Often, a common way is through shared experiences. Maybe they go through a particularly tough battle together where Naruto protects Sakura in a way that makes her see him in a whole new light. His selfless act could be the trigger for her to start realizing her feelings for him.
In many fanfictions, it might start with Sakura noticing small things about Naruto that she hadn't paid much attention to before. For example, his unwavering determination in the face of difficulties. This newfound awareness gradually grows into admiration and then love as she spends more time with him, either on missions or during downtime in the village.
She might be initially shocked. Sakura has always seen Naruto as a friend, so learning of his romantic feelings could completely change her perspective of him. It could make her re - evaluate all their past interactions.
Well, usually this realization might make her distance herself from Sasuke a bit more. Since her feelings have shifted towards Naruto, she might not be as fixated on Sasuke as before. She could start to see Sasuke more as a friend or just an acquaintance, while her focus turns to Naruto and building a closer bond with him.
Sakura's character could develop in a more empathetic way. Since Naruto has been so open with his feelings, she might start to look at the world from his perspective more often. She may become more aware of how her actions towards Naruto, whether it was her focus on Sasuke in the past, affected him.
Well, in this kind of fanfic situation, Sakura could also become more protective of Naruto. Since a jinchuuriki is in a rather dangerous position, she might start to see him as someone who needs her support more than ever. She could try to keep his secret safe from those who might want to harm him because of it.
In many Naruto fanfictions, Sakura's character development can be quite diverse. Sometimes she becomes a more powerful medical ninja, perhaps even developing her own unique healing jutsu that can reverse the effects of the most deadly poisons. This gives her a more prominent role in battles as she can keep her comrades alive in extreme situations.
In many such fanfictions, the development could involve Naruto's friends being initially misled by Sakura's framing. However, as the story progresses, Naruto's true nature and his past good deeds start to make some of them doubt Sakura's accusations. For example, Shikamaru, being the intelligent one, might start to suspect that something is off and begin to investigate on his own.
Another development could be that Sakura starts to develop feelings for Naruto as she spends more time thinking about his love for her. She might notice things about him that she never paid attention to before, like his kindness and determination in a more romantic way.
She might be initially surprised. Fanfiction often presents alternate scenarios of relationships. Sakura has always had a complex relationship with Naruto, more of a deep friendship in the original story. If she found out about this in fanfiction, she could be flattered that someone thought of them in that way, but also might feel a bit awkward since their real - life relationship dynamic is different.
One common scenario is when Naruto is in danger. Sakura might suddenly feel a rush of emotions that she realizes are love. For example, if Naruto is facing a powerful enemy and she's afraid of losing him, that could be the moment. Another could be when Naruto does something selfless for her or their village, and she looks at him with new - found admiration that turns into love.
Sakura's character could develop in terms of her emotional intelligence. She might break free from her insecurities and jealousies. For instance, she realizes that her feelings for Sasuke were more of an infatuation based on his popularity rather than true love. So she focuses on building a deeper and more meaningful connection with Naruto. She learns to understand his dreams and goals better and supports him in a more effective way, which in turn makes her a more well - rounded and likable character.