I don't care what anyone says. Kishi put out the best art in Shonen Jump history on a weekly basis and a better story than monthly mangaka authors. It was original, unpredictable until the end, and inventive with its use of cultural idiosyncrasies.
My favorite arc was the Pain arc. The way it resolved Naruto's greatest plotline about love conquering over war, by demonstrating it, and subsequently the fruits of peace when Pain used his (plot-backed) Rikudo Rebirth jutsu to revive the village that he had just assaulted; which Naruto still remembers when Obito uses it and is why he doesn't try to stop Madara with Sasuke (that's what you call A-Grade detail). It all came together perfectly.
I especially like how it comes right after the Shikamaru Revenge and Sasuke-Itachi arcs, to kind of contrast how Naruto is different from other ninjas. I like how at the very beginning Naruto's the same. I like how their first mission took them to a country where ninjas don't exist because the ocean offers natural protection. I like how Shikamaru's dad's death and the Chakra Tree happen exactly 400 chapters from the moment when he and him are playing chess and he tells Shikamaru he will one day learn who the "King" is.
Art - 10/10 World-building - 10/10 Story - 10/10 Lore - 10/10 Pottery - 1000000000000/10
You couldn't out-write Kishi if you had a lifetime to do it. Believe it.
