Again, the issue for Kakashi here isn't so much that he can't keep up with Zabuza physically, because he can. The issue here is no intel fighting in mist, with no sharingan to help him react. Zabuza's already shown he can react to Kakashi's bunshin feints in the mist, as well. Just a really bad matchup here, IMO.
By the time he became Hokage he improved quite a lot.
If he doesn't feel safe within the mist he can use Doton to hide underground and let a number of shadow clones outside (and even underground) to do the job. He's got good options available and is much smarter than Zabuza. Even without intel he should come up with counters soon after the battle starts. I mean, that's his thing.
Back in the day it would've been risky to use all this because of his crippled chakra levels but that's no longer an issue. He can try anything now.
Nah, quite the opposite. I think Kakashi given time to train without his sharingan could be incredibly powerful. Probably a Hiruzen clone with the bunshin feints, ninjutsu prowess and the like. But it takes time to adjust, and me writing things he might be capable of doing post sharingan would simply be fanfiction.
But its possible to have an idea of how strong he is.
Considering he was thought of as Hokage material even before the war and later was elected (after losing the Sharingan), i'd say he's pretty much the same, minus genjutsu and pre cognition. This just means he needs to be more careful in battle, but at least can fight longer.
Again, he countered Zabuza's mist with the assistance of his sharingan, having full knowledge of what Zabuza can do in the mist. Can't keep looking over how important both of those aspects were.
His weakest version, yes. But Hokage Kakashi isn't the same Kakashi who fought Zabuza early in the manga.
That's true, but the issue here is Hidan isn't going to "show his cards" until he gets the scratch. He's going to keep going after Kakashi over and over and over until he gets the blood. Kakashi's only real hope here is getting him with a raiton bunshin, but the issue here is he might resort to thrusting through Hidan's heart with a raikiri or kunai, and as we know, Hidan wouldn't care, and it would be a wasted opportunity.
Even with a Raiton Shadow Clone. I doubt Hidan would be affected, judging from the amount of invulnerability he showcased, at best it should hurt and amuse him.
Without intel Kakashi definitely loses this one. I agree.
Darui and sharingan-less Kakashi are nearly clones of each other.
Ehh, i wouldn't go that far. I'd say Tsunade and Sakura are near the same, but Kakashi and Darui are actually very different.
But well, this is just a matter of opinion.
Asuma is quite underrated, IMO. He's got strength that allowed him to hold off Kisame using samehada, something Gai even struggled with, his fire ash is a really underrated technique, and he's got one of the most powerful futon techniques shown in the manga. Sadly he got put in one of the worst matchups in the series, being a CQC fighter with no intel against Hidan. Really wish we got to see more out of him, but oh well.
I think we saw enough to get a decent idea of how powerful he was. But even if you look at the way he is portrayed, i don't think i'd ever put him on the same level as Kakashi.
