Why does Kakashi hide his Sharingan in Naruto?

Kakashi Hatake is one of the most iconic characters in Naruto. He is loved for his powerful feats and distinctive personality. However, the most notable aspect of Kakashi is his unique look where he keeps his mouth and left eye covered, almost all the time.

Although there are multiple theories regarding his mask, there has been no definite reason to prove why he wears it.

Another intriguing aspect of Kakashi's face is that he keeps his left eye concealed, even though everyone knows what is behind it. Almost everyone is aware of Kakashi's Sharingan, and he knows that too, but the reason behind it is not what one would have surmised it to be.

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Exploring the reason behind Kakashi hiding his Sharingan in Naruto

Kakashi can’t activate and deactivate his Sharingan at will, which is why he keeps it concealed behind his Konoha forehead protector. By doing this, he can avoid the risk of running out of chakra, as he doesn’t possess immense chakra reserves like an Uchiha member in Naruto.

Kakashi has resorted to using his Sharingan only in dire situations, where things got out of hand. He received the Sharingan from his friend/nemesis, Obito Uchiha, who was on the edge of death. Obito gave his Sharingan to Kakashi in the hope that he would survive the Third Great Ninja War in Naruto.

After the war ended, the members of the Uchiha clan were displeased with Kakashi wielding the Sharingan, which didn’t belong to him in the first place. However, their leader, Fugaku Uchiha, chose to honour Obito’s decision, as the latter fought bravely and let Kakashi keep the Sharingan without any objection.

Since that day, Kakashi has tried to keep his Sharingan hidden and has never been completely dependent on it. Kakashi is a born prodigy and is powerful without the Sharingan, which is why he can inflict fear onto his opponents using just his basic techniques.

His versatility and prowess with the eye was so commendable that he earned himself the moniker “Kakashi of the Sharingan,” and also “Copy Ninja Kakashi,” for his ability to copy other’s techniques with ease.

His signature technique, Chidori, is totally dependent on his Sharingan as it compensates for the required chakra. Sharingan is a bloodline-based technique that is majorly associated with the Uchiha’s and Otsutsuki’s, and not anyone can wield it since it can drain their chakra completely and can even cause death.

However, Kakashi has mastered the Sharingan to a greater extent where he has the potential to outclass even the Uchiha members. At times, the eye indeed made him suffer a lot after he exceeded his limits, as everyone is well aware of the fact that Sharingan exacts a heavy toll on its user's body.

Even most Uchiha members in Naruto can't withstand its effects, as after performing a powerful technique, their eyes bleed. Most of these cases are related to Mangekyo Sharingan. Madara Uchiha, who is regarded as one of the most legendary Uchiha members of all time, became blind after the over exertion of his Mangekyo Sharingan.

After getting Mangekyo Sharingan from Obito during the Fourth Great Ninja war, Kakashi was able to go toe-to-toe against a godly individual like Kaguya Otsutsuki. After the death of Obito, both of his Sharingan disappeared. However, he remains one of the strongest shinobis to have ever lived in Naruto.

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