Kakashi Hatake (Naruto) Kakashi's unique ability is the use of the "Sharingan" in his left eye. It is an ability unique to the Uchiha clan (Sasuke also has a weaker version of this ability), yet Kakashi is not from Uchiha. The "Sharingan" allows the user to copy and predict the movements of any genjutsu or ninjutsu technique used against him (except for bloodline trait techniques). Of course, you would have to SEE the ability/technique first in order to copy it, and using the Sharingan too much drains a lot of energy from Kakashi's body since he is not from Uchiha.
The story of how Kakashi obtained his Sharingan comes from the manga, told in Kakashi Gaiden, which is the side story that separates the two parts of Naruto. After Kakashi Gaiden, the Naruto story picks up again 2 1/2 years later. Currently, the anime series is still in the first part of the Naruto story and hasn't yet reached the Kakashi Gaiden part. However, odds are that Kakashi's Sharingan origin will be the same (or at least very similar to) the one in the manga. Anyway, lets get on with it....
When Kakashi graduated as a jounin, his teammates had to give him a present, but Uchiha Obito forgot. They also had to do a mission on the same day. On that mission to the grasslands, they got attacked by a group on rock ninjas. The rock ninja's can turn invisible, and slashed Kakashi's left eye (that's how he got the scar). Later, Uchiha Obito gets his whole right side crushed by a huge rock thrown by a rock-ninja. With the last of his strength, Obito tells Kakashi the last gift he will ever give to him is his left Sharingan eye. So then Rin, with her special ability, transplanted Obito's eye to Kakashi.
Kakashi is not without his "lighter side", though, as one of his "quirks" is reading some kind of adult books titled "Icha Icha Paradise" and "Icha Icha Violence". Nothing, not even survival training, can stop Kakashi from reading through the pages just to "see what happens next"!
Oh, and the reason Kakashi is always late is because his friend, Obito, was always late, and he choose to adopt his old friend's habit. Unfortunately, Uchiha Obito's body was never recovered, so instead of a grave, he visits a large stone monument that serves as a memoria for all those who died for the mission's completion.
Kakashi's name literally means "scarecrow".
Editor's Note: Ichya Ichya Paradise was translated to "Make-Out Paradise" in the US version of SHONEN JUMP, but would be more closely translated to "Come Come Paradise" or "Flirting Paradise". Additionally, "Icha Icha Violence" was translated as "Make-out Violence". I'm also told that Kakashi reads another book/magazine, "Icha Icha Tatics".
