Hiruzen

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Hiruzen Sarutobi (日斩)
Alias(es)	Monkey 18 45 1373
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Konohagakure; Sarutobi Clan; Tobirama Senju’s disciple group 5 29
Occupation/Role	Torikaze’s world: Shinobi, former Hokage guard, Sarutobi Clan head, and construction leader 140 1373 1800. Parallel world: Third Hokage, later retired 745 778 826.
Age	Seventeen during the tailed-beast capture operation 58
Family	Sarutobi Sasuke (father); Biwako (wife); Shinnosuke and Asuma (sons in Torikaze’s world) 29 756 766 1800
Status	Torikaze’s world: Active in construction work 1800. Parallel world: Retired from village administration 1063.
First Appearance	Mentioned among Tobirama’s disciples 5; meets Torikaze with his squad 18

Power Progression

The documented milestones below concern Hiruzen in Torikaze’s world.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Elite Jonin	192	Explicitly identified as a Konoha Elite Jonin. Despite being Tobirama’s disciple, he lacks the standing to take Tsunade as his student.
Tailed Beast Transformation	292	Demonstrates access to a tailed-beast transformation. He and Danzo end their transformations to fight with their own techniques, acknowledging their growing dependence on tailed-beast power.
Kage-level — confirmed	911 912	Participates in a twenty-person Kage-level team’s Trial Tower challenge. His transformation is designated one of the team’s four main assault methods; no breakthrough scene is provided.

Background / History

Early Career

Hiruzen is one of six outstanding young shinobi accepted as Tobirama Senju’s disciples, alongside Danzo, Koharu, Homura, Torifu, and Kagami. The group also receives instruction from Hashirama. Before Torikaze’s emergence, Hiruzen is the strongest leader among Tobirama’s students and the disciple most favored as a future successor 5 45 745 760.

When the group meets six-year-old Torikaze, Hiruzen fails to explain why Hashirama would accept such a young disciple. Danzo supplies the answer, and Hiruzen tries to save face by claiming he was testing everyone. His antics nevertheless keep the group from becoming overly gloomy 18.

Hiruzen spars with Torikaze to decide whether he can safely accompany the team on a mission. He acknowledges Torikaze’s strength before the match ends, but continues fighting out of enthusiasm. Torikaze’s prepared crystal formation ultimately frightens him into surrender. Torikaze later recognizes that surprise and unfamiliar techniques made the victory possible, and that winning a rematch would be difficult 25 26 27.

On their first mission together, Hiruzen briefs the team using intelligence obtained by his father, Sarutobi Sasuke. He subsequently welcomes Torikaze on further missions as a valuable combatant 29 40.

Service Under Tobirama and Torikaze

At seventeen, Hiruzen joins Sasuke, Danzo, and Torifu on an operation to capture the Eight-Tails. Hashirama ultimately intervenes and seals the beast 58 59 65 66.

After Tobirama becomes Hokage, Hiruzen and his companions serve as his guards. Their assignments become largely village-based, leaving little opportunity to accept outside missions. Although frustrated, they prioritize obedience to orders 140.

Hiruzen supports the three-man squad policy by forming a team that includes Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hiruko. He teaches Orochimaru the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique and later uses a battle against an enemy as an opportunity to train Hiruko 192 212 214 354.

Torikaze’s achievements displace Hiruzen as the likely Hokage successor. When Torikaze suggests Hiruzen for the position, Tobirama rejects the comparison between their records and insists that Torikaze succeed him. Torikaze is subsequently inaugurated as the Third Hokage 235 307.

Development and Construction Work

Hiruzen and Danzo become close working partners in the Rain Country’s fishing industry. Hiruzen makes the major decisions, while Danzo handles details and miscellaneous matters; their cooperation earns the confidence of the other participating clans 767.

When introduced to his parallel-world counterpart, Hiruzen initially worries that contact with an unknown world could bring war. After hearing Torikaze’s reasoning and his counterpart’s account, he accepts the arrangement and offers to help when additional manpower is needed 765.

His later work includes creating land for the Land of Water and coordinating progress with Mizukage Karatachi Yagura. During preparations for major construction around Konoha, he commands Earth Release teams clearing obstacles and delegates railroad-route work to Shinnosuke 1373 1800.

Parallel-World Hiruzen

In the world without Torikaze, Hiruzen becomes the Third Hokage. Tobirama’s choice is tied to Hiruzen volunteering without hesitation to stay behind and cover his comrades’ retreat—a display of courage that Danzo fails to match in time 745 811.

Although he formally steps down for Minato, he initially retains considerable authority. He worries that Minato’s talent in combat may not translate into administrative competence, while Danzo’s Root further divides the Fourth Hokage’s power 746 826.

After joining the battle during the Nine-Tails’ attack, Hiruzen encounters Torikaze and the visitors from another world. He questions their explanation, helps organize village relief, and eventually agrees to let their shinobi undertake missions in his world 750 751 752 756.

His visit to Torikaze’s Konoha reunites him with living, youthful versions of Hashirama and Tobirama. Their recognition eases his guilt over the wars his village endured. He accepts financial assistance for repairs and seeks ways to learn from the other village’s prosperity 758 760 761 762 764.

Seeing Torikaze entrust a much larger village entirely to a young successor changes Hiruzen’s approach to retirement. On returning home, he gives Minato genuine administrative freedom and adopts a supporting role rather than continuing to control village affairs 778 826 1063.

Personality

Young Hiruzen is lively, proud, and easily provoked. He reacts angrily when a mission clerk questions whether he became Tobirama’s disciple through connections, requiring Danzo to restrain him. His competitiveness also makes him prolong the spar with Torikaze after already accepting him onto the mission 18 23 26.

He can recognize another shinobi’s ability despite his pride. Torikaze earns his respect through combat, and Hiruzen later challenges his comrades’ habit of relying on Torikaze whenever a powerful enemy appears. He argues that they should protect Torikaze themselves rather than treating him as invincible 26 292.

The parallel-world Hiruzen is cautious, regretful, and deeply invested in Konoha’s survival. War, his teachers’ deaths, and estrangement from his students weigh heavily on him. His experience in Torikaze’s world makes him more receptive to younger leaders and more willing to relinquish authority 765 774 778 1063.

His concern for his students can outweigh institutional expectations: he accepts that Tsunade may never return to the village, provided she is safe and can move beyond her painful past 773.

Abilities & Skills

Elemental Ninjutsu

• Earth Release: Earth Flow River — Converts the battlefield into fast-moving mud. During his spar with Torikaze, it covers half the field and leaves little room to evade 26.
• Fire Release — Uses powerful fire techniques against Torikaze; later performs Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet while fighting alongside Danzo 26 292.
• Parallel-world application — Uses Earth Flow River beneath the Nine-Tails, creating mud into which its enormous body can sink 751.
• Chakra limitation — Prolonged ninjutsu use leaves him panting and heavily depleted after the spar 26.

Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique

• Multiplies a handful of thrown shuriken to more than ten times their original number, allowing him to counter Torikaze’s crystal projectiles 25.
• Learned the technique from Hashirama and later teaches it to Orochimaru 214.

Enma Summoning and Staff Combat

• Summons Enma, an intelligent monkey capable of transforming into an Adamantine Staff 25.
• The transformed staff extends and retracts freely, making it difficult for opponents to remain outside his reach 25.
• Enma’s assistance substantially increases his combat strength, forcing Torikaze onto the defensive 25.
• The summoning family contracts exclusively with the Sarutobi Clan 25.

Taijutsu

• Uses agile jumps, aerial spins, and staff-assisted movement to evade attacks and counterstrike 25.
• His iron-staff blow cracks the ground during the spar, although ninjutsu is described as his strongest offensive method 25 26.
• Joins the taijutsu assault unit against Isshiki during a later allied challenge 976.

Tailed Beast Transformation

• Uses a transformation powerful enough to be assigned a main-assault role in the Trial Tower team 911.
• Acknowledges that frequent use has made him dependent on tailed-beast power, prompting him to return to his own elemental techniques 292.
• The supplied passages do not identify his tailed beast.

Technique Development and Leadership

• Develops approximately one or two new techniques per year. Tobirama considers him the only member of his original disciple group with notable talent for ninjutsu creation, though Torikaze surpasses him 45.
• Acts as the core of his early squad and is recognized for both strength and leadership 745 760.
• Directs industrial development and construction teams, dividing responsibilities with Danzo and Shinnosuke 767 1800.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Iron staff — Used for close-range strikes and aerial maneuvering during the spar with Torikaze 25.
• Adamantine Staff — Enma’s transformed form; changes length freely during combat 25.
• Shuriken — Used with the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique 25.
• Five hundred phones — parallel-world Hiruzen — Receives them as startup resources for helping promote Torikaze’s Game and expand communications 815.

Relationships

Torikaze’s World

• Tobirama Senju — Teacher and former superior. Initially regards Hiruzen as his most promising disciple, but ultimately selects Torikaze as Hokage successor 45 140 235.
• Hashirama Senju — Teacher who instructs him in ninjutsu and recognizes his leadership potential 214 760.
• Torikaze — Younger mission companion and later Hokage. Their spar establishes mutual respect; Hiruzen later urges others to protect him rather than rely on him for every threat 25 26 40 292.
• Danzo — Teammate and long-term business partner. Danzo restrains his youthful temper; later they divide responsibility for the Rain Country’s fishing industry 23 767.
• Kagami Uchiha — Teammate who helps guide the younger, less mature Hiruzen 18.
• Koharu, Homura, and Torifu — Fellow members of Tobirama’s original disciple group 5.
• Sarutobi Sasuke — Father, powerful shinobi, and early Sarutobi Clan head; provides mission intelligence and leads the Eight-Tails capture team 29 59.
• Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hiruko — Students associated with his implementation of the three-man squad system 192 212 214 354.
• Biwako — Wife; initially mistakes the visiting parallel-world Hiruzen for a Shadow Clone 765 766.
• Shinnosuke Sarutobi — Elder son and future clan head, trained from childhood and trusted with railroad preparations 1800.
• Asuma Sarutobi — Younger son, raised with fewer restrictions. Hiruzen recognizes his ninjutsu ability but assigns him fewer missions because he is less composed than Shinnosuke 1800.

Parallel World

• Minato Namikaze — Hokage successor. Hiruzen initially retains authority out of concern for his inexperience, then becomes a supportive retiree 746 778 826.
• Mito Uzumaki — Early supporter whose influence helps secure his Hokage position; her involvement also leaves him feeling constrained in office 778.
• Tsunade — Student whose safety and emotional recovery matter more to him than whether she returns to Konoha 773.
• Orochimaru — Estranged student who visits after more than a year without meeting him. Hiruzen hopes he will understand that becoming Hokage requires more than strength 826 827.
• Jiraiya — Student with whom he discusses retirement, Minato’s success, and the changes brought by Torikaze 1063 1064.
• Torikaze — Interworld ally and leadership example. Entrusts Hiruzen with monitoring Danzo during the Game-promotion mission 778 815 1063.

Notable Quotes

“We rely on Torikaze for everything. Can't we protect him ourselves?” 292

“This old man will be responsible for backing you up.”
— Parallel-world Hiruzen, relinquishing administrative control to Minato 778

“Child, becoming Hokage requires more than strength alone. I hope you can understand that.”
— Parallel-world Hiruzen, reflecting on Orochimaru 827