Thermopyle wrote:

Now, yes, the story would have to end, as it is, with Naruto gaining 
his Chuunin status.  That works for a oneshot.  If the story DOES go 
on, the focus doesn't have to be on becoming a Chuunin; he can 
become a Chuunin and then go on to learn some other lesson, with a 
different premise being the focus of the story...or this could be a 
oneshot, and another story, a series, could follow.  Whatever.  But 
as the story is now, it is definitely written in a way that making 
it a oneshot works better.

As the first of two, the second showing Naruto acting with the team 
and still keeping the team goal in mind for the Jounin exam, then 
getting promoted to Chuunin after that and raising hell as The New 
Sannin when they continue working together.

(Aside: Look at the scenes showing Jiraya/Tsunade/Orichimaru, and 
even Kakashi and his two unnamed teammates, and compare them to Team 
7... espescially considering that Sasuke is characterized as obsessed 
with gaining power at any cost. Little wonder Orochimaru wants him as 
a replacement body, he can already looks at Sasuke and see himself.)

This would both support the posted fic, the notion the Tsudnade would 
want to support Naruto though limited in what she can do without 
costing he and herself credibility, and the desireable state where a 
hero character continues to move toward his happy ending instead of 
getting worn down into settling for the status quo as is all too 
common in boring reality... The notion that Naruto would EVER settle 
for what he's got and stop striving for his goal was the thing that 
shook me, not that having done so he proceeds to act in ways that 
would remove the current block to that goal.

All that said, I have to agree that in the context of thhe canon, no, 
Naruto doesn't seem to have the problem this story sets him up 
with/against, of basically being a berserker once he finds an 
opponent. He might well fail to be promoted because of a lack of long 
term stragizing, or even through simple prejudice on the part of the 
rest of Konoha given the whole ninetails thing and the fact that he's 
publicly shown that he can use the monster's energy. "Who knows what 
evil influence it might have on him? Far better to keep him safely on 
the bottom rung of the poweer structure!"

- CD

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