You know what I thought of when I read your post?
Naruto is a gateway anime of the worst kind. It's a bad series, a cluster**** of story and characterization that isn't very well done by any aspect, but which attempts to compensate for its weaknesses by adding in excessive shipping ******ry and DARKNESS. The normal anon can see this as the **** it is, and may enjoy it, hate it or be indifferent to it, but all the while recognizing that the series itself, regardless of their opinion, is plain bad.