I choose to look at it like this.
Regardless of status, intelligence, coolness. Hinata always liked naruto. She saw something in him way before anyone else did. Courage and guts. She grew to love him even though way "cooler" people like sasuke where there and every other girl was after him. Hinata even proved she would give her life to protect naruto(and almost did) And naruto went berserk unlike any other time in the history of this manga when Pain hurt her. It was the last time he almost lost it to the nine tails before Kurama turned good. Naruto in turn has made it obvious that he cares for her too. Holding her hand through it all
There is no other option, it was always Hinata
I can accept your reasoning, but you'd also have to accept mine. Hinata stalked Naruto, she never hung out with him. She liked what she saw basically, but she never actually took the time to get to know him.
How can Naruto be expected to return her feelings, when he doesn't even know her very well himself? Naruto has went berserk on multiple occasions, just because Hinata was injured and he done it once doesn't mean he loves her. He hardly knows her after all.
Yeah, no. Hinata admires the image of Naruto that she perceives, she's placed him on some type of pedestal.
Now, if the anime/manga actually showed legitimate hints such as them hanging out, blushing around each other, Naruto stuttering like her, then I'd be inclined to believe that there was a good possibility for romance there.
But as it is now, it comes off like the Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley pairing. If it becomes canon, it's just gonna spring up out of nowhere. With no development what so ever.