Third Hokage

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Hiruzen Sarutobi 1 33
Alias(es)	Third Hokage; “Grandpa Hokage,” Naruto’s former form of address 2
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Konohagakure; Sarutobi Clan 17 26
Occupation/Role	Third Hokage; assigned responsibility for Naruto’s political protection, identity confidentiality, and daily needs 33 50
Status	Alive; agrees to relinquish leadership, remaining Hokage temporarily for seven days while Tsunade is recalled 33 47
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “Kneeling in the Sealed Space” 1

Background / History

Naruto’s Guardianship and Isolation

Hiruzen knew Naruto was Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki’s son from the time of the Nine-Tails’ attack. A record bearing his confirmation seal preserved Minato’s wish that Naruto be accepted as a hero’s son and never slandered as the Nine-Tailed Fox. Kushina’s separate guardianship list assigned Hiruzen responsibility for Naruto’s protection and everyday needs 16 50.

Those instructions were not fulfilled. Records identify Danzo as the proposer of Naruto’s isolation plan, the advisors as its approvers, and Hiruzen as having tacitly permitted it. The plan restricted Naruto’s finances and contacts to make him dependent on the Hokage’s administration. Hiruzen also accepted individual recommendations limiting access to Naruto, including keeping Jiraiya away for long periods 16 22 32.

Hiruzen sealed Naruto’s parental letters away six years before the main confrontation, with their release deferred until adulthood and dependent on circumstances. He later admits that he feared learning the truth would make Naruto act rashly. Minato’s former home was likewise sealed by the Hokage Office, preventing his students from entering without permission 14 39.

Public Confrontation with Naruto

Hiruzen secretly watches six-year-old Naruto through a crystal ball while villagers abuse him. When Naruto subdues the Nine-Tails and gains controlled access to its chakra, the ball shatters, cutting Hiruzen’s hand 1.

After Naruto defeats the ANBU sent to contain him, Hiruzen approaches with a gentle, grandfatherly manner. He explains the villagers’ hostility as a consequence of their suffering during the Nine-Tails disaster. Naruto rejects that explanation and demands to know why neither Hiruzen nor his watchers intervened 2.

Naruto then exposes the difference between surveillance and protection. An ANBU witness admits that seventeen stones struck him, with the fourth splitting his head open. The official report nevertheless classified him as not in mortal danger and ordered continued observation. Hiruzen’s claim that he had always protected Naruto collapses before the witnesses 3.

When Naruto asks about his parents, Hiruzen invokes village secrecy, attempts to exclude the Military Police from the investigation, and orders the street sealed. Naruto defeats the containment effort and interrupts Hiruzen’s attempted Earth Release with a sealing formula. The subsequent discovery of allowance records shows that Naruto received only 300 ryō of a monthly allocation of 3,000 ryō 4 5.

Root’s Exposure and Danzo’s Death

Root’s public attempt to seize Naruto reveals the limits of Hiruzen’s authority: its agents ignore his command to stop. Hiruzen did not order the raid, but cannot prevent Naruto from tracing it back to Root’s underground base 6.

He tries to block Naruto’s Tailed Beast Bomb with an earthen wall, then follows him into the damaged base. There, he discovers Danzo’s unreported jinchūriki containment array, stolen Sharingan, and records of child experimentation. Some records lack Hiruzen’s signature but carry routing stamps from the Hokage’s office, making complete administrative ignorance untenable 7 8 10.

Danzo directly challenges Hiruzen’s claim that these abuses occurred behind his back, accusing him of choosing not to know. Hiruzen later insists that Danzo must be interrogated before judgment, but Naruto rejects a process controlled by the same leadership implicated in Root’s crimes and executes Danzo publicly 9 11.

Inheritance and the Nine-Tails Cover-Up

After Minato’s estate vault is found opened and partly emptied, Hiruzen publicly confirms Naruto’s parentage. He argues that secrecy protected Naruto from Minato’s enemies, but cannot answer Naruto’s objection that the village knew him as the “demon fox” while he alone remained ignorant of his family 12.

The investigation also exposes the Hokage Office’s order confining the Uchiha to their compound during the Nine-Tails’ attack. Any Uchiha approaching the battlefield could be treated as a suspected rebel. Hiruzen cites the enemy’s use of the Sharingan, but offers no answer when Tekka challenges the punishment of the entire clan 16.

Evidence hidden in the Sarutobi storehouse links the leaked maternity-ward route to Root, the advisors, and Sarutobi Ryosuke. Hiruzen recognizes that a confirmation attributed to his wife, Biwako, is forged; he also recognizes Homura’s disguised handwriting in the letter arranging for the Uchiha to take the blame. The discoveries undermine his belief that he had kept Konoha’s factions balanced 17 18.

Sarutobi Conflict and Resignation

When Sarutobi Muneyoshi takes Academy children hostage, Hiruzen condemns his attempt to protect the clan by endangering other children. His subsequent order for Sarutobi Sōgo to stand down fails, and clan fighters attack Naruto despite his intervention 24 25.

After Naruto defeats them without killing them, Hiruzen reads the incriminating ledger aloud. He then orders his clansmen to comply with Naruto’s demand for public explanations, accepting damage to the Sarutobi name rather than shielding those involved 26.

At Konoha’s public reckoning, Hiruzen admits his failure toward Naruto. Naruto demands his resignation, and Jiraiya supports a leadership change. Hiruzen initially warns that an immediate departure could advertise Konoha’s instability, but accepts a seven-day temporary tenure while Tsunade is recalled 32 33.

Commitment	Terms
Leadership transition	Remain temporarily for seven days and recall Tsunade within that period 33.
Root	Dissolve the organization immediately; register and investigate every member 33.
Advisor system	Suspend the system and seal its associated authority 33.
Sensitive records	Accept joint protection by Jiraiya, Kakashi, the Military Police, and jōnin from multiple factions 33.
Naruto’s inheritance	Investigate missing assets and agree to Naruto’s demand for tenfold repayment of missing estate money 33.
Criminal investigations	Investigate the burned letters and Academy hostage incident 33.
Uchiha vindication	Promise a public statement clearing the clan 33.

Interim Leadership and New Threats

During Kumogakure’s opportunistic visit, Hiruzen refuses its demand to inspect Naruto. After Cloud ninja attack, he supports Konoha’s right to defend itself rather than sidelining Naruto. He later restricts the delegation to the Foreign Guesthouse and orders its attack formally recorded 35 36 37.

As investigators uncover an unknown mastermind exploiting Konoha’s genuine crimes, Hiruzen acknowledges that the scheme could not have worked without the village’s existing failures. He orders the hospital and archives sealed and approves shared custody of a murdered Kumogakure ninja’s body, extending oversight beyond his own office 43 44 46.

Hiruzen remains in Konoha while Naruto’s team pursues Orochimaru, warning them not to confront him alone. During that mission, recovered documents provide further evidence of Hiruzen’s earlier responsibility: Yamanaka Fūma states that he signed an order marked “Agree to defer” after the advisors took Kushina’s guardianship list 47 50.

Appearance

• Elderly appearance: A lined face and a habitual kindly, weary expression 2 3.
• Official clothing: Hokage robes and the Hokage’s hat; he initially confronts Naruto without battle attire 2.
• Pipe: Frequently held during his early encounters with Naruto; it falls from his hand when the ANBU’s eyewitness testimony exposes his knowledge of the abuse 1 3.

Personality

Hiruzen presents himself as a reassuring grandfather figure, using a gentle voice and promises of eventual acceptance. That manner conceals a willingness to tolerate Naruto’s isolation so that the child will rely on his approval. When challenged, he initially appeals to Naruto’s youth, village hardship, and stability rather than addressing specific evidence 2 3 32.

His caution repeatedly becomes avoidance. He delays discussion of Naruto’s parentage, withholds parental letters, and treats Danzo’s detention as a procedural necessity despite public evidence of atrocities. Danzo’s accusation that Hiruzen does not want to know exposes the weakness of his repeated claims of ignorance 4 9 11 14.

He nevertheless becomes willing to accept concrete accountability. He orders his own clan to explain its actions, admits fault publicly, accepts a leadership transition, and recognizes that an outside manipulator does not erase Konoha’s responsibility. His later support for Naruto against Kumogakure marks a change from his earlier failure to intervene 26 32 33 36 43.

Abilities & Skills

Earth Release

Hiruzen can rapidly construct an earthen wall through hand seals 7.

• Uses the wall to obstruct Naruto’s Tailed Beast Bomb rather than attack him.
• Naruto’s chakra claw destroys it in one strike 7.
• An earlier Earth Release attempt is interrupted before completion 4.

Body Flicker Technique

Hiruzen uses the Body Flicker Technique to close the distance when attempting to stop Naruto’s attack on Root 7.

• His rapid movement and hand seals do not prevent the Tailed Beast Bomb from being fired 7.

Technique Recognition

Hiruzen identifies dangerous or specialized techniques during the investigations.

• Recognizes Naruto’s Uzumaki sealing techniques 4.
• Identifies Danzo’s Reverse Four Symbols Seal and warns everyone to retreat 9.
• Recognizes an old-style Monkey Clan summoning mark connected to the Sarutobi clan 19.

Surveillance and Command

Hiruzen monitors Naruto remotely and directs Konoha’s security forces 1 34.

• Remote observation: Uses a crystal ball until Naruto’s chakra manifestation destroys it 1.
• Security coordination: Orders barriers, heightened gate security, hospital lockdowns, and archive lockdowns 4 34 43 46.
• Limits: Root agents and mobilized Sarutobi fighters both ignore his direct orders to stop 6 25.

Equipment / Items

• Crystal ball — Used to watch Naruto remotely; shattered during Naruto’s initial transformation 1.
• Pipe — Carried during his surveillance and early confrontation with Naruto 1 3.
• Hokage hat and robes — Worn while exercising his office publicly 2 35.

Relationships

• Naruto Uzumaki — Assigned protector whose deliberate isolation and neglected care destroy Naruto’s trust. Naruto forces him to admit fault, accept restitution measures, and agree to step down 3 32 33 50.
• Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki — Entrusted Naruto’s future to Konoha and assigned Hiruzen explicit guardianship duties. Their surviving instructions become evidence against his decisions 16 50.
• Danzo — Old friend, Hokage aide, and Root leader. Their confrontation exposes both Danzo’s independent abuses and Hiruzen’s avoidance of scrutiny 6 9 11.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu — Longtime advisors whose schemes operated through authority Hiruzen tolerated. He ultimately agrees to suspend the advisor system 18 22 33.
• Jiraiya — His student, whom he urgently recalls during the crisis. Jiraiya later supports replacing him and accepts responsibility for locating Tsunade 20 22 33.
• Biwako Sarutobi — His wife; her name is forged on evidence concerning Naruto’s maternity-ward defenses 16 17.
• Uchiha Tekka — Military Police officer who challenges the Uchiha lockdown and insists that Hiruzen finish reading the conspiracy ledger publicly 16 26.
• Tsunade — Naruto’s proposed successor. Hiruzen agrees she is the best choice and commits to recalling her, though her willingness to return remains uncertain 33.
• Hiashi Hyuga — Confronts Hiruzen over Kumogakure’s renewed demands and the earlier sacrifice of Hizashi. Hiruzen states that such a concession will not happen again 34.

Notable Quotes

“Naruto, don't make trouble for someone carrying out his orders.” 3

“I was wrong in this matter.” 32

“If Konoha didn't have these problems in the first place, he couldn't have used them.” 43