All the Jounin assume that I spoke against the nomination of the rookie nine from over-protectiveness, and that I didn't trust your judgement. In some ways you're correct, but you don't know the whole story.
I admit, I was afraid for my former students' safety, and rightfully; I know of the harshness of the test. That they all escaped intact was an indication of their great luck and tenacity. I never meant to slight their skills or your teaching.
Their maturity is another matter altogether. The rookie nine were not emotionally ready to be squad leaders; that much was obvious to anyone with eyes. That they would fail was not the problem. That they might ipass/i was my worry. To often in the past the main measure of a persons right to Chuunin rank was how well they could fight, not how well they could think, or whether they should be Chuunin.
Though I love him, the idea of someone as scatter-brained as Naruto as a squad leader frightens me. Sasuke has no business in a green vest until he learns some perspective. Sakura needed to learn her own value before she doubted herself and her squad into failure. Hinata doesn't value her own strength and Kiba wasn't aware of the need for caution. Chouji and Ino are followers of Shikamaru's plans; they rely on him to much. Like a true tripod, that team is strongest together. Of the nine, only Shikamaru and Shino were even close to Chuunin levels of maturity. Shikamaru still needs Ino's boot firmly planted on his ass for motivation and Shino needs to learn the self-assertion to work with people other than his team.
In time I am sure they will mature into successful leaders, but not yet. Putting that much pressure on them so young might have forced them into maturity, but like a plant grown in a green house, they would have not survived in the wild. And the wild is where all shinobi must go.
Physically they might survive, but the spark of life I worked so hard to nuture, the sense of self that makes each a person rather than just a tool, would that have survived? Worse, would their teams survive?
I have no desire to see my other students led to an early, unneccesary death because some Jounin couldn't allow themselves to be humble. I have felt the suffering that results when a Jounin sensei lets his pride blind him to his student's abilities. My genin team was too young for the exams when we first took them; Hisoka died and Yuu will never walk again.
They all grew during the exams, coming closer to the Chuunin-selves they will one day become, and because of that you were right to nominate them.
But you should never have hoped they'd pass.
I love reviews!
I am thinking about doing Kakashi's response to this, but I think It would be better if someone who can actually write Kakashi would write a response. Anyone who does and sends me a link gets a one-shot of their choice.