Kakashi’s Whereabouts in Boruto, Explained

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From the very beginning, Boruto has successfully blended new characters with beloved figures from the original Naruto series. While the story focuses on a younger generation, it consistently features the adult characters fans know and love. We regularly see familiar faces like Shikamaru as Hokage, Ino leading the sensory unit, and Sakura heading the medical team, demonstrating that the village still relies on the experience and leadership of its veteran shinobi.

One important character is noticeably absent from the current storyline. Kakashi Hatake has completely disappeared in Boruto. While the other members of Team 7 all have established roles, the Sixth Hokage hasn’t appeared or even been mentioned. Given how much the series relies on its past, Kakashi’s complete lack of presence is quite strange.

The Hidden Leaf Village Needs Kakashi More Than Ever

The latest arc of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex finds Konoha in crisis. Naruto Uzumaki, the Seventh Hokage, is believed to be dead, and Sasuke Uchiha has been transformed into a Divine Tree. Meanwhile, Boruto Uzumaki is on the run, falsely accused of killing Naruto thanks to a memory alteration caused by Eida’s immense power. With everything happening, many longtime fans are wondering: what happened to Kakashi Hatake?

As a huge fan, I’ve been really noticing how absent Kakashi is from the Boruto manga! It’s strange, considering he was such a key figure in Naruto. While the anime gives us little peeks at his life after being Hokage – like him enjoying some downtime in hot springs, overseeing the Academy exams, or even investigating Kara and battling Koji Kashin – those moments aren’t officially part of the main story. Seriously, Kakashi hasn’t shown up in a single panel of the actual Boruto manga or its continuation, Two Blue Vortex. It’s a bit disappointing, honestly!

Because the manga is considered the official source for the story, Kakashi hasn’t actually appeared in the main Boruto storyline yet. What’s more, his name hasn’t even been mentioned in the Two Blue Vortex arc, suggesting his absence is deliberate. This makes Kakashi’s current location and why he hasn’t been officially introduced in the Boruto manga a bigger puzzle.

Kakashi Not Stepping In As Hokage is Inconsistent With His Character

When Naruto was thought to have died, Shikamaru Nara quickly took charge. However, this shift in leadership reveals a strange inconsistency involving Kakashi. Historically, when a Hokage died while the previous one was still alive, the former Hokage would temporarily resume their duties until a new leader was ready. We saw this happen when the Fourth Hokage died, and the Third Hokage came out of retirement to protect the village.

Considering this, when Naruto was thought to be dead, Kakashi should have been the obvious choice to become Hokage. He was still healthy, strong, and younger than Hiruzen was during his second term. As the Sixth Hokage, he already understood how the village government worked, had the Daimyo’s trust, and was a skilled fighter capable of protecting Konoha. Instead, Shikamaru received the position, and while he’s very competent, he doesn’t have the same level of power as Naruto or Sasuke. Konoha is now facing extremely dangerous enemies like Code and the God Trees, who are on the level of the Otsutsuki clan. Kakashi, though not as physically powerful as Naruto or Sasuke, has his unique Purple Lightning ability, a brilliant tactical mind comparable to Shikamaru’s, and experience fighting the Otsutsuki.

Currently, Kakashi’s students are central to the unfolding story, with Naruto believed to be dead and Sasuke trapped. Given Kakashi’s history of deep emotional pain from losing his comrades, it’s strange he isn’t actively helping his current students when they’re facing danger. While Shikamaru makes the most sense as a future leader, it’s odd that Kakashi didn’t even temporarily take charge, especially considering how much Konoha and his students need him. He’s always said that abandoning friends is unforgivable, which makes his lack of involvement in Boruto’s story feel out of character. This raises the questions: Where is he, and what is he doing?

Where Could the Copy Ninja Even Be

It seems unlikely that Kakashi would simply retire without a purpose, so he probably declined the Hokage position to contribute in a different way. However, that still doesn’t explain why we haven’t seen him. Even if he was initially confused by the events, once Sasuke teamed up with Boruto, Kakashi would have immediately questioned the official story. Knowing Sasuke’s character, he would have realized Sasuke would never assist whoever harmed Naruto, leading him to suspect something was wrong and the truth was being hidden.

Since Kakashi hasn’t appeared, his absence likely means he’s on a secret, critical mission that takes him away from the main events. He’s still young and strong enough to serve the Hidden Leaf Village as a dedicated ninja, perhaps undertaking solo missions or leading special ANBU teams.

He might be secretly investigating the Ōtsutsuki clan, who seem to be the biggest danger in the Boruto series. Alternatively, he could be collaborating with someone like Koji Kashin. Perhaps they’ve met before, and Kashin, with his ability to foresee potential futures, chose to partner with one of Minato’s former students to create a better outcome for everyone.

Besides these issues, Kakashi might be absent from the central storyline because he’s working as a diplomat. After the Fourth Shinobi War, Naruto was essential in maintaining peace between nations. Now that he’s gone, that alliance could be weakening. Konoha is also currently facing a threat from the Divine Trees.

The last thing they need right now is trouble with the other ninja villages. Kakashi, having previously served as the Sixth Hokage and known for his diplomatic skills, is currently traveling between the five major nations. He’s working to quickly resolve any potential conflicts and prevent them from escalating, especially given the instability caused by the recent power shift.

Boruto’s Ikemoto Has Created the Perfect Situation for Kakashi’s Return

During a 2019 interview, the artist was asked if there were any Boruto characters he’d like to redesign as older versions. He replied,

It’s interesting that the author mentioned Kakashi’s absence as a “spoiler.” If he was just retired and unimportant, there wouldn’t be a need to keep it a secret. This suggests Kakashi will be important to the story later on, which explains why he hasn’t even appeared in the background. The fact that the author is deliberately keeping him hidden implies his whereabouts and actions are a key part of the plot.

It’s been over five years since the interview, so it’s disappointing that the predicted event hasn’t happened yet. Currently, one of the strongest connections between Kakashi and Two Blue Vortex is Boruto’s use of Purple Lightning. This technique was created by Kakashi after losing his Sharingan, as it allowed him to use a similar attack to Chidori safely.

Boruto probably learned this technique from Sasuke, but it’s clearly connected to Kakashi’s fighting style. The fact that this jutsu appears frequently in the manga is a gentle nod to Kakashi’s lasting impact, keeping his presence felt in battles even though he’s not currently fighting.

While it’s hard to predict exactly when, Kakashi is likely to appear in the Boruto manga soon. With Shikamaru already supporting Boruto and other powerful, established characters taking a backseat, Kakashi’s return could connect the older and newer generations of ninjas and inspire more veteran fighters to join Boruto’s team.

Kakashi isn’t the type to disappear without a trace. His complete absence in the Boruto manga feels intentional, not just a mistake. Given a storyline focused on altered memories and rewritten history, it’s only a matter of time before this perceptive and insightful character returns.

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2025-12-04 04:12