It’s no secret that Kakashi is a massive fan of the Icha-Icha novel series penned by Jiraiya. The franchise is incredibly popular and a massive commercial success, evidenced by several feature film adaptations and Jiraiya’s astronomical bank account balance.
It makes sense that these novels are highly favored by adult men, as Jiraiya drew his writing inspiration from traveling the world and conducting “research” by peeping on women in bathhouses. To date, there are four known titles in the Icha-Icha series written by Jiraiya: Icha-Icha Paradise, Icha-Icha Violence, Icha-Icha Innocence, and Icha-Icha Tactics.
Unfortunately, after Jiraiya died in the battle against Pain in the Hidden Rain Village, there were no more new installments of the Icha-Icha novels. Even so, Kakashi remains absolutely loyal, rereading the older novels from the series. For example, in Boruto episode 211, Kakashi is seen lying back and relaxing in Senju Park, casually reading Icha-Icha Violence.
Here are 6 definitive proofs that Kakashi is deeply obsessed with the Icha-Icha series:
1. He Carries and Reads Icha-Icha Novels Everywhere
Kakashi is seen carrying an Icha-Icha novel during almost every single activity—whether he is sitting, lying down, or taking a walk. Even in the middle of a conversation, Kakashi always makes time to slip away into his favorite book.
When Kakashi first tested Team 7 (Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura) with the bell test, he faced them with a book in hand simply because he was too eager to pause the plot of Icha-Icha Paradise. Despite dividing his attention, Kakashi easily fended off attacks from Naruto and Sakura.
Even when bedridden in the hospital due to exhaustion from using his Mangekyou Sharingan, Kakashi occupied his recovery time by finishing Icha-Icha Paradise.
Because he is known to carry these books everywhere, Kakashi was eventually dragged into deciphering a numerical code left behind by Jiraiya. As part of the decoding team, Shikamaru deduced that the pages of Jiraiya’s book held the key to the mysterious code the Sannin wrote right before his death.
Naruto then forced Kakashi to read aloud the specific lines in Icha-Icha Tactics corresponding to the number codes. Kakashi was terribly embarrassed to read the steamy passages out loud, while Shikamaru felt equally awkward listening to them.
2. He Couldn’t Wait to Read the Newest Icha-Icha Tactics
When Naruto first returned to the Hidden Leaf Village after two and a half years of training with Jiraiya, he gifted Kakashi the newest installment of Icha-Icha Tactics—a highly anticipated release not yet available in any bookstore. Kakashi was so stunned by the gift that he actually trembled with excitement just holding it.
Filled with joyous anticipation, Kakashi cracked open the first page. Unfortunately, Tsunade immediately ordered him to prepare a test for Naruto and Sakura, forcing him to snap the novel shut.
Kakashi informed his students that they would be sparring; Tsunade wanted to evaluate the results of their two and a half years of training—Naruto under Jiraiya’s guidance, and Sakura under Tsunade’s. As their team captain, Kakashi needed to assess their progress.
However, Kakashi suggested they shouldn’t rush into the exercise. Feigning concern, he claimed Naruto must be exhausted from his travels and insisted he rest first. Though Naruto swore he was perfectly fine, Kakashi ignored him and abruptly vanished from the Hokage’s office.
Shizune noted that Kakashi’s sudden exit made him look like a man in a desperate hurry. However, everyone else in the room—Tsunade, Naruto, Sakura, Jiraiya, and Shikamaru—immediately deduced the truth. They knew Kakashi just wanted to sprint off and read the newest Icha-Icha Tactics.
Kakashi’s willingness to delay their training just to read a new book thoroughly annoyed Naruto, who felt his teacher cared more about a “stupid book” than his team’s hard-earned progress.
3. He is Terrified of Icha-Icha Tactics Spoilers
Hours before Naruto and Sakura’s training began, Kakashi carved out time to read the new Icha-Icha Tactics. Jiraiya approached him and confidently declared that this latest installment was his ultimate masterpiece.
When the time came, Kakashi commenced his bell test against Naruto and Sakura. Unlike before, his students’ abilities had grown far too formidable for Kakashi to fight while distracted by a book. He was forced to abandon his reading habit and fight them seriously, even activating his Sharingan right out of the gate.
Despite not fighting together for years, Naruto and Sakura’s combined assaults managed to overwhelm Kakashi. His old traps were now completely useless against them. Because the intense battle dragged on for so long, Kakashi’s mind naturally started wandering back to the unresolved plot of Icha-Icha Tactics.
Though Sakura and Naruto had grown significantly stronger, they realized raw skill wouldn’t be enough to beat Kakashi. They regrouped to formulate a new strategy. During this huddle, Naruto identified a glaring weakness they could exploit: Kakashi’s sheer obsession with Icha-Icha Tactics.
Naruto and Sakura charged at Kakashi. At first, Kakashi assumed they were underestimating him with a reckless frontal assault. But suddenly, Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, attempting to spoil the ending of Icha-Icha Tactics.
In a sheer panic, Kakashi instantly clamped his hands over his ears. Unfortunately, his Sharingan allowed him to perfectly read Naruto’s lips as he spoiled the climax. Defeated by his own ocular jutsu, Kakashi was forced to squeeze his eyes shut to avoid “reading” any more spoilers. Naruto and Sakura seized this exact moment of self-inflicted blindness to snatch the bells from him.
Kakashi formally acknowledged his students’ incredible growth, though he admitted he never expected to lose in such a ridiculous manner.
4. He Admits to Memorizing Icha-Icha Paradise
During a Genin graduation practical exam, the proctors held several students hostage as part of a scenario. The remaining students were tasked with rescuing their captive classmates in order to pass and become Genin.
While waiting for the rescue teams to arrive, Anko-sensei suggested Kakashi kill time by reading Icha-Icha Paradise. Kakashi politely declined, explaining to Anko that he had read the novel so many times he had memorized the entire book by heart.
5. He Fulfills His Dream of Visiting the Icha-Icha Paradise Holy Land
When Mirai was assigned to escort Kakashi and Guy on a vacation, the itinerary brought them to a location known to fans as the “holy land.” Kakashi stood stunned in utter silence, staring at an iconic tree planted directly in the center of the sacred site. A profound wave of joy washed over him as he finally set foot in his dream destination.
As a die-hard fan of Icha-Icha Paradise since his youth, Kakashi was ecstatic to visit the actual filming location of the live-action movie adaptation. He was so moved that he shed a tear, unable to hold back his absolute bliss. His lifelong dream of visiting the holy land had finally been realized.
Guy, refusing to let the momentous occasion slip by, urged Kakashi and Mirai to take a commemorative photo. Kakashi looked incredibly enthusiastic, posing for a selfie in front of the iconic tree while proudly clutching his beloved copy of Icha-Icha Paradise.
6. He Gets So Engrossed in Icha-Icha That He Forgets His Work
After wrapping up the second bell test, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura took a relaxing evening stroll through the Hidden Leaf Village. Naruto and Sakura invited Kakashi out for ramen, but he declined, claiming he needed to head home immediately to finish the official roster report for their new team.
However, the moment he arrived home, Kakashi completely buried himself in the newest Icha-Icha Tactics. He was so utterly captivated by the narrative that he read the entire book from cover to cover twice in a single sitting.
After finally closing the book, Kakashi prepared to go to sleep. But as he glanced out his window, he realized the sun was already rising. Because he was too engrossed in Icha-Icha Tactics, Kakashi had stayed awake all night and completely neglected his actual job of writing the new team’s roster report.
