I think that's the saddest/most frustrating part of the whole series.

That it had so much potential.

So many interesting characters, such a wide world to explore, such an interesting structure both in the village itself and between the nations. The clans, the different specialized powers at the cost of inbreeding, the shinobi that didn't belong to clans. The entire shinobi system, so messed up, so much potential for fixing or exploring. Each of the characters had their own struggles and the way those struggles bonded them together with first their team and then their generation. Even the parts the older generations played in everything. The missions, the political intrigue, the Tailed Beasts, the criminals, the civilians. So so much potential and I honestly dd love the main character and feel for him when I started reading things too. I was willing to go along for that ride because I could care about the characters and their story was sure, a repeat of 'friendship is power' and 'teamwork!' and all but I liked the way those were woven in.

And then everything just derailed and you can hardly even recognize the story if you take the first manga and put it up against the last one.

So much potential. So so much potential. That's what makes the ending and the waste of all the potential, all those stories i expected to read, all that build up and ground work so disappointing. Fifteen years. I'm glad I didn't go along for the entire ride and just dropped in from time to time. I can't imagine if I'd invested fifteen years into that circus.

(and, heh, my favorite character died before the manga began. I found I regretted that less and less as the series went on)