15 Promotion
Naruto looked back at the battlefield. At his friends. At the bruises, the exhaustion, the quiet realization slowly settling into everyone's faces.
While small conversations were still breaking out, Tsunade's voice cut through the noise.
"All of you. Over here."
Her clones had finished healing the injured chunin and Jōnin, and one by one, Konoha 10 pushed themselves back onto their feet. They gathered instinctively, formations falling into place without anyone needing to say a word.
Naruto stood beside Ino and Temari, Jiraiya a step behind him. Kakashi positioned himself near Sakura, Asuma behind Choji and Shikamaru. Guy stood proudly behind Lee, Neji, and Tenten, while Kurenai stayed close to Hinata, Kiba, and Shino.
Tsunade stood at the center, Shizune beside her, Tonton tucked securely in her arms.
She crossed her arms and surveyed them all.
"So," Tsunade said evenly, "is anyone dissatisfied with the outcome of this battle? Any objections to how it was conducted?"
Silence.
No one spoke. No one could.
Tsunade nodded once, then turned her gaze toward Naruto.
"Well," she continued, "since no one seems eager to argue, I'll address something that's been overdue for a long time."
The air felt heavier.
"Genin Uzumaki Naruto," she said formally, "based on your mission records from three years ago, your performance during the Chunin Exams, your actions against Orochimaru and Kabuto during the retrieval mission to bring me back to the village, and now your current combat ability—"
She paused.
"I, Tsunade Senju, Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, hereby grant you the rank of Jōnin."
For half a second, no one reacted.
Then everything broke loose.
Jiraiya burst out laughing, clapping Naruto hard on the back. "Told you, brat! I knew you'd get here!"
Ino and Temari both congratulated him at the same time,saying "Congratulations, Naruto".
Hinata stepped forward more shyly, smiling softly. "Congratulations, Naruto-kun."
Naruto stood there, stunned, scratching the back of his head. "Uh… thanks?"
Tsunade smirked. "You can pick up your flak jacket and certification from my office in a few hours. Don't lose them."
Choji suddenly raised a hand. "Hey, Naruto… so where's the party for your promotion?"
Naruto blinked. "Whoa, hold on. First of all, you guys still owe me parties for your promotions."
Naruto grinned. "Second, shikamaru should be the one throwing it. You were the first one promoted."
"That's troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "Don't drag me into this."
Ino crossed her arms. "Hey, don't be cheap."
Then she tilted her head. "How about this? We all meet at Choji's family restaurant. No one hosts, we split the cost."
Choji's eyes lit up instantly.
"That actually makes sense," Neji said.
Tenten nodded. "Yeah, fair and simple."
Shikamaru sighed. "Fine. Eight o'clock?"
Everyone agreed, and slowly the group began to disperse.
Only the jōnin, Naruto, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Temari remained.
Kakashi stepped forward. "Congratulations, Naruto." His visible eye curved into a smile.
"Thanks, Kakashi," Naruto replied.
There was a brief pause.
Kurenai frowned slightly. "Naruto, you should still call him Kakashi-sensei. Rank doesn't erase who trained you."
Naruto glanced at her, then at Kakashi. "Am I disrespecting you, Jiraiya-sensei?"
Jiraiya snorted. "Not even a little."
"I'm talking about Kakashi," Kurenai pressed.
Naruto exhaled slowly. "To be a sensei, you actually have to teach. The only thing Kakashi ever taught me was tree climbing. And that was when our team was already falling apart."
The words landed harder than intended.
Tsunade's expression darkened. Shizune stiffened beside her.
They both knew the reports. They had read Jiraiya's detailed account. How Naruto had explained his training. How his teammates had been prioritized. How basic chakra control exercises had never been taught properly. How Kakashi, a man who knew thousands of jutsu, had sent genin into real combat without fundamentals.
And how Naruto had been abandoned during the Chunin Exams for Sasuke.
Kakashi said nothing.
For once, there was no excuse. No lazy smile.
Tsunade broke the silence. "Enough."
She looked at Naruto. "What happened back then doesn't disappear. But today wasn't about settling old scores."
Her gaze softened slightly. "You earned this rank on your own merits."
Naruto nodded, the tension easing from his shoulders.
Jiraiya smirked. "Besides," he said, "if we start unpacking old mistakes, we'll be here all night."
That earned a few quiet chuckles.
The moment passed.
TO BE CONTINUE