Is Naruto still a Genin after becoming Hokage?


While watching "funny Boruto moments" on YouTube, I came across a scene where
Naruto tells Iwabe and his team, that he is still a Genin, but he is a Hokage.
In the starting episodes of Naruto, it is shown that Hokage is a rank above
Jonin, so I want some clarification on why he could skip all the ranks and
land at Hokage.




He is still a Genin. It was stated by him. **_(Episode 48)_**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BcfBZ.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BcfBZ.jpg)

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YBfll.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YBfll.jpg)

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5qM5r.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5qM5r.jpg)

What people most of the time overlook is, that the scene with Kakashi and
Naruto isn't actual canon though, it should still be noted that these are the
requirements. But we're talking about Naruto here he doesn't do things the
normal way, which is important later on with the Kishimoto bit.

If we look into the databook book specifically for The Last: Naruto the Movie
that plays 2 years after the 4th war, Naruto is still a Genin. **_下忍 =
Genin._**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EiOpQ.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EiOpQ.jpg)

Sakura and Shikamaru on the other hand are already Jōnin. **_上忍 = Jōnin._**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/O9H8j.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/O9H8j.jpg)

And the rest are Chūnin. **_中忍 = Chūnin._**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DKnVd.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DKnVd.png)
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CHlHA.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CHlHA.jpg)

Kishimoto specifically let Naruto stay a Genin. And yes, TheLast is canon. He
did the character designs and was chief story supervisor. It was also the
first time for him that he'd completely written everything from the start,
including the lines in a movie production. That came up during the Interview
that is linked.

He confirmed that Naruto went from Genin to Hokage.

> Q：ナルトといえば火影（忍者の里で一番偉い立場）の夢をかなえましたが、上忍（階級が一番上の忍者） の試験はいつ受けたのでしょうか？
>
> A:
> ナルトは上忍になっていないんです。下忍（一番下の忍者）のまま火影になりました。サスケも上忍でも中忍でもないし、むしろ里を出ちゃっているから、抜け忍ですよね。あいつら、もうなんなんでしょうね（笑）。でも下忍のままでいきなり火影になった方が、ナルトらしくて面白いかなと思いました。

**Translated:**

> Q: Speaking of Naruto, his dream of being Hokage came true, but when did he
> take the exam to become a jounin?
>
> Kishimoto: Naruto didn’t become a jounin. He became Hokage as a genin.
> Sasuke is not a jounin or chuunin either, but rather, since he left the
> village, he is a nukenin. That’s enough for them (laughs). But I thought
> that having him suddenly go from genin to Hokage would be amusing and
> Naruto-like.

[**-> To the original Interview
(Japanese)**](https://www.cinematoday.jp/page/A0004639)

[**->To the Translation**](http://honyakusha-
eri.tumblr.com/post/127051723118/interview-with-masashi-kishimoto-from-cinema-
today)

Even if he never achieved the Jōnin rank he should be as smart and as capable
of Chūnin and Jōnin. People can't just become Hokage, not even Naruto. He must
have still learned everything that needs to be learned for the Hokage position
but just didn't get the chance to actual showcase this in the exams. But I
don't think he needed to, I mean everyone (at least the Shinobi part of the
Village) saw him during the 4th war and his prowess/abilities. The only thing
that was missing was the educational part.

Well, according to Kishimoto, Naruto became the Hokage as a Genin. That should
answer it.




He is still a Genin. It was stated by him. **_(Episode 48)_**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BcfBZ.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BcfBZ.jpg)

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YBfll.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YBfll.jpg)

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5qM5r.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5qM5r.jpg)

What people most of the time overlook is, that the scene with Kakashi and
Naruto isn't actual canon though, it should still be noted that these are the
requirements. But we're talking about Naruto here he doesn't do things the
normal way, which is important later on with the Kishimoto bit.

If we look into the databook book specifically for The Last: Naruto the Movie
that plays 2 years after the 4th war, Naruto is still a Genin. **_下忍 =
Genin._**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EiOpQ.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EiOpQ.jpg)

Sakura and Shikamaru on the other hand are already Jōnin. **_上忍 = Jōnin._**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/O9H8j.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/O9H8j.jpg)

And the rest are Chūnin. **_中忍 = Chūnin._**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DKnVd.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DKnVd.png)
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CHlHA.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CHlHA.jpg)

Kishimoto specifically let Naruto stay a Genin. And yes, TheLast is canon. He
did the character designs and was chief story supervisor. It was also the
first time for him that he'd completely written everything from the start,
including the lines in a movie production. That came up during the Interview
that is linked.

He confirmed that Naruto went from Genin to Hokage.

> Q：ナルトといえば火影（忍者の里で一番偉い立場）の夢をかなえましたが、上忍（階級が一番上の忍者） の試験はいつ受けたのでしょうか？
>
> A:
> ナルトは上忍になっていないんです。下忍（一番下の忍者）のまま火影になりました。サスケも上忍でも中忍でもないし、むしろ里を出ちゃっているから、抜け忍ですよね。あいつら、もうなんなんでしょうね（笑）。でも下忍のままでいきなり火影になった方が、ナルトらしくて面白いかなと思いました。

**Translated:**

> Q: Speaking of Naruto, his dream of being Hokage came true, but when did he
> take the exam to become a jounin?
>
> Kishimoto: Naruto didn’t become a jounin. He became Hokage as a genin.
> Sasuke is not a jounin or chuunin either, but rather, since he left the
> village, he is a nukenin. That’s enough for them (laughs). But I thought
> that having him suddenly go from genin to Hokage would be amusing and
> Naruto-like.

[**-> To the original Interview
(Japanese)**](https://www.cinematoday.jp/page/A0004639)

[**->To the Translation**](http://honyakusha-
eri.tumblr.com/post/127051723118/interview-with-masashi-kishimoto-from-cinema-
today)

Even if he never achieved the Jōnin rank he should be as smart and as capable
of Chūnin and Jōnin. People can't just become Hokage, not even Naruto. He must
have still learned everything that needs to be learned for the Hokage position
but just didn't get the chance to actual showcase this in the exams. But I
don't think he needed to, I mean everyone (at least the Shinobi part of the
Village) saw him during the 4th war and his prowess/abilities. The only thing
that was missing was the educational part.

Well, according to Kishimoto, Naruto became the Hokage as a Genin. That should
answer it.

