When we watch long-running television series, most of us usually forget minute details after a while. This is why plenty of Naruto fans would insist that Sasuke never, ever showed Sakura any form of affection throughout the series.
Sasuke has shown his affection for Sakura throughout the series by protecting her, commending her, and being there for her. His ultimate show of affection for her is the forehead tap, an act of love that is considered far more intimate than a kiss.
In this article, we will look at the rare times when Sasuke showed Sakura affection and break down why these moments matter. Sasuke isn’t the kind of person who does things impulsively, but we see that in some cases, he can’t help but show affection for Sakura. Curious? Read on!
How does Sasuke show his affection for Sakura?
Sasuke doesn’t really parade or vocalize his affection for Sakura, so it’s something you’d have to keep an eye out for in the anime and the manga.
Nonetheless, Sasuke does have moments wherein it’s easy to tell that he has a soft spot of sorts for Sakura.
(BTW, we explain why it’s clear that Sasuke loves Sakura here!)
Sasuke shows his affection by being there for Sakura
Plenty of SasuSaku naysayers insist that Sasuke constantly pushes Sakura away. From their perspective, Sakura is always there for Sasuke, while the same cannot be said for the other way around.
However, a deeper look at the details in the series shows that Sasuke is actually constantly there for Sakura, albeit in a much more muted way.
For instance, one time during their bell training, Sakura ended up passing out on the ground. Sasuke knew that there was a time limit, and he was desperate to win, but he just sat by her, waiting for her to wake up so he could make sure that she was okay.
Sure, Sasuke seemed to push her away here, but he literally let go of his chance to win so he could be there for Sakura. Also, notice the tiny blush on his cheeks in this next panel:
Sasuke appreciates and apologizes to Sakura
It’s not in Sasuke’s nature to compliment and appreciate others. He’s also not the type to apologize to others just like that. This is why we can count on one hand the number of people Sasuke has praised or said sorry to throughout the series.
Still, he seems to be deliberate about this when it comes to Sakura. Why? Because she matters to him, and he wants to acknowledge her in this sense.
When he complimented her in Chapter 36, he did so because he wanted her to know that he recognized her abilities. At the beginning of the chapter, he took note of how she was feeling disheartened after he made a negative comment towards her, so he tried to turn things around.
He pays attention to her and is sensitive to her feelings, which shows that he cares for her.
And when he apologized to her at the end of the Naruto: Shippuden series, he wanted her to know that he was aware of how she felt and that he recognized everything he put her through.
Although the apology was meant to emphasize Sasuke’s character growth, it was also meant to communicate how considerate he was of Sakura.
- You may also want to read: When did Sasuke Start Loving Sakura?
Sasuke’s protectiveness over Sakura reveals his affection for her
Sasuke has protected and saved Sakura numerous times and vice versa. Throughout the series, there were several instances wherein he seemed to value protecting Sakura over winning or committing revenge. This says quite a lot about his affection for her.
In fact, one can even argue that it has gotten to the point wherein Sasuke feels as if it’s his duty to protect Sakura. How can I say this? Just look at the following panel:
This scene happened in the Land of Waves when Team 7 was sent on their first serious mission. An enemy shinobi ambushed them and was about to pounce on Sakura, who was protecting Tazuna. So, Sasuke jumped in front of her to guard her.
But then Kakashi stole his moment of heroism and ended up rescuing them all, much to Sasuke’s dismay. It is apparent in the placing of the panels that his reaction was in response to Sakura’s joy over seeing Kakashi.
In this sense, we can infer that he was jealous over the fact that Kakashi ended up rescuing Sakura, thereby stealing his thunder as Sakura’s protector.
Throughout the series, Sasuke takes his place as Sakura’s protector. He has repeatedly instructed others to take care of Sakura or to prioritize Sakura’s safety, which means that he thinks he is in a place of authority when it comes to her well-being.
Sasuke does the forehead tap with Sakura
The most telling of Sasuke’s actions, the forehead tap continuously gets emphasized in SasuSasku articles for a good reason.
Sasuke remembers Sakura while they are apart
In the gap between the end of Naruto: Shippuden and Boruto, it becomes glaring to fans that Sasuke left Sakura alone with their daughter for several years.
However, at the end of Boruto episode 15, Sasuke asks Naruto to deliver a message to Sakura. This shows that he still thinks of her and conveys his affection for her. Then, when he returns, he makes it a point to show that he does care for her. You can see this play out in the video below:
Don’t be fooled by the thumbnail, though. That’s just fan art. As of this writing, Sasuke and Sakura have yet to kiss onscreen.
Now, since they’re married and they’ve never kissed onscreen, you may think that they’ve at least hugged each other.
Did Sasuke ever hug Sakura?
Technically speaking, Sasuke never hugs Sakura though he does allow Sakura to hug him. In fact, Sakura has hugged him a lot throughout the years.
There is, however, a scene from the series wherein Sasuke catches Sakura as she was feeling weak. He had an arm wrapped tightly around her, and some fans insist that this is considered a side hug of sorts.
Yep, that’s as much physical affection as we could get from Sasuke… onscreen.
Because in the light novels, Sasuke and Sakura actually have kissing scenes. There was an implication in Family Day when Sarada joked about how there were traces of Sakura’s lipstick on Sasuke.
Then there’s the clearly described kissing scene in Naruto Ratusden when they were on a motorbike with Naruto. Sakura was driving, Naruto was in the middle, then Sasuke was at the back of the bike.
Sakura suddenly stood up on the bike, turned her body around, then kissed Sasuke on the lips over Naruto’s head. Technically, it isn’t Sasuke showing his affection for Sakura, but we’ll take it.
Because, at the end of the day, Sasuke has already shown his affection for Sakura in many ways. They may not be the grand gestures Sakura is prone to doing, but they still reflect the sincerity of his feelings. That’s the most important thing.