Third Hokage
This Uchiha Refuses to Be a Caged Bird
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Hiruzen Sarutobi 4 |
| Alias(es) | Third Hokage; Third Elder; “Hero of Ninjas”; “Professor of Ninjas” 4 38 54 |
| Gender | Male 272 |
| Affiliation | Konohagakure 4 |
| Occupation/Role | Hokage of Konohagakure 4 |
Background and History
Hiruzen stepped down after a war in which he refused to demand reparations from defeated nations. Rising village debt and discontent contributed to his resignation. He returned to office after the Fourth Hokage died, but found his authority diminished as Danzō’s Root competed with his Anbu for personnel and resources 54.
During the Uchiha crisis, Hiruzen expected the clan to act first and believed Konoha could then purge it in the name of stability 58. He had also tacitly accepted a gradual reduction of the Uchiha Police Force’s influence 50. When the anticipated uprising did not occur, he challenged Danzō’s demand to eliminate the clan, arguing that Root had helped cause the crisis 60.
Hiruzen moved to dissolve Root and remove Danzō as an advisor, but Tsunade’s intervention led to a compromise: Danzō retained his post, Root’s management was to pass gradually to the Anbu, and the Uchiha were assigned patrol duties with a path toward ending their confinement 61.
Hiruzen regarded Uchiha Rei as an exceptional shinobi. Rei’s refusal to follow Orochimaru out of Konoha had first won his attention; later, Hiruzen offered him a place in the Hokage Guard 64. After Rei was presumed dead at Hozuki Castle, Hiruzen mourned him but opposed sacrificing such a valuable Konoha ninja for another nation 167 173.
Danzō subsequently used Rei’s supposed death to rally support for war. Hiruzen reluctantly accepted the village leadership’s demand, then helped halt the war plans when Rei returned and opposed them publicly 206 225. After Danzō was reported dead, Hiruzen classified the affair as an internal Root conflict and ordered those involved arrested to contain the scandal 268.
Hiruzen initially continued to believe in Danzō despite knowing of his misdeeds. Rei changed his position by reincarnating Hiruzen’s son, Sarutobi Sasuke, who testified that Danzō—not an enemy-country ninja—had killed him. Hiruzen then resolved to sever ties with Danzō and listed ten major crimes against him 272 273 310.
Appearance
- An aging man with pronounced wrinkles who frequently smokes a pipe 60 192.
- Wears a Hokage robe marked with the character for “Fire” 268.
Abilities & Skills
Telescopic Technique
Political Leadership
- Uses intelligence and council votes to challenge Danzō’s account of the Uchiha crisis, though Tsunade’s intervention forces him to accept a compromise 60 61.
- Coordinates with the Land of Fire’s Daimyo during the debate over war and helps prevent it after Rei’s return 224 225.
Relationships
- Shimura Danzō — Former comrade and political rival. Hiruzen repeatedly clashes with him over Root and war, yet trusts his professed love for Konoha until learning that Danzō killed his son 60 206 272 273.
- Sarutobi Sasuke — His son. Hiruzen believed he had died at the hands of foreign ninja until Sasuke was reincarnated and named Danzō as his killer 272 273.
- Asuma Sarutobi — His son, whose account of losing to Uchiha Rei first drew Hiruzen’s attention to Rei 19.
- Uchiha Rei — A shinobi Hiruzen investigated, sought to recruit into his guard, and later mourned. Rei ultimately confronted him with the truth about Sasuke’s death 19 64 173 272.
- Tsunade — His former student; her intervention changes the outcome of his proposed measures against Danzō and the Uchiha 61.
- Orochimaru — His former student, whose attempt to recruit Rei before defecting influenced Hiruzen’s opinion of Rei 64.