Naruto: When Did Naruto Uzumaki Become Chunin?
Published on February 26, 2022
Whether you like Naruto or not, one thing all fans in common is their love for the Chunin exams arc! The Chunin Exams arc is one of the most important arcs since it introduces most of the series' notable side characters like the Rookie Nine, Team Guy, Three Sand Siblings, Orochimaru, and Kabuto. The Chunin Exams arc is covered from episodes 20 through 67 of the Naruto anime. It covers three rounds: the Written Test, The Forest of Death, and the Final Exam consisting of 1v1 matchups.
Fans of the series will remember the disastrous Chunin Exams arc, which was followed or rather interrupted by Orochimaru and the "Konoha Crush arc." The events of the original Naruto anime left no time for the Chunin exams to be held again. Not to mention, the Third Hokage's death left the village in a state of chaos until the arrival of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju. When the anime ended, Naruto left on a training trip with Jiraiya only to come back two and a half years later in Naruto: Shippuden.
After Naruto came back to the village, he soon found out that all his classmates had managed to become Chunin during the time-jump, with Neji, Temari, and Kankuro even promoted to Jonin. Naruto is proclaimed the Fourth Great Shinobi War's hero by the end of the series and is easily the strongest ninja alive, sans Sasuke. Fans who have watched Boruto or the special episode the creators released after the series will know that a few years after the birth of his children, Naruto became the Seventh Hokage of Konohagakure!
However, fans had wondered when Naruto managed to become a Chunin and Jonin since the Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden series never explicitly mentioned this. Read on to find out.
When Did Naruto Become Chunin? Did Naruto Ever Become Jonin?
To give fans a simple answer to the questions mentioned above: he never did. That's right; Naruto Uzumaki never became a Chunin or a Jonin. The interruption of the Chunin exams and his training with the Toad Sage Jiraiya never really left time for Naruto to participate in the exams again. Furthermore, Naruto was one of the strongest shinobi alive by the end of the series.
Not to mention, Naruto was revealed to be a reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths' son Asura, making him a literal demi-god. So, taking the Chunin exams after the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War would've been pretty pointless for Naruto. Moreover, since you can't be promoted to Jonin without being Chunin, Naruto never became Jonin either. So yes, Naruto is the first and only Genin level Hokage of Konohagakure.
As seen in the anime and the manga, Kakashi Hatake is made the Sixth Hokage of Konoha after the war. Upon his appointment, he provides Naruto with all the study material required to become a Jonin. Iruka and Kakashi tell Naruto that if he studies for the next two years, he will have all the knowledge necessary to be considered Jonin.
The scene seems like a gag more than anything else. Still, Naruto did study everything he needed to because like Konohamaru reminded him: there's no shortcut to becoming Hokage.
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