taking Over Her Role in Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto Never Intended to Make Sakura the Heroine
Sakura Haruno is one of the main characters in Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto series. While she was introduced as a member of Team 7 and the teammate of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura started her journey as a ninja realizing that she was quite weak. However, it would be wrong to ignore her intelligence and strength which captured the attention of Tsunade Senju, one of the Three Legendary Sannin and the Fifth Hokage.
While Naruto and Hinata are considered the most popular couple in the series, fans have debated about who would be the better match for Naruto. While most fans believe that Hinata is a good match for him, some argue that Sakura would have been a better choice. Although the romance aspect of the popular series is subtle, manga readers might have had an easier time picking up on these subtle hints dropped throughout the series.
Masashi Kishimoto Never Intended To Make Sakura Haruno The Heroine
In an interview with Cinema Today, Masashi Kishimoto gave an insight into the character backstory of Naruto, including the romance. He revealed that he never wrote Sakura in the position of a heroine. Kishimoto said:
“I wasn’t very conscious of it. I thought I would leave the course of it up to them. I wrote it while wondering if Sasuke and Sakura would get together and how it would be. I didn’t write Sakura in the position of heroine.“
Kishimoto mentioned that Naruto was special because he was the titular character, but all other characters were equal, regardless of who were main or side characters. However, somewhere along the way, he thought that Naruto and Sakura were different and he somehow decided on their romance at a pretty early phase.
When further questioned whether he left the romance up to the characters, Kishimoto replied that it was not a conscious decision for him. He also mentioned that he was embarrassed to write it, so there were parts he did not want to write. However, he was happy that in The Last: Naruto the Movie, Naruto’s romance was written, so he was happy that the parts he could not write could be seen in the movie.
Naruto Uzumaki’s Relationship With Hinata Hyuga, Explored
When they were children, Naruto did not necessarily understand the concept of love or romantic relationship. He understood crushes and competing for affection, but he did not understand love. Thus, he did not see Hinata’s faith in his abilities and her adoration towards him until it was almost too late. The events of The Last: Naruto the Movie opened his eyes.
Once the pair opened up about their feelings, they seemed to find a near-perfect balance in their relationship. Naruto himself matured a lot and was less prone to explosive outbursts, while Hinata opened up more, no longer hiding in the background. They were no doubt good for one another, even though as an adult, Naruto had to stay more occupied in his duty as a Hokage.
