Board Thread:Theories and Speculation/@comment-25319479-20170421171304/@comment-27924662-20170505213615

Thekillman wrote: OnlineLurker wrote: That's probably just it then. at ch533 p12 they just say "it's tradition that the Sarutobi Clan gave us gifts of special earrings".

So i don't think the sensei has to be a sarutobi But than ear giving ceremony won't have any meaning. It's clear that When a sarutobi gives that ear ring it's implicitly implied that the Ino-shika-cho trio is ready. And that Readiness can only come if the sarutobi member is invovled as sensei or some sort of mentor.