Seems like Kakashi has been having his run of it here on the site lately, huh? First you had the
Kakashi Chronicles anime special, and then the popular
Kakashi Fan Art Contest. And now, finally, the man's actual birthday. And why not, because the man has been a consistent presence in the
Naruto
storyline for, well, always. And with folks like Naruto, Sasuke and
Sakura to look after (or track down), he might qualify for
hardest-working ninja on the planet. So give it up for the man as he
celebrates his birthday on the 15th, grab yourself a
fresh character data wallpaper, and join our writer David F. Smith in saying...
---
Happy birthday, Kakashi Hatake!
In the world of
Naruto,
he might be the most renowned ninja on any block. Among fans of the
series, he sometimes even beats out a certain kid whose name is on the
cover of every comic. From the deserted reaches of the Land of Wind to
the distant islands of the Land of Mist, anyone with any sense has a
healthy respect for the son of the famous White Fang.
Whether he
wants it to be or not, Kakashi’s birthday is a bit of an occasion. It
happens when you have friends, foes, and rivals all across a continent.
So here’s a thought – what does a guy like Kakashi get to snag in the
way of birthday gifts?
Maybe his fellow jonin can get him
soething more just a birthday present... maybe something to commemorate
Kakashi’s decision to finally take on his share of the training
legwork. Perhaps a new set of bells for his famous teamwork test? [
Shippuden Episode 3, “The Results of Training”]
Naruto
and Sakura might get most of the credit, but Kakashi and his pack of
faithful ninja dogs play a key role in the mission to rescue the
kidnapped Kazekage. [
Shippuden Episode 11, “The Medical Ninja’s Student!”]
It’s hard to imagine that Gaara himself is much for gift-giving, but
Temari might have the presence of mind to send Pakkun a present of his
favorite minty shampoo.
Old man Jiraiya could spare a little something for his biggest fan, and maybe allow a sneak preview of an upcoming volume of
Make-out Paradise. After all, Kakashi’s addiction to trashy romance paperbacks may in fact be his sole weakness. [
Shippuden Episode 2, “The Akatsuki Makes Its Move”]
Speaking of old masters, what would Tsunade get him? Nobody's ever
accused the Fifth Hokage of being the sentimental type, so she might
very well give Kakashi the gift of an S-Rank mission and tell him to
get his squad cracking, double time.
One
wonders if some of his old enemies among the Akatsuki might take the
opportunity to let him know they’re thinking about him. Kakashi and
Itachi Uchiha have a rare couple of traits in common, not to mention a
spot of unfinished business from the last time Itachi gave the Leaf
ninja a visit. [
Shippuden Episode 120, "Kakashi Chronicles ~ Boys' Life on the Battlefield ~ Part 2”]
And
last, but not least, from his squad of trainees… well, let’s face it,
ten will get you twenty that Naruto’s the only person who could manage
to forget his mentor’s birthday. But he might be persuaded to give his
long-suffering squad leader a day free of headaches – no backtalk, no
pranks, no major property destruction. Kakashi would probably
appreciate that gift most of all.
