anything reciprocal and of substance that could actually build them up? no. there’s so many gaps, it was like taking one step forward and 20 back. it was only obvious because of the backpedaling kishi was doing during the war where he had sasuke reject her advances again as he usually does, and then kakashi talking out of his ass. it was obvious then that kishimoto was trying to fix all the shit he had set up which makes it fall through and feel insincere. it’s why those novels also feel disingenuous.