Hiruzen Sarutobi

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Hiruzen Sarutobi (猿飞日斩)
Alias(es)	Third Hokage
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Konohagakure
Occupation/Role	Third Hokage of Konohagakure
Status	Deceased; later reanimated during the conflict against the Ten-Tails 157 174 176
First Appearance	Chapter 4 4

Background / History

Early Hokage rule

Hiruzen regarded Uchiha Liu Feng's emergence as a political danger rather than an uncomplicated cause for celebration. Following the anti-Uchiha vigilance associated with his teacher, Senju Tobirama, he hoped Liu Feng would prove loyal to Konoha like Uchiha Kagami. 4

When Uzumaki Akira accused Root of attacking the Uzumaki clan, Hiruzen rejected the accusation as unproven, defended Danzō, and offered the displaced Uzumaki a place in Konoha under village support. His response further alienated Akira, who believed Konoha had betrayed his clan. 10

Hiruzen personally assessed Liu Feng after the latter saved the Uzumaki clan and defeated Uchiha Fugaku. He publicly praised the boy as a Konoha genius while quietly probing his attitude toward the village and estimating that he was concealing strength beyond elite Chunin level. 13

Second Shinobi World War

After surviving a joint ambush by Ōnoki, the Third Kazekage, and Hanzō of the Salamander, Hiruzen promoted Liu Feng to jōnin for his battlefield accomplishments. He immediately assigned Liu Feng to infiltrate the allied enemy camps, a mission Liu Feng suspected was intended to send him to his death. 28 29 30

Liu Feng destroyed the supply camps of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Amegakure, but Hiruzen initially hesitated to exploit the opening. He instead sent a ceasefire proposal; when the enemy demanded Liu Feng's surrender, Hiruzen refused, recognizing that handing over the influential Uchiha would provoke an immediate internal rupture. 31 32

As Konoha's position deteriorated, Hiruzen returned from the front to personally seek Liu Feng's assistance against the Cloud invasion. He accepted a payment of five billion ryō for Liu Feng's intervention, though he refused to cede a share of Konoha's future income. 37 38

Hiruzen later led a decisive attack against Sunagakure, assigning key opponents among Konoha's strongest fighters and personally working with a sealing team to capture One-Tail Shukaku. 39

Conflict with Liu Feng

Hiruzen's attempts to retain authority over Liu Feng repeatedly failed. He tolerated Liu Feng's defiance and the deaths of Konoha shinobi rather than immediately declare him a rogue ninja, judging that an open break with the Uchiha would endanger the village during wartime. 45

He also attempted to reclaim the Five-Tails from Liu Feng after the war, but abandoned the effort when Liu Feng threatened to unleash the beast in Konoha. Hiruzen privately retained Uchiha Kagami's Mangekyō Sharingan rather than surrender it to Danzō, intending to find suitable wielders for the eyes himself. 60

When Tsunade attacked Root in pursuit of Danzō, Hiruzen intervened to stop her. Following the destruction of Root's base, he declared Tsunade a rogue ninja to appease Danzō and preserve his own position. 65 66

The conflict culminated in open war between Konoha and Liu Feng's Uchiha faction. Pressured to compensate the Uchiha for their losses, Hiruzen chose Konoha over his own family: he personally killed the Sarutobi clan, including his son Asuma. Liu Feng then destroyed much of Konoha with the Great Spiraling Ring despite Hiruzen's expectation that the sacrifice would spare the village. 74

Konoha's decline and succession

Konoha's weakened state left Hiruzen unable to resist Kirigakure's later invasion. After Kirigakure routed his forces, he accepted surrender terms that included territory, annual supplies, and access to Konoha's Scroll of Seals. 96 97

Hiruzen later announced his intent to abdicate and organized an election for the Fourth Hokage. Minato Namikaze defeated Orochimaru and succeeded him, after which Hiruzen invited the other Kage to Minato's inauguration and proposed a postwar peace treaty. 115 116 117

He eventually returned to the Hokage position. During this later tenure, he considered eliminating Naruto Uzumaki if the Nine-Tails jinchūriki's resentment toward Konoha became irreversible. 121 145

Uchiha Branch Family incident and death

Hiruzen remained deeply wary of Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, fearing either could become another Liu Feng. When the Uchiha Branch Family attempted to flee Konoha under Fugaku, Hiruzen blocked their escape and made clear that he did not intend to spare the clan. 135 139

He allowed Itachi to confront and kill Fugaku, but continued to distrust Itachi afterward and explicitly ordered Danzō not to attack him. To prevent repercussions from Kirigakure, Hiruzen later travelled there personally with Shikaku Nara, offered an apology and costly gifts to Liu Feng, and obtained a peaceful withdrawal. 139 140

Hiruzen later fought Orochimaru during the attack on Konoha, facing Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation of Hashirama and Tobirama. He was badly wounded during the battle; his funeral was held afterward, and Jiraiya became the Fifth Hokage. 153 157

Appearance

During his early tenure, Hiruzen was still in his prime and carried an imposing aura of authority despite his outwardly amiable manner. 13

• Frequently smoked a pipe while working in the Hokage's office. 4 13
• Wore formal Hokage robes when acting in an official capacity. 65
• Wore combat attire rather than his robes when personally leading Konoha into battle. 72

Personality

Hiruzen was protective of Konoha's stability, but that loyalty often manifested as political calculation. He was willing to conceal Root's connections to attacks on Tsunade's brother, sacrifice Tsunade's standing to contain Danzō, and ultimately destroy his own clan to preserve the village. 53 66 74

He could be hesitant at critical moments, as shown by his failure to immediately capitalize on Liu Feng's destruction of the enemy supply camps. Under worsening pressure, however, he became more decisive, ordering aggressive battlefield maneuvers and committing Konoha's full resources to survival. 31 39 88

His suspicion of the Uchiha was persistent. He feared Liu Feng's influence from the beginning, later viewed Shisui and Itachi through the same lens, and believed Konoha could not safely accommodate an increasingly powerful Uchiha clan. 4 135 146

Abilities & Skills

Shinobi Combat

Hiruzen was recognized as a Kage-level combatant during the Second Shinobi World War and personally fought on multiple major fronts. 27 28

• Used Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet to breach Uchiha No's Susanoo, though the opening quickly regenerated. 92
• Coordinated with Konoha's sealing team to capture One-Tail Shukaku during the war against Sunagakure. 39
• Escaped Liu Feng's Great Spiraling Ring through the Reverse Summoning Technique. 74
• Was unable to match Sage Mode Kushina in direct combat; her strikes shattered both of his arms and forced Minato to evacuate him. 92 93

Enma and the Adamantine Staff

Hiruzen could summon Enma, whose transformed form became the Adamantine Staff.

• Used the staff to block Kushina's Monster Strength Fist. 92
• The staff's durability allowed it to clash with weapons such as the Kusanagi Sword. 92
• Even with the staff guarding him, Kushina's force sent him flying and severely injured his arms. 92 93

Leadership and Strategy

As Hokage, Hiruzen directed Konoha's military deployments, diplomatic policy, and internal security.

• Assigned enemy commanders to Konoha's leading fighters during the assault on Sunagakure. 39
• Mobilized Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Danzō, and the major clans when Kirigakure threatened Konoha's survival. 88
• Proposed a Five Kage peace treaty after the Third Shinobi World War. 117
• Maintained surveillance over Root, allowing him to respond rapidly when Tsunade attacked its base. 65

Equipment / Items

• Pipe — commonly used while working in the Hokage's office. 4 13
• Adamantine Staff — Enma's weapon form. 92
• Uchiha Kagami's Mangekyō Sharingan — a preserved pair of eyes kept in sealed storage; Hiruzen refused Danzō's demand to acquire them. 60

Relationships

• Uchiha Liu Feng — political adversary whose rise destabilized Hiruzen's rule; their conflict led to the Sarutobi clan's sacrifice, Konoha's destruction, and later Konoha's surrender to Kirigakure. 4 74 97
• Shimura Danzō — longtime political counterpart and frequent source of pressure; Hiruzen shielded him in some crises but repeatedly restrained him, including denying him Kagami's eyes and ordering him not to pursue Itachi. 60 139
• Tsunade — former student whose trust in Hiruzen collapsed over Root and the Senju clan's decline; Hiruzen ultimately declared her a rogue ninja after the Root incident. 53 65 66
• Orochimaru — former student and later enemy; Orochimaru attacked Hiruzen using reanimated Hashirama and Tobirama. 116 153
• Minato Namikaze — elected Fourth Hokage through the succession Hiruzen arranged; Minato later rescued Hiruzen from Kushina and scouted alongside his reanimated predecessor. 93 116 176
• Uchiha Itachi — a gifted but distrusted Konoha shinobi; Hiruzen used him against Fugaku's rebellion, then protected him from Danzō's immediate pursuit. 135 139
• Shikaku Nara — adviser who accompanied Hiruzen to Kirigakure and helped frame Konoha's apology to Liu Feng. 140

Notable Quotes

“My child, I'm sorry. Konoha still needs me.” 74

“You win, Uchiha Liu Feng.” 45