Sarutobi Hiruzen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Sarutobi Hiruzen (猿飞日斩)
Alias(es)	Third Hokage; Professor of Ninjutsu 6 127
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Konohagakure
Occupation/Role	Third Hokage; retired Hokage and senior administrator
Status	Deceased after dying in the Land of Wind; later revived through Impure World Reincarnation 151 135
First Appearance	Chapter 6

Background / History

Hiruzen served as Konoha's Third Hokage for decades, accumulating influence across the village's major departments and among its ninja clans. Even after retiring under the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, he remained deeply involved in administration and retained considerable political authority. 21 50

His longstanding prestige made other clans reluctant to oppose him, as they feared administrative retaliation through mission assignments, pensions, medical treatment, or border deployments. The Uchiha Clan was the notable exception. 41

Hiruzen's father was named Sasuke; Uchiha Fugaku sought Hiruzen's permission before naming his second son Sasuke Uchiha. 39

Appearance

An elderly man who is almost constantly depicted smoking a pipe. He is also seen wearing Sarutobi Clan armor after being revived through Impure World Reincarnation. 17 135

• Carries a pipe and frequently uses smoke to conceal his expression. 17
• Has an elderly appearance, though he remains active in Konoha's political and military affairs. 50 80
• Wore Sarutobi Clan armor following his revival. 135

Personality

Hiruzen favors caution, investigation, and stability over immediate force. When Danzō proposed arresting the Uchiha and allied clan heads, Hiruzen rejected the plan as an unjustified act that could provoke civil war; he instead ordered surveillance of both the gathering clans and Root. 17

Despite this restraint, he is politically calculating and protective of the authority built during his tenure. He attempted to preserve control over Konoha's departments, obstructed Masaki Uchiha's political rise, and used emotional appeals when negotiating with Minato and Masaki. 21 45 50 55

His loyalty to old comrades repeatedly compromises his judgment. He defended Danzō despite Root's actions, sought Koharu and Homura's release, and ultimately accepted Masaki's terms to protect them. 21 52 55 His devotion to family is even stronger: when Asuma was threatened, Hiruzen begged for his life and accepted a dangerous mission in exchange for a chance to save him. 140 141

“Life is more important than money. Everything I did back then was for Konoha. My conscience is clear on that!” 141

Abilities & Skills

Political Administration

Hiruzen possesses extensive experience in Konoha's governmental structure and uses it to manage crises, negotiate power transfers, and preserve influence after retirement.

• Retained influence over the Administration Department and other key institutions after Minato became Hokage. 21 50
• Mediated disputes between ninja clans during the Mist threat and organized Konoha's reserve-force assignments. 80
• Recommended Jiraiya to command Konoha's forces against Iwagakure. 61
• Was trusted to remain in Konoha and manage affairs while Masaki prepared operations against the Otsutsuki Clan and Akatsuki. 111 130

Barrier Technique

Hiruzen can create a silence barrier to isolate sensitive discussions.

• Used a silence barrier around Danzō, Koharu, and Homura while confronting Danzō about the concealed Wood Release experiment. 28

Ninjutsu Knowledge

Hiruzen bears the title “Professor of Ninjutsu,” while the Sarutobi Clan possesses Konoha's second-largest ninjutsu-scroll collection after the official archives. 127

• The Sarutobi Clan holds extensive Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning Release techniques. 127
• He fiercely opposed proposals requiring clans to contribute non-core ninjutsu to strengthen civilian ninja, as the policy would most heavily affect his clan. 127

Relationships

• Masaki Uchiha — Political rival who steadily displaced Hiruzen's influence in Konoha. Hiruzen opposed Masaki's rise, but later cooperated with and supported him when stability or personal stakes demanded it. 45 55 111
• Minato Namikaze — Fourth Hokage and Hiruzen's successor. Hiruzen assisted Minato's administration after retirement, though they clashed over Danzō's punishment and the transfer of departmental authority. 6 21
• Shimura Danzō — Longtime comrade whose extremism repeatedly endangered Hiruzen's position. Hiruzen tried to restrain, protect, and later discipline Danzō before Root was dismantled. 17 19 52
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura — Old classmates and political allies. Hiruzen sought their release after they were arrested for issuing a forged emergency order. 49 55
• Jiraiya — His student. Hiruzen recommended him to command the war against Iwagakure and later sent him into battle despite Jiraiya's reluctance. 61 62
• Orochimaru — His former student. Orochimaru's loyalty to Masaki rather than Hiruzen becomes a source of frustration for him. 51 52
• Sarutobi Asuma — His son. Hiruzen abandoned political restraint and accepted Masaki's coercive terms in an effort to spare Asuma's life. 140 141
• Naruto — Hiruzen claimed Minato entrusted Naruto to his care and resisted attempts to place the Nine-Tails jinchūriki under the Jōnin Squad's authority. 50

Story Role / Major Arcs

Uchiha Clan Tensions

Hiruzen initially treated accusations against Masaki Uchiha with deliberate ambiguity, allowing Masaki to explain himself while leaving open the possibility of punishment. 6 When the Uchiha hosted other clan heads, Hiruzen rejected Danzō's call for mass arrests and ordered Anbu to monitor the clans, the Uchiha compound, the Police Force, and Root. 17

After Danzō attempted to seize the Inuzuka Clan Head, Hiruzen removed him from duty to limit the political damage caused by Root. 19

Struggle for Konoha's Leadership

Hiruzen attempted to prevent Masaki from becoming Jōnin Squad Leader, fearing the Uchiha Clan's growing political power. Masaki nevertheless won the election. 45

Following Minato's death, Hiruzen declared that he would temporarily resume the Hokage position to stabilize Konoha. Masaki challenged the legality of this declaration and exposed an order forged by Koharu and Homura that had kept the Uchiha from responding to the Nine-Tails incident. 49

Hiruzen ultimately agreed to transfer departmental authority to the Jōnin Squad until a new Hokage was elected, after Masaki's supporters gained a clear majority. 50 He later recommended Masaki as Acting Hokage in exchange for Koharu and Homura's release. 55

Fifth Hokage Era

Although he accepted Masaki's appointment as Fifth Hokage with resignation, Hiruzen remained an influential senior figure in Konoha. 97 He organized village defenses against Kirigakure, participated in war planning, and continued to challenge Masaki's policies when they threatened the Sarutobi Clan or Konoha's future. 80 106 127

After Masaki awakened the Rinnegan and prepared to confront the Otsutsuki Clan, Hiruzen publicly supported the operation and remained behind to guard Konoha. 109 111

Final Mission and Death

When the Daimyo ordered Sarutobi Asuma placed on the wanted list, Hiruzen attempted every available political avenue to protect his son. 140 Masaki forced him into accepting a mission to mediate the conflict between Iwagakure and Sunagakure, a mission that could also serve Konoha's expansionist plans. 141

Hiruzen departed for the Land of Wind with a diplomatic delegation and later died there. Masaki used his death as justification to launch a war against Sunagakure. 144 151

Trivia

• Hiruzen's habitual pipe-smoking is repeatedly used to mask his emotions during tense political discussions. 17 21
• His former status still commands enough respect that an Anbu messenger explicitly treats him with ceremony despite his retirement. 140
• He is revived through Impure World Reincarnation in a parallel-spacetime scenario alongside Hashirama, Tobirama, and Minato. 135