Our feelings are connected.

It's exactly as you say, anon: Sasuke basically did everything out of love. He loved his family so much he became a revenger when it was taken from him, he loves Team 7 so he pushed them away from him to not get them involved with his sins, he loved Itachi so he swore revenge once again when he learned his story.

And damn yes he loves his wife and daughter so he sacrifices precious time with them to make sure they live a long, happy and safe life. This man is all about love, it's not hard to see. Tobirama told us long ago for those who didn't figure it out before.

I think people who claim that should read the manga again and try to understand Sasuke's character and the message of the whole story on a deeper level.

If they did, they'd realize that the ending they call bad was the only ending that made sense considering the main target group of the manga and what Naruto stands for.

If they did, they'd know that Sasuke is far from being a "dog" and that his darkest phase does not, should not define his character.

I don't know where it came from but back in the late 2000s, there were so many fanfictions depicting him as a reckless, dominant f*ckboy who ordered others around like pets. This absolute OOC version of him has somehow survived in the fandom even until now.

I guess many fans failed to see that his cold bad boy behavior was not his real self. They put him in the same category as other rivals or villains in different stories, which he didn't really fit in. But somehow that manifested in a part of the fandom, probably because it is a kind of popular character concept they wanted to see in him. I guess attraction also plays a part here, to some extent. Modern "bad boys" are often considered sexy after all. Some may find it unattractive to see him as the rather submissive partner in his relationship with Sakura, so they choose not to see him like that despite it possibly being the truth.

I feel rather indifferent towards Team Taka.

Sad as it is, but during their time together, Sasuke was in a very bad state mentally and I think Taka was first and foremost a tool for him. After his bad phase though, I'm sure he felt sorry for treating them like that. Deep down he is not a bad person, and he does have some empathy. I think he's been considering them (distant) friends ever since he came back to his senses.

Anon, say it louder for those in the back, all of this!

You know, I just rewatched the very first episodes of Naruto just for fun and nostalgia, and paid special attention to Sasuke's behavior and nonverbal communication. I actually don't need to tell you, because I know you know, judging from your text. But it's so crystal clear that Sasuke always cared about Naruto and had a thing for Sakura, from the very beginning, despite playing the cool guy and probably not understanding his feelings himself because he didn't have the mind to think about it. He (rightfully) scolds Sakura for being disrespectful towards Naruto and he means it when he first calls her annoying, yet he doesn't avoid or ignore her, and is relaxed in her presence. He takes note of her scream when she's caught in Kakashi's genjutsu, he says her name gently when she walks by him being stuck in the earth, he stays with and waits for her to wake up when she passes out. He rejects her hug only halfheartedly, he tells her (though only cryptically) about his trauma after having been on a team with her for just one day.

Dude's head was full of revenge, yes, and since the massacre he had been unable to show his feelings openly, yes, but he was also just a 12-year-old boy and he liked and cared about both his teammates from the very beginning.

I think what many don't understand is that under his cold attitude and resting b*tch face, he's pretty sensible, soft and very loving. I can't count the times I've seen antis claim Sasuke doesn't love his family because he's not smiling most of the time, when in fact he loves them more than anything.

So what I think is the main problem, that people tend to take him too literally. You have to see behind his facade and pay attention to the little details in his behavior (e.g. his trembling feet during Sakura's second confession) in order to fully understand him, and I have the feeling that many don't take the time to do that. Either because they can't or because they don't want to.

True that! He is a complex and interesting character, that's why he's one of my favorites. I just wish he wasn't used for so much unnecessary drama and be allowed to go home to his family and stay there for good.

Well, maybe they let him go and stay home already in the Boruto story but I wouldn't know as I don't follow it.

He definitely did have that soft spot for Sakura, anon, and I think it wasn't even that little.

Tbh I'd feel embarrassed claiming nonsense like that, because I'd be exposing my own lack of basic reading comprehension with it. So I have no idea how people shamelessly do it anyway.

Naruto wasn't written by Goethe or Shakespeare. It's not something you need to overanalyze to fully understand the story and characters. Everything you need to know is right there in the manga, and it's damn obvious if you're just willing to see it. I get that Sasuke is one of the most complex characters of the series, and many of his actions and behavior only ever make sense until later parts of the story. But once you're there, he's so damn easily readable. People who don't see that just don't want to - I refuse to believe anyone could deliberately be that stupid.

It's.. kinda complicated.

I don't know if Sasuke is actually one of the most popular characters, but he definitely and undeniably has a very large fanbase, same as Naruto.

The difference between the two is that, while being very popular, Sasuke still has a lot of haters due to his many questionable and (at best) problematic actions, which is understandable. He is a morally grey character and many haven't forgiven him for all he's done. He's also frequently misunderstood.

Meanwhile, Naruto is the goodest good boy and (understandably) very well loved with almost no haters. Because what really is there to hate about him? He wears his heart on his sleeve. You like that or you don't, but usually you don't hate it.

The thing is, being popular doesn't protect you from being hated as well - quite the contrary.

I'm assuming this is about Naruto characters.

I guess it's no surprise that those are first and foremost Sasuke and Sakura. I love characters with relatable backstories who start off as weaker than others and grow up to be one of the best (Sakura), but I also love morally grey characters who sometimes act somewhere in between protagonist and antagonist (Sasuke). To sum up: characters with issues spark my interest, lol.

I think your feeling is right, anon.

I theorize there are some fans who generally dislike the way shounen stories tend to have happy, fulfilling endings after some demi-dark arcs. If you look at current media, the dark stories with lots of plot twists, morally grey characters, major character deaths and open ends are often the most popular ones these days. Which is understandable (I'm a fan of that too), but if you expect that of a shounen series aimed at 12-year-old Japanese, you're bound to be disappointed and that's completely on you.

Team Taka was a tool for exploring Sasuke's dark side and take it further, but it was clear from the very beginning that it wouldn't be endgame. Sasuke staying with them as a rogue would have meant one of Naruto's main goals not only left unfulfilled, but completely failing, making all of his efforts throughout the whole series meaningless. That is not how this genre works. To anyone who dislikes that I can just say: Why are you reading/watching Naruto then? Go read a seinen like Attack on Titan instead.

Hmm, tough question, anon!

Instinctively, I'd say no. I imagine him blushing occasionally, but not a lot, because he's not really the overly blushing type despite being a little of a tsundere.

I can definitely see him being a little embarrassed while having all these romantic "first times" though. Maybe he'd look away, trying to sort his own feelings out while Sakura would be trying to reassure him.

Somehow I think it would take him quite a while to even get that close to Sakura and allow (intimate) physical touch, but once he does, I imagine his initial embarrassement wearing off quite fast.

We all know how deeply the Uchihas love, especially their family, so I imagine him as a kinda overcaring new father. But, due to his inexperience, probably overly careful with baby Sarada too, afraid to do something wrong or accidentally crush her during cuddles.

Either way, I'm sure he'd be showering Sarada with love, but in his own, low-key way. Little gestures like holding her gently, poking her forehead or simply smiling at her. That's also how I imagine his reaction when he meets her right after birth. He's not the type to burst out in tears of joys, but of course that doesn't mean he doesn't feel it.

All of this!

Sakura will just never be enough for the haters, no matter what she does or how she develops. She could save the whole ninja world by healing them, bring them world peace, and they would still hate and bash her while at the same time finding excuses for the worst crimes of their fav characters.

How can they even call themselves Sasuke fans if they think he'd do something horrible as cheating on his wife and dumping his bastard on her to raise. It's like the polar opposite of his character. Maybe they confused him with RtN!Sasuke, lol.

And on top of that, those are often the same people who call SasuSaku abusive. Yeah, sure.