Haruno Sakura: the character, the meaning, the hate (2) analysis is continuing the observation of her character development from where we left off.
Next, we have the moments when Team 7 meet with Kakashi.
We once more learn how alike Naruto and Sakura are via inner Sakura. The real one I might add.
We also learn that even though she doesn’t like to admit it, she enjoys the pranks Naruto pulls.
Though she won’t take any responsibility for further events. She has an image she has to uphold.
She is a bit superficial here, once again, but it was part of her character, the character that makes mistakes and will further learn from those mistakes.
And let’s once again be honest. Who didn’t act like this when we were kids?
We enjoyed pranks made by our friends/colleagues/whoever. But when it came to taking responsibility for those actions?
None of us would admit we participated.
Maybe there were some that took responsibility, but let’s face it, the majority didn’t.
This is also, the hidden meaning behind Sakura’s character and her actions. Part that is, I believe, highly overlooked and misunderstood. Like many aspects of her personality.
She’s the normal kid we all were.
Haruno Sakura: the character, the meaning, the hate (2) – point of origin
In this chapter, we have Kakashi meeting up with the team in order to find more about them.
Naruto tells his dream about becoming a Hokage, and Sasuke his about a certain someone that he wants to kill.
Then we have Sakura.
Sakura that goes all blushing and lost in her own words and giggles. At the end, still at the level of annoying little brat, she manages to say she dislikes Naruto.
Now someone told me that she has no core-personality. Because she has no dreams like the boys do, based on this scene.
That only Naruto and Sasuke have. Because Sasuke had the dream to kill Itachi, and Naruto’s to become Hokage.
Unworthy of appreciation because of her dreams?
While her dream might not be as respectable as her two team-mates, it is clear enough from the very beginning although it is not a in-your-face one: she wanted to become a shinobi.
Fair and square. She had the same goal as other Academy students. If she wouldn’t have a core-personality she wouldn’t be where she was.
She represents the normality/human element/side of this manga, like Kishi stated before and I’ve showed in the beginning of this analysis.
And as a normal pre-teen, as Kishi emphasizes via Kakashi, for girls at that specific age, is interest in love more than ninjutsu.
That’s why her ‘dream’ side of things is like this. Besides other mechanics that we’re not going to discuss right now.
Take it as interested more in looks/love than school. We’ve all been there. And here I’m specially talking to the female audience.
We all get interested in boys and looks. Investigate around mom’s closet to see what she wears, try her high-heels and stuff like that. It’s in our nature.
Up to a certain extent, I tend to understand the fact that boys don’t understand her character.
But I would’ve expected girls to be more understanding of her, as we are all girls.
I know it sounds very girl power, and can sound too basic. But as I said, girls tend to have that interest at that certain age. It’s all part of a process.
This doesn’t mean it detracts from their intellectual capacities.
It just happens that at that certain age we’re developing in multiple ways. But I won’t go into this too deep.
There are, after all, studies we can all access and get an educated opinion on the matter.
Haruno Sakura: the character, the meaning, the hate (2) – the survival training & core character personality
Anyway, let’s move onto the next events. We’re presented with Team 7 going to the Survival Training.
Once again, it is shown to us how similar Sakura and Naruto are when they’re scolding Kakashi about the fact he’s being late. Again.
After Kakashi explains the rules of the Bell training and what they have to do in order to accomplish it successfully, we’re getting a glimpse of what Sakura’s character real role in this manga will be.
Her comments about Kakashi being in danger when he explains what they’ll have to do to get the bells outlines to us her character core.
They have to come with the killer intent after him. However, despite supposed to be a ninja for no regard of human life, Sakura does the exact opposite!
She puts a human life above the ninja teachings.
Even though Kakashi was going to be the enemy, the fact that he will get hurt worries Sakura.
And here, as I said before, we get a glimpse of what Sakura’s character will mean further in this manga.
She’s going to be representing the human side, the normal one. The one that cherishes the sanctity of a human life.
A recurrent theme of her character.
But this bit will be later discussed. Anyway, later the test starts and they all hide, or are supposed to do so.
The prerequisite to be a ninja
The only one remaining in full sight it Naruto. In the end, a funny scene nevertheless. A ninja that doesn’t do the very basics of ninja moves.
So here, we get a feat of Sakura’s abilities. She knows the very basics, the one with the smarts, that knows the rules.
Kakashi comments about the fact that the basic of a ninja is to hide himself well.
He is satisfied with the fact that both she and Sasuke have done so. Minus Naruto.
So whoever said that she was not a good ninja, is kind of contradicted from the very first panels.
Sakura has the basic skills of a ninja. Probably you’ll say that she fell for Kakashi’s genjutsu.
Well, let us not forget the fact that all of them fell for something.
Naruto for taijutsu, Sakura for genjutsu, Sasuke for ninjutsu.
Haruno Sakura: the character, the meaning, the hate (2) – “Sakura never cared about Naruto!”
Now before going further, I’d like to remind the readers how the fandom always said that Sakura didn’t care for Naruto.
That she was a total b*tch, never cheered for him and everything else.
I think they skipped these moments. The manga shows us contrary.
So, from here we get to see her worried, cheerful and worried again.
I wonder if a monstrous Sakura like the fandom made her look, would ever be worried for him or even cheer him?
Then, we get her falling under Kakashi’s genjutsu as she worries about Sasuke being caught by him.
Now I wonder what selfish person (as she was called countless times), would be worried about others?
In this case both Naruto and Sasuke?
Yes, she did worry more about Sasuke as he was the object of her affection. However she worried about Naruto, too.
So the selfish, “un-cheerful” b*tch argument falls from Chapter 006.
And we’re on Chapter 613, I wonder what’s taking people so long to see that …?
Then, we see her fainting once more when she recovers from the genjutsu, at the sight of seeing Sasuke’s head in the ground, thinking that he was beheaded.
This was not only for comedic relief but also to show us how much she was worried about him.
Worry that, when expressed it was meant to portray to us the fact that Sasuke refuses any sign of affection as he only has only one goal: that to kill Itachi.
It was a scene meant to paint this statement: he is an avenger.
A lesson about camaraderie and breaking the rules
Moving forward, we get the three of them and Kakashi’s lecturing about how they should quit as ninjas.
A short lesson about the Heroes of Konoha, and also informing them that they’ll get a second chance to get the bells.
But with a condition: to not offer to Naruto any food.
Now, while they’re alone, we see Sasuke handling his lunch to Naruto first. We see an expression of amazement on Sakura’s face.
And all this, not because she was a b*tch that didn’t want to give Naruto food.
It was because she was that type of student we spoke about earlier. The one that respects the letter of the law. As in she obeys the rules. She doesn’t break them.
This is later used as a plot device in another lecturing Kakashi gives about the rules and their breakage.
So if she would’ve been that b**chy, selfish and everything people said she is, she wouldn’t have given Naruto a single piece of rice out of her lunch.
You may say she did it because Sasuke did it. True up to a certain extent. But that doesn’t change the fact that no matter what, she did it, in the end.
She understood what Sasuke was trying to say. But if she would be that monstrous as people made her be, no matter her love for Sasuke, she could’ve refused giving food to Naruto.
After all, Naruto would’ve still gotten food, right? He shouldn’t be needing hers anyway.
Conclusion
Sakura’s character in these chapters of the series’ very beginning, lays the base of the morally gray situation the story finds itself in.
Children fighting as soldiers instead of playing. Rules that are meant to be followed religiously are for nothing in some cases.
We’re generally learning that beneath the surface of a colored world, lays a base which isn’t white, neither black.
It’s gray, and it’s up to you how you deal with the situation and how you respond to it – mainly a central theme of Sakura’s character, as well.
She’s always caught between dark and light. Between rules to follow and ones to break. Between what she should do and what she would do.
She’s always trapped between two worlds: the one she lives in, and the one she’d live in.
And with this being said, this is where I end Haruno Sakura: the character, the meaning, the hate (2). More to come.
