This'll be my last post on the matter of Kakashi. I'm not really in this to change anyone's opinion there are valid points on both sides of the scale.
It's easy to think of Kakashi focusing on Sasuke, but really, he had waaay more reason to focus on Naruto: Naruto was his sensei's son. Kakashi knows, more than anyone else in the village, that it should be him to teach him. After all, he's the only living one from Minato's team. Yet none of this every factors into his story. I blame Kishimoto for this.
I don't see this as much as everyone else does. Naruto started from the bottom with no-one but he had a ton of support as the series went on. Iruka, Lord Third, Inari and his grandfather, Sakura, Kakashi, Sasuke, Konohamaru, Gaara, Jiraiya etc.
Sasuke just had Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi. Even then the only person Sasuke ever respected in the beginning was Kakashi. Which is why Kakashi tried to capitalize on this and say that they were the same. He knew that Sasuke was tempted by Orochimaru and everything he did was to sway Sasuke away from that path.
But Naruto was different. Naruto had all these pillars to lean on. Sasuke had much much less, granted bc he didn't care about anything else except for power but the only two who he really respected were Kakashi and later Naruto. And with all of the above considered as a teacher do you spend more time with someone who you think has mastered the material or with a remedial student who is borderline failing.
I wish Kakashi showed more overt development over the series. He actually didn't seem to like any of his team when the series started. And according to Iruka or Hiruzen (can't remember which), Kakashi had never passed a team before. So the fact that he passed Team 7 made them different.
Agreed. I don't think he liked Sakura or Sasuke that much. As for Naruto I believe he liked Naruto but he had high expectations bc of who Naruto's father was. Of course Naruto failed them in the beginning. But imo we have to take Kakashi's aloof behavior with a grain of salt, in part bc Kishi couldn't reveal that Minato was Naruto's father until the Pain arc. I'll say one thing though, KAkashi could have taught Naruto the Rasengan but then if he did that robs from Jiraiya's spotlight
But in the end, as with everything else in the series, I was disappointed that Kakashi's story didn't have a more definitive resolution. He exhibits no pleasure in accepting the role of Kage, other than he's doing it for Obito. And there's no big acknowledgement of Sakura, Naruto or Team 7 to speak of. I suppose he stood up for Sakura when she was crying in front of Naruto, but that whole thing was such a hot mess, it doesn't feel like anything other than an in-the-moment speech.
Personally though the Kakashi fan in me likes that he became hokage the common sense in me says that he really shouldn't have been. Or that Tsunade should have died and then Kakashi would have taken over and then after the war hand it over to Naruto bc he is the clear choice. I have to disagree with the acknowledgement bit though. Emotional support: KAkashi was always there for Sakura. He promised "That everything will be like before" towards the end of part 1, beginning of part 2 acknowledged her new found powers, among other already discussed examples. Training was weak, but let's consider that Sakura didn't really aspire to be great until part 2. By then she had learned all she could, there was nothing he could teach her. And Kakashi has always had her back in battle.
In part 1 Kakashi did focus on Sasuke, but Naruto had plenty of support from others. Kakashi taught him teamwork, chakra control, etc. and in part 2 he taught him how to multiply xp, elements, and refill chakra. Techniques that he used throughout the rest of the series. But as for team 7 Kakashi has always espoused teamwork. And for big acknowledgement there was an entire chapter named "I like you."
But he also doesn't seem bothered by the fact that two of his students found another 'master' instead of him, and Sasuke never saw him as such. Naruto and Sakura had masters in Jiraiya and Tsunade. But Sasuke never considered Kakashi his master. And Kakashi never seemed to expect it. I think if Sasuke ever had a master it would have been Orochimaru.
How can he compare to the Sannin? I don't think he reaches their level until he starts to master the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Interesting point you make here and I agree. Ppl say all the time that Sasuke and Kakashi are parallels but imo this is not true. In fact I see Naruto as a much closer parallel to Kakashi. I don't think that Kakashi expected Sasuke to see him as a mentor but I do think that he thought they were making progress and imo had the sound 4 not intervened when they did I think Sasuke wouldn't have gone to Orochimaru. It looked like Kakashi was getting through.

This is the real parallel that makes sense imo