Board Thread:Episode Discussions/@comment-1251315-20150219132354/@comment-26090777-20150219173405

NeedleJizo wrote: Once again, I want to state my complete and utter disbelief that people this smart and powerful are JUST Genin.

Maybe they chose to stay genin for a while to hone their skills and be fully prepared for the chunin exams. You can stay a genin forever if you want.