Nikushimi

There was a BIG gap between Sasuke and Naruto back then, and when Iruka mentioned that he had failed three times, he sure didn't make it sound like a normal occurrence.

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Masked_Felix

Does it matter that there was a gap? Not really. Neither was good enough to be let out early. One was just audacious enough to think he was, apparently.

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Nikushimi

The exit exam was just making three Bunshins. I'm sure Sasuke could've done that. Sakura, too, even.

And again, the way Iruka said it, Naruto failing three times sounded like something especially BAD. And if Sasuke, a genius with the best scores in EVERY CLASS, isn't good enough to ace it the first time through...then there's something wrong with that test.

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Masked_Felix

I'm pretty sure that there was more to it than that. They were doing henge as well, if I recall correctly. If three bunshin was all that was needed to pass, just about anyone would pass early. It could be that early graduation is granted, not obtained. The headmasters obviously didn't think that Sasuke was good enough to get out early, and Naruto, even though he probably tried to get their attention a few times by trying to test out early, was obviously not deemed good enough either. It's an explanation that works with no contradictions to the story (as far as I know), therefore there is no plot hole as of yet. Just an unexplained fog on that part of the story. For it to be a plot hole, there has to be no reasonable way for a situation to happen like it was said to.

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Nikushimi

The test was to create three Bunshins. Naruto created one and it looked like a failed attempt at a human transmutation. D:

Sasuke was a genius. A genius of geniuses. Sakura had flawless chakra control. The fact that neither of them passed means something fishy was afoot.

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Masked_Felix

Eh, they passed. Naruto was the only one who failed.

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Nikushimi

Three times.

So what about them? D:

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Kurushimi

It could be set up so if you don't pass on your first try, you can try again until you do. Sasuke and Sakura passed the first time they took the exam but Naruto failed and had to take it again.

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~ Credit to Ultimate_Gohan for the signature.

Nikushimi

If that's the case, why did they spend three years there just like Naruto?

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Masked_Felix

Already answered.

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Nikushimi

Explain.

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Masked_Felix

Also, can I have scan links that Sasuke was in Naruto's first year? He was an orphan, so it's possible that he got stuck in early just to get him to stop vandalizing stuff.
..

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Nikushimi

The test to pass is the creation of three Bunshins. There's no reason why that would've been beyond ANYONE's grasp but Naruto's, let alone Sasuke's.

Sasuke's skills were such that an elite Jounin like Kakashi had to pay full attention to him in one-on-one combat and couldn't even really afford to look away for an instant. Sasuke also demonstrated superiority over two Mist Chuunin at once. If Konoha's graduation was indeed determined by whether or not the instructors thought the students were ready, I HIGHLY doubt they would be unimpressed by Sasuke, as much as I doubt that Mizuki would be a teacher rather than a janitor.

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Nikushimi

Too lazy to get a scan. Don't you mention all the Sasuke flashbacks about his Academy entrance ceremony, and how Itachi wanted to bail out on a mission to attend it if Fugaku didn't go? Remember? And Sasuke practiced at school and shit, and got the best grades in all of his classes, and he wanted his dad to say "As expected of my son", but Fugaku just told him to become a great shinobi like Itachi?

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Masked_Felix