You know, I'm starting to think none of us, whether pro or anti ending, were ever really "fans" of the series. I think each of us liked the potential of various elements in the story,but it lives up to none of that. Because when you analyze everything about the story from beginning to end, and review Kishimoto's Kobiyashi interview where he basically admitted his editors had most of the input of the lore, you see how everything unravels, including the positives. We know that Yahigi convinced Kishimoto to add characters and build up the world of Naruto as we know it, even when he didn't want to.
The fact he was so easily influenced probably explains why after the Pein arc things began to change and rules were set up only to be broken later. Not to mention if he really did watch the Youtube anime community, it just means he is obsessed with pleasing everybody.
And while we love to trash the series Post-Pein, let's face it, the problems were there from the get-go. He tries to force-feed us about Naruto's bonds, but truth of the matter is that we are not given enough time enjoy those bonds. They form a team, have one mission together, things happen during the chunin exams and after, then Sasuke leaves. If we had at least three major arcs revolving around Team 7 in the beginning, things probably could have gone a lot better. We'd be able to appreciate the characters for who they are, regardless of who they end up with. Naruto could take center stage, Sakura could be well-liked from the beginning without relying on a major timeskip, and Sasuke could come across as a more sympathetic character. Maybe if Naruto's friends were more spread out over time instead of being crammed in all at once both during the Chunin exams and the War, everyone could have been better developed, and Kishimoto wouldn't have to juggle so many themes at once.
It's because all of us saw so much potential in different things, but at the same time saw many negatives to the series (whether the Narutards care to admit it or not) each of us wanted Naruto to go a certain direction. Kishimoto gave us many great set-ups, but little to no follow-through.
Hinata HAD potential. But Sakura was front at center. At first it was it's own thing in a corner of the fandom; most accepted Sakura was the main heroine, whether they liked it or not. But after the two confessions, when it went badly for Sakura, more fans began to turn on her. Kishimoto either couldn't or didn't want her to recover as a character, and the Hinata community became more vocal. Then when the end comes, when many (including fans) point out how she was mishandled and her character changed in Boruto. They've gone full crazy because they KNOW she's not a good character. Getting with Naruto and being a Tsundere right now is the only thing bringing her validation, otherwise she's just a waste of space.
Instead of deciding on some consistency to the series, they threw a bunch of ingredients in the pot and let the "fans" vote, regardless of whether ingredient A geld well with ingredient B.