This is not a new statement. Kishimoto has been saying stuff like this since the ending. This was always his justification for it happening beyond "she is popular and what the fans want while Sakura wasn't."
SP saw Hinata as the perfect woman that deserved Naruto as she deserved to be the heroine of the story. So, they wrote the Last to show that their Princess-Goddess Hinata-Hime-sama was the most perfect woman that was entitled to Naruto. He was her prize for being so perfect.
Kishimoto never got the appeal of Hinata. She wasn't his type and the people pushing her onto him would never explained to him why she should be the heroine other than she more popular than Sakura, she is prettier than her, fans like her, and she liked Naruto the longest so deserved him. Because the real answer is they love her absolute devotion, submissiveness, and no effort to obtain her. So, he needed his own reason for why Hinata should end up with Naruto? After, SP's staff pressured him to kill off Neji (the real character that was in the way of nH happening) her original storyline died with him. Leaving only her affection for Naruto. He saw that as pathetic and pitied her so agreed to put them together.
SP saw Hinata as perfect, Kishimoto saw her as pathetic. These views clash and helped make the mess that was the ending.
SP had nH's wedding be the end of the anime therefor the goal of Naruto all along was really to get together with Hinata instead of becoming Hokage and changing the ninja system's problems surpassing all those that previously held the title. The Last was to show how perfect she was and that she deserved a perfect life.
Kishimoto at the ending only had them together in front of Neji's grave implying Naruto was getting together with her to honor his sacrifice. And the relationship was set up by him which showed Naruto who focused on his job as Hokage was as distant to Hinata as Sasuke was to Sakura. The Sasuke that went out of his way to avoid Sakura for 12 years. Which is why both kids have daddy issues.
SS is still only happened because once Sakura lost her status as the Heroine he needed to put her somewhere and SS was popular with some fans; and nothing deeper than that because he dislikes the pairing. nH was the one he needed to be convinced to happened and once he was SS followed just to put Sakura somewhere.
Edited by Bail o' Lies, 20 August 2024 - 12:51 AM.