Board Thread:Versus Debates/@comment-26388300-20160506202426/@comment-26388300-20160508020755

I'm more inclined to agree with SuperSaiyaMan. Let me explain.

- Kakashi is smarter than Kisame; we can all agree here, I think. His understanding of ninjutsu is trusted by Guy as being essentially second to none; his abilities as a tactician in Part 1 was compared to Shikamaru, and following the tradition of the series, we can expect that he only improved, as characters tend to. In a discussion regarding intellect, Kisame can't be underestimated; I'd argue that no member of the Akatsuki is dull minded. But Kakashi trumps Kisame here.

- Kakashi is substantially more versatile; I don't believe a worthy counter-argument could be mounted here. He understands and utilizes nearly every realm of ninjacraft: each of the elemental releases, bukijutsu (proficient enough to combat and defeat Zabuza, a fellow member of the Seven), taijutsu expertise (as evidenced by his ongoing competitions with Guy himself), and genjutsu mastery (enabling him to effectively stalemate Obito, a Madara-trained natural-born Uchiha). With the aid of his single Sharingan, as the thread allows him, he not only possesses heightened visual skill and reflexes but also the use of Kamui, a space-time ability so powerful that it could have ended the Ten-Tails, had Obito not quickly intervened. I reject arguments that Kamui faces too many hurdles to be used triumphantly; even when he was a novice with the skill he removed Deidara's arm. By the time of the Fourth Shinobi World War, he was capable of intercepting small, fast objects (like the object Pain attempted to kill him with) with multiple uses, even if exhausted.

- Kakashi enters combat with the natural advantage. Kisame's great strengths are widely known; he operates with hard-hitting water based jutsu. Kakashi is a natural with lightning based jutsu, granting him a means of directly challenging Kisame's top offense. As well, he is likely more aware of Kisame's skill set than Kisame is of Kakashi's himself; Kakashi's strategies are often unexpected and unorthodox, but the results are generally low-risk and successful. He uses misdirection and decoys perhaps better than any single character in the saga, with the exception of Itachi.

- Kakashi's record blows Kisame's out of the water... no cheek intended. Kakashi has defeated fellow members of the Swordsmen of the Mist; he has defeated Guy in a collection of contests (excluding, of course, goofy contests such as paper-rock-scissors); he essentially killed Kakuzu, excluding the fact that Kakuzu more-or-less has multiple lives due to his hearts; this is an opponent once sent to murder Hashirama Senju, and Kakashi met him in battle and matched him; and in the end, he fought off a team of Tailed Beasts alongside Guy... much less a single "tail-less tailed beast". Kisame has been impressive in battle but has lost most of the battles we've seen him in.

Kakashi wins, 9/10 times.