First level ninja. Those who have managed to graduate from the Academy, but lack the training, experience, and decision-making skills to be promoted.
[He considers how to explain it. Tear is from a world different from his own so he is not sure how people in her world are measured in terms of progress.] For civilians it may be similar to when one graduates from school before proceeding to higher education. Or an apprentice graduating to more difficult duties before becoming their own master in right.