The relationship between Sasuke and Sakura is one of the most debated topics in Naruto. Fans have always argued whether the two characters were right for each other or not. Nevertheless, Masashi Kishimoto was able to make it work, thanks to a piece of advice that he got from the editor of the series, Kosuke Yahagi.
Sasuke and Sakura’s relationship is considered by many to be one of the most toxic relationships in the history of anime because of the way Sasuke treated Sakura. Because of his ambition to find his elder brother, Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke neglected, and even insulted, Sakura’s feelings to a great extent. Ultimately, when the series concluded, the two ended up together.
In 2014, Kishimoto revealed that he had no idea about how to proceed with the three protagonists of his magnum opus, but Yahagi helped him create the perfect scenario for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura’s relationship, which became one of the most important narratives of the series.
Kosuke Yahagi Suggested The Love Triangle Between Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke
Lipstick Alley translated and shared an old interview of Masashi Kishimoto and the editor of Naruto from Weekly Shonen Jump, where the mangaka admitted to the fact that the idea of drawing the love triangle between the three main characters of the manga series was given by Yahagi.
Kishimoto stated:
“Yahagi-san told me to focus on the main character in the first two chapters. And then to use chapter 3 onward to establish the rival and heroine and create a love-triangle relationship between the characters.”
Kishimoto revealed that the first two chapters focused on establishing the character of Naruto as the protagonist, and after that, the story developed the characters of Sasuke and Sakura in relation to Naruto, forming a love triangle. However, as the story moves forward, each character finds their individual motifs that force them to take different routes in the story.
Masashi Kishimoto is Not Good With Female Characters
Talking about his relationship with Naruto’s editor, Yahagi, Kishimoto confessed that he faced problems while drawing female characters. However, Yahagi’s advice about the love triangle helped him form a base for the story, and from there, it became a lot easier for him to develop the plot of Naruto.
Kishimoto stated:
“I’m no good with female characters, so I wasn’t planning on this initially. But once I established the triangle, it became a lot easier to create the chapters after that. I was surprised by how good that advice was. And that’s why I tend to listen to what he tells me. Then again, one time he argued with me for six hours to convince me to take his advice. He’s very persuasive, so sometimes I have no choice.”
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Kishimoto had a lot of fights with his editor when they were working on Naruto together. He even admitted that he once argued with Yahagi for six hours. However, these fights led to the creation of one of the biggest anime and manga series in the world, which has inspired a lot of other mangakas.
You can watch Naruto on Hulu.
