A question about Kakashi and his left eye

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

So yeah. Am I right to think that the reason why he puts his head protector on it at all times is because he can no longer close his eye, and since he can't turn the Sharingan off, he'd be wasting all his chakra...?

And if so, any idea what happens when he sleeps/faints...? -- the first page of chapter 16 shows that he doesn't wear the head protector in bed.

ETA (because I like researching those things carefully even when I'm about to ask): Hmm, I just noticed in that same chapter that we can see the eye closed on page 19...

**pulls out her hair**

So why then??


Suggestions and proofs that I'm actually mistaken are more than welcome as this is for a ficlet I'm planning to write, which wouldn't make any sense if my theory was wrong.

Comments

[red-donkey.livejournal.com]

I'm not really sure but I think it's because he can't turn off the sharingan. But other than that I have no idea. Maybe he doesn't want people to know he has the sharingan? I dunno. I've actually been wondering the same thing.

[superheroine]

It's because he can't turn it off... I believe they mention that in the databook somewhere.

He can't turn it off because it isn't naturally his, and he isn't an Uchiha. Also, I suppose he keeps it covered because everyone KNOWS that only two Uchiha are still alive, and probably wants the avoid the confusion and possible issues that could arise from people seeing it.

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had thought about the fact that he can't turn it off because it's not his own ability.

[darkwarrior.livejournal.com]

He can close his eye but try doing it yourself now. Its very difficult to keep one eye closed and one open on a permanent basis. Having the eye covered makes it a great deal easier as light can penetrate the eye lid and stimulate the eye causing it to want to open.

WHen you're sleeping it doesn't mattter, its not hard but keeping the one closed is difficult at best and irritating.

[darkwarrior.livejournal.com]

Having it covered is like having an eye patch on, for whatever reason, it makes it easier to keep your eye closed and not have to think constantly about keeping it such which is why he wears his forehead protector over it.


Having his eye open means the Sharingan is active, he can't stop it so it'd just be permanently draining his energy otherwise.

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

Too right!

So I guess my thing about his eyelid being too damaged or something is out of the question... Oh well, it wasn't such an important point anyway.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to reply.

[darkwarrior.livejournal.com]

I think there was a scene where it showed him...Against Itachi I think it was though he closed his other eye and just kept the Sharingan one open so its completely redundant and not on topic at all :P

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

Well I wouldn't remember that anyway because I went through the manga at a tremendous speed -- I was so addicted!! -- and really ought to read it all over again.

[superheroine]

I believe there was one scene in a hospital shortly after they got in the fight against Itachi and Kisame, where Kakashi wasn't wearing his headband, just the mask. He had his sharingan eye closed while he talked with the others.

Gah, I raced through it too :p I'm just going through it again now.

[darkwarrior.livejournal.com]

Was just about to say it'll be difficult to find images of him with his eye closed since the only reason it'd be exposed is to utilise the Sharingan in the first place.

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

I've started re-reading it, commencing after the death of Sandaime, so I'll look out for it!

[sarolynne.livejournal.com]

He can't turn it off, and even though he can close it, I assume it's easier to keep it covered. That way he doesn't have to think about it. :/

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

By the way, I *love* your icon!

Shika Love!

[sarolynne.livejournal.com]

Lazy ninja need love too. :)

[geuna.livejournal.com]

The sharingen is a defensive mechanism. It’s automatic, and will work even if he doesn’t want it to. Since he can’t “turn it off” like Uchiha can, his sharingen is always “on”. For Uchiha, the sharingen literally “comes to the surface” of the eye when it’s turn on. Otherwise it receeds back into the eye.

The sharingen will continue zapping chakra in any situation (with people) because it copies EVERYTHING. Not just Jutsu and fighting moves, but the way someone walks, writes, even the manner in which they eat food (he could probably copy the way someone cooks, too, but that’s just a dorky guess). When Kakashi’s eye is closed it picks up nothing, so it doesn’t zap chakra, same with when it's coved by his forehead protector. I’m also guessing that in his home he has nothing new to truly “copy”, because I think the only thing the Sharingen copies is people's actions. (shrugs) Could be wrong. But frankly, I think it’s hard for him to keep one eye closed at all times, thus he covers it with his forehead protector. Also, I don't think he wants to advertise to the world "Lookie what I had, two guess of who I am!" It's clear that he only uses it in battle situations, because he said himself, "No enemy I have faced has ever seen this eyes and lived."

When he faints on that one chapter, it's because he used a tone of Chakra both copying and using Jutsu. He fainted because his body basically said "F you!". While he slept his body began healing from all the chakra he wasted. If the eye were open for too long I'm guessing it could even kill him if his body didn't shutdown first (because we all know what happens when chakra levels reach "zero"). That, of course, is the greatest weakness he has with the Sharingen.

It’s already been made clear that the Uchiha sharingen is a bloodline limit, thus is can’t be copied. For the same reason Kakashi isn’t able to turn it off or on. That's not something that can really be learned but anyone other that an Uchiha, and even for them it's simply the natural process of having a sharingen. It can’t do much of anything with it other than what it naturally does, copying as a defense. I’m not even sure if he can use some of the sharingen’s “special” abilities, like the ones Itachi uses… however he did master if to a point, but I won’t get into that. Spoilers. ^_^’

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks. But I kind of knew all that... My question was more about him being able to close his eye or not. But thank you, you've reinforced quite a few suppositions I'd made and I'll refer to this post if I have any doubt while writing the ficlet!

[genkigeeks.livejournal.com]

Hehe, but remember that it's spelled as "Sharingan".

[quesolover.livejournal.com]

He can't turn off the sharigan but he can close his eye. I think its mostly so he won't have to open his eye. because if someone was to walk around with one eye closed your be like -stare-"why don't you open it?"

I think when he opens his eye the sharigan starts working and wastes chakra so he just keeps it closed so it won't start working.

this is only Emis' theory!

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

Yeah, everybody seems to agree, which is good for me because I wouldn't have known what to do if there had been several answers.

[quesolover.livejournal.com]

Well I'm glad you got your answer ^^

[moebot.livejournal.com]

Icon love!

[quesolover.livejournal.com]

LOL thanks. Your icon makes me crack up everytime I see it!! XD

[domlandbubbles.livejournal.com]

He wears his forhead protector like that because it makes him that much more sexy.

[genkigeeks.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha here's an opposing theory! And I agree!

Interesting comments and icons in this post, yes.

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

So many lovely icons, yes! **is happy**

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

Well yes, it does. But I'm not planning to take that into account in my ficlet. Although, Rin might say something about it...

[nekilof.livejournal.com]

Kakashi's sharigan eye I am assuming makes that eye a target for attack many a time. I feel Kakashi puts the metal part of the forehead protector over his eye to protect it from attack, at least to some point.

[hidden-gems.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's good too. I'm really happy I asked, because although I "lost" my idea about the damaged eyelid, I got others along the way.

And your icon = priceless!! I really need to make myself a Kakashi icon in the same style as my Shika one. And a Naruto one. And a Sasukeo one too, otherwise he'll be jealous. And I bet Gaara will demand one as well...