As a team leader you're right he's not the best. Gai is probably a better team leader/ teacher fthan Kakashi. And yes, he could've done better. I agree. I'm not saying Kakashi is a good character, but compared to the damaged characters of Naruto, Sakura, or Sasuke, he's better in comparison.Are you kidding? Even Kakashi went through his own fair share of annoying issues... And on top of that, I don't think he was the best team leader to Team 7. He could've done better to be honest.
I think the only one I respect the most from Team 7 is Naruto. At least he moves on from his issues and takes action towards the things that happen around him. Something about his personality seems more refreshing from all the Team 7 drama. He's realistic, even when he goes through a lot. And he doesn't make the mistakes that his other teammates make. He might feel like he's messing up somehow, but I think that's obviously not true..
Kakashi is by far the most responsible and heroic character in team seven who knows about taking consequences and putting an end. When he found out that Sasuke turned evil, he decided to kill his own beloved student. It's a painful task for him but he has great responsibility and the mind to fulfill his duty. That is more than I can say for Sakura who couldn't go through with it because her feelings got in the way and then decide to leave the task to Naruto. If she's a ninja she should learn to take the matters in her own hands instead of relying on others.
Then after Kakashi found out that his student turned evil, NOW his best friend turned out to be the mastermind behind the war, and the murderer of his sensei. What did Kakashi do? He put his kitten back together, gave no excuses and tried to execute Obito. This is responsibility. And this is justice. This is a lot more than I can say for Naruto, who readily calls a mass murderer like Obito "cool" just because they share the same dream and tries to save them, who wants to bring Sasuke back to the village for his own selfish desires with complete disregard about the villagers feelings towards an Akatsuki criminal or facing the consequences of what his actions might bring. He never dirties his hands for the greater good, he has the privilege of doing what his heart is telling him to do, not what the world is expecting him to do.
And unlike Sasuke, Kakashi has his goals and objectives straight. He's got his only father committing suicide, his best friend killed, then his teammate he sworned to protect got killed by his own hands, his sensei killed. He's feeling alone with the feeling of failure of breaking the promise and being unable to protect his friends. Then when he finally gets a new team to take care of, they all suddenly become a terrible mess with one leaving the village and trying to kill the other two. On top of all that, his best friend was alive hating him after all these years and bringing war partially because of him. Yet he follows his duty of protecting Konoha and never loses himself with that great will power of his. That's a helluva lot more than I can say for Sasuke with how he's constantly going here and there with no strong pillar to hold himself to.
I used to dislike Kakashi. But with the terrible characterizations of the other three, I believe he's a lot better in "comparison".
Edited by ramenanmitsu, 28 September 2014 - 08:30 AM.