Dr. Cakey said:
Have you ever considered that maybe the problem is with you? That your dislike of the series is so intense, when the author of a story refuses tell a fan how he plans on ending his story it must mean that he doesn't know?
More on point, I haven't followed Naruto in two years or more, but I have to say it's an impeccably constructed series. It took him a little while to discover what his manga was about, but once he wrote the words "cycle of hatred" he was on track, and to the best of my knowledge he's stayed there ever since.
So, yeah, am I still watching Naruto? No. Do I still like it? Yeah, I do.
P.S. I don't care how bad Naruto gets. It couldn't possibly ever be a tenth as bad as what Bleach has become.
P.P.S. Watch Hunter x Hunter. That will be all.
Ok, a few things: yes, it is entirely possible that the problem lies with me, rather than with the series... but I doubt it. The series has just had so many inconsistencies, and violated its own message so many times, that I honestly don't think it's unfair of me to doubt Kishimoto's ability as a writer when he says "I have no idea how the heroes are gonna stop the villain". If he had said he has a plan, that he's planned this and we're seeing the culmination of years of labor, fine, but I sincerely believe this is a man who's written himself into a corner and admitted that he's only getting out of this via Deus Ex Machina.
Secondly: If you haven't watched/read it in two years, how can you be so sure about its quality? I've read it on a weekly/bi-weekly basis for the better part of the last two years, and I believe that the quality has gone into freefall. Again, this is subjective, but I don't think calling the series "impeccably constructed" is any more fair than calling it horrible. If it was impeccably constructed, then it wouldn't constantly feel like Kishi's pulling stuff out of his ass.
As for the Cycle of Hatred, yes, it is a great concept, something that can easily be used to write a magnificent story... but Kishimoto has already broken all the morals he's preached to us in the past, including (indirectly) this cycle of revenge one, since he's had characters like Shikamaru and Sasuke murder people for the sake of vengeance without consequence.
I'm sorry if this seems confrontational, but I do not believe that I'm the problem. The series is simply past its prime, and what we're reading now is the dying spams.
P.S: I don't read Bleach any more, mostly because I gave up on that series when they defeated Butterflaizen. That is the archetype of a Deus Ex Machina, and I fear that Naruto is going the same way.
P.S.S: I'll have to look up that series, lot's of people on this site have been crying it praise to the high heavens.