Kakashi Hatake is one of the most popular characters. Kakashi is a leaf shinobi, known as ‘Kakashi of the Sharingan’. He was a former Anbu captain, son of the white fang and sensei of the main character Naruto. A masked handsome character who hides his eye with a ninja headband. But why this appearance? Why does Kakashi cover his eye?
Kakashi has a Sharingan on his left side. He cannot turn off his Sharingan as he is not an Uchiha. That is why Kakashi covers his eye so that he doesn’t use sharingan all the time. Using Sharingan costs a lot of Chakra. Even if you are not using it, just by being active, it drains chakra.
Table of Contents
What is Sharingan?
Sharingan is the Kekkei Genkai of the uchiha clan. Byakugan, Sharingan and Rinnegan together these three are called ‘Three Great Dojutsu’. It was first manifested by the Indra Otsutsuki. It can be awakened by both pure love and pure hatred.
Sharingan reflects one’s heart’s feelings. Through pure love and hatred to someone close causes a consistent flow of chakra in Uchiha’s optic nerve. That’s how Sharingan is formed. But they can control this flow of chakra which results in turning their eyes into normal.
Sharingan can be transplanted to someone who isn’t an Uchiha. But they can’t stop this mentioned flow of chakra as they please. Which causes them greater chakra demand than any Uchiha’s and they become easily exhausted.
Why Does Kakashi Cover His Eye?
Kakashi got his Sharingan from his childhood friend Obito Uchiha. During their mission in their early childhood, Kakashi injured his right eye by a stone ninja. Later a stone ninja kidnapped Rin.
When Obito and Kakashi went to rescue Rin, a giant boulder fell on his left side of the body due to a stone ninja’s Jutsu. Obito was unable to move and realized his death was near.
As Obito lay dying he told Rin to surgically transplant his Sharingan to Kakashi. It was mainly Kakashi’s birthday gift from Obito.
A regular uchiha ninja who possesses Sharingan eyes can turn off Sharingan when he doesn’t need to use them. However, for those who aren’t uchiha, Sharingan can’t be turned off.
Just like Danzo, Kakashi too cannot turn off his sharingan. That is why Kakashi covers his eye.
Why Kakashi Can’t Deactivate His Sharingan?
Kakashi is not an uchiha. He didn’t get his sharingan inheritedly. His friend and teammate, Obito Uchiha gave his sharingan to Kakashi as a parting gift. That is why as a non-uchiha, he cannot deactivate his Sharingan.
Does Kakashi Have Full Control Over His Sharingan?
Kakashi isn’t an Uchiha, that’s why he doesn’t have full control over his flow of chakra to his Sharingan. Throughout the series, we have seen him several times to be exhausted by using Sharingan. Like bleeding from his eye, getting tired soon.
Since a Non-Uchiha needs more chakra to use Sharingan, Kakashi also runs out of chakra quickly. And he can’t turn back his eye normal, just as he wishes.
To avoid this, Kakashi covers his right eye. So that his Sharingan doesn’t always stay on. He only opens his eye during the battle. After using Sharingan for long battles Kakashi always becomes overtired. Requiring bed rest for several days.
Related: Does Kakashi Die in Naruto? Kakashi’s Death Explained!
Why Does Kakashi Wear a Mask?
Kakashi doesn’t want anybody to catch him a nosebleed. The mentioned nose bleeding isn’t an illness or disease. In anime culture to express a character’s inner feelings, a nosebleed is used.
Well, that’s a fan theory. But according to Kishimoto, he said he always wanted a character with mysterious looks. And that’s why he has always been drawing Kakashi with a mask.
Conclusion
Kakashi doesn’t have an Uchiha bloodline. He can’t willingly activate or deactivate his Sharingan. Thus, his Sharingan always keeps turns on. Which will use more chakra.
For Kakashi, this huge amount of chakra supply isn’t possible nor for any non-Uchiha. To save his chakra he normally covers his Sharingan with his Ninja head badge. We have also seen Danzo do the same. He hides the Sharingan eyes in his hand by wrapping them with clothes.
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