The Chunin Exams Arc was one of the best arcs of Naruto, not only did it introduce new characters fluidly, but it also showcased some of the best-pumped fights in the series.
Even Naruto had been excited about the Chunin exams in the show, as he could get a chance to move up a rank from a genin to a Chunin.
Keep reading as we explore whether Naruto got to the rank of a Chunin and what happened in the Chunin exams he took part in.
1. Does Naruto Ever Become A Chunin?
Naruto never became a chunin in the series even though he participated in two chunin exams. In the first Chunin, even though he won, the promotions were called off due to the Konoha Crush. Whereas, in the second one, Nauruto broke some rules that disqualified him.
I. Naruto’s First Chunin Exam
In the first Chunin exam, Naruto was victorious over Neji, however, the promotions were called off due to the Konoha Crush which was orchestrated by Orochimaru.
Neji Hyuga vs Naruto | Source: Fandom
The first phase of this exam was typical, as the ninjas had to stealthily copy the answers to the first 9 questions without being caught, it was a test of spying techniques and courage.
Naruto hadn’t caught on to that, he was wracking his brains over it while the others were cheating for example Sasuke used his Sharingan, Neji used his Byakugan, etc.
Then the final question was a make-or-break question, if the team member didn’t answer then the whole team would be Disqualified, however, if they answered incorrectly they would be stuck as a genin forever.
With a new spurt of fervor, Naruto declared that he would do anything to make it to the rank of a Hokage.
The proctor, Ibiki Morino was impressed by him and declared that everyone in the room had passed on to the second phase.
In the second phase, the team had to traverse through the forest of death for 5 days and secure a Heaven as well as an Earth Scroll.
This is where Naruto and Sasuke faced Orochimaru. Unlike Sasuke, who was paralyzed in fear, Naruto managed to hold against Orichimaru’s attacks with the Nine-Tails fox chakra.
However, Orochimaru was much stronger, and with his Reverse sealing Jutsu, Naruto lost consciousness.
Orochimaru placed the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Sasuke.
Cursed Seal of Heaven on Sasuke | Source: Fandom
Later on, the adverse effects of this curse were evident through Sasuke’s erratic behavior doused in a murderous intent.
In the preliminaries, there were various matches like Sasuke vs Yaroi, Dosu vs. Choji, Tenten vs. Temari, Sakura vs. Ino, etc.
Ssuke vs Yaoi | Source: Fandom
Naruto had a match against Kiba (Konohagakure’s Team 8) in the seventh match. Initially, the match wasn’t in Naruto’s favor as Kiba was able to use his Beast Human Clone technique.
Naruto vs Kiba | Source: Fandom
However, the tide turned at the end and Naruto was victorious over Kiba by using the shadow clones.
In the finals, which were set up a month after the preliminaries, Naruto trained under Jiraiya.
Naruto Vs Neji | Source: Fandom
The first match was where Naruto was up against Neji. He displayed his combat prowess and was able to win over Neji.
In the last and most anticipated match, Sasuke was up against Gaara, However, his curse was taking over him it was evident that Sasuke’s ability had drastically improved.
However, before the match could conclude, Kabuto (working for Orochimaru) set off a smoke bomb which put everyone to sleep.
With this, Konoha Crush was set in motion and the Chunin promotions were called off, preventing Naruto from being promoted to the rank of Chunin, despite his victory in the match.
Note: The Second Chunin exam that took place according to the timeline, the two-year time skip between Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, was missed by Naruto as he was training with Jiraya.
II.Naruto’s Second Chunin Exam
In the second Chunin exam that Naruto participated in, he was disqualified as he had broken the rules using Sage mode while fighting with Konohamaru Srutobi.
Konohamaru Srutobi | Source: Fandom
This chunin exam tends to confound people, well that is because it is non-canon to the main story, featured in a filler movie titled “Chunin Exam on Fire! Naruto vs. Konohamaru!”
Chūnin Exam on Fire! Naruto vs. Konohamaru! | Source: Fandom
In this movie, the chunin exams were hosted in the Land of Wind by Sunagakure to strengthen the troops of the allied Shinobi forces as the Fourth Great Ninja War approached.
Land of the Wind | Source: Fandom
In the preliminary match, Naruto was up against Konohamaru Sarutobi.
Konohamaru was excited to be up against Naruto who was back from his training with Jiraiya and had sharpened his skills as a ninja.
Konohamaru had looked up to Naruto and wanted to have a match against him to test his Shadow of Clones technique.
However, they were bickering while Temari was dictating the rules so they missed them out.
During their match, Konohamaru started off strong by launching a smoke bomb followed by Big Ball Rsengan, which Naruto was able to evade by a whisker.
They both used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto’s clones were able to defeat Komohamaru’s clones deftly.
Next up, Komohamaru played a trick, pretending to be unconscious to let Naruto lower his guard.
However, that was a ruse as he sprang up and began attacking Naruto, hoping to land a hit.
Since that didn’t work out, Komohamaru was nearing his limit. However, fueled by the crowd’s encouragement, Komohamaru struck using the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
Which surprised Naruto and Komohamaru was able to land a punch on Naruto for which he was overjoyed.
Naruto impulsively used his Sage mode; however, the use of Senjutsu was strictly forbidden and against the rules.
This immediately disqualified him, blowing his second chance to become a Chunin.
2. About Naruto
Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. Its publication began on September 21, 1999, and continued till November 10, 2014, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. The manga has collected 72 volumes in tankōbon format.
Naruto Shippuden is Part II of the anime series, which follows an older Naruto as he attempts to save his friend Sasuke while at the same time – addressing the looming threat of the criminal organization – Akatsuki – who are targeting him for their grander scheme.
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