Although the character Hinata Hyuuga did not appear in the Naruto manga until the fourth volume, she is a pivotal character in the animation, appearing in every part of the story in the anime and film.
Eventually, the gentle and soft girl who admired Naruto from afar became the love of his life and even Naruto marry Hinata in the end – although many fans never expected it to happen.
Naruto was often the subject of the village’s humiliation. As an infant, his body was used as a vessel to trap the demons that terrorized the Hidden Leaf Village. The villagers, although initially forbidden to talk about it, treated him differently.
The only one who supported him through the entire series was Hinata, a fellow ninja in training. Hinata’s interest in Naruto was not born of romantic infatuation. On the contrary, she admired his commitment to training: no matter how many mistakes he made, he always carried on with his mission. See was looking for ways to defend herself like Naruto did.
Over time, the two went on missions together, trained together, and gradually became close friends. With nearly 500 anime episodes in the two original Naruto series, and several films as side stories, the two fell in love. They later became the parents of two children in Boruto!
When Did Naruto Confess His Love to Hinata?
The relationship between Naruto and Hinata, however obvious it may be, is quite complex. during Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, Naruto was not aware of Hinata’s feelings, though he vaguely confessed his feelings for her at one point. He himself loved her too, but he never actually asked her out or really confessed his feelings. So, as far as Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden are concerned, the direct confession never happens; In fact, Naruto has never even asked Hinata out on a date in the anime series. But how did they end up becoming a married couple?
Well, the Naruto franchise also has several long-lasting anime films that complement the plot of the anime series. One of them, The Last: Naruto the Movie, narrates the relationship between Naruto and Hinata in the sense that the film revolves exclusively on them and their relationship. The film finally shows how the two of them finding each other confessing their feelings, leading to their off-screen marriage.
They Are Tied Together By The Red String Of Fate
The idea of the red thread of fate comes from a Chinese legend. The author adopted it for Naruto’s story. In the legend, the gods tied those who were destined to each other with a red thread. This is one of the many ways of how soulmates connect with each other from across the world.
Of course, Naruto and Hinata aren’t bound by literal threads, but rather the red scarf is used as a symbol in The Last: Naruto The Movie.
The film provides many adventures but also acts as a more traditional love story, giving Naruto and Hinata more scenes together. Viewers know how Hinata feels, but the film also reveals Naruto’s feelings for her.
In a flashback, Hinata and Naruto met as children when the bullies destroyed Naruto’s red scarf as he defended her. Even though Naruto considered it ruined garbage, Hinata kept the remains. As she got older, she decided to knit it as a replacement for the one she lost when he defended her. She knitted it throughout the film.
Instead of relying on Hinata knitting a scarf as symbolism, the writers and animators got more detailed with her story. Caught in a trap that causes them to relive old memories, Hinata’s red scarf snags around Naruto, allowing Naruto to see his memories as well.
Their souls were truly bound together.
Kishimoto admits in a convention interview his wife inspired this particular symbolism when she knitted the scarf!
They Might Have Decided To Get Married Before Dating
One problem with the manga, anime, and movies about the same character is that they don’t follow the same continuity.
As a result, when Hinata and Naruto actually went from friendship to dating, it was a whole different story. One novel acts as a way to bridge the gap between those multiple continuities. However, It only made the timeline of their relationship even more confusing.
In the novel Sakura Hidden: Thoughts of Love Riding Upon a Spring Breeze, Sakura gets the spotlight. In the years following the great war seen in the anime, Sakura founded and worked in a clinic dedicated to the mental health of children affected by the war. She was also looking for Sasuke, whom she has loved since she was a child.
In the background of Sakura’s story is a small detail that fans can take a look at: Naruto and Hinata go on their first date. Of course, when the novel aligns with events in the anime timeline, things get complicated. At that point in their story, Naruto and Hinata had already planned their wedding.
Given that Naruto told Hinata he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her during the events of The Last: Naruto the Movie, the two decided to get married before trying to date. So, it wasn’t too far off from the novel.
