Kimimaro was
referred to by
Orochimaru as the
most powerful
member of the
Kaguya clan, having
"abilities that even
his war-loving clan
feared". Because of
this, he was locked
away in a cage for
most of his life, only
released occasionally
when needed to fight
other clans. His
fighting abilities far
outclassed all the
members of the
Sound Four combined,
and his mastery of the
Cursed Seal even
impressed Jūgo, the
source of the Cursed
Seal, he said he had
not seen such control
of the Cursed Seal
since Kimimaro when
commenting on
Sasuke's control of
the seal. In fact,
Kimimaro is the only
person before Sasuke
who could control
Jūgo without exerting
any efforts. Kimimaro
also had a very strong
determination, as
when his failing body
would be impossible
to move physically, he
forced it through
sheer will, and still
proved to be a deadly
opponent. The fact
that he could fight
Naruto, Lee, and
Gaara while dying of
disease, and never
actually being
defeated by them,
indicates he was an
extremely powerful
combatant at his
peak. Indeed, even
near death, his mere
presence was enough
to frighten the
normally-arrogant
Tayuya, as well as
retaining a high level
of stamina, which he
showed in his battles
with Naruto Uzumaki,
Rock Lee, and Gaara,
battling all three one
after the other
without collapsing.
Shikotsumyaku
Kimimaro's abilities
came from his kekkei
genkai,
Shikotsumyaku,
which allowed the
user to manipulate
their own skeletal
structure as a means
of combat.
Specifically, it allowed
Kimimaro to
manipulate his
osteoblast and
osteoclast cells, which
are responsible for
building or breaking
down bone tissue.
This ability gave him
absolute control over
the concentration of
calcium within his
bones, allowing him
to control the density
or malleability of
them. Kimimaro also
stated that his bones
were stronger than
tempered steel.
Kimimaro used this
ability to wield his
bones as weapons in
battle, and could use
them in the form of
taijutsu attacks
(which he called
dances) to give him a
variety of abilities, as
well as grant him a
near-invincible
defence, able to
withstand most of the
impact from even a
chakra-enhanced
blade. Orochimaru has
stated that this was
the ultimate taijutsu
ability, which is held
in high regard, and
the main reason why
Orochimaru desired
Kimimaro to be his
next vessel.
Taijutsu
Kimimaro's abilities
made him well suited
for close-range
combat fighting,
demonstrating
tremendous taijutsu
skills combined with
equally impressive
speed, agility, and
dexterity. He was able
to defeat several
hundred of Naruto's
Nine-Tails-enhanced
shadow clones
effortlessly, at the
same time not
allowing himself to
be struck. Kimimaro
combined his
Shikotsumyaku and
taijutsu capabilities to
form many deadly
"dances". Rock Lee, a
taijutsu virtuoso, has
claimed that nothing
was wasted in
Kimimaro's
movement, and that
he (Kimimaro) was a
taijutsu master.
Kimimaro also
possessed immense
strength, enough to
pull himself out of
Gaara's chakra-
infused sand, which is
normally difficult, if
not impossible, due to
its sturdiness.
Cursed Seal
Like many others of
Orochimaru's closest
followers, Kimimaro
was given a Cursed
Seal, which granted
him tremendous
power. He bore the
Cursed Seal of Earth,
which is said to be
equal in power to the
Cursed Seal of Heaven,
and both said Seals
are said to be the
strongest amongst
the ones used by
Orochimaru. When in
his Level 2 form,
Kimimaro's
appearance was
similar to that of a
dinosaur, with dark
grey skin, six large
bone spines
protruding out of his
back, and a long
bone-spiked tail. Jūgo
stated that Kimimaro
had great enough skill
with the Cursed Seal
that he could do a
partial
transformation.
Furthermore,
Kimimaro's fighting
style changed after
entering his Level 2
state: he became
much slower, but his
strength increased to
the point of smashing
Gaara's Shield of Sand
with ramming, and
his skin became
thicker and harder,
making it impossible
for even Gaara's sand
to penetrate it.
Kakashi is a natural genius, evidenced by the speed he rose through the ninja ranks; he graduated from the Academy at age 5, becoming a chūnin at age 6, a jōnin at 13, and had a long tenure as an ANBU. During his career he has amassed a technique arsenal of over a thousand different techniques, making him Konoha's expert in the field. His various accomplishments have earned him much praise by his fellow Konoha ninja and he holds a position of great influence. He is frequently given responsibility for important tasks, such as watching Naruto in case the seal of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox begins to fail and being considered for Hokage. Other ninja villages are very aware of Kakashi's abilities and, upon meeting him in battle, either fear for their safety or grow excited by the challenge Kakashi is sure to pose. Pain was so concerned by Kakashi's abilities that he tried to kill him for fear that he would someday interfere with Akatsuki's plans.
In Part II, Naruto notes that Kakashi is smarter than Shikamaru Nara, a better nose than Kiba Inuzuka, a better taijutsu performance than Rock Lee, and has better Sharingan mastery than Sasuke Uchiha. Kakashi has proven himself to be an intelligent ninja with great instincts and battle prowess, making him a match for any opponent. His skills also improve between Part I and Part II: in Part I he has difficulty keeping up with Itachi Uchiha's speed, but by Part II he is able to match Itachi in combat. Similarly, in Part I he is only able to use the Lightning Cutter four times a day, but in Part II has been seen using it at least six times in one battle and still having enough chakra to plan on using the Mangekyō Sharingan. Kakashi is also able to summon a pack of ninja hounds to aid him in battle or for other supplementary purposes.
By the age of 13, Kakashi had enough experience on the battlefield to detect a hiding enemy's presence, impressing his sensei, Minato. His long career as a jōnin, and formerly as an ANBU, have only expanded his knowledge, allowing him to handle virtually any situation (though, by his own admission, he does not believe he is suitable for the Hokage position). For these reasons Kakashi has been assigned to a variety of teams - typically as a leader - and he is always able to work well with his team-mates. Chōza Akimichi attributes Kakashi's success to his approach to battles: he avoids direct combat by using misdirection and clones until he can determine the opponent's skills, at which point he modifies his tactics to fit the situation. He is aided in this regard by his calm personality, which allows him to analyse a given situation with some detachment. He is, however, capable of "going wild" when upset, at which point he relies on his allies more than usual to make up for his heightened emotions.
Kakashi has also shown repeatedly to be a highly capable teacher. He has come up with various unorthodox methods to help his students produce impressive leaps in their abilities in weeks what would normally take months if not years of intense training.
Kakashi primarily relies on his mastery of ninjutsu, of which he has a vast arsenal due to his Sharingan; being noted to have copied a thousand techniques. With this arsenal, he can attack or defend against his opponents in numerous manners. He has proven to be very adept in taijutsu, which, combined with his impressive speed, allows him to effectively catch his opponents off guard and evade attacks. While used less often, he has also shown skill in genjutsu, which he can use to throw off his opponents as a set-up for stronger attacks. But Kakashi is not limited to the three major ninja skill sets, as he is renowned for his tracking abilities and has otherwise displayed proficiency with trap-making, survival, stealth, and assassination. Orochimaru also noted that he has started to dabble in fūinjutsu around the time of the Chūnin Exam Arc, which he found impressive given Kakashi's age. He is also more than willing to use any weapon he comes across, such as Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō, a feat made more impressive by his ability to lift the giant blade with one hand and flow lightning through it.
Despite how many ninjutsu he is purported to know, many of the techniques Kakashi is seen using in the series are element-based. He has a natural affinity for lightning, which he has mastered and which has, in turn, become an attribute that enemy ninja identify him by. During his various battles with Kirigakure ninja he has copied several water-based techniques with his Sharingan, which he is able to perform even without a nearby water source. He has used earth techniques less often, but can nevertheless produce intricate earthen walls fairly quickly. He has also been shown using fire-based techniques in the anime, and he is otherwise at least knowledgeable enough with Wind Release to help train Naruto in its use.
Kakashi was taught how to use the Rasengan by its inventor, Minato Namikaze. As the Rasengan was created with the intention of mixing it with one's elemental chakra, Kakashi tried to infuse the Rasengan with lightning. He failed, so produced the next closest thing: Chidori. While powerful, the Chidori has two drawbacks: the amount of chakra it requires and the speed at which the user must move. These flaws prompted Minato Namikaze to ban his student from using the technique after seeing it in action. After gaining the Sharingan, the tunnel effect can now be worked around, as he can now see his opponents clearly. He later refines the Chidori into the far stronger Lightning Cutter, his supposedly only non-copied technique.
Kakashi's most distinguishing ability is his Sharingan, a gift from his late friend Obito Uchiha, as it allows him to copy any technique used against him, see through any deception, give hypnotic suggestions, perform genjutsu, and predict his opponent's movements. However, because Kakashi is not of Uchiha blood, using the Sharingan demands a great deal of chakra. He also cannot deactivate it, and so keeps it covered when not in battle to prevent the chakra drain and the following extended bed rest. Because of this, Kakashi only relies on it when he feels it is an absolute necessity. Despite his handicap with the Sharingan, he is very skilled in using it; Itachi Uchiha, a true heir and master of the Sharingan, acknowledged Kakashi's superior proficiency with the Sharingan compared to most true Sharingan wielders.
Kakashi has somehow been able to improve his Sharingan with time. When he first received the Sharingan it had only two tomoe, but by the start of the series it has progressed to three. In addition, by Part II, Kakashi has extended the amount of time he can sustain using the Sharingan, as he is seen using it for seemingly a day while testing Naruto and Sakura.
During the time skip, Kakashi further improved his Sharingan by developing his own Mangekyō Sharingan through undisclosed means. With it he can perform Kamui, a technique that sucks everything within a small area to another dimension. When he is first seen using Kamui he lacks proper control, leaving him prone to either hitting targets he was not aiming for or missing completely. He improved his skill with Kamui by the Invasion of Pain, seen when he successfully sends fast-moving projectiles to another dimension with it. Kamui's chakra requirements are even greater than those of the standard Sharingan, such that he has to be hospitalised for a week after using it three times in one day. Despite Kamui being his only known Mangekyō Sharingan technique, he is familiar with Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, and Susanoo. He is also aware of the risk the Mangekyō Sharingan poses to the user's eyesight, though he has never shown signs of deteriorating vision.