Naruto, Sakura, Kenji, and Kakashi all walked into the village together. "You guys really got stronger. I never thought you'd really get the bells." Kakashi said to his students with his nose in his book. "That is after Kenji got them first again."
"Ehh!?" Sakura exclaimed and Kenji laughed. "Kenji again!?"
"Yeah, Kakashi Sensei and I fought one on one after you retreated." she said.
"Man it's just like last time." Naruto said. "If that's the case why'd you give them back?"
"I wanted to let you and Sakura get them too. And there was only two, again!" she eyed Kakashi making him chuckle.
Then Naruto's stomach growled reminding him how hungry he was, "Oh, Naruto-kun! Let's go to Ichiraku's together!" Kenji said.
Naruto smiled, "Yeah! That's perfect, dattebayo!" he exclaimed. "Sakura-chan! You're in too right?"
"Alright, but only if you treat me." she said.
Naruto opened up his wallet and wasn't excited, "Why don't you pay for half?" he asked Sakura.
"No way!" she said and left them behind. Naruto sighed in despair watching her leave.
Kenji put her hand on his shoulder, "Don't mind her, Naruto. If you need any, I have some cash from these special missions I completed." she assured him.
"Yeah, thanks Kenji." he told her in low spirits.
"Kakashi Sensei! You're joining us too right?" she turned to him.
Kakashi took a moment looking at her and closed his book, "Sure. Why not?" he said and walked over.
"Yatta!" she cheered.
They all stood at the clear ramen shop. "Smells, good!" Kenji said.
"Yeah!" Naruto agreed and he went on in, Kenji and Kakashi followed.
"Hey guys! Look who's back!" Kenji said getting the staff's attention.
"Naruto. . It's you, isn't it, Naruto?" the owner said.
"Long time no see!" Naruto greeted.
"You sure got big, Naruto-kun!" Ayame said.
They all sat down with Naruto and Kenji right next to each other and Kakashi right behind her. "Phew I'm starved!"
"Alright then today's on me." the owner declared.
"No way! For all us?!" Kenji asked.
"Yeah!" he nodded to her.
"Yatta!" she and Naruto triumphed.
"No," another voice interjected. "It's on me today." another customer entered through the curtains. "I knew you'd be here, Naruto."
"Iruka Sensei!" Naruto exclaimed seeing his old teacher for the first time in years.
Iruka looked around, "You've got a full house tonight." he commented after seeing Kenji and Kakashi sat down with him.
"Tonight's special!" Kenji said.
"Sakura's not with you?" he asked.
"She bailed, it's alright. Have a seat, Iruka Sensei." Kenji told him and he sat down next to Naruto.
The four of them got their bowls and Naruto and Kenji split their chopsticks, "Itadakimasu!" they said in unison and dug in.
"Isn't it this great? Eating together here again?" Kenji said.
"Yeah! You can't believe how much I missed this! Ichiraku Ramen sure is the best!" Naruto grinned. "The only thing is,"
"Huh?" Kenji saw that his smile disappeared.
"I thought that the next time we had ramen together and with Iruka for that matter too, I'd be a Chunin. . ." Naruto admitted.
"Naruto. . ."
"We're the only two Genin left in our class now, Kenji!" he said.
! "Ah!" Kenji froze.
"I was so relieved! When Shikamaru and Sakura told me that you never retook the Chunin exams I felt better about being a Genin while everyone else was a Chunin!" he told her.
"Uh, Naruto uhm. . .! Well you see. . . I-I uh. . . " Kenji stuttered.
Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder, "This girl's a Jonin like me now." he broke it Naruto.
"S-Surprise. . .! Ehehe. . ." Kenji laughed nervously.
! ". . . EHHHHHHHH!?" The entire ramen shop shook. "For real!? You, a Jonin!?" he shouted at her.
"Is that really such a shock?" Kenji asked with a nervous sweat on her head.
"So I really am the only Genin now?" Naruto asked her.
"I-I'm afraid so. . ." she answered. Naruto felt faint. "It's nothing to be ashamed of Naruto! After all I'm sure you're more than capable of the Chunin rank after training with the Pervy sage!" she tried encouraging him.
"Oh, do the others know? And how did you get to the Jonin rank without taking the Chunin exams." Naruto asked her.
"Well, I'm really not sure how to tell others. I kind of feel like they'll react like you, yelling in shock. But I did tell Neji and Shino-kun. Also my sister and the Konohamaru gang know as well." she answered. "Tsuna-hime examined my skills and my performance in combat and she thought that the Genin rank didn't fit me at all. So they made an exception and allowed me to skip the Chunin rank to Jonin."
"She was also added to the Bingo book." Kakashi added.
"Yeah, that too." Kenji blushed. "I'm not sure how to tell Sakura and the others. . ." she looked down. "I am sure though that Asuma Sensei and Kurenai Sensei maybe even Gai Sensei as well. . That they'll all think I don't deserve this special promotion."
"I kind of understand though, it's unfair to those who had to work through the ranks from Chunin to Jonin." she said.
Everyone went quiet for a moment, "Kenji," Kakashi said. "The Hokage knows what happened to you in your first Chunin exam attempt. . And you know that you're not at all an ordinary ninja so of course your progression up the ranks would be different."
"Yeah. . ." Kenji said softly.
"And Kenji," she looked up at him. "I'm very proud to have you as my student. I never thought I'd see the day one of my kids advanced to the Jonin rank. I mean it. . ." his eye shut implying a smile.
Kenji's breath hiccuped. Her sleeve went to her eyes and Kakashi saw her cheeks with tears. "Hey, don't cry now," he said to her calmly.
"Sorry. . ." she wiped her tears away.
"Kenji. . ." Naruto said.
"That's right, I don't think Kenji ever thought a Jonin instructor would be happy for her promotion as a ninja. No one even wanted her to be a shinobi after all." Kakashi remembered.
"Are you ok?" Naruto asked her.
"I'm great!" she said and slurped down some noodles.
"But unfortunately she's right, not everyone will be happy with her success. She needs to be prepared to face the backlash of the Konoha authorities. . ." Kakashi watched her and Naruto laugh and catch up on the time they missed together.