First thing's first, if you're not willing to read a manga that's very very long and drawn out then Naruto most likely isn't for you.
When people say that it's long and drawn out, they mean it. 400+ episodes, 570+ chapters, 50+ volumes later and it's not exactly close to being finished.
However, all those chapters, episodes and volumes give the creator an opportunity to further explain the plot and characters more thoroughly, which is a plus.

The story:
Without spoiling it too much, the story is definitely full of plot twists, some welcomed others absolutely detested, but that makes it all the more interesting. The characters do start to get a little repetitive, i.e. one character in the middle of the manga is a lot like one in the beginning. But it doesn't take much to get over that if you're into the story. Naruto, the main character, in my eyes is pretty static. He pretty much remains the same throughout the whole manga, other than aging 3 years; it might get a little old after a while, but there are many many other characters that are dynamic.

The art:
One word sums up the art for me. Amazing. The manga especially and some of the newer episodes. There's so much detail compared to a lot of other manga, which is awesome. :) Every once in a while, there are a few minor mistakes but those aren't noticeable unless you reread the chapter or have a magnifying glass nearby.

The Characters:
I already touched a little on the characters. There are a TON of characters, especially with the fillers in the anime. All the characters might be a little overwhelming, but you'll either forget the unimportant ones or get used to it. The plot twists occurs the most with the pasts of the main characters especially, sometimes even with supporting ones. Other than the art, the characters are probably the main attraction. They have their own personalities and traits, even if some of them are annoying. ._.

Overall:
Naruto is definitely one of my favorite Manga/Anime. I've been watching/reading it for around 7 years, so it would be hard to just drop it.
Once you get into the story, you'll understand. I will always recommend this manga/anime to anyone who is willing to try it out.