Kakashi Hatake

is a Konohagakure Jonin, a former ANBU Captain and the leader of Team 7. He is the son of Sakumo Hatake and, like his father, Kakashi is regarded as a genius among his peers. After his meteoric rise through the ninja ranks, Kakashi became the student of Minato Namikaze, and subsequently became a Jonin during the Third Great Ninja War. Following the war, Kakashi earned renown for his use of the Sharingan, earning him the moniker.

Background
Kakashi is the son of the genius ninja, Sakumo Hatake who had respect on par with the Sannin. Like his father, Kakashi has been known since a young age as an extremely gifted ninja, regarded by many as the best of his generation. He graduated from the academy top of his class at the age of 5, and then became a Chunin a year later. However, his success came at a great loss; his father, once well respected in the village, fell into disgrace after choosing to save his comrades rather than complete a mission, causing Konohagakure to suffer in the war effort. Dishonored, Sakumo committed suicide after deep depression and a drop in his skills, which caused Kakashi to lead his life strictly by the ninja code.

Kakashi was teamed with Obito Uchiha and Rin under the leadership of Minato Namikaze. Kakashi's relationship with Obito and Rin was very much similar to that of Sasuke's relationship with Naruto and Sakura respectively as he was the indifferent genius who shared a complicated relationship with his teammates that later developed into a close friendship.

Kakashi Gaiden
Soon after becoming a Jonin, Kakashi was assigned to lead Rin and Obito on a mission that would benefit Konoha in the ongoing Third Great Shinobi War. They were to destroy a bridge being used by Iwagakure forces to move into the Land of Grass. On their way to the bridge Rin was kidnapped. Electing not to make the same mistake as his father, Kakashi chose to abandon her. Obito, angered by his indifference, chose to rescue her, voicing his opinion that Sakumo had made the right decision before he leaves. Touched, Kakashi decides to help.

In the ensuing battle, Kakashi's left eye is damaged by Taiseki. Obito awakens his Sharingan in order to kill Taiseki and save Kakashi, allowing them to proceed onto Rin. Once they locate and free her the three are trapped in an enemy cave-in. Obito pushes Kakashi out of the way of a falling boulder but is crushed himself. Unable to free himself, Obito asks Rin, a medical-nin, to give his Sharingan eye to Kakashi as a gift to replace his damaged one. She complies and after the procedure Kakashi is able to use the Sharingan to kill the remaining enemy ninja. He returns to see if there is anything he can do for Obito, but the cave continues to collapse and Kakashi and Rin are forced to leave him behind and escape. With the help of Minato they complete their mission, allowing them to mourn Obito's death.

Kakashi eventually joined the Konohagakure ANBU where he served as a squad leader. During this time, Kakashi rose to fame as Konoha's Copy Ninja (sometimes known as Sharingan Kakashi), a nickname he earned due to use of his Sharingan eye. He cultivated a group of students that included Yugao Uzuki and Tenzo, and recognized the latter as the most successful of this group. He later left for unknown reasons, but maintains strong connections with the ANBU and still wears the characteristic iron guards on his gloves.

Personality
Obito's death had a huge impact on Kakashi's personality. He is more cheerful, laidback, and shows greater concern for his teammates, placing their safety over the successful completion of a mission. Kakashi used this belief when deciding whether or not to take on a Genin team, requiring that the Genin work together instead of doing as he told them. He is also regularly late for appointments. This is because of his frequent visits to the memorial where Obito's name is engraved, where he loses track of time. Despite Obito's influence, Kakashi retains his bluntness and general dispassion. At times Kakashi tends to push everyone away, though he means well. Noting that everyone close to him is already dead, he is unwilling to let others get close to him.

Kakashi is a fan of the Icha Icha series of novels. He is typically seen reading one of the books when not involved in a fight, making it the only of one (of his reportedly many) hobbies that is ever seen in the series. Despite his fondness for the books, he grows uncomfortable when reading passages to others, presumably embarrassed by the adult content. Naruto has on one occasion used he books against Kakashi, threatening to spoil the ending of the latest installment to force Kakashi to let down his guard (by shutting his eyes and ears) to prevent learning about the ending. Kakashi's favorite foods are broiled saury with salt and miso soup with eggplant, with his least favorite being tempura.

Kakashi has an ongoing, albeit one-sided, rivalry with Might Guy. In trying to prove himself superior to Kakashi, Guy challenges him to competitions of questionable value ranging from Rock, Paper, Scissors to sumo-wrestling. Guy has a record of 50 wins to 49 loses, which he is particularly proud of. Kakashi shows little interest in their competitions, which only further inspires Guy to defeat Kakashi and his "coolness".

Appearance
Kakashi's personality is further emphasized by his lazy expression, aloof manner, relaxed voice, and minimalist attitude. He is usually seen in his Leaf Village ninja uniform. Another noticeable feature to Kakashi other than his unique left eye is the thin scar running over it and down to his cheek. He is a tall, fit ninja who has been told he looks just like his father. He is characterized by his spiky silver hair, forehead protector regularly covering his left eye, and his chronically visible mask.

While it has yet to be revealed why, he has since a young age always been seen concealing the lower half of his face. What he looks like remains a point of interest for his students, who try to find out what he looks like in various omake specials in the series. Episode 101, which is devoted to Team 7 trying to remove their sensei's mask, implies that he is in fact quite handsome from Teuchi and Ayame's reaction to seeing his face. In the few instances that he is seen without his mask (though still obstructed by some object) it has been seen that he has a narrow jaw-line.

Team 7 arc
Having failed the last few Genin teams that were assigned to him, Kakashi is given another opportunity with Team 7. When first meeting them he has a brief Q&A with its members: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha. The next days he gives them a bell test, requiring that the three of them obtain the two bells he keeps on his person. They work independently to try and take a bell, unwilling to work together since one of them would not be able to have a bell. Each proves little challenge for Kakashi, Naruto being particularly inept, so they break for lunch.

Naruto having earlier tried to steal their lunches, Kakashi forbids Sakura or Sasuke to feed him. Deciding that they will need Naruto in peak condition if they are to work together and take the bells, they feed him anyway. Kakashi sees this and confronts them, feigning anger that they disobeyed him before passing them. He explains the true objective of the test and congratulates them for being the first team to pass under him.

Land of Waves arc
After completing a number of easy missions Team 7, at Naruto's insistence, is assigned a somewhat more difficult task of escorting Tazuna to the Land of Waves. They are attacked en route by the Demon Brothers. Although Kakashi is able to defeat them with little effort, he realizes that there is more to the mission than a simple escort. He convinces Tazuna to tell them the truth: that the Land of Waves is under the tyranny of Gato. Tazuna hopes to build a bridge that will free the country, and has thus garnered Gato's assassination attempts. Even though the mission is more dangerous than what they were initially assigned, Team 7 agrees to act as his bodyguard until the bridge is complete.

Upon arriving in the Land of Waves, Team 7 is attacked by Zabuza Momochi, an another of Gato's hired assassins. After having a few bouts with the Water Clone Technique, Kakashi is trapped by Zabuza Water Prison Technique. Kakashi pleads for his students to flee with Tazuna, but they instead choose to work together and manage to free him. Using his Sharingan, Kakashi is able to turn the tide against Zabuza, but before he can land a killing blow a boy named Haku steps in and appears to kill Zabuza first. He takes Zabuza's body away, claiming that he will dispose of it, and Kakashi collapses from exhaustion.

Fearing that Zabuza may be alive, Kakashi has Team 7 train to gain better control over their chakra while he recuperates. In a week they had mastered the training and so resumed their bodyguard duty. Haku and Zabuza, having recovered from their earlier battle, attacks them again. While Haku engages Sasuke and Naruto, Kakashi fights Zabuza. Having learned from his defeat, Zabuza relies on sneak attacks during the battle to keep from falling prey to Kakashi's Sharingan. In response, Kakashi uses Summoning Technique: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique to locate and pin down Zabuza, making him an easy target for the Lightning Blade.

Before he can land a finishing blow Kakashi is once again interrupted by Haku. Haku uses himself as a human shield, dying but managing to free Zabuza and restrain Kakashi with the last of his energy. Kakashi escapes Haku's grip and disables Zabuza's arms, ending their fight. When Gato shows up to, Kakashi watches as Zabuza kills him and the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to scare away Gato's thugs. As Zabuza dies Kakashi takes him to Haku's body, and later buries them beside each other before returning to Konoha.

Chunin Exams arc
Kakashi enters Team 7 in the Chunin Exams. After Sasuke is branded with the Cursed Seal of Heaven by Orochimaru during the exam's second phase, Kakashi uses the Evil Sealing Method to try and prevent its usage. Following the preliminary matches Kakashi teaches Sasuke to use the Chidori as an additional deterrent against the cursed seal. Their training runs late, and a month later Kakashi delivers him to his final round match late.

When the invasion of Konoha begins during Sasuke's match, Kakashi helps repel the invaders. When he notices that Sasuke is going after Gaara, Kakashi sends Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Pakkun to stop him and bring him back.

Return of Itachi arc
Shortly after the invasion is prevented, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, of Akatsuki infiltrate the village. Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi try to apprehend the two, but when they are almost killed in the attempt Kakashi steps in. Though able to hold his own against Itachi for a short while, Kakashi falls prey to Tsukuyomi. Severely weakened by the technique, Kakashi confirms that Itachi and Kisame are after Naruto and the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox before collapsing. For knowing so much Kisame tries to capture Kakashi, but Might Guy arrives in time to drive the Akatsuki members off.

Kakashi is left in a come after the experience and is not revived until Tsunade returns to the village. Immediately after recovering he is sent on a new mission.

Sasuke Retrieval arc
When Kakashi returns, he finds out that Sasuke has defected to Orochimaru and that a squad of Genin was all that had been sent out to retrieve him. Ignoring the fact that he has a new mission, Kakashi rushes out to track down Sasuke and the retrieval team. Using his ninken, Kakashi is able to locate a defeated Naruto, Sasuke having already left the area. Unable to pursue Sasuke because of a fresh rain fall, Kakashi takes Naruto back to the village to recover.

Filler arcs
Kakashi continues to be sent on missions during the anime's filler arcs, leaving him with very few appearances. He returns from a mission in time to recapture some of he prisoners that escaped from prison when Mizuki led a breakout. He is later sent to assist with the Noroishimusha incident in the Land of Birds. While not officially his mission and arriving much later, Kakashi realized the situation was not as it seems, ultimately taking command of the team and thereby deciding to investigate. This led to Kakashi's fight with Oki's minions Nagare and Hokushin whom Kakashi defeated with relative ease.

In the final filler arc, Kakashi was sent to spy on the Takumi Village when rumors of an uprising reach Konoha. There, he discovered that the entire village was abandoned and corpses where missing. He later showed up nearing the end of the arc where he was sent as back-up along with Jiraiya to aid Naruto and the rest of the Genin aid the Sand Village only to discover that Naruto's team had already successfully completed their mission. At the conclusion of Part I, Naruto and Sakura begin training under Jiraiya and Tsunade respectively, leaving Kakashi without any students for the next two-and-a-half years.

Rescue Gaara arc
After Naruto's return to the village, Kakashi decides to reassemble the remaining members of Team 7 as "Team Kakashi". To see how his students have improved, Kakashi has another bell test, this time the real objective being to actually capture the bells. When they are unable to get close enough to Kakashi to take a bell, Naruto and Sakura resort to trying to spoil the plot of the most recent Icha Icha novel, throwing Kakashi off guard and allowing them to take the bells.

When they return to the village, they learn that Gaara has been kidnapped by Akatsuki. Team Kakashi is sent to Sunagakure to help in retrieving him, where they are teamed with Chiyo before heading out to find Gaara. Along the way they encounter Itachi Uchiha. Kakashi is able to do better in this battle, but he notes that Itachi's performance was not what it was the last time they met. After Naruto kills this Itachi with a Great Ball Rasengan, they discover that it was only a look-alike and continue on their way. They meet with Team Guy, which was sent as backup, outside the Akatsuki lair. They are able to infiltrate the lair where they find Deidara and Sasori with Gaara's body.

Deidara flies off with Gaara's body, and Naruto and Kakashi give chase, leaving Sasori to Sakura and Chiyo. While pursuing Deidara, Kakashi tries to use his new Mangekyo Sharingan and its Kamui ability to stop him, but it takes multiple tries before he can slow Deidara down long enough for Naruto to attack him. Naruto is able to retrieve Gaara, so Deidara tries to using a Suicide Bombing Clone to escape. Kakashi uses Kamui again to get rid of the explosion, saving the team. After Gaara is revived, Team Kakashi and Team Guy return to Konoha. Because he left unable to move due to overuse of Kamui, Kakashi is carried home on Guy's back.

Sai and Sasuke arc
Forced to rest in bed for a week, Kakashi is unable to accompany Naruto in Sakura in tracking down Sasuke. When they fail in their effort and return, Kakashi meets Sasuke's replacement: Sai. Knowing that Naruto is disappointed by the failure, Kakashi decides to help him create a new jutsu that will make him more of a match when they meet again. Using the Shadow Clone Technique, Kakashi trains Naruto to master manipulating wind-based chakra in a fraction of the time before instructing him to find a way to combine what he's learned with the Rasengan.

Hidan and Kakuzu arc
After hearing that Asuma Sarutobi has been killed in a battle with Akatsuki, Kakashi decides to lead Team 10 in avenging him. He leaves Yamato in charge of overseeing Naruto's training, and has Shikamaru Nara kill him in on the plan of attack. When they locate Hidan and Kakuzu, Shikamaru distracts the two, giving Kakashi an opportunity to hit Kakuzu with a Lightning Blade. The attack only manages to destroy one of Kakuzu's five hearts, and Kakashi is barely able to escape a counterattack with a capsule filled with Kakuzu's blood. Shikamaru decides to split up the two Akatsuki members, and after being given the blood capsule leads Hidan away.

Kakashi and the remaining members of Team 10 struggle to combat Kakuzu and the abilities of his three hearts. Kakuzu is bale to capture them and almost takes their hearts for himself, but Shikamaru is elsewhere able to trick Hidan into destroying another of Kakuzu's hearts. Kakuzu recovers and tries to attack them again, but Naruto and the rest of Team Kakashi arrive to help. Using his new Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, Naruto is able to destroy two of Kakuzu's hearts and leave the final one on the brink of failure. Kakashi finishes him off with a final Lightning Blade before they return home.

Three-Tails Arrival filler arc
In the anime, Kakashi is assigned to lead Team 8 in tracking down Orochimaru and potentially Sasuke. They are able to find one of his bases, but it is destroyed upon their arrival to get rid of any evidence. They decide to look for survivors and in doing so find a number of prisoners trapped in crystals. Perplexed by this, Kakashi is unable to properly investigating, discovering that the team is being spied on. They quickly encounter Gozu, who Kakashi engages in battle. Kakashi initially is forced on the defensive from his opponent's unique power to alter his body for enhanced physical might, but analyzes his opponent's attack methods and corners him. He hits Gozu with his Lightning Blade, forcing Gozu to retreat.

Kakashi then quickly returned to his team soon find themselves in trapped by Guren's Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Labyrinth Technique. None of Team 8's unique tracking abilities function properly in the labyrinth, and Hinata is soon captured. Team Yamato arrives in time to free them from the labyrinth, and together they rescue Hinata. Concerned by Guren's crystal abilities, the two teams continue their pursuit but have Naruto uses shadow clones to throw off the enemy spies.

Team 8 and Team Yamato arrive at a lake where they sense the Three-Tailed Beast somewhere in its center. They are able to encounter Guren and her men again, but they all retreat when the Three Tails produces a huge tidal wave. After recovering from the attack Kakashi sends Pakkun to Tsunade to see how they should proceed..

Hunt for Uchiha arc
When word of Orochimaru's defeat at the hands of Sasuke reaches Konoha, Kakashi tries to make another stab at retrieving Sasuke. He assembles to members of Team Kakashi and Team 8 (sans Kurenai) into an 8-Man Squad and set out to locate either Sasuke or his target, Itachi Uchiha. Naruto is eventually able to find Sasuke's location, and the team gives chase, only to be stopped by Tobi. Their efforts to attack Tobi all prove futile, and it is not until Zetsu reports to Tobi that Sasuke has killed Itachi that they are allowed to continue. Tobi gets to Sasuke first and, having lost the trail, the squad is forced to return home.

Invasion of Pain arc
When the leader of Akatsuki, Pain, attacks Konoha in search of Naruto, Kakashi confronts Pain's Deva Path. He is quickly overpowered by the Deva Path's Shinra Tensei, capable of repelling all of Kakashi's attacks. When the Asura Path arrives to help, Kakashi is forced on the defensive until backup arrives. The backup, including Choji Akimichi, is able to get rid of the Asura Path, giving them an opportunity to attack the Deva Path. The Asura Path uses itself as a shield and they are again repelled by the Deva Path.

Believing them all to be dead, the Deva Path leaves. When he comes to, Kakashi sends Choji to tell Tsunade about the Deva Path's ability. The still-active Asura Path launches a missile at Choji, and Kakashi uses Kamui to dispose of the missile. Having expended the last of his chakra, Kakashi starts to black out. He laments his inability to protect Rin or Obito during his life, and soon finds himself at a campfire with his father, to whom he tells everything that has happened in his life.

Although Kakashi's fate has yet to be addressed directly, Tsunade and Naruto's reactions upon sensing Kakashi's condition (or lack thereof), suggest he is dead.

Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
In Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, Team 7 is given orders for an A-rank mission to escort the famous actress Yukie Fujikaze to the Land of Snow. Upon arriving in the Land of Snow, they were attacked by three Snow Village ninjas Kakashi had fought years ago while still a captain of ANBU. It is then revealed that Yuki was actually Koyuki Kazahana, the true heir as daimyo to the Land of Snow who Kakashi saved years ago from her treacherous uncle Doto. Kakashi uses his Sharingan to copy some of their ice-based jutsu to escape.

Realizing what Doto was after, Koyuki's necklace crystal, Kakashi switched with a fake in an attempt to stop him. Later when Koyuki was kidnapped, Kakashi along with his team (except for Naruto who recklessly went ahead) mounted a rescue attempt. After Kakashi returned Koyuki's necklace to her, and Doto then made off with it and Koyuki, Kakashi was intercepted by Nadare. Knowing his opponent had such high protection from ninjutsu and genjutsu thanks to his armor, Kakashi relied on his taijutsu and defeated him with his Front Lotus. In the end when Koyuki takes up her role as daimyo, Kakashi is surprised and overjoyed to find out she will be starring in a new Icha Icha Paradise movie.

Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom
In Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, Kakashi is sent on a mission of escorting Prince Michiru of the Land of the Moon and his son Hikaru back home. He is joined by his team (and Rock Lee as a stand-in for Sasuke). Upon arriving it is discovered that the Land of the Moon has been taken over by one of the king's advisers, Shabadaba, with the help of rogue ninja. After getting assistance from the royal guards still loyal to the king, Kakashi uses an earth jutsu to aid in an escape.

Later, Kakashi faces off against the leader of the rogue ninja, Ishidate, but fails to keep up with his opponent thanks to being affected by a special gas and ultimately has his left arm petrified to stone which lets the rogue ninja capture Michiru. After his arm is cured by Sakura, Kakashi joins a circus in a diversion while having his team enter the castle to save Michiru. He then uses his Sharingan and a water jutsu to keep the enemies occupied. In the end, Kakashi overuses his Sharingan and is forced to be hospitalized for several days, thus allowing his team to have a vacation in the Land of the Moon.

Shippūden the Movie
Kakashi only had a few cameos in Naruto Shippūden the Movie. When word reaches Konoha that the legendary demon Mouryō has been released and has begun its quest to control the world, Kakashi is sent out as one of the lead ninja to mount a counterattack on Mouryō's assault of stone warriors. This was merely to stall for time while Naruto, Sakura, Rock Lee, and Neji escorts the priestess Shion who has the power to reseal Mouryō. Near the end of the movie, Kakashi appears with several allies to support Naruto and Shion as they go to stop Mouryō. Kakashi uses his lightning jutsu to destroy several stone warriors. At the end of the movie, Kakashi is shocked by Shion's proposal for Naruto to father her child; even more by the fact that Naruto obliviously agreed.

Abilities
Kakashi is shown to be very respected throughout Konoha, as well as being constantly depicted as one of the most powerful ninja Konoha has to offer. He is also recognized as the foremost jutsu specialists in Konoha due to his high proficiency in all forms of ninja combat and copying over 1,000 jutsu with his Sharingan eye. His knowledge of jutsu and chakra is so high, that he was requested to watch over Naruto in case the seal of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox began to fail. A true testament to his skill is during a conversation, both Jiraiya and Tsunade mentioning that if the need ever should arise, Kakashi would be an obvious candidate for the title of Hokage.

Kakashi's naturally calm attitude is used to his advantage in battle, allowing him to stay collected and out think the opponent, similar to Shikamaru Nara. In line with this comparison to other characters, Naruto has noted Kakashi's sense of smell to be better than Kiba Inuzuka, taijutsu skills better than Rock Lee, and a mastery of the Sharingan greater than Sasuke. These general abilities are greatly improved between Part I and II. In Part I he was unable to keep up with Itachi Uchiha's hand seal speed, even with the use of his Sharingan. By Part II he is able to emulate Itachi's speed to an extent, even having an easier time keeping up with Itachi's movements. His chakra levels see a similar improvement; in Part I he can only use Lightning Blade four times a day, yet in Part II he has been seen using the attack upwards of six times.

Experience
As an Jonin and former ANBU captain, Kakashi is very adept in any form of battle. He is regularly put in charge of whatever squad he is assigned to and works well with its diverse members. This is primarily because he can quickly analyze the situation at hand and comprehend his opponent's abilities and battle tactics. After doing so, he can use sharp intuition to make quick and firm decisions to switch to the appropriate counter tactics. Against more powerful opponents, he will regularly use various misdirection and trap tactics to weaken the opponent. Kakashi is also highly proficient at evasion, as shown when he was able to fight on par with Hidan, and later with Kakuzu, while at the same time avoiding taking damage and protecting Ino and Choji.

Mastery of Ninja Skills
Kakashi primarily relies on his mastery of ninjutsu, of which he has a vast arsenal. With his arsenal, he can attack or defend against his opponents in numerous manners. While used less often, he has also shown to have impressive skill in genjutsu which he will use to catch his opponent off guard as a setup for stronger attacks. Kakashi is skilled in taijutsu, but generally avoids getting close enough to the opponent to use it. Orochimaru notes in Part I that Kakashi has recently learned to use sealing jutsu, which he uses to try restrict Sasuke's access to the Cursed Seal of Heaven.

When Kakashi was younger, he had shown to have inherited his father's uniquely strong and adaptive chakra as well as the ability to manifest it through his clan's special tanto to form a white aura. He was taught several skills of his master's unique skills including the Rasengan. However, Kakashi was only able to master the jutsu to the extent the Fourth had, as the Rasengan was meant for element chakra to be mixed with it.

Elemental Techniques
In addition to the sheer number of jutsu at Kakashi's disposal, he is an even more formidable opponent from his extensive knowledge and skill at elemental jutsu. He has a natural affinity for Lightning Release techniques, which culminated in his creation of the Chidori. He has been able to use his Sharingan to copy a number of Water Release abilities (used without a preexisting water source), and has displayed Earth Release abilities on occasion. In the anime he is seen using Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, and in some games wind-based jutsu.

Even though he owes much of his repertoire to his Sharingan, Kakashi is capable of creating his own techniques, namely the Chidori. While powerful, the Chidori had two drawbacks, flaws that prompted Minato Namikaze to ban his student from using the technique after seeing it in action. After gaining the Sharingan eye, the tunnel effect could be worked around as he could now see his opponents clearly, but he could still only use the jutsu four times a day. He later refined the Chidori into the stronger Lightning Blade. Like Sasuke, Kakashi further refines his Lightning Blade and developed several new jutsu, reshaping lightning into the form of dogs or copies of himself.

Sharingan
Kakashi's most distinguishing ability is his Sharingan eye as it allows him to copy any jutsu used against him, see through any deceptions, perform genjutsu, and predict his opponent's movements. The drawback of his Sharingan is that because Kakashi has no Uchiha blood, his body cannot completely adjust to it and hence costs him more chakra than it would an Uchiha. Coupled with the fact that he cannot deactivate it (and thus must keep is covered when not using it) he quickly expends his chakra in battle. Because of this, Kakashi will only rely on it when he feels it is an absolute necessity to try and avoid bedrest afterwards. Despite his handicap with the Sharingan, he is very skilled in using it. Even Itachi, a true heir and master of the Sharingan, acknowledged Kakashi's proficiency with the Sharingan compared to most true Sharingan wielders.

Mangekyo Sharingan
Kakashi has been able to improve his Sharingan with time, somehow improving it from two tomoe when he received it to three by the start of the series. During the timeskip he also develops his own Mangekyo Sharingan through unknown means. With it he can use Kamui, a jutsu with the ability to manipulate space and sends objects to another dimension. It requires a great deal of chakra to perform and his aim leaves something to be desired, as indicated by his struggles to hit Deidara with it. It is unclear if Kakashi suffers from blindness caused by use of the Mangekyo Sharingan, as is the case with other Uchiha.

Creation and conception
Masashi Kishimoto originally intended for Kakashi to debut in the second chapter of the Naruto manga, appearing prior to the other members of Team 7. This Kakashi was designed as a laid back, affected, skilled ninja that ended his sentences with the polite "de gozaru" in the Japanese versions of the series, similar to Himura Kenshin in the popular manga series Rurōni Kenshin and Lance Corporal Dororo in the manga and anime "Keroro Gunsou". After speaking with his editor, Kishimoto pushed this debut back, allowing him to better develop Kakashi and the rest of Team 7. Despite this, Kakashi retains many of his original personality traits, being easygoing, unfazed by the actions of others, and usually appearing to be half-asleep. Kishimoto feels that this makes Kakashi a compelling leader and helps to keep the diverse members of Team 7 unified. Because he acts as a link between the other main characters of the series, Kakashi is rarely featured prominently in promotional artwork, instead appearing in the background while his students are the focus of the scene.

When deciding upon Kakashi's name, Kishimoto considered a number of possibilities:, , , , and. He eventually decided upon Kakashi, and remains glad that he did to this day. In keeping with the meaning of his name, scarecrows are occasionally used to represent Kakashi; Naruto, for example, uses a scarecrow that is dressed like Kakashi to help him train for a combat test between the two. Likewise, scarecrows are at times added to the background of scenes in which Kakashi appears, as is the case with the cover of the Naruto manga volume three.

Trivia

 * Kakashi is one of the only three known people to defeat at least one of Pain's bodies (the others are Jiraiya and Naruto).
 * Kakashi always places in the top three of the Naruto character popularity polls. The third Naruto databook, after compiling the results of all six polls, places Kakashi as the most popular character in the series with 48,469 votes.
 * According to Pakkun in an omake chapter published in the 3rd Databook, Kakashi greatly dislikes being photographed (without his mask).
 * He has the most known ninjutsus so far in the Naruto Series

Quotes

 * "I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate...I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future...never really thought about it. As for my hobbies...I have lots of hobbies."
 * "I won't allow my comrades to die! I'll protect you with my life. Trust me."
 * "I'm telling you this because you don't get it. You think you get it, which is not the same as actually getting it. Get it?"
 * "You want to know what's under my mask? Sure, why didn't you say so in the first place? Okay, here we go. Behind this mask...is another mask! Pretty cool, huh?
 * "The next generation will always surpass the previous one. It's one of the never-ending cycles in life."
 * (To Naruto) "Because you're the only shinobi in the world who can surpass the Fourth. That's what I believe."
 * "The same trick won't work on me twice."
 * "Sorry I'm late, I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life."
 * "Those who break the rules of the ninja world are scum... Yes that's true. However...those who abandon their friends....are worse than scum."