Naruto: Kakashi at his peak was no match for his rival and the plot proves it

Kakashi Hatake, also known as the Copy Ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, was considered one of the most powerful shinobi in the world of Naruto. Not only did he serve as the mentor for Team 7, widely regarded as the strongest team of genins, but he also had a background in the elite Anbu Black Ops and achieved the rank of jonin at a young age, surpassing the typical progression from genin to chunin to jonin.

The Copy Ninja and Might Guy, the taijutsu master of the Hidden Leaf Village, shared a strong rivalry. They saw each other as eternal rivals and always eagerly competed against one another. Prior to the Fourth Great Ninja War, their record stood at a close 51-50 in favor of the Copy Ninja.

Despite the change of events during the war, Guy’s Eight Gate of Death transformation led to the copy ninja acknowledging that he had been surpassed. Towards the end of the war, the copy ninja was able to achieve Perfect Susanoo. However, even with this powerful technique, he still would not have been able to defeat Eight Gate Guy.

The Limitations of Perfect Susanoo: Why Kakashi Would Be Defeated by Guy

Might Guy (left) and the copy ninja (right) (Image via Studio Pierrot)
Might Guy (left) and the copy ninja (right) (Image via Studio Pierrot)

From a young age, Kakashi Hatake showed great promise and was eventually promoted to the rank of jounin. He went on to become a teacher for Team 7 and had previously served as a member of Hidden Leaf’s Anbu Black Ops. During his time as a genin, he was mentored by Minato Namikaze.

Despite being the leader of his team, he faced misfortune on his first mission when one of his teammates, Obito Uchiha, lost his life. As he was trapped under debris, Obito passed down one of his Sharingan, a highly coveted ability within the Uchiha clan, to Kakashi and entrusted him with protecting Rin.

As expected, Kakashi quickly adapted to the Sharingan and was soon known as the Copy Ninja. This was due to his skillful use of the Sharingan’s visual abilities to analyze and replicate the techniques of others, regardless of their difficulty.

During Team 7’s initial mission, the Copy Ninja effortlessly replicated Zabuza Momochi’s jutsu right before his eyes, flawlessly mirroring his speed in performing hand signs. As time went on, he successfully duplicated the Rasengan, a highly coveted jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, and countless others, earning him the title of the Shinobi renowned for mastering over 1000 jutsu techniques.

The copy ninja (left) and Guy (right) (Image via Studio Pierrot)
The copy ninja (left) and Guy (right) (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The copy ninja saw Might Guy, an unconventional ninja, as his perpetual rival. Despite Might Guy’s lack of ninjutsu abilities and reliance on taijutsu in battle, their rivalry reached a climax when the copy ninja surpassed him (51-50). However, their rivalry remained unresolved as it continued on.

During the final stage of the Fourth Great Ninja War in Naruto, Guy made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect the next generation of Shinobi. He unlocked the Eight Gate of Death in his Eight Inner Great Formation and successfully defeated Madara Uchiha, who narrowly escaped death. As a result of this intense battle, the renowned copy ninja acknowledged Guy’s superiority, as he was able to overpower a God.

The copy ninja's Susanoo as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)
The copy ninja’s Susanoo as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

At the peak of the Fourth Great Ninja War in Naruto, Obito passed away and bequeathed his Sharingan eyes to the copy ninja. This allowed the copy ninja to activate the Susanoo, a technique that required the Mangekyo Sharingan, which had been awakened by both of them after Rin’s death. The copy ninja’s use of this colossal technique played a crucial role in aiding Team 7 in their efforts to save the world.

Despite acknowledging Guy’s superiority, it is worth questioning whether Sasuke’s Susanoo could have made a difference in his battle against Guy. As previously noted, Guy was able to nearly defeat a god-like opponent, Madara Six Paths, using his Eight Gate of Death. Therefore, it is unlikely that Sasuke’s copied technique, the Susanoo, would have had a significant impact.

At the beginning of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Tsunade attempted to attack Madara’s base Susanoo, but was unable to make a dent in it. In contrast, Guy was able to come close to defeating the same Madara, who was in a much more powerful state known as the Six Paths. Therefore, even at the height of his abilities, Kakashi would not have been able to match his everlasting rival, Might Guy.

What makes the copy ninja so renowned and widely recognized, Naruto wondered.

Naruto inquired about the age of the copy ninja at the time of Minato’s death, which was then elaborated upon.

The reason for the copy ninja’s lack of marriage in the series is explained by Naruto.

According to the Naruto theory, there is an explanation for how the copy ninja can regain his Sharingan.

Naruto was curious as to why Sasuke never referred to the copy ninja as sensei, and this was later explained.

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