Naruto Shippuden

When serialization began, Kishimoto decided the ending would feature a fight between two characters: Naruto and Sasuke,^[14] which would end with Naruto forgiving Sasuke as he had forgiven Nagato. Kishimoto chose Hinata Hyuga as Naruto's romantic partner from the early stages of the manga, since Hinata had always respected Naruto even before the series' beginning, and Kishimoto felt this meant the two of them could build a relationship. This decision annoyed his wife because she wanted Naruto to marry Sakura Haruno,^[15] but Kishimoto viewed Sakura as Naruto's friend and teammate, rather than a future wife. When Hinata first appeared, Kishimoto thought of forming a love triangle among the three characters, though he later regretted the idea as he considered Naruto to be a fighting series with little focus on romance.