Board Thread:Episode Discussions/@comment-3279282-20150122133525/@comment-26302001-20150127094915

First off, only Neji, and only in this semi-canon filler.. said Naruto could be a genin and still become Hokage. Shikaku and the council made it clear only a Jonin could become a Kage if you go back and read the Kage Summit Arc. It takes a Jonin to gain all the votes of the other Jonin, along with the agreement of the current Hokage and his councilmen. So no Naruto still has to become Genin, then Chunin then Jonin to become a hokage.. Gaara himself at the very least became a chunin before he became Kazekage.