kakashi

Though his name is written in katakana in the manga, the family name "Hatake" can be written in kanji either as 'farmland' or 'leaf warrior'. The literal translation of "Hatake" is "cultivated field"; however, "Kakashi" means 'scarecrow'. Interestingly, Naruto used a scarecrow look-alike of Kakashi to practice on the day before Team 7's first test. Also, when Sakura spied on Kakashi so he would take off his mask, he replaces himself with a scarecrow to get rid of her.

Kakashi is a popular character, consistently ranking in the Top 5 in Shonen Jump magazine's official polls. He has taken 1st place in these polls twice.

Background

Kakashi is a Konohagakure Jonin and the current leader of Team 7, which originally consisted of Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. He is known as Copy Ninja Kakashi (コピー忍者のカカシ, Kopī Ninja no Kakashi^?) or Sharingan Kakashi (写輪眼のカカシ, Sharingan no Kakashi^?), referring to the Sharingan in his left eye and his use of it in battle, which has allowed him to copy more than a thousand jutsu. Kakashi's Sharingan eye is not his own; it originally belonged to his former teammate, Obito Uchiha.

Though he reportedly has many hobbies, the one pastime seen most in the series is his reading of "Icha Icha Paradise" (イチャイチャパラダイス, Icha Icha Paradaisu^?, literally "Make out Paradise"), an adult and probably erotic novel authored by Jiraiya that is a runaway bestseller in the Naruto world. Kakashi most prominently reads it while training and speaking with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, and later in the series can be seen reading the second volume, "Icha Icha Violence" (イチャイチャバイオレンス, Icha Icha Baiorensu^?, literally Make Out Violence").

Kakashi has an ongoing, albeit slightly one-sided, rivalry with Might Guy; Guy constantly proclaims that Kakashi is his rival and challenges him on occasion, but Kakashi simply acts indifferent to the matter, annoying Guy to no end. Kakashi's current record stands at 49 wins and 50 losses, though the contests that make up this figure are so varied that it is not much of an achievement on Guy's part. Nevertheless, Guy is proud of his record. The contests have included 100-meter dashes, sumo-wrestling, ramen-eating contests, and even Rock, Paper, Scissors. Guy serves as a perfect antithesis for Kakashi in personality, appearance, and technique. Unlike Kakashi, Guy has had to work hard to achieve success as a ninja and mainly uses taijutsu. Kakashi, on the other hand, uses mainly ninjutsu and other techniques he copies with his Sharingan.

Kakashi's personal life appears to be as much of a mystery as the face behind the mask he has worn for most of his ninja career. He has no living family, or at least none he cares to acknowledge, and he's confirmed that everyone he loves is already dead. He is immediately recognizable as the son of (or mistaken for) the "White Fang of Konoha" (木ノ葉の白い牙, Konoha no Shiroi Kiba^?), Sakumo Hatake. Though his face has never been seen, episode 101, which is devoted to Team Kakashi trying to remove their sensei's mask, implies that he is in fact quite handsome.

According to official handbook his favorite foods are broiled saury with salt and miso soup with eggplant; his least, Tempura. His favorite phrase is "Teamwork." His hobby is reading "Icha Icha Paradise."

History

See also: Kakashi Gaiden

Like his father, whose skills have been compared to that of the Legendary Sannin, Kakashi is considered a genius shinobi, graduating from the Ninja Academy at age 5 and achieving the rank of Chunin at 6. A few years after these accomplishments, Kakashi's father was disgraced by the village for abandoning a mission in favor of saving his comrades, which cost the Land of Fire dearly. Because of the shame he felt, Sakumo committed seppuku, leaving Kakashi to bear witness to the event. After his father's suicide, Kakashi began to adhere strictly to the rules of the shinobi – in particular the rule dictating that the success of the mission must come before the well being of one's teammates, causing him to become arrogant, humorless, and by-the-book.

At the age of 13, Kakashi achieved Jonin status, mainly because of an ongoing war that required ninja more quickly than normal. As a reward for his accomplishment, he was assigned to lead his team on a sabotage mission to blow up a bridge in order to prevent Iwagakure forces from entering the Land of Grass, where the enemy could easily mount an attack on Konohagakure. Shortly after the mission started, Kakashi's team encountered an enemy shinobi and his clones. Kakashi saw this as a good time to test his newly-developed jutsu One Thousand Birds, but could not find the real enemy amongst the clones. After Kakashi's shoulder was slashed by the shinobi in the confusion, the Fourth Hokage had to rescue Kakashi. The Fourth Hokage sternly told Kakashi never to use the jutsu again. Later on, Kakashi's teammate Rin was captured by enemy shinobi. Obito wanted to save her, but Kakashi said they had to focus on the mission, opting not to make the same mistake his father had. Though Kakashi believed that they had to complete their objective, Obito eventually convinced him that his father had done the right thing, causing Kakashi to join in on the rescue effort.

During their attempt to save Rin, Kakashi loses his left eye as a result of an enemy ninja's attack. To protect Kakashi, Obito manages to awaken his Sharingan, and kills Kakashi's assailant. Soon after saving Rin, Obito again saves Kakashi, pushing him out of the way of another enemy's rock-dislodging attack, but becomes crushed in the process. Shortly before he died, Obito had Rin (a medical ninja) implant his Sharingan eye in Kakashi's damaged eye socket as a gift, thus creating Copy Ninja Kakashi. As his first act, Kakashi avenges Obito by killing the enemy ninja with his now-perfected jutsu, One Thousand Birds.

Obito's death changes Kakashi, and Kakashi adopts many of Obito's traits. One such trait is Obito's concept of teamwork, which is most clearly seen in the way Kakashi tests newly-graduated students hoping to become a squad under him. He uses the bell test to test his students, which requires the three students to get the two bells he keeps on his person. Only those who get a bell get to pass, which would be difficult even with teamwork, as at least one ninja would fail regardless. However, the rule is only a ruse; the point of the test is to foster teamwork and teach the students that some rules need to be broken on occasion. Team 7 is the only team to have realized this and passed the test. Kakashi also inherits Obito's chronic lateness due to his frequent visits to Konoha's memorial site, which he visits for Obito's sake.

Ability

As stated by Sakura, Kakashi is the highest-ranking technique specialist in Konoha, and said to be the strongest Jonin in the village by the manga databooks. He tends to focus mainly on ninjutsu though, using his Sharingan to copy the techniques of others and then turn them on their source. However, he is skilled in all three forms of jutsu, having shown his abilities with genjutsu in the bell test with Team 7. Though having never shown prowess in taijutsu, Naruto commented that Kakashi was more skilled than Rock Lee, who himself is extremely good at it. Kakashi actually uses Lee's Front Lotus during the first movie to kill an opponent, though the movie doesn't quite fit into the series' timeline.

Kakashi has his own personal pack of Ninken ("ninja dogs"), which he calls into battle with the Summoning Technique. The dogs were apparently trained by Kakashi, and the smallest one, Pakkun, can even speak. He uses these dogs for tracking purposes, but they can also be used for attack, as seen during his battle with Zabuza Momochi, in which he uses Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique to hold Zabuza still by having the dogs follow Zabuza through the ground by tracking the scent of Kakashi's blood on his sword.

Though Kakashi has copied the majority of his jutsu, his most powerful jutsu is one of his own creations: the One Thousand Birds, a ball of lightning-based chakra held in the hand that can kill in a single hit. Kakashi's current version is known as Lightning Cut, because he is said to have cut through a lightning bolt with it. His version is also more powerful and requires better chakra control, making the two separate, yet still similar, techniques. While the jutsu normally has the downside of leaving the user open to a counter-attack, Kakashi's Sharingan eye allows him to bypass the weakness.

Kakashi's Sharingan eye gives him a significant advantage in battle, as he can copy enemy techniques and use them as his own, as well as track and predict his opponent's. In addition, he can even copy a jutsu that an opponent hasn't used through the Sharingan's hypnotic and suggestive abilities. However, because it is a transplanted eye, his Sharingan eye is always active. While this would not be a problem for an Uchiha, his non-Uchiha blood causes it to use much more chakra than it should. Because of this, he covers it with his forehead protector and only reveals it for the toughest of battles. Kakashi's use of the Sharingan is almost as good as that of Itachi Uchiha, though the aforementioned handicaps brought about by the nature of his eye make him weaker in comparison.

In Part II, Kakashi has developed his own variant of the Mangekyo Sharingan, which acts differently than Itachi's. With it, he can manipulate space-time, even to a focus, and utilize it to conduct long range attacks. In its premiere, he managed to sever Deidara's right arm. Later on, when Deidara's clone attempted to blow himself and everyone around him up, he used the Mangekyo Sharingan to send the clone to another dimension. The Mangekyo Sharingan tires Kakashi considerably, and after using it up to three times he had to be hospitalized for weeks.

Part I

Team 7

The initial results of the Survival Training Exam for Team 7 were unpromising. Sakura's tunnel vision focus on Sasuke, Naruto's impulsive insistence on being a one man show and Sasuke's arrogant superiority complex and loner attitude resulted in a huge lack of teamwork, which led them to fail the Survival Training Exam. During lunchtime, Naruto was not to be given any food from either Sasuke or Sakura since he tried to eat it by himself during the test. But by breaking that rule, they were the first to pass the test, since the true purpose was to test their teamwork and commitment to each other; not to follow rules that would jeopardize the lives of their comrades.

The team improved their skills under Kakashi's training, which included the tree-walking exercise seen in the anime and manga. This exercise, which involves the use of chakra to walk up trees with feet alone, greatly improved the chakra control abilities of the team as they prepared for a final battle in the Land of Waves against Zabuza Momochi and his student, Haku.

Kakashi's controversial decision to permit Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to take the Chunin exam surprised many, who believed that Kakashi should have given the team another year to prepare. Yet, through this decision, the team begins to truly realize their potential to be ninja. By the end of the second stage, the three exhibit signs of extensive growth from their extreme ordeals.

Kakashi, during the tree-walking exercise, is the first one to recognize Naruto's potential to surpass Sasuke and even himself in Chakra capacity. Initially considered to be weak and untalented, Naruto's growth as a ninja early in the series is attributed to Kakashi's training and influence. Naruto, in his fight against Kiba Inuzuka, quotes Kakashi's earlier admonition to him: "Use your techniques carefully, after giving some thought to what you're doing! Or it'll be used to the other person's advantage, stupid!" Naturally, Kakashi was amused.

However, despite the training that Kakashi has given to Naruto and Sakura, the one he has spent the most time in training with is Sasuke. After the second stage of the Chunin exam until Sasuke's defection to Orochimaru, Kakashi takes an active role in training Sasuke, teaching him One Thousand Birds and how to use his Sharingan, as well as attempting to seal the effects of Sasuke's Cursed Seal. Kakashi, like Sasuke, has lost many important people in his life including Obito, whose name is engraved in the memorial stone. Sasuke's Sharingan ability and natural talent, combined by a need for supervision due to the cursed seal and Orochimaru, lead Kakashi to train Sasuke for the third portion of the Chunin exam, much to Naruto's disappointment, believing that Kakashi is playing favorites with Sasuke. Kakashi's intention was for Sasuke to learn to use the Chidori to focus on protecting the important friends he has made in the present, rather than seeking vengeance for the loss of his family.

With Akatsuki seeking to capture Naruto, Jiraiya appropriates responsibility for Naruto and his training from Kakashi, while they agree that Sasuke should develop his Sharingan under Kakashi's guidance.

Following his recovery after a confrontation with Itachi Uchiha, Kakashi awakes to find that much has changed. Sasuke's frustration at his inability to kill Itachi, and his growing envy of Naruto's recent growth and success, leads him to demand a fight against Naruto in order to prove his superiority. The fight quickly gets out of hand and Kakashi is forced to intervene to protect Sakura from accidental harm.

Despite Kakashi's admonishment about One Thousand Birds and his need to end his quest for revenge, Sasuke's frustration and his need for revenge against Itachi lead him to leave the village and seek Orochimaru and his offer of power. Knowing that Naruto and Sasuke have the potential to kill each other, Kakashi attempts to intervene but arrives too late, finding Naruto seriously injured and Sasuke gone, having succeeded in his defection to Orochimaru. This is the first time that being late has severely cost him, though it is worth noting that Kakashi was away on a mission when Sasuke left and immediately pursued Naruto and Sasuke when he heard from Tsunade that Sasuke had left.

With Kakashi being called on by the village to take more A and S level missions due to the current manpower shortage, Sasuke's defection to Orochimaru, Naruto's three-year apprenticeship to Jiraiya, and Sakura's medical apprenticeship to Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, Team 7 was defunct during the timeskip.

Filler arcs

Curiously, Kakashi had very few appearances in the filler arcs compared to his role in the main series. He first appeared briefly in the Mizuki Strikes Back arc, summoning Pakkun to aid Iruka Umino in locating the escaped criminals. He also briefly appeared at the beginning of the one-episode-long comedy arc, Green Beasts, where he notified Tsunade of the Guy and Lee impostors. Later, Kakashi came to the aid of Naruto, Neji and Tenten in the latter half of the Land of Birds arc, defeating two of the main Watari Ninja.

Naruto the Movie

Kakashi played a small role in the 1st movie. He freed the Princess Fuun movie's staff from being tied up by Sakura and Sasuke due to them thought to be guilty of hunting Fuun. The three Snow Ninja and Doto appear to know Kakashi from a time before the movie takes place. Kakashi encountered Nadare throughout the movie and killed him using Front Lotus. It also states in the movie that Kakashi, as an ANBU member, was the one who saved Fuun when she was a child.

Part II

After two and a half years, Naruto and Jiraiya return to the village earlier than expected because of the impatience of Akatsuki at capturing Naruto for his nine-tailed demon fox. Kakashi forms a team with Naruto and Sakura again. However, the relationship between the three is no longer teacher and students, but equal teammates.

Kakashi decides to test Naruto and Sakura's skills with another bell exercise, identical to the one they underwent with Sasuke when they first met Kakashi. This time, however, the purpose is to actually retrieve the bells, since there's no longer an uneven number. The exercise reveals that Naruto and Sakura's skills and abilities had improved over the years, though he is still able to keep the bells from them. However, Naruto and Sakura manage to finally retrieve the two bells by preying upon Kakashi's addiction to the "Icha Icha" ("Make Out") series of books written by Jiraiya. During the test, they try to spoil the ending of the latest volume, "Icha Icha Tactics" (イチャイチャタクティクス, Icha Icha Takutikusu^?, literally "Make out Tactics"), which Naruto gave to Kakashi. Kakashi is forced to both cover his ears and close his eyes, since he could read their lip movements with his Sharingan.

Rescue Gaara Arc

Upon hearing that Gaara had been kidnapped by Akatsuki, the team of Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi are sent to the village of the Sand for assistance. When they arrive, Chiyo attacks Kakashi, believing him to be the White Fang of Konoha. She soon realizes her mistake and laughs it off. After Sakura heals Kankuro from his poisoning in the hands of Sasori, Chiyo joins the three Leaf Ninjas in tracking down Gaara. However, they are confronted by Itachi Uchiha, who engages Naruto and Kakashi in combat. However, it turns out that this manifestation of Itachi was nothing more than a body substitution jutsu.

Finally arriving at the place where Gaara was being held (and meeting Team Guy there also), they break into the cave to find Deidara and Sasori standing over Gaara's limp body. Deidara creates a clay bird with his hands and takes Gaara's body, and Kakashi and Naruto chase, leaving Chiyo and Sakura to deal with Sasori. Whilst chasing Deidara, Kakashi uses his new Mangekyo Sharingan and uses it to tear off Deidara's remaining arm. Naruto advances to finish him off, but when Naruto realizes his Rasengan hits nothing more than a Deidara bunshin, he starts to lose composure and grow chakra tails. Kakashi then uses a seal that Jiraiya gave him to quickly return Naruto to normal, thus stopping Naruto's transformation at only two tails.

As Deidara tries one last attack with his explosive clay, Kakashi once again utilizes Mangekyo Sharingan to send the clay explosion to another dimension. Kakashi then collapses from exhaustion from overusing his Sharingan. The effects on his body are so severe that, in a rather hilarious moment, Kakashi has to be carried back to Konoha on Might Guy's back. As a result, Kakashi is unable to accompany Naruto and Sakura on their next mission, and Yamato temporarily replaced him as the leader of the new Team 7.

Current Arc

Yamato has informed Kakashi of all that has occurred during the Grass Country mission. When Naruto, Sakura, and Sai visits him at the hospital, he informs them of a new training technique he created that will help them improve their strength and be able to compete with Sasuke. Specifically it was designed for Naruto. After this training, Kakashi says that Naruto's strength might surpass his own. This training involves creating his own ultimate jutsu, one that can even surpass Naruto's Spiraling Sphere. He also stated that due to this, Naruto wouldn't be super powerful within a few days like some protagonist from a novel (this likely refers to Shonen manga in general, parodying it in that the main characters frequently gain enormous amounts of power easily and in a short period of time). Before he can finish, Ino and the rest of her group come in and interrupt during the conversation so they weren't able to go on but Kakashi says they will continue later. Kakashi is also about to discuss an important matter with Asuma. Then Kurenai interrupts them, and Asuma leaves with her, while Kakashi muses on the fact that he was led on by Asuma just like he led on Naruto.

Later, when Kakashi leaves the hospital, he finally begins to explain to Naruto how he will train him to complete a new more powerful jutsu. It involves two techniques. The first technique involves 'altering the nature' of one's chakra. The second technique involves 'altering the shape' of one's chakra. He explains that the Spiraling Sphere is an example of altering the shape of chakra, and that his One Thousand Birds is an example of 'altering the nature' of chakra (in this case creating an electric current). In order for Naruto to create his new jutsu he must learn the technique of altering his chakra's nature.

Kakashi explains to Naruto that the method to speed up his training involves the use of shadow clones. Kakashi explains that because they are actual clones, Naruto will remember everything the clones do once they disperse. Kakashi then helps Naruto discover the element Naruto's chakra is based on using a special kind of paper that reacts to chakra. Handling the paper as an example, Kakashi makes it crumple, showing his affinity to lightning. When Naruto channels his chakra into the paper, it splits, indicating that he has an affinity for wind. With that, they begin training to manipulate that element. Kakashi explains to Naruto that the wind element is considered the strongest close and mid-range type for battle.

Kakashi begins the training by having Naruto and each of his clones hold a single leaf in their hands, and try to split the leaf with just their chakra. After some effort, only one of the 1000 clones manages to split the leaf. After seeing this, however, Kakashi remarks that this training may go faster than he thought. He also comments that Naruto is learning how to use his clones effectively, after he uses one to pick up some tips from Asuma Sarutobi, another wind-element user. After Naruto successfully manages to split the leaf, Kakashi tells Naruto to go and cut a waterfall that Yamato had created earlier, using Yamato's wood as a floor to stand on. Once Naruto splits the whole waterfall (rather quickly according to Kakashi) Kakashi takes Naruto to get some Ramen after Naruto passes out. When finishing his meal, Kakashi states that he has something very important to show Naruto. This is revealed to be the Spiraling Sphere, which Kakashi learned from the Fourth, apparently before Kakashi had even developed the Chidori. He notes that the Rasengan is an incomplete jutsu, since it is meant to be used in conjunction with the user's nature manipulation, a feat neither he nor the Fourth Hokage could accomplish. He also stated to Yamato that he truly believes that Naruto will be greater than the Fourth.

As Naruto trains alone, Kakashi continues to watch him. However, frustrated at this lack of progress, Naruto tries to pull too much chakra causing a surge of the demon fox's chakra to suddenly appear and begin changing Naruto. Yamato is able to suppress the chakra, but is unsure if he will always be able to stop these changes. Kakashi comments that the success or failure of this training rest on Yamato's ability to control the Demon fox.