We know for certain that Sakura is into Sasuke, but does it work the other way around. Does Sasuke love Sakura?
Yes, Sasuke does love Sakura. He was too focused on defeating Itachi as a kid to pay her much attention, but the two finally develop a companionship in their late teens. Sasuke is more open about loving Sakura now that they’re adults.
Their relationship becomes official at the end of the series.
Examples In Naruto & Naruto Shippuden
Let’s list a few specific moments that show Sasuke’s love for Sakura. We’ll start in the original series and then work our way up to the modern generation.
In chapter #181, Sakura pleads with Sasuke to not abandon the village in search of power from Orochimaru. She tries to convince him by recalling all the Genin missions the two had with Naruto. Sasuke still brushes her off, but he says “Thank you” before he leaves.
It’s not much, but it is one of the first times Sasuke acknowledges Sakura’s efforts to care for him and his safety. You could also look back on the Chunin Exam Arc as an example, as Sakura’s embrace was the only thing that subdued Sasuke’s out of control curse mark form.
No one really knows how Sasuke proposed to Sakura. A lot of the original Naruto cast became married to one another during the time before Boruto began, but information is light on how some of the couples got together. Sakura does marry Sasuke, but there isn’t much to go on when it comes to details. It happened after he returned to the village.
Sasuke Loving Sakura In The New Generation
Fast-forward to the modern generation. During the time skip between Naruto Shippuden’s end and Boruto’s beginning, Sasuke and Sakura had their only child, Sarada. Sasuke was often out of the village on special operations missions, barely finding time to come home. Sakura was often left wondering where her husband was. She was only aware that he was traveling the world for the sake of maintaining peace in the village.
Sasuke found love for Sakura through their daughter, Sarada. She links the couple together and Sasuke finds more enjoyment in being home when Sarada is around. Sasuke came home for the Chunin Exams in order to see his daughter perform. After, he decides to make more of an effort to be present in the village. He realized the missed family opportunities needlessly pushed to the side.
In a few anime-only Boruto arcs, Sasuke makes more of an effort to get to know his daughter. Sarada and her mother, Sakura, become mixed up in trouble and Sasuke has to intervene. He comes to find that Sakura is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, and he remarks that she’s tough and he’s never worried about her safety.
So that’s it. Sasuke does love Sakura, but the cold exterior he’s built up over the years doesn’t showcase it. Sasuke shows his love for Sakura through respecting her strength and ability to fend for herself, and their daughter Sarada helps to bring the couple closer together over the course of the new generation.