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Academy students

The academy is where would-be ninja start; they are not actually considered ninja until they graduate. Academy students take formal and practical tests of all sorts and are taught basic ninja skills, such as martial arts, techniques, physical fitness and the way of the ninja. Basic weapon usage, such as kunai and shuriken, is commonly taught. Elementary ninja techniques, though they vary from village to village, are also taught. These include the Transformation Technique, Rope Escape Technique, Body Replacement Technique and the Clone Technique.

Chunin

Chunin (中忍, Chūnin?, literally "Middle Ninja", Viz "Chūnin" and "Journeyman Ninja") are ninja who are qualified to watch over and guide other ninja. Chunin have reached a level of maturity that primarily consists of leadership skills and tactical prowess. Some of them, like Iruka Umino, function as teachers and others, like Shikamaru Nara, serve as team leaders in charge of small teams who need to make decisions and utilize the skills of the shinobi under their command to the maximum effect. Chunin are typically sent on C or B-rank missions.

To become a Chunin, a Genin participates in a large examination with his or her team, known as the "Chunin Exams". The only shown exam is a three-stage exam: the first stage tests their information gathering abilities and decision-making abilities (as well as their overall understanding of the ninja philosophy), the second stage tests their abilities at accomplishing a mission and adhering to guidelines, and the third consists of fights between those who passed the previous two stages, watched by a council which decides who becomes a Chunin and who does not. This is not actually based on who wins, but rather, their performance during the fights; for example, Shikamaru forfeits his first match but is still promoted because of his strategic aptitude in deciding to forfeit because he knew that his Chakra was too low to continue. This way, anybody who makes it to the third stage of the Exams has a chance to become Chunin. However, it is also possible for none of the candidates to become Chunin if the judges believe that they do not have appropriate qualifications. Preliminaries may also be held if too many ninja teams reach the end; in the Chunin exam arc, seven teams, an unusually high number, completed the second phase of the test; the losers cannot participate in the final tournament and thus cannot be considered for promotion to Chunin.

Tokubetsu Jonin

Tokubetsu Jonin (特別上忍, Tokubetsu Jōnin?, literally "Special High Ninja" English "Special Jonin", sometimes known as Tokujō for short) are ninja who, rather than all-around Jonin training, have Jonin-level ability in a single area or skill, much like warrant officers of real-world militaries. They are elite specialists in their areas and are often assigned as subordinates to regular Jonin when their services are needed.