Note!  There are no real major spoilers.  Just me ranting about HOW Kishimoto handled the final fight.

Okay, so, if you couldn't tell, I greatly enjoy Naruto.  I even have a story that is SasuOc.  Because of this, I went back and reread the final battle between Naruto and Sasuke because I know there was a nice bit of Sasuke development there.  I figure it could help me craft the SasuKina relationship.

And you know what it did?

Sure, it helped me with my pairing.  But it also made me DESPISE the final fight.

Now I can just sense you asking why I hate it so much - so much that it may have actually put Naruto a few places down my favorites.

The entire manga of Naruto has basically shown Naruto gradually gaining friends.  He went from this lonely, hated character to having so many friends and his entire village backing and supporting him.  It was heart-warming and nice and just made you so happy.  He faced his inner darkness.  We went through his journey with him and watch him grow and it was just so freaking amazing.  I LOVED that about Naruto.  From hated, all alone child to this boy with such a large family made of friends who cared greatly about him.

And what happens in the final fight?

IT IS AS IF THEY DON'T EVEN FREAKING MATTER!  Kishi even put in a scene where Naruto remembered being reminded he could only become great with his friends.  And what does he say to Sasuke?

"His only best friend."

Naruto... No.  I get that he's your best best friend, but he is not your ONLY best friend.

Which only made me so sad.  Because who doesn't love watching Naruto's "family" slowly grow?  And then it's suddenly like Kishimoto was trying all the SasuNaru he was never able to put into the series (at least it has been said multiple times that Kishi had wanted it to be a shounen-ai).  And you know what?  It ruined it.  

Not "Sasuke, I care about you.  I know where you were.  I want to bring you back into the light so that you can experience all the light I have.  We took different paths and now I'm showing you the way back."

Instead "You're by only best friend and I need to drag you back."

At least, that's the feel I got.  I mean, I kind of skimmed trying to find that one scene that showed Sasuke's mind set back in pre-Shippuden, but this is the feel I got.  And I hated it.

Why couldn't it be like the Gaara fight??? I would have ADORED that!

Just... *goes to bang my head against a wall*

Welp, tell me your thoughts.  Think I interpreted it wrong?  If so... Please tell me.  Please return my love for that ending.  Please?... I mean, it gave me the pairings I wanted in the end, but....

No to that fight...