Sasuke & Sakura: An Analysis

Chapter 18 Gaara Fight

As I've mentioned earlier, Sakura boldly juxtaposes herself between Sasuke and Gaara, putting her life on the line to protect her beloved comrade from Gaara. Even though it's a fight Sakura knows she can't win, she puts herself at risk anyway in the interest of trying to protect her downed comrade, because she truly cares deeply for Sasuke, enough to brush aside her fears and throw herself in harm's way for him.

Interestingly, even the villainous Gaara is shaken by Sakura's act because it reminds him of his own family:

Naruto likewise is impressed by Sakura's bravery, recognizing that her act of protecting her comrade Sasuke was a mirror image of the time Sasuke had protected Naruto from Haku by shielding Naruto with his own body:

During his fight against Gaara, Sasuke tasks Naruto with protecting Sakura at all costs, showing Sasuke's consideration for Sakura and his desire to protect her.

He makes the declaration that he would rather die for his two teammates than lose everything again. At this point, Sasuke is acknowledging that Naruto and Sakura have both become like family to him, and that he cares about them very deeply, enough to lay down his life to protect them. He would rather die than lose either of them.

Here we see that Sasuke is willing to accept that he will never achieve his goal of avenging his clan and he is willing to trade that purpose for the lives of his two teammates. He would rather forfeit his life's goal/purpose than lose Sakura and Naruto, because that's how precious Naruto and Sakura both are to him.

Later on the Gaara fight arc, Sasuke catches Sakura when she falls and makes sure she is safe and taken care of before going in search of Naruto. His expression is full of tender love and affection for his pink-haired teammate: