3. Kakashi Hatake: Known for Always Being Late by His Peers

Kakashi’s habit of arriving late often caused inconvenience to many people, including his peers. One notable example is during the Chūnin Exams. Genma, the match referee, had to repeatedly announce delays for the match between Sasuke and Gaara because Kakashi had yet to arrive with his student. The waiting crowd grew increasingly impatient, and Sasuke was on the verge of disqualification.

However, just before the disqualification was announced, Kakashi appeared with Sasuke in tow. Genma decided to overlook the tardiness, knowing that Sasuke was Kakashi’s student and assuming that this habit of arriving late might have been passed down from Kakashi to Sasuke.

This trait was also evident during the funeral of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. In the middle of the ceremony, Yugao unexpectedly found Kakashi standing at the hero monument, gazing at Obito’s engraved name. As Kakashi’s former subordinate in the Anbu, Yugao understood that Kakashi was deliberately stalling before attending the funeral. She advised him that arriving early was better than continuously making excuses for being late.

Almost everyone who knew Kakashi was familiar with his tendency to be late. Ironically, this habit seemed to have been inherited from Obito, despite Kakashi being someone who was incredibly punctual during his youth.

As a child, Kakashi despised Obito’s constant tardiness. One iconic moment was during Team Minato’s group photo session. Obito arrived late, causing the photographer to lose patience, while Minato and Rin tried to stall for time so the photographer wouldn’t leave. Kakashi, who was also waiting in frustration, could deeply empathize with the photographer’s irritation.

When Obito finally arrived with a wide grin on his face, the photographer and Kakashi could only feel exasperated. Meanwhile, Minato appeared bewildered, unable to comprehend why Obito’s tardiness seemed like an unchangeable trait.

When Team Minato was first formed, Kakashi was furious at Obito for arriving late to their introduction, even though Minato and Rin didn’t mind. Young Kakashi, who was extremely disciplined at the time, immediately scolded Obito and lectured him on the importance of following Shinobi rules.

However, the irony unfolded years later when Kakashi, now a Jonin leader, was late for the formation of Team 7. Kakashi deliberately delayed by visiting the hero monument where Obito’s name was engraved—a ritual he had adopted. Because of this, Kakashi arrived late to meet Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto at the Academy.

Obito’s habit of being late was also evident during one of Team Minato’s meetings, where he claimed he had gotten “lost on the road.” At the time, the rule-abiding Kakashi reprimanded Obito, asserting that such carelessness could jeopardize the safety of their teammates during missions. Ironically, Kakashi later used a similar excuse with Team 7, stating that he had been “lost on the road of life”—a phrase that became his signature response.

This habit of being late seems to symbolize Kakashi’s way of expressing his rebellious nature and rejection of blindly adhering to rules. After years of rigidly following regulations, he transformed his tardiness into a form of self-rebellion. To Kakashi, arriving late was like self-inflicted penance for his past, where he once prioritized rules over everything else.

Kakashi has expressed deep regret over the tragedy that befell Obito. When Obito was crushed under a massive boulder and lay dying, Kakashi realized that his excessive obedience to the rules had been a fatal mistake. He regretted not listening to Obito’s plea to save Rin sooner. As a result of his decision, Kakashi had to watch his friend die tragically, buried under the rubble.

This regret haunted Kakashi and became a lesson that ultimately transformed him from the “most obedient to the rules” into someone who valued relationships with others above mere regulations.