Sakumo Hatake

Sakumo Hatake (はたけサクモ, Hatake Sakumo), nicknamed “White Fang of Konoha” (木ノ葉の白い牙, Konoha no Shiroi Kiba), was a renowned high-ranking jōnin from Konohagakure and the father of Kakashi Hatake.

Story

Sakumo was a famous and powerful ninja from Konoha who, during his lifetime, enjoyed a fame that was said to eclipse even that of the Sannin. His son, Kakashi, proved to be a genius like Sakumo and idolized him, wanting to become a ninja as great as his father. His wife died when Kakashi was very young but Sakumo was able to watch with joy as his son passed the Academy entrance exam.

Afterwards, he and Kakashi met Maito Dai and his son Guy. Sakumo asks Guy to be friends with Kakashi at the Academy, Dai corrects Sakumo by informing him that his son failed the exam. As Kakashi began to openly doubt Guy’s worth as a ninja with his poor ninjutsu skills, Sakumo warned Kakashi not to underestimate Guy as he could one day become stronger than Kakashi – noticing how painfully Guy trained to improve.

At one point in his shinobi career, Sakumo confronted and killed Sasori’s parents, earning Chiyo’s (Sasori’s grandmother) hatred.

Death

While his son was still in the academy, Sakumo and his team were sent on a mission of great importance to Konoha. When the lives of his teammates were put in danger, Sakumo chose to abandon the mission in order to save them. The impact of the mission’s failure caused Sakumo to be vilified by the Land of Fire, the villagers of Konoha, and even those he had saved. Disgraced, Sakumo fell into a deep depression, which caused his abilities to suffer.

Sakumo unfortunately ended up committing suicide, too overwhelmed by the dishonor of the failed mission. His death marked the day that Kakashi swore to himself that he would always abide by all ninja laws to the letter.

 

Appearance

Sakumo’s appearance is often compared to Kakashi’s, when Kakashi is often mistaken for his father. Like his son, he has the same silver pointed head, with a long ponytail similar to Jiraiya’s, and a strand of hair hanging from the top of his head on his forehead.

His features were clearer than Kakashi could see. He wears a standard Leaf Ninja uniform and a jacket with distinctive white short sleeves and red jagged edges.  

Personnality

Sakumo is a very kind and loyal person. Despite his great fame and power as a ninja, he was a very humble man, which made his only son Kakashi truly look up to and admire him.

He has a deep dedication to his country and an even greater commitment to his allies and loved ones, to the point that he puts their well-being above everything else.

Such was his dedication that he sacrificed his mission to save his teammates, resulting in him becoming a public figure who was hated and ridiculed.

Abilities

Like his son, Sakumo was a genius ninja, and his talent in ninjutsu has been praised by the four generations of Hokage Namiko and others. In battle, Sakumo is a truly powerful ninja whose abilities surpass Sannin. The thought of confronting Sakumo instills fear in the enemy, as evidenced by the reaction of one Iwagakushi ninja, who initially believes Kakashi is his father.

Weapons

His main weapon in battle is a short knife known as the White Light Chakra, which emits streaks of white chakra when swung, earning him the nickname “Konoha’s White Fang”. After his death, he gave Kakashi his short knife, which was later chopped in half when Kakashi fought the Iwaki Ninja.