Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Sarutobi Hiruzen (猿飞日斩) |
| Alias(es) | Third Hokage |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Konohagakure |
| Occupation/Role | Hokage of Konohagakure |
| First Appearance | Chapter 2 |
Background / History
Hiruzen was trained by Senju Tobirama, who impressed upon him that a Hokage must not make decisions in anger. He later became the teacher of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, the three shinobi known as the Legendary Sannin. 13 27
By the time of the Uchiha clan extermination, he is an elderly Hokage nearing seventy, presiding over a Konoha strained by internal distrust, manpower shortages, and threats from other villages. 17 29
Appearance
Hiruzen is an elderly man who habitually carries and smokes a pipe. His normally kind expression can give way to a visibly furious and intimidating demeanor under pressure. 2 27
- Often seen behind his desk or standing at the Hokage Building window with a pipe. 2 17 21
- Nearing seventy during the crisis with the Four Great Ninja Villages. 29
- His face becomes flushed and his veins stand out when enraged over Orochimaru's changed status. 27
Personality
Hiruzen places Konoha's survival and stability above moral objections. During the Uchiha extermination, he insists that the clan must be eliminated “for the stability of Konoha,” later maintaining that public belief in the official narrative is less important than preventing people from challenging it. 2 3
He is politically calculating and authoritarian when preserving control: he approves a false account of the massacre, classifies discussion of the event as treasonous, and attempts to bury its physical reminders by filling the Uchiha lakes. 3 4 5
Despite this, Hiruzen shows moments of private doubt. He asks Koharu whether their actions were truly wrong, admits responsibility for the massacre’s consequences, and reflects on his growing inability to control the crises overtaking Konoha. 3 27
Leadership & Political Authority
Crisis Management
Hiruzen commands the Anbu, Root, village clans, and Konoha’s military institutions during successive emergencies.
- Ordered Anbu and Root to support the operation at the Uchiha compound while preventing other forces from moving. 2
- Convened Jonin meetings after the Uchiha massacre and again when four major villages threatened Konoha. 4 29
- Raised border alerts to their maximum level and ordered all clans to prepare for war after the jinchūriki disappearances. 21
- Required the Hyuga to send a representative to the wartime Jonin meeting despite the clan’s withdrawal from public activity. 29
Control of Information
Hiruzen attempts to protect Konoha’s authority by imposing an official account of sensitive events.
- Presented the Uchiha clan as coup plotters whose massacre resulted from Itachi losing control under the influence of his Mangekyō Sharingan. 3 4
- Ordered the Uchiha massacre treated as top-secret intelligence, threatening anyone who discussed or leaked it with designation as a traitor. 4
- Ordered the Anbu to fill the craters left by the Uchiha compound and Police Force headquarters, which had become lakes. 5
Restraining Danzō
Although complicit with Danzō in the Uchiha operation, Hiruzen later moves to curb Root’s independent actions.
- Forbids Root from acting without his orders or harassing other ninja clans. 17
- Threatens to remove Danzō as Hokage Assistant and Root leader if he destabilizes Konoha further. 17
- Requests a roster of Root jonin proficient in sealing techniques for his own use. 17
Story Role / Major Arcs
- Uchiha Clan Extermination — Hiruzen oversees the response to the Uchiha operation, orders Root to help complete it before dawn, and reacts angrily when Uchiha Setsuna’s broadcast exposes Konoha’s secrets. 2
- Aftermath and Cover-up — He coordinates with Danzō, Koharu, and Homura to establish Konoha’s official narrative, classify Itachi as an S-rank missing-nin, search secretly for Sasuke, and reorganize the Military Police Force under Hokage authority. 3 4
- Uchiha Lakes — He orders the lakes created by the Uchiha compound’s destruction filled in, but the effort repeatedly fails. 5
- Hyuga Crisis — Faced with the exposure of the Caged Bird seal and the Hyuga clan’s retreat, he rejects Danzō’s proposal to force branch-family members back into service. 9 17
- Jinchūriki Disappearances — When Kumogakure and Iwagakure accuse Konoha of abducting Yugito and Han, Hiruzen prepares the village for possible war while questioning Danzō’s involvement. 21
- Tsunade and Orochimaru’s Return to Politics — Tsunade’s refusal to meet him immediately and Orochimaru’s new status as a Land of Sound noble deepen Hiruzen’s suspicions that a coordinated plot is targeting Konoha. 22 27
- Konoha Crisis — With Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure mobilizing, Hiruzen summons Konoha’s available jonin and declares that the village faces war. 29
Relationships
- Shimura Danzō — Longtime partner and political rival. Hiruzen approved the Uchiha extermination order, then blamed Danzō for its disastrous exposure and later restricted Root’s authority. 3 17 27
- Uchiha Itachi — Sends Itachi to infiltrate Akatsuki for an indefinite mission and promises that Konoha will protect Sasuke both openly and “in the shadows.” 4
- Uchiha Sasuke — Orders a secret search after Sasuke disappears with Mikoto; he regards the pair’s survival as politically troublesome. 3 4
- Tsunade — His former student. Hiruzen hopes her return will stabilize Konoha and eventually succeed him, but grows uneasy when she prioritizes the Senju branch families over meeting him. 22 27
- Jiraiya — His former student and a dependable military asset; Hiruzen sends him to locate Tsunade and later relies on his immediate commitment to defend Konoha. 9 19 29
- Orochimaru — His former student. Hiruzen is enraged when Orochimaru’s rogue-ninja warrant is rescinded and suspects him of involvement in the recent crises surrounding Konoha. 4 27
- Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura — Senior allies who help him manage the massacre’s aftermath and formulate Konoha’s public response. 2 3
- Hyuga Hiashi — The Hyuga leader’s distrust and withdrawal force Hiruzen to balance Konoha’s need for Byakugan reconnaissance against the risk of driving another major clan into rebellion. 9 17
Notable Quotes
“The Uchiha must be wiped out. This is for the stability of Konoha.” — Sarutobi Hiruzen 2
“Whether they believe it or not is irrelevant; what matters is the official narrative.” — Sarutobi Hiruzen 3
“Danzō, I am the Hokage.” — Sarutobi Hiruzen 17
“The reason I summoned you all today is for a single topic: War!” — Sarutobi Hiruzen 29