Third Hokage

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Sarutobi Hiruzen
Alias(es)	Third Hokage; Hokage-sama
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Konohagakure
Occupation/Role	Third Hokage; mentor of Hyuga Hinata
Status	Retired from the Hokage position after appointing Hyuga Hinata as Fifth Hokage 74
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Hiruzen oversaw Konoha during tense ceasefire negotiations with Kumogakure. He sought to finalize the agreement swiftly so the village could recover from war and cultivate its next generation, while attending Hinata Hyuga's birthday banquet as Hokage 2.

He was aware of Hinata's unusual forehead horns and considered their resemblance to those of the Gold and Silver Brothers, but dismissed any connection because the Hyuga clan had no known ties to them 2.

When the Black Shadow appeared in Konoha, Hiruzen personally investigated alongside the Hyuga leadership. He organized a village-wide search for possible victims after the entity escaped, treating its unexplained arrival and disappearance as a direct provocation against Konoha 4 5.

Kumogakure later accused Konoha of murdering its delegation leader. Hiruzen refused to accept the accusation, recognized that the delegation likely intended to undermine the peace treaty, and avoided open conflict by presenting executed criminals as the supposed culprits 5 7.

Following the emergence of Bizarre Creatures and Puppet Corpses, Hiruzen recalled Konoha's scattered ninja forces and made Sealing Jutsu mandatory training, including for shinobi who had graduated from the Academy years earlier 20.

After Danzō's death, Hiruzen took control of Root's records and discovered evidence of dangerous experiments, including attempted Bizarre Creature fusion and research involving the First Hokage's Cells. He formed a dedicated research team to investigate Danzō's abnormal arm and its extraordinary vitality 41 42.

Mentorship of Hyuga Hinata

Hiruzen recognized Hinata's exceptional talent after her strength was exposed during the Puppet Corpses test. He began considering how Konoha should handle the Hyuga clan prodigy, then formally accepted her as his disciple with the intent of cultivating her as a future Hokage 32 34.

He personally trained Hinata in village administration, provided his ninjutsu scrolls and private notes, and permitted her to study the Scroll of Seals under supervision in the Hokage Tower 35 36.

Hiruzen trusted Hinata with increasingly sensitive matters, including Root's First Hokage's Cells research, the White Zetsu clone she captured, and the Demon Weapon program 43 49 57. He ultimately relinquished the Hokage title to her, making Hinata the Fifth Hokage and the youngest Hokage in Konoha's history 74.

Leadership

Diplomacy and Crisis Management

Hiruzen remained composed under Kumogakure's hostile demands, publicly denying any reason for Konoha to assassinate its leader while making clear that he would not be intimidated into accepting blame 5.

He relied on political misdirection rather than war when dealing with the delegation, supplying an explanation that left the envoys uncertain and unable to press their accusation further 7.

Bizarre Creature Policy

• Ordered broad Sealing Jutsu training in response to the Bizarre Creature threat 20.
• Kept dangerous entities and Root's research under Hokage oversight, denying Danzō control over the Black Shadow and condemning Root's attempt to fuse Bizarre Creatures 7 42.
• Authorized Hinata to establish a secluded workshop for creating Demon Weapons from sealed Oni 57.
• Refused to force every Oni into weapon form, recognizing that weapons could be lost and that some Oni were safer when sealed within people 59.

First Hokage's Cells and Rinnegan

After learning that Danzō's arm could generate a sapling from a blood sample exposed to chakra, Hiruzen concluded that it contained First Hokage's Cells and commissioned formal research into their properties 42.

When Konoha acquired Nagato's Rinnegan, Hiruzen determined that no available shinobi could safely bear its physical burden. He rejected giving it to Naruto due to the risk of combining the Rinnegan with the Nine-Tails and instead ordered the eyes sealed 71.

Hinata later used the Rinnegan, First Hokage's Cells, and fragments of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to create gauntlets that could nourish their wearer and wield part of the Rinnegan's power. Hiruzen accepted the gauntlets and supplied her with advanced research equipment and the village's First Hokage's Cells materials in return 72.

Abilities & Skills

Ninjutsu Knowledge

Hiruzen is described as knowing nearly every ninjutsu available in Konoha, with only a small number of forbidden techniques outside his knowledge 35.

• Maintained extensive personal notes on ninjutsu theory and control, which Hinata used to develop new methods of manipulating True Qi 36.
• Personally tested Nagai Ukaku's First Hokage's Cells armor with several ninjutsu, confirming its resistance to conventional attacks 61.
• Controlled access to the Scroll of Seals, allowing Hinata to consult it only within the Hokage Tower 36.

Political Judgment

• Identified Kumogakure's accusations as a likely attempt to sabotage the peace process 5.
• Anticipated the risks of entrusting the Rinnegan to Naruto despite Naruto's Uzumaki lineage 71.
• Recognized Demon Weapons as a major strategic asset while accounting for their material limits and the danger of loss 57 59.

Administration

• Processed Konoha's official documents personally and later trained Hinata as his assistant 36.
• Managed the village's strained finances during the Bizarre Creature crisis, using mission spoils to address overdue death benefits and ninja salaries 55.
• Arranged Jiraiya's training of Naruto and Sasuke and supported Tsunade's apprenticeship of Sakura 62.

Equipment / Items

• Pipe — Frequently used while considering diplomatic and security matters 5.
• Scrolls and personal ninjutsu notes — Provided to Hinata during her training 36.
• Rinnegan Gauntlets — Green handguards created by Hinata from First Hokage's Cells, Demonic Statue fragments, and the Rinnegan; they supplied chakra to nourish his body and granted access to part of the Rinnegan's power 72.

Relationships

• Hyuga Hinata — His disciple and chosen successor. Hiruzen provided her with training, confidential resources, and institutional support before appointing her Fifth Hokage 34 36 74.
• Jiraiya — His senior disciple. Hiruzen relied on Jiraiya to locate Tsunade and later assigned him to train Naruto and Sasuke 45 62.
• Tsunade — His senior disciple. Hiruzen sought her return to Konoha because of the growing dangers facing the shinobi world and the need for her expertise 45.
• Shimura Danzō — Longtime associate and political rival. Hiruzen mourned Danzō's death but was enraged by the illegal Root research uncovered afterward 41 42.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura — Hokage advisors who participated in discussions on Root, the First Hokage's Cells, Nagato, and the Rinnegan 42 71.
• Hyuga Hiashi — Cooperated with Hiruzen during the Black Shadow crisis and accepted Konoha's request for Hyuga clan assistance 5 8.

Notable Quotes

“Konoha has no reason to kill your leader, and as for war, that is even more preposterous.” 5

“I believe you won't disappoint me.” 42