#for someone who didn't know shit about writing romance Kishimoto dunked when it came to making a best girl

[phantomchick]

I stan NaruHina hard even to this day (though I delete all the burrito content from my brain) and I always will.

You know that stuff like Sakura in Naruto: The Last saying she was too good for him must've happened all the time with their friends and Hinata’s family and that's not even touching the whole 'hyuga heiress vs urchin street rat demon boy' thing they had going for most of their childhoods. 

But she didn't give a single god damn, she was the only one in that village who appreciated Naruto without having to be prompted by him gutsy-ninjaing his way into her good graces via hard work and prolonged exposure. She thought the world of him from the get go, she thought he was great and she was so lucky.

 And I think, I am so tearfully glad that Naruto got that in a partner at the end, that he got someone who would make him feel loved and who would never hesitate to state their admiration for him. Someone who he got that kind of positivity about himself from.

I just, he's got such a thick skin but he spends the whole series being insulted by allies and enemies alike (with plenty of praise in between let’s be real he was mc for a reason) and then there's Hinata and she's just like seeing him as a person and wanting to do her best because he motivates her and shit. 

WILL I EVER BE OVER THE DYNAMIC? NAY

Remember in the chuunin exams when NOBODY but NOBODY thought he had a chance against Neji? Not even Naruto really? Like he’s walking to the stadium and you can see his nerves on his face. And then he runs into her, because despite being injured she’s shown up early to wish him luck and give him ointment to use on any bruises he has. 

She's the only one in the entire village to wish him luck and tell him he can do it and he's just, never had that kind of unconditional kindness before? Like bonds have always been something Naruto's had to earn, work for, but she's just there. And she gave him courage when no one else was bothered to. 

 And then she does it again!  In the middle of the fourth war when everything's on his shoulders and everyone's depending on Naruto and you can see a trace of unease on his face and then Hinata grabs his hand, and gives him courage. Unasked for, unconditional support. For an orphan who grew up unloved with none of that. FUCK.

I'm still pissed she had little to no development in shippuden and I largely blame it on the fact that Kishimoto was undecided on the final pairings because NaruSaku was popular, like that scene when Naruto tells edo tensei Minato that Sakura's his girlfriend and Minato tells her to please go easy on his son? Pandering or weighing his options I don't know but regardless the final ships suffered big time for the indecision. 

And Hinata's characterisation additionally suffered for her being so limited in screentime which made the relationship feel less equal. But these are quibbles, the ship is solid to me. 

I mean don't get me started on the whole Pein fight.

Like yes it would be cool if we got to see more of her personality in canon and more of what was going on with her and Neji after Sasuke left and the hyuga clan and everything, yes I crave that and wish we'd gotten bamf Hinata moments. 

But like the core of her character for me is unimpeachable because she's somewhere Naruto can rest also the parallels between the affection she offers and the affection Naruto’s blood family offers during the seal release scene with the chakra imprints finally talking to him and telling him they loved him are very real and I have feelings about all of it. 

Anyway no shade to people who hate the ship for whatever reason, but in this one specific case, the canon pairing is OTP for me.

Hinata’s love for Naruto and the idea of Naruto getting to carefully let himself be surrounded by feelings we all know he considers precious? Amazing.