Third Hokage

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Hiruzen Sarutobi
Alias(es)	Third Hokage; “Monkey”
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Konohagakure; Sarutobi Clan
Occupation/Role	Third Hokage of Konohagakure; later retired former Hokage
Status	Alive; retired from office after Tsunade’s inauguration as Fourth Hokage 493 516
First Appearance	6

Background / History

Hiruzen governed Konoha during escalating conflict between the great villages. He opposed Danzō’s proposal to keep Kushina under Root control, citing the promise he and Danzō had made to Uzumaki Mito to treat her well. He supported Kushina’s integration into village life, including her request to skip a grade with her friends. 6 11

When Sunagakure invaded the Land of Fire, Hiruzen immediately issued a conscription notice and mobilized Konoha’s ninja army to expel the attackers. During the simultaneous wars, he managed shortages of instructors, food, medicine, ninja tools, and explosive tags, while ordering the Intelligence Department to circulate damaging rumors about the Third Kazekage to undermine Sunagakure’s morale. 43 73

His administration was repeatedly strained by Danzō and the Elder Council. Hiruzen became increasingly aware that Root had infiltrated areas close to him and that Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura had misused village resources. After uncovering the theft of chakra metal, he reclaimed their authority and merged Root into Anbu, though he later restored political space to the elders by offering them oversight of the operations department. 19 221 235

Hiruzen’s handling of Yagami Chiyue and Hatake Sakumo exposed the limits of his leadership. He allowed schemes intended to restrain Chiyue, then faced Tsunade’s condemnation when Chiyue considered retirement. Later, Danzō’s actions against Sakumo pushed Hiruzen into an open confrontation with his longtime ally. 164 230 345

As Sunagakure again prepared for war, Hiruzen accepted that age, fatigue, and public discontent had weakened his position. He endorsed Tsunade as his successor, sent her the Hokage seal, and warned Danzō that Orochimaru was unfit to inherit the village. 368 369

Although Tsunade temporarily returned authority to him after he came back from seeking the Daimyo’s support, Hiruzen personally led peace negotiations with Sunagakure. He accepted severe concessions—including waiving reparations, releasing Rasa, and supporting Sunagakure’s development—to end the war quickly and give Konoha time to recover. He chose to announce the terms publicly and accept the political consequences. 412 424 429 430 434

Following the transition to Tsunade’s administration, Hiruzen retired. He did not obstruct Tsunade’s clan-ninja census, even when it affected the Sarutobi Clan; when Tobirama later exposed the clan’s unchecked growth and resource use, Hiruzen accepted his former teacher’s proposed reforms in silence. 516 526 616 617

Appearance

In his later years, Hiruzen is depicted as an elderly man with a heavily wrinkled face. He commonly carries and smokes a pipe, and is often seen wearing a straw hat while working in the Hokage’s office. 73 159 428

• Keeps a pipe close at hand, especially during stressful meetings. 73 428
• Wore a Hokage’s straw hat while serving in office. 159 428
• In retirement, wears loose robes and spends time playing shogi. 516

Personality

Hiruzen is fundamentally devoted to Konoha and frequently places the village’s stability above personal relationships. In his prime, he responded decisively to invasion and was willing to use both military mobilization and propaganda to protect Konoha’s position. 43 73

However, he is also reluctant to permanently sever bonds with old comrades. His repeated tolerance of Danzō, Koharu, and Homura enabled abuses of authority, created distrust among younger shinobi, and left him vulnerable to criticism from Tsunade and others. 221 230 345

Over time, he becomes more willing to accept responsibility for those failures. He supports Tsunade’s succession, ultimately consents to Danzō’s secret imprisonment for Konoha’s future, and accepts public backlash for the Sunagakure peace agreement rather than conceal its terms. 369 430 453

Leadership and Political Record

• Jinchūriki policy — Favored Kushina’s integration into Konoha over Danzō’s proposal for Root control, invoking his promise to Uzumaki Mito. 6 11
• Wartime mobilization — Ordered the immediate formation of a ninja army after Sunagakure’s incursion into the Land of Fire. 43
• Resource management — Directed efforts to reduce casualties among newly graduated shinobi and sought clan reserves when wartime supplies ran low. 73
• Propaganda operations — Authorized the spread of fabricated intelligence intended to disgrace the Third Kazekage and raise Konoha’s morale. 73
• Root reorganization — Reclaimed Danzō’s authority and merged Root into Anbu after chakra-metal misappropriation was exposed. 221
• Succession — Supported Tsunade over Orochimaru and formally sent her the Hokage seal when he chose to abdicate. 369
• Sunagakure peace settlement — Personally negotiated an end to the war, accepting unfavorable terms to secure recovery time for Konoha. 424 429
• Clan accountability — Did not stop Tsunade’s census of clan shinobi, including the Sarutobi Clan, and later accepted Tobirama’s intervention against clan corruption. 516 616 617

Relationships

• Danzō Shimura — Former classmate, comrade, and Hokage assistant. Their long friendship repeatedly conflicted with Hiruzen’s duty to Konoha; Hiruzen eventually stripped Danzō of power and later accepted his secret imprisonment. 6 19 221 453
• Tsunade — Former student and chosen successor. Tsunade openly challenged his indecision, but Hiruzen ultimately trusted her with the Hokage position and Konoha’s future. 230 368 369
• Jiraiya — Former student. Jiraiya remained able to appeal to Hiruzen personally, though he became frustrated with Hiruzen’s handling of the Elder Council’s actions. 159 219
• Orochimaru — Former student and initially a Hokage candidate. Hiruzen recognized Orochimaru’s ambition and ultimately judged his nature too dark to entrust him with Konoha. 282 369 599
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura — Childhood friends and political partners. Hiruzen both protected and disciplined them, repeatedly struggling to balance their friendship against their misconduct. 221 235 412
• Senju Tobirama — His former teacher. Hiruzen remains visibly deferential to Tobirama after the latter’s resurrection, particularly when confronted over Sarutobi Clan corruption. 599 616
• Uzumaki Mito — Hiruzen honored a promise to her that Kushina would be treated well rather than reduced to a controlled weapon. 6
• Hatake Sakumo — A highly regarded village hero whose treatment by Konoha’s leadership became a source of regret and political fallout for Hiruzen. 345 417 606
• Sarutobi Biwako — His wife, with whom he discussed Tsunade’s clan census and the Elder Council’s response. 526

Story Role / Major Arcs

Kushina’s Integration

Hiruzen rejects Root’s restrictive treatment of Kushina and supports her place in the Academy and among her peers, directly opposing Danzō’s belief that a Jinchūriki should be controlled as a village weapon. 6 11

Second Shinobi World War

He leads Konoha through a two-front war, mobilizing forces against Sunagakure, addressing supply shortages, and authorizing a propaganda campaign against the Third Kazekage. 43 73

Conflict with Danzō and the Elder Council

The discovery of missing chakra metal forces Hiruzen to act against Danzō, Koharu, and Homura. He revokes their authority and folds Root into Anbu, but his later compromises demonstrate his continued difficulty in cutting ties with his old allies. 219 221 235

Tsunade’s Succession

Facing a new Sunagakure war and growing dissatisfaction with his leadership, Hiruzen endorses Tsunade’s candidacy, transfers the Hokage seal, and prepares to leave office. 366 368 369

Peace With Sunagakure

Hiruzen personally negotiates the end of the Sunagakure conflict. His concessions preserve a fragile peace but provoke outrage in Konoha, accelerating his decision to yield the Hokage position to Tsunade. 424 429 430 434

Retirement and Past Accountability

After Tsunade becomes Fourth Hokage, Hiruzen lives in retirement but remains tied to the consequences of his administration. He is confronted over the Sarutobi Clan’s growth and accepts Tobirama’s demand for action against corruption. 516 616 617

Notable Quotes

“It is my responsibility to decide who receives rewards; I am the Hokage of this village!!” 221

“Danzo, I’m old, and you’re old too. We will eventually grow old. The heavy responsibility of Konoha will eventually be handed over to the next generation.” 369

“I know that many people are wondering why I agreed to Sunagakure’s conditions and why I erased Sunagakure’s war reparations.” 434

Trivia

• Hashirama refers to Hiruzen as “Monkey.” 599
• He continued to work late into the night during wartime, often alongside Koharu and Homura. 73
• In retirement, he takes up solitary shogi games. 516