Naruto Creator Masashi Kishimoto Had To Calm His Wife Down After She Found Out About Hinata
When the "Naruto" anime finally ended in 2017, the series concluded with answers to its biggest questions. In the end, after a drawn-out fight that resulted in lots of bloodshed and lost limbs, Naruto finally brought his friend Sasuke back from absolute darkness. And the orange-clad hero later achieved his childhood dream of his village acknowledging him as the Hokage. On the romantic side, fans finally learned the most important fact of which desired couples became canon. By the time the dust settles, and cupid arrows have flung, Sasuke ultimately bonds with Sakura, and Naruto winds up with Hinata.
Most importantly, the two romantic pairings have made some fans happy. However, some believe that series creator Masashi Kishimoto might have got it wrong, as they hoped Naruto had paired with Sakura instead. Part of the reasoning behind the support for Naruto and Sakura together is the messy love triangle the series presents at the beginning between the two characters and Sasuke. In addition, there are numerous reasons why Sasuke and Sakura's relationship doesn't make much sense. But Kishimoto remained firm in having Naruto and Hinata together, and besides some fan disagreement, the creator's decision also caused a bit of an uproar in his home. When Kishimoto's wife found out about Hinata, he apparently had to calm her down.
Kishimoto's wife wanted Naruto to be with Sakura
Masashi Kishimoto probably never expected Naruto's choice of Hinata to stir any controversy in his home. However, as he revealed in a 2015 interview with Anime News Network, that's what happened, as his wife wanted the titular hero to end up with Sakura instead. "I almost caused a rift in my own household too, because my wife was very upset also that Naruto didn't get together with Sakura. In fact, she complained quite vehemently to me!"
Kishimoto had to try to soothe things with his wife as a result. It might have caused domestic stress, but later in the same interview, Kishimoto gave his reason why Hinata and Naruto work better together as a couple. The mangaka brought up Hinata's constant support of Naruto from the beginning of the series. "I think what made me realize it was partly because, if you really look back and think about it, Hinata always supported and acknowledged Naruto, even before Master Iruka," Kishimoto said in the interview. "She had the ability to see beyond his reputation and see the true person inside. I think I started realizing that they were meant to be."
Later in the story, Kishimoto threw in a couple of points of no return for the 'NaruHina' ship. During the "Pain's Assault" Arc of the series, as Hinata tries to protect a trapped Naruto from Pain, she finally confesses her love for him. And although his doomed fate still serves as a headscratcher for fans, Neji's death further solidifies the bond between Naruto and Hinata. We can see the logic behind Kishimoto's decision, but how did he try to win his wife over on the pairing? As he also noted to Anime News Network, he told his wife she served as the model for Hinata, despite her actually being more strong-willed like Sakura. Maybe that wasn't the smoothest approach.
Sakura was never meant to be a romantic interest for Naruto
Sakura is arguably one of Naruto's best friends and most incredible teammates who definitely cares for him. But there's no denying that plenty of fans thought there was something more between the two. For much of "Shippuden," as Sasuke continues his descent into villainy, the series suggests that he is too far gone for him and Sakura to work as a couple. In fact, Masashi Kishimoto kind of explores that when Sakura tries to manipulate Naruto into giving up on bringing Sasuke back by falsely confessing her feelings. It's one of the worst things Sakura ever does to Naruto, but it also suggests that she believes he holds feelings for her.
However, despite some of these moments, Kishimoto never intended for Sakura to be a romantic interest for Naruto. Via Crunchyroll, in a translated Shonen Jump Magazine interview, Kishimoto noted that while thinking of Sakura as just another regular character for the series, he never envisioned her as in a relationship with Naruto. But the mangaka later added that he briefly considered putting her in a dramatic triangle with Hinata and Naruto. "Then I figured it'd be more interesting if Sakura would be in the middle, creating a messy love triangle," he said in the interview. "But to be honest, there wasn't much space and time to include stuff like that."