Let me start off by saying that I do not believe Sakura’s confession was genuine in any romantic way. Second, I feel that Sakura does indeed love Naruto. However, it is a purely platonic love. Lastly, this will contain some references to SS, but I tried to keep it minimal as I’m comparing NH and NS confessions.
There have been a total of three love confessions in this entire manga. What separates them from one another is the fact that only two of them were taken with absolute sincerity: Sakura’s confession to Sasuke and Hinata’s confession to Naruto.
CONFESSIONS IN A FAMILIAR PLACE
Sakura and Hinata’s confessions occurred in a specific spot. When Sakura and Sasuke first officially became Genin, this was the spot where they truly encountered each other; in the beginning, where their outlooks were different from then to now. Kishimoto chose this location for Sakura’s love confession and Sasuke is silent for most of the confession, which to me shows he is listening and not merely blowing her off (if his "Thank You" at the end is anything to show for it.)
In Hinata’s confession, the attack took place in Konoha, where she first met him. It’s fitting since this is the place where they both endured pain of their own, where they were criticized, thought to be useless and unable to change. Then here they are protecting the village and clan that put them down. Naruto's reaction was much like Sasuke's what with him being silent most of the confession. However, you'll notice that in the beginning when she says she's "just being selfish" he didn't take that as it was, instead he questioned her further. He only became curious when she stated that she'd come of her own free will, despite the fact that she knows her chances of survival are about 0%. She confesses to him without a stutter present and then fights courageously to protect the one she loves.
When Sakura confessed to Naruto, it was in an unfamiliar place. Iron Country, and they were in the middle of a mission. It was both a random and inappropriate time and place to confess; which brings me to my next comparison.
DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES
Both girls confessed to the boys in desperate times. Hinata tries to save Naruto by fighting Pain and taking out the rods preventing Naruto’s movement. She confessed her love to him. It went back to the times where she was trying to change herself. When Sakura confessed, it was in a desperate situation: it was on his (Sasuke’s) way into darkness; his final choice. The confessions concerned the girls and the boys they professed their love to and we got panels on their past which helped eventually shape who they were.
When Sakura confessed to Naruto, Kishimoto chose to give us panels of Naruto remembering Sakura’s love for Sasuke. Not once did he spare a panel about Sakura’s feelings for Naruto or vice versa.
Not to mention that while she was confessing, it was during a mission right after everything that’s happened (the village blown up, her mentor in a coma, finding out the boy she loves is now an international criminal and a threat to be eliminated by her comrades) and she’s further sunk into her depression about that, when Sai tells her that Naruto “loves” her and that the PoAL was like a curse she placed on him.
She confessed not because it might be the last time she could say it and she was trying to save him, not while was prepared to die for him, and not because she wanted to prevent him from going into the darkness, but because Sai (their emotionally repressed teammate) told her how Naruto “felt” and made her feel like it was her fault Naruto was in such pain and she thought confessing her love to Naruto and telling him she “didn’t love Sasuke anymore” would make him stop chasing after someone who is already sunk too deep in the darkness.
WHAT'S WITH THE THIRD DEGREE?
As I've stated in the beginning, only
two of the confessions were taken with absolute sincerity. When Hinata and Sakura confessed to Naruto and Sasuke, neither boys questioned it for a moment. However, when
Sakura confesses to Naruto, his expression is indeed of shock...at
first. Then Kishi gives us panels of his expression going from shocked, to downright
suspicious. If Sakura's confession is indeed genuine, why would Kishi waste panels having Naruto question it?
Especially when we already have two separate confessions to compare this one to? Not to mention, Naruto asks what I'm sure a lot of us were wondering during that time:
How? Why? to me, this is kind of funny since Naruto did already hear Hinata confess and she told him how and why. To Naruto, Sakura's confession is just random and weird, not to mention he thought it was a
joke.
He asks her "why me, of all people?
all of a sudden?" He doesn't believe her. Meanwhile, we also get panels of
Kiba (someone
else's perspective during Sakura's confession?) remembering what Sakura said and then asks for her to "tell the truth." After that, we get Naruto remembering panels of Sakura and Sasuke, nothing of him and Sakura present.
PRIVACY IS KEY
Another difference is when Hinata and Sakura confessed, it was an essentially private moment between the two (Pain was listening, but really, it’s just Naruto and Hinata, there’s no focus in Pain until she’s done confessing.) Same with Sakura and Sasuke. But when Sakura confessed to Naruto, they were not only surrounded by other people, making it an embarrassingly open moment, but Kishimoto chose to have her confess in front of the worst possible people to confess in front of: Rock Lee, Kiba and Kakashi.
For a while, NS thought Sai and Yamato were possible hints for NS, but even this is rebuked based on their reactions. The reason I say those are the absolute worst people to have confessed in front of is because of their history. Lee has always had a crush on Sakura, but you’ll notice that he stopped chasing after her once he personally witnessed the Promise of a Lifetime between Naruto and Sakura. As for Kiba, he is Hinata’s teammate.
He knows his comrade has a thing for Naruto and I wouldn’t doubt he knew something about her confession. To choose Kiba to come of all people to confess was a terrible idea. Kakashi is Sakura’s sensei. He’s known since day one Sakura’s crush on Sasuke and he was there when Sakura wasn’t nice to Naruto at all. He knows Sakura’s feelings and is well aware of them not changing. You can tell just by looking at their faces after all: Lee looks flabbergasted, Kiba looks pissed and Kakashi looks dumbfounded. None of these expressions are particularly happy at all, and if you compare that to their hug back in (
450:
1,
2) you’ll notice that right there they were all smiling, Kiba, Lee and Hinata included.
There is a significant difference between the two that I believe Kishimoto did on purpose. Sakura hugging him was an acceptance of him as the hero and fully recognizing him, thanking him and she hugged him. Smiles everywhere. However, when she “confessed” those smiles turned into disapproval. Which marks another difference between the two: Hinata’s confession was not only private, but it marked an important turning point in Naruto: He found true pain when he thought she’d been killed and turned 6 tails and eventually eight tails in his rage.
WOAH, TOUGH CROWD
When Sakura confessed, it was in front of the worst possible audience and all it accomplished was Naruto telling her he “hated people who lie to themselves.” It wasn’t taken with sincerity, but disapproval. Her confession likely caused pain rather than alleviate it because it seemed as though her "confession" was more of her leaning on him rather than truly and whole-heartedly wanting to
be with him. Naruto has always been insecure about him being alone. Hinata’s confession opened up a new door he never thought he had. Sakura’s confession did nothing but reaffirm her obvious love for Sasuke and the fact that she has never, and likely will never, love Naruto romantically, just by Naruto’s insistence of her love for Sasuke alone.
DAT CONFIDENCE!
Another difference is confidence. When Hinata confessed, it was with determination and surety. Her gaze was firm and set, and she was very sincere in what made her love him. When Sakura confessed to Naruto, her eyes are averted, as though she cannot look him in the eye. She gives him bogus answers for why she fell for him while trying to convince him she no longer loves someone else. Her hug is loose as though she is forcing herself to do this and it’s very awkward to see. Kishimoto chose to make this part feel awkward as well as adding the reactions of everyone else…and they are all negative.
Sakura’s confession consisted of everything about why she should love Naruto instead of Sasuke rather than why she does. She claims to love him now because he’s the hero and he’s around while Sasuke is not. He gives her comfort while Sasuke is only breaking her heart. The problem is: she keeps mentioning Sasuke. When you confess, you don’t compare them to someone else to convince yourself the other is better for you. She couldn’t say why she loved him on their own merits. Meanwhile, Hinata was able to tell him what made her fall for him. Her confession
felt genuine while Sakura’s did not.
