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NARUTO -ナルト- 烈伝 [Naruto Retsuden] #1
Naruto: Kakashi's Story―The Sixth Hokage and the Failed Prince
The ninja adventures continue in these stories featuring the characters of Naruto and Boruto!
A new series of prose novels, straight from the worldwide Naruto franchise. Naruto’s allies and enemies take center stage in these fast-paced adventures, with each volume focusing on a particular clanmate, ally, team…or villain.
When Kakashi sets off on a mission to the lush land of Redaku, he encounters its people suffering from a severe drought. The prince of Redaku can bring water to the land, but he has left his royal home for another village. When Kakashi locates the prince, he discovers a more elaborate plot long in the works that involves the fates of both Redaku and Konoha.
A new series of prose novels, straight from the worldwide Naruto franchise. Naruto’s allies and enemies take center stage in these fast-paced adventures, with each volume focusing on a particular clanmate, ally, team…or villain.
When Kakashi sets off on a mission to the lush land of Redaku, he encounters its people suffering from a severe drought. The prince of Redaku can bring water to the land, but he has left his royal home for another village. When Kakashi locates the prince, he discovers a more elaborate plot long in the works that involves the fates of both Redaku and Konoha.
184 pages, Paperback
Published July 26, 2022
31 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
Masashi Kishimoto
1,202 books3,968 followersMasashi Kishimoto (岸本斉史 Kishimoto Masashi) is a Japanese manga artist, well known for creating the manga series Naruto. His younger twin brother, Seishi Kishimoto, is also a manga artist and creator of the manga series O-Parts Hunter (666 Satan) and Blazer Drive. Two of his former assistants, Osamu Kajisa (Tattoo Hearts) and Yuuichi Itakura (Hand's), have also gone on to moderate success following their work on Naruto.
Kishimoto's first work as a manga artist was Karakuri (カラクリ?), which he submitted to Shueisha in 1995. This earned him the Weekly Shōnen Jump's monthly "Hop Step Award" in 1996, granted to promising new manga artists. This was followed in 1997 by a pilot version of Naruto (NARUTO－ナルト－), published in Akamaru Jump Summer. In 1998, Kishimoto premiered as a Weekly Shōnen Jump artist with a serialized version of Karakuri in Weekly Shōnen Jump, but it proved unpopular and was canceled soon after. In 1999, a serialized version of Naruto began publication in Weekly Shōnen Jump and quickly became a hit.
Kishimoto's first work as a manga artist was Karakuri (カラクリ?), which he submitted to Shueisha in 1995. This earned him the Weekly Shōnen Jump's monthly "Hop Step Award" in 1996, granted to promising new manga artists. This was followed in 1997 by a pilot version of Naruto (NARUTO－ナルト－), published in Akamaru Jump Summer. In 1998, Kishimoto premiered as a Weekly Shōnen Jump artist with a serialized version of Karakuri in Weekly Shōnen Jump, but it proved unpopular and was canceled soon after. In 1999, a serialized version of Naruto began publication in Weekly Shōnen Jump and quickly became a hit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 7, 2022
I was put on this planet with the sole purpose of being a Kakashi stan.
September 10, 2022
Very in-character book that explores the world and Kakashi's impact and view on it after his time as the Sixth Hokage.
December 25, 2024
Everything involving Kakashi is chefs kiss 🤌
Probably wouldn't have liked the story with so naive people but this ninja world (and certain white haired man with sleepy goat eyes 😆) is just so fun to read. I think I need to watch the anime again 😁
Probably wouldn't have liked the story with so naive people but this ninja world (and certain white haired man with sleepy goat eyes 😆) is just so fun to read. I think I need to watch the anime again 😁
August 29, 2022
Lepsza od poprzedniej nowelki przeze mnie przeczytanej. Miałam wrażenie, że fabuła jest lepiej dopracowana. Opisy i dialogi także są lepsze, choć to może i na pewno jest kwestia tłumaczenia (czytałam w języku angielskim, ponieważ Kakashi Retsuden nie zostało i pewnie nie zostanie wydane po polsku, jednak to może dobrze, bo gdyby miała mieć takiej jakości tłumaczenie jak manga, to chyba bym popełniła seppuku).
No i myślałam, że bardziej się już nie da uwielbiać Kakashiego, ale ten facet to czyste złoto. Ba, nawet nie złoto, a diament. Masz całą mą miłość, Hatake 🥰😍💞❤️🔥.
No i myślałam, że bardziej się już nie da uwielbiać Kakashiego, ale ten facet to czyste złoto. Ba, nawet nie złoto, a diament. Masz całą mą miłość, Hatake 🥰😍💞❤️🔥.
January 17, 2023
Surprisingly good story. After stepping down as the 6th hokage, Kakashi is sent on a secret mission to the land of Redaku by the current hokage.
It was such a joy to read about one of my favorite characters in Naruto still kicking ass even though much older. The boruto manga really annoys me for making all the established characters from Naruto now look weak and useless against the latest villains so it was great to read about one of them still being a great shinobi.
It was such a joy to read about one of my favorite characters in Naruto still kicking ass even though much older. The boruto manga really annoys me for making all the established characters from Naruto now look weak and useless against the latest villains so it was great to read about one of them still being a great shinobi.
November 11, 2023
I was expecting to give this book like 4 stars for the sole reason that I love kakashi with all my heart but i actually had a great time and if it's even possible i love my sleepy old man even more. ♡
December 14, 2025
I’ve read other light novels before, so maybe my standards are just high, but this was not my favorite. Either the initial writing was bad or the translation was bad, but it wasn’t exciting.
September 26, 2024
Best one of the Naruto stories so far
July 7, 2025
I loved this light novel!
Lots of Kakashi fan service (repeated descriptions of his good looks as people observe him and a long fight scene of him being badass >u< ) which I loved as a big Kakashi fan, but I liked the plot too around his infiltration and mentorship of the little prince! I thought the pacing of the story was quite good and found the side characters to be interesting and compelling. Iruka is my favorite character in Naruto, so I was thrilled that he was mentioned several times in this novel as well!! ^~^
I was not a big fan of Kakashi’s Story from the Hiden novels (Lightning in the Icy Sky), so I was glad that I enjoyed this one so much!! Of the 7 Naruto novels I’ve read so far, this and the two Itachi novels have been my favorites!
Lots of Kakashi fan service (repeated descriptions of his good looks as people observe him and a long fight scene of him being badass >u< ) which I loved as a big Kakashi fan, but I liked the plot too around his infiltration and mentorship of the little prince! I thought the pacing of the story was quite good and found the side characters to be interesting and compelling. Iruka is my favorite character in Naruto, so I was thrilled that he was mentioned several times in this novel as well!! ^~^
I was not a big fan of Kakashi’s Story from the Hiden novels (Lightning in the Icy Sky), so I was glad that I enjoyed this one so much!! Of the 7 Naruto novels I’ve read so far, this and the two Itachi novels have been my favorites!
October 25, 2023
Very enjoyable. It’s short and entertaining read for me. Love every moment of it. Love Kakashi. Period. haha
June 7, 2022
In this novel that’s a part of a new series of prose from the world of Naruto, Kakashi sets off on a mission to the land of Redaku. There, he finds the country’s people suffering from a severe drought. Upon further investigation, Kakashi locates the prince, who has left his home at the royal palace and now lives in another village. While posing as the prince’s new tutor, Kakashi discovers a more elaborate plot that involves both Redaku and Konoha.
I’ve watched the show Naruto and have read a few of the manga. I’ve always enjoyed Kakashi and I was so excited to read this novel that’s a part of the prose series. This is the first time I have read a novel based on a manga series - I like it. It was different, mostly because I wasn’t seeing descriptions, but was being told them, which I sometimes found a bit humorous when it described Kakashi through the villagers’ eyes.
This novel did bring up a few things around the Boruto series, as it is set when Naruto is The Seventh Hokage - and as someone who only knows the bare minimum of that series, I didn’t ever feel lost or confused. If it was anything that was new(er), the author would mention information surrounding that and I was good.
Overall, I feel like readers of Naruto and Boruto would enjoy this novel - especially if they like Kakashi, as it lets them see him kind of stand on his own.
*Thank you VIZ Media LLC and Edelweiss+ for an advance ebook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve watched the show Naruto and have read a few of the manga. I’ve always enjoyed Kakashi and I was so excited to read this novel that’s a part of the prose series. This is the first time I have read a novel based on a manga series - I like it. It was different, mostly because I wasn’t seeing descriptions, but was being told them, which I sometimes found a bit humorous when it described Kakashi through the villagers’ eyes.
This novel did bring up a few things around the Boruto series, as it is set when Naruto is The Seventh Hokage - and as someone who only knows the bare minimum of that series, I didn’t ever feel lost or confused. If it was anything that was new(er), the author would mention information surrounding that and I was good.
Overall, I feel like readers of Naruto and Boruto would enjoy this novel - especially if they like Kakashi, as it lets them see him kind of stand on his own.
*Thank you VIZ Media LLC and Edelweiss+ for an advance ebook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2022
Here comes to show how biased reviews can be.
January 13, 2023
A pointless study of character frozen in time... take it from a Kakashi stan - this book is yet again a proof that Kakashi is valued in Naruverse as support only and the newly produced story of his is a refreshing tea snack at best. What a waste of great character!
....
It's 8 years since the end of Shippuuden, we are finally promised to see some challenges for Kakashi's reign as 6th Hokage, only to be vastly disappointed when we find out the timeline is already on Naruto as 7th and Rokudaime has already retired.
...
Even though marketed as a standalone Kakashi story, he seems yet again shamelessly degraded as the forever supporting character who only 'holds the place' for Naruto (quoting from the book!) and even this mission's central motivation is to help Naruto fight his chakra illness.
...
Kakashi literally is depicted as having no motivation, life or relationships of his own other than what was passed down from his childhood years by Obito, and then continued in Naruto's story.
...
He seems to have undergone no character development either, which is hard to relate, considering he was Hokage for at least 12 yrs (if this book is to be believed) and during that time, Konoha has significantly developed in technology, which usually largely impacts daily lives and the society in general. Yet, he still remains in his 40s as he was at the end of 4th shinobi war in his 30s, and even then I considered him frozen in his early childhood and teen trauma...
... there were all signs that he overcame that at the end of 4th Shinobi War, as depicted by him losing the sharingan and coming to terms with his fathers suicide and Obito, so I though 'finally! We get to see him shine on his own terms!' ... but unfortunatelly, since then, the creators apparently decided that NOPE this is all pointless to follow up, let's just... stick to what worked in the past, and have Kakashi endlessly pine over dead friends, develop no family, no self esteem and no dreams to follow.
...
So in this novel, Kakashi is depicted as exactly the same as he always was, only much stronger in skill and chakra reserves. But as if to underline the irony of wasted character potential, the best they can make is to face Kakashi with some 50 average shinobi using taijutsu after he depletes all his chakra by a defensive move (something that should be a Tuesday for him since he became jounin). As if that wasn't a joke enough, instead of introducing more of his new skills, they just make him scare people with fake Sharingan, which is undoubtedly cool move, but given the lack of other techniques displayed here, is degraded to a cheap storytelling trick to actually avoid any original creative process and character development.
...
Seriously, why does this book even exist? Much like the Lightning in the Frozen Sky, there is little new, and most of Kakashi is watered down into his basic outlines covered in mist. I can only conclude that this was ment to a) capitalize on nostalgia and b) boost hype for kids now watching Boruto (which I hear isn't going well at all, as the anime is very low quality.)
...
The book reads well, with many likeable imaginative depictions, it really was nostalgic of the manga style. That is the best I have to say about this piece.
...
The main hero is a kid presumably around age 13, which is also the rating for this book. You can certainly feel that in the lengthy and sometimes tirelessly repetitive expositions into the VERY simple plot. And you can easily say this was the target audience as well.
...
Why the Kishimoto empire refuses to acknowledge the existence of an already adult and huge Naruverse fanbase is beyond me - after all we were worshipping Naruto, and I imagine many of us (incl. me) still hold a special place in their hearts for this world, and would happily revisit it and shower the creators with money, should they offer us appropriate content.
...
Alas, they all seem to be as tired and sleepy as this silverheaded hero's eyes....
....
It's 8 years since the end of Shippuuden, we are finally promised to see some challenges for Kakashi's reign as 6th Hokage, only to be vastly disappointed when we find out the timeline is already on Naruto as 7th and Rokudaime has already retired.
...
Even though marketed as a standalone Kakashi story, he seems yet again shamelessly degraded as the forever supporting character who only 'holds the place' for Naruto (quoting from the book!) and even this mission's central motivation is to help Naruto fight his chakra illness.
...
Kakashi literally is depicted as having no motivation, life or relationships of his own other than what was passed down from his childhood years by Obito, and then continued in Naruto's story.
...
He seems to have undergone no character development either, which is hard to relate, considering he was Hokage for at least 12 yrs (if this book is to be believed) and during that time, Konoha has significantly developed in technology, which usually largely impacts daily lives and the society in general. Yet, he still remains in his 40s as he was at the end of 4th shinobi war in his 30s, and even then I considered him frozen in his early childhood and teen trauma...
... there were all signs that he overcame that at the end of 4th Shinobi War, as depicted by him losing the sharingan and coming to terms with his fathers suicide and Obito, so I though 'finally! We get to see him shine on his own terms!' ... but unfortunatelly, since then, the creators apparently decided that NOPE this is all pointless to follow up, let's just... stick to what worked in the past, and have Kakashi endlessly pine over dead friends, develop no family, no self esteem and no dreams to follow.
...
So in this novel, Kakashi is depicted as exactly the same as he always was, only much stronger in skill and chakra reserves. But as if to underline the irony of wasted character potential, the best they can make is to face Kakashi with some 50 average shinobi using taijutsu after he depletes all his chakra by a defensive move (something that should be a Tuesday for him since he became jounin). As if that wasn't a joke enough, instead of introducing more of his new skills, they just make him scare people with fake Sharingan, which is undoubtedly cool move, but given the lack of other techniques displayed here, is degraded to a cheap storytelling trick to actually avoid any original creative process and character development.
...
Seriously, why does this book even exist? Much like the Lightning in the Frozen Sky, there is little new, and most of Kakashi is watered down into his basic outlines covered in mist. I can only conclude that this was ment to a) capitalize on nostalgia and b) boost hype for kids now watching Boruto (which I hear isn't going well at all, as the anime is very low quality.)
...
The book reads well, with many likeable imaginative depictions, it really was nostalgic of the manga style. That is the best I have to say about this piece.
...
The main hero is a kid presumably around age 13, which is also the rating for this book. You can certainly feel that in the lengthy and sometimes tirelessly repetitive expositions into the VERY simple plot. And you can easily say this was the target audience as well.
...
Why the Kishimoto empire refuses to acknowledge the existence of an already adult and huge Naruverse fanbase is beyond me - after all we were worshipping Naruto, and I imagine many of us (incl. me) still hold a special place in their hearts for this world, and would happily revisit it and shower the creators with money, should they offer us appropriate content.
...
Alas, they all seem to be as tired and sleepy as this silverheaded hero's eyes....
October 26, 2022
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13
On a mission for the Seventh Hokage, Naruto, Kakashi goes to the land of Redaku. He finds the people suffering from lack of food and water and overhears the prime minister and the queen talking about going to war. In order to get closer to the castle politics, Kakashi pretends to be the prince’s new tutor – the prince whose hero happens to be the Sixth Hokage.
I was surprised to find myself reading an actual novel rather than manga when I picked up this book. While I miss seeing the characters I love, I also enjoyed being closer to the thoughts of those characters, gaining insights that are easier to express through prose. With both old and new characters, this new series has a lot to offer, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Kakashi is depicted with fair skin on the cover, though skin tones are not discussed in the book. The mature content rating is for alcohol use and vague innuendo. The violence rating is for description of corpses, mention of murder and suicide, child abuse, and weapon use in battle.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
On a mission for the Seventh Hokage, Naruto, Kakashi goes to the land of Redaku. He finds the people suffering from lack of food and water and overhears the prime minister and the queen talking about going to war. In order to get closer to the castle politics, Kakashi pretends to be the prince’s new tutor – the prince whose hero happens to be the Sixth Hokage.
I was surprised to find myself reading an actual novel rather than manga when I picked up this book. While I miss seeing the characters I love, I also enjoyed being closer to the thoughts of those characters, gaining insights that are easier to express through prose. With both old and new characters, this new series has a lot to offer, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Kakashi is depicted with fair skin on the cover, though skin tones are not discussed in the book. The mature content rating is for alcohol use and vague innuendo. The violence rating is for description of corpses, mention of murder and suicide, child abuse, and weapon use in battle.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
July 21, 2022
Naruto: Kakashi's Story gives the spotlight to one of the more popular characters introduced as an adult in the Naruto universe. At this point in the story, Kakashi has already stepped down from the highest office in the village and is enjoying retirement by... taking on solo a mission. This is definitely aimed at kids who grew up with Naruto; while it's light enough reading, there are graphic descriptions of what famine looks like. My one complaint is that for a supposed genius, Kakashi is such a good teacher and usually that's not the case (but this is fiction, I know). This book exudes childless aunt/uncle energy with Kakashi reflecting on his legacy, judged by what his old friend Obito (the old, unsullied memory of Obito) would think upon Kakashi's activities and relationships with his remaining colleagues and former students. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I got into this book. (I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)
September 17, 2022
This was an entertaining read but a step in the wrong direction as far as Naruto novels go. The title, Kakashi's Story, begs comparison to another Kakashi novel. The one that started this whole craze. That story followed Kakashi as a character closely, making his inner conflict the stories inner conflict.
This novel falls into the tired cliche of the "filler character". You know the one if you've ever seen the Naruto films or watched a filler arc. Because they don't want to mess around with established characters, they add their own, giving them the character development and focus. In this case, it's a young prince named Nanara. He's not particularly interesting and a lot of the story takes his point of view.
Still, there's plenty of Kakashi and the ending conflict uses an interesting perspective. I give it 4 stars for being an interesting read overall but I hope that future novels skip the trappings that make them feel like filler.
This novel falls into the tired cliche of the "filler character". You know the one if you've ever seen the Naruto films or watched a filler arc. Because they don't want to mess around with established characters, they add their own, giving them the character development and focus. In this case, it's a young prince named Nanara. He's not particularly interesting and a lot of the story takes his point of view.
Still, there's plenty of Kakashi and the ending conflict uses an interesting perspective. I give it 4 stars for being an interesting read overall but I hope that future novels skip the trappings that make them feel like filler.
January 8, 2024
I finally finished rewatching the original Naruto, and Kakashi remains one of my favorite characters. This book was a Christmas present, and I was eager to read it. I want to start by saying that if you haven't seen/read Naruto Shippuden, this book will have a lot of spoilers.
Now with that said, I will say that this has been a great story. Kakashi sets out on a mission in Redaku where he discovers that the prince does not want to be a part of the governing and has left his sister to rule in his place with the help of the prime minister.
As Kakashi gets to know the prince, he learns that there is a bigger political scheme at play, and he must help the royal family and thus help Konoha.
Honestly, it's a pretty solid read, but from what I learned - it's a three-part series, and at the end of this there is a hint as to what is to come later.
Now with that said, I will say that this has been a great story. Kakashi sets out on a mission in Redaku where he discovers that the prince does not want to be a part of the governing and has left his sister to rule in his place with the help of the prime minister.
As Kakashi gets to know the prince, he learns that there is a bigger political scheme at play, and he must help the royal family and thus help Konoha.
Honestly, it's a pretty solid read, but from what I learned - it's a three-part series, and at the end of this there is a hint as to what is to come later.
May 21, 2023
(I couldn't find the English version here so I'm going to write my review under this one.)
The only thing I know before delving into this is that it is part of a trilogy of light novels. My friend and I want to read the series so we bought it.
The manga didn't really focus on Kakashi except for the relevant flashbacks so it was nice that he was given his own light novel (although it really isn't in his POV only). The plot was simple enough but there were nostalgic moments that reminded me of the earlier chapters of Naruto - the things that I liked about it and why I was hooked.
Kakashi will always be the cool sensei for me. This was definitely a good read.
The only thing I know before delving into this is that it is part of a trilogy of light novels. My friend and I want to read the series so we bought it.
The manga didn't really focus on Kakashi except for the relevant flashbacks so it was nice that he was given his own light novel (although it really isn't in his POV only). The plot was simple enough but there were nostalgic moments that reminded me of the earlier chapters of Naruto - the things that I liked about it and why I was hooked.
Kakashi will always be the cool sensei for me. This was definitely a good read.
October 5, 2022
Tbh, any Kakashi story is a win in my book. XD
The story itself is quite good, easy page turner and at no point was I bored.
The only drawback is the writing style, imo the story read like a direct transition from manga to novel. (Kinda like a 1 to 1 novel to film adaptation, there is a awkwardness in the telling of the story) If it were presented in a manga format I feel like this wouldn’t be an issue. An entertaining read nonetheless! :D
…any future Kakashi stories would be more than welcome <3
The story itself is quite good, easy page turner and at no point was I bored.
The only drawback is the writing style, imo the story read like a direct transition from manga to novel. (Kinda like a 1 to 1 novel to film adaptation, there is a awkwardness in the telling of the story) If it were presented in a manga format I feel like this wouldn’t be an issue. An entertaining read nonetheless! :D
…any future Kakashi stories would be more than welcome <3
April 20, 2021
Kakashi's characterization is quite accurate in this novel. Lotsa interesting concepts covered in this novel that the manga and anime don't have time to focus on. I definitely want to pick up the Japanese copy and read it in the original language to get to the meat of it.
If you want to read a fan translation like I did, you can access it from this website: https://nite-baron.tumblr.com/kakashi...
If you want to read a fan translation like I did, you can access it from this website: https://nite-baron.tumblr.com/kakashi...
August 23, 2023
as a big naruto fan this book was amazing to me!!! and as an even bigger kakashi simp i fucking loved this book🥰🥰🥰 and the ending was so wholesome but i hate boruto😒
and kakashi was so badass wowowowow it felt like i was watching an episode of naruto and it brought back all the nostalgia!!!! sobbing😭🥹
and kakashi was so badass wowowowow it felt like i was watching an episode of naruto and it brought back all the nostalgia!!!! sobbing😭🥹
January 18, 2023
I loved this story! It definitely sheds more light on Kakashi after the end of Naruto, and I felt like I understood one of my favorite characters even more! The ending was fantastic - I love how it sets up the story for Sasuke Retsuden.
October 29, 2022
Nice little side story which features Kakashi a bit more. Even though it's like a filler episode, its entertaining and nice to read.
January 12, 2023
Bella la lettura, ma mi aspettavo di più.
February 10, 2023
This was a very fast, fun, read. It had a decent story, with some good action scenes. Much better than the other Kakashi-centric light novel
May 22, 2023
Great adventure for a naruto fan
December 5, 2023
3.5 stars
November 12, 2024
Punto di vista di Kakashi che amo. Rispecchia il suo personaggio, e la sua avventura dà inizio a una trilogia che mi è piaciuta parecchio. Da leggere assolutamente 💞
April 25, 2025
With or without the family kenkai genkai, you gotta see why you must read this one. Easily my favorite of the after-tales.
December 9, 2025
I love Kakashi.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews