Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-1758775-20151007125942/@comment-2125188-20151009081159

Lilyxflower wrote: DuelMaster93 wrote: GreatestSin wrote: DuelMaster93 wrote: But those 3 attempts all happened during the same year. Naruto & Sasuke both started the same year and age and graduated the same year and age. It's not like he had to stay back and attempt to graduate again the following year. isnt sasuke one year older?

No, they are the same age. I'm guessing Sasuke could be a few months or weeks older, but definitely born the same year. Everyone in the rookie 9 are the same age. It was also stated in the Chunin exams that Team Guy, who graduated the year before, were all 1 year older.

So yeah, I think it's safe to assume that (just how regular schools operate) there is a set age for you to enroll, with a few exceptions enrolling 1 year later or earlier. Sasuke is 3 months older than Naruto, and everyone in the rookie 9 are about the same age (if I'm right, one or two of them is a year older, like Neji). I think the age to enter in the academy varies (as Kakashi was 4, and then Naruto, Sasuke, and their peers were over 5) but I think it depends on their performance on the entrance exam. From what I remember, Naruto was held back twice for his poor grades but graduated at the same time as his peers.

Neji and Team Guy aren't apart of the rookie 9. Everyone in teams 7, 8 & 10 are the same age, with Team Guy all 1 year older. I think the set age for enrolment is 5, but some choose to enroll a year earlier or later. It can't be coincidence that all of the rookie 9 are all the same age. Just like normal schools, everyone in the same level are the same age with maybe like 1-5 people a year older or younger. And no, Naruto wasn't held back, cause he graduated at the same time and that would also mean he would skip a grade. He was initially going to be held back in chapter 1, but Iruka changed his mind after the stuff with Mizuki. He was close to getting held back (or was initially going to) but he wasn't.