It’s been 24 years since the Naruto anime first hit screens, and the series has never quite managed to top Kakashi’s iconic line from the first episodes. Of course, that’s really saying something, since Naruto and Naruto Shippuden stretched on for a whopping 720 episodes. These were absolutely packed with inspiring speeches, evil monologues, and philosophical wonderings. Naruto himself, while not always particularly eloquent, gave some pretty fantastic one-liners over the years. Still, when it comes to fully capturing what Naruto is all about, the titular character isn’t the winner.
Instead, it’s Kakashi Hatake who can brag that he gave the best quote in Naruto—though he technically wasn’t the first person in the timeline to say it (more on that later). The sensei of Team 7 delivered his memorable line in the show’s fifth episode, titled “Shikkaku? Kakashi no ketsuron” (“You Failed! Kakashi’s Final Decision”), which originally aired in Japan on October 31, 2002. This is when Kakashi pushed Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke to prioritize teamwork over personal glory or even following the rules.
In “Shikkaku? Kakashi no ketsuron,” Kakashi announced that his new pupils had one more chance to pass by proving that they could work as a team. First things first, however, Sasuke and Sakura needed to eat their lunch. Naruto, who attempted to steal a boxed lunch in advance, was restrained and forbidden to eat. Kakashi threatened the other two with failure if they tried to share their food. Yet, when the pair decided that it was more important for Naruto to be well fed for the approaching test, Kakashi reappeared to deliver the news:
“In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that’s true… but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.”
We learn in this episode that Kakashi failed every single one of his pupils before Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, because each of them failed to break the rules for the sake of their teammates. Though Team 7 never claimed either of Kakashi’s two bells, they claimed victory simply because they shared their food against Kakashi’s orders. It’s a lesson that proved foundational for the group, especially for Naruto. For the next 715 episodes, this protagonist never let anything, rules or otherwise, come between his friendships.
There Was So Much More To Kakashi’s Lesson Than We Realized At The Time
Back in 2002, Kakashi’s line in Naruto‘s fifth episode seemed simple enough. It was a poignant lesson, and one we saw applied immediately to the way Team 7 conducted business. However, as the series progresses, we learn that this single quote holds profound meaning in Kakashi’s life. It isn’t just his opinion or creed, but a tough lesson he himself had to learn the hard way.
Kakashi’s father was infamous for abandoning a mission to save his comrades, so, as a young ninja in the Third Shinobi War, Kakashi became determined to do absolutely everything by the book. The approach nearly killed his teammate, Rin Nohara. However, their other teammate, Obito Uchiha, refused to allow Rin to suffer just for the sake of a mission. Obito screamed this line at Kakashi before rushing off to save their friend. Said and done, Obito gave up everything not just for Rin, but for Kakashi too.
We didn’t know any of this during the first five episodes of Naruto. However, when Kakashi’s backstory with Obito comes to light, it’s evident that he deeply regrets not having learned that lesson sooner. It’s why he passes it on to each of his pupils and fails them if they don’t accept the truth of it. Later, in Naruto Shippuden, Obito is discovered to be a sort of man behind the curtain. He didn’t die at all—rather, he lived long enough to become a villain. It’s tragic, but Naruto brings things full circle as Kakashi is given the chance to remind his old friend of that same lesson. Anime doesn’t get much better than that.
- Release Date
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2002 – 2007-00-00
- Showrunner
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Masashi Kishimoto
- Directors
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Hayato Date
- Writers
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Masashi Kishimoto
