Hiruzen Sarutobi

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Becoming the Third Hokage

Hiruzen served as one of Tobirama Senju’s guards and became his foremost disciple. Tobirama entrusted him with the Hokage position after Hiruzen volunteered to hold off pursuing Kumogakure forces 188 249.

Sakumo’s Death and the Hatake Brothers

Hiruzen regarded Hatake Sakumo’s strength as a political threat. He tacitly approved Danzō’s campaign against Sakumo and helped inflame the public criticism that preceded Sakumo’s suicide. Afterward, both Hatake brothers were placed under surveillance 2 3 28.

On Sakumo’s funeral day, Hiruzen visited Sōkyū, shared his meal, and tested his loyalty by asking about his dream. Satisfied by the boy’s apparent Will of Fire, he promised to investigate the rumors against Sakumo while privately postponing the matter. At the funeral, he praised Sakumo and delivered a Will of Fire speech 3 5.

Hiruzen refused Danzō’s requests to take either brother into Root, although he admitted that he would not interfere much with private recruitment attempts. He placed Kakashi on the Anbu evaluation list and arranged for him to join Minato Namikaze’s team 4 5.

Wartime Politics and Sōkyū’s Advancement

After powerful lightning chakra was found in the Forest of Death, Hiruzen rejected Danzō’s accusation against four-year-old Sōkyū and demanded an explanation from Kumogakure. As tensions escalated, he dispatched Jiraiya and publicly announced Danzō’s deployment with one thousand ninja 22 23 24.

Hiruzen sought authority over the Hatake Clan’s council vote, asking Sōkyū to authorize the Hokage to make decisions on the clan’s behalf. He later told Danzō that a signed agreement committed Sōkyū to supporting him in council matters. During wartime deliberations, battlefield losses forced him to approve the Uchiha Clan’s deployment and redistribute Military Police duties among other clans 29 36 38 106.

When Sōkyū requested early graduation to join Orochimaru’s front, Hiruzen selected veteran Chunin Minamikawa Ōzora as his examiner, expecting the boy to fail. Sōkyū’s victory forced him to approve graduation and honor a wager allowing Danzō to approach the boy. Hiruzen then ordered an Anbu squad to follow, report on, and protect Sōkyū after his departure 54 56 58 59.

Sōkyū later exposed Nara Rokuten as a Root operative who had leaked his information to Sunagakure. Angered by Danzō’s infiltration of the loyal Ino–Shika–Chō clans, Hiruzen demanded the withdrawal of agents near Sōkyū and a list of infiltrators. He also approved Sōkyū’s promotion to Chunin at six, but subsequently assigned him to monitor the Hyuga Clan and report to Root 103 106 108.

Fourth Hokage Election and Open Conflict

Hiruzen and Danzō downplayed Sōkyū’s wartime achievements while promoting Kakashi’s reputation as the Copy Ninja. In Konoha Year 47, Hiruzen’s age and pressure for his retirement led to an election whose leading candidates were Minato, Orochimaru, and Danzō 182 188.

During the election dispute, Hiruzen threatened to disqualify Orochimaru and publicly called Sakumo a coward. Sōkyū appeared and demanded an investigation into his father’s death. Hiruzen denied that the rumors had been orchestrated, dismissed Fugaku’s concerns about Danzō’s Sharingan, and ordered Sōkyū’s arrest 191 194.

The confrontation became a battle against Sōkyū and Seven-Tails Chōmei. Hiruzen needed Homura’s assistance to stop one Super Zap Cannon shot, and Jiraiya intervened to protect the leadership from four more. Hiruzen promised to clear Sakumo’s name and investigate Danzō while privately planning to seal Sōkyū and Chōmei 196 197.

When Danzō attempted to sacrifice himself to seal Sōkyū, Hiruzen prevented Fugaku from intervening and declined to rescue his old friend. Believing Sōkyū dead afterward, he dismissed Orochimaru’s renewed request to address Sakumo’s case 199 200.

Defeat and Resignation

After Sōkyū returned, Hiruzen surrounded the Hatake grounds with Konoha’s leaders and clan heads. He relied on a spatial lockdown to counter teleportation and summoning, intending to capture Sōkyū and uncover the source of his power. During the fighting, Sōkyū maneuvered Homura into Hiruzen’s staff strike, leaving the advisor unconscious 210 211.

Unable to overcome Sōkyū’s Sage Mode and gigantic lightning construct, Hiruzen threatened to destroy the Hatake compound with explosive tags despite villagers remaining inside. He eventually surrendered, and Sōkyū moved the entire compound out of Konoha 212 215.

Hiruzen announced that he would resign after settling Sakumo’s case and subsequently made the injustice public. Minato later established himself as Fourth Hokage and consolidated the former Root organization 215 216 243.

Rebellion and Black Zetsu’s Offer

Despite acknowledging that Minato’s Konoha was prospering, Hiruzen rejected it because Danzō had been killed. Confronted by Minato, Fugaku, and Hiashi, he used Impure World Reincarnation to summon Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Hanzō of the Salamander 248.

Hiruzen then faced Sōkyū while Homura and Koharu surrounded Pakura. He summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and absorbed its chakra, restoring his body and surpassing his prime. His cooperation with Black Zetsu stemmed from the promise that the Infinite Tsukuyomi could create a painless world in which Danzō existed 251.

Using the statue as an amplifier, Hiruzen infused it with five colors of chakra and opened five of its eyes. Its aura alarmed Kurama during Kushina’s delivery 252.

Appearance

• Aged form: A deeply lined face, stooped posture, and a shriveled body approximately 1.6 meters tall 2 251.
• Hokage attire: Wears his signature Hokage hat during official appearances 2 43.
• Smoking: Frequently holds or smokes a pipe, including while handling paperwork and overseeing Sōkyū’s assessment 4 55.
• Enhanced form: Chakra from the Demonic Statue fills out his body with swollen muscles and faintly surrounds him in black light 251.

Personality

Hiruzen maintains a kindly public image through affectionate language, reassuring gestures, and speeches about the Will of Fire. Privately, he treats loyalty as something to test and cultivate: he interprets the Hatake brothers’ apparent devotion as evidence that they can be controlled, and later regards Sōkyū as an important political pawn 3 5 59.

He is protective of his authority and faction. Danzō’s infiltration of the Ino–Shika–Chō clans angers him because they are core Hokage supporters, yet he prefers a negotiated settlement to a permanent break. The narration explicitly identifies Danzō’s usefulness as a scapegoat as one reason for preserving their relationship 103 106.

His attachment to Danzō coexists with ruthless calculation. He is willing to let Danzō die if that death removes Sōkyū, but later rejects Minato’s government and embraces Black Zetsu’s offer to obtain a world containing his old friend. By this stage, restoring Danzō has become a goal for which he is prepared to crush anyone in his way 200 248 251.

Orochimaru remembers Hiruzen as someone who was once fair in dealing with people and disputes. His refusal to address Sakumo’s case after Sōkyū’s apparent death leaves Orochimaru feeling that his teacher has become a stranger 200.

Abilities & Skills

Five-Nature Ninjutsu

Hiruzen combines elemental techniques through coordinated shadow clones 196.

• Five Release: Great Combo Technique: Creates four clones so that five bodies can simultaneously attack with fire, lightning, water, earth, and wind, producing a devastating explosion 196.
• Statue-assisted Five Releases: Channels five colors of chakra into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, opening five of its eyes 252.
• Chakra perception: Recognizes the unusual quality of Sōkyū’s purple lightning before attempting to intercept his projectile 197.

Enma Summoning and Staff Combat

Hiruzen summons Enma, who transforms into the Adamantine Staff, also called the Golden Cudgel 196 197 251.

• Uses the staff to intercept Sōkyū’s Super Zap Cannon and block Fugaku from approaching Danzō 197 199.
• Requires Homura’s help to stop the Super Zap Cannon projectile, demonstrating the limits of his defense against Sōkyū 197.
• Accidentally strikes Homura when Sōkyū pulls the advisor into the path of his attack 211.

Surveillance and Intelligence

Hiruzen combines Anbu reconnaissance with direct observation through the Telescope Technique 2 59 210.

• Assigns watchers to the Hatake brothers after Sakumo’s death 2.
• Orders a squad to report everything Sōkyū does after leaving Konoha 59.
• Detects Sōkyū’s return through the Telescope Technique despite a genjutsu deceiving the guards outside the compound 210.

Barriers and Countermeasures

Hiruzen employs containment measures intended to neutralize Sōkyū’s mobility and powerful summons 196 210.

• Relies on the Four Red Yang Formation as a barrier capable of imprisoning a tailed beast 196.
• Arranges a spatial lockdown intended to block Flying Thunder God and summoning techniques throughout the Hatake grounds 210.
• Personal limitation: Despite his reputation as the Professor of Ninjutsu, he cannot learn Flying Thunder God because he lacks the necessary sensitivity to space 149.

Impure World Reincarnation

Hiruzen uses Tobirama’s forbidden technique to resurrect dead combatants 248.

• Summons Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Hanzō of the Salamander against Minato’s group 248.
• Demonstrates control by forcibly silencing Hanzō 249.
• The resurrected fighters do not possess the chakra signatures expected of their legendary strength, indicating limitations in this use of the technique 250.

Demonic Statue Enhancement

Hiruzen draws chakra from the Ten-Tails’ husk through tubes connected to his back 251.

• Reverses his visible physical decline and raises his strength beyond its former peak 251.
• Gains a destructive aura and feels capable of smashing ninjutsu with his bare hands; this is his assessment rather than a demonstrated feat in the passage 251.
• The statue’s summoning produces a barrier-like effect that makes the surrounding space seem inescapable 251.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Adamantine Staff / Golden Cudgel — Enma’s transformed weapon form, used for interception and close combat 197 199 251.
• Crystal ball — Kept in his office during his early surveillance of Sōkyū 2.
• Pipe — Regularly carried while working or speaking with subordinates 4 55 59.
• Hokage hat — Worn during official appearances 2 43.
• Demonic Statue of the Outer Path — A summoned chakra source and combat amplifier obtained through his cooperation with Black Zetsu 251 252.

Relationships

• Sōkyū Hatake — Initially considered a controllable, promising child; becomes Hiruzen’s most hated opponent after exposing the leadership’s abuses and defeating its forces 59 215 251.
• Shimura Danzō — Close friend, political rival, and covert operative whose death eventually motivates Hiruzen’s rebellion 4 106 200 248.
• Hatake Sakumo — Former subordinate whose strength Hiruzen viewed as threatening; Hiruzen supported the campaign against him before eventually being forced to publicly clear his name 28 216.
• Kakashi Hatake — A carefully monitored recruit whom Hiruzen places under Minato and later accepts into his Anbu guard. Kakashi’s decision to protect Sōkyū undermines Hiruzen’s control over him 4 5 189 210.
• Orochimaru — Student who challenges Hiruzen’s treatment of Sakumo and Sōkyū, ultimately losing faith in his former fairness 191 200.
• Jiraiya — Student and wartime commander who protects Hiruzen during the confrontation but openly argues that Konoha’s leadership must change 23 197.
• Minato Namikaze — His student’s student and successor as Fourth Hokage; later opposes Hiruzen’s attempt to overturn the new government 215 243 248.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu — Fellow students of Tobirama, longtime advisors, and allies in his later rebellion 196 248 251.
• Tobirama Senju — Teacher who chose him as Hokage. Hiruzen remains respectful toward him even after resurrecting him for battle 249.
• Biwako Sarutobi — Wife; attends Kushina Uzumaki’s delivery in this timeline 245.
• Black Zetsu — Collaborator who promises a world containing Danzō through the Infinite Tsukuyomi and supplies the means for Hiruzen to challenge Sōkyū again 251.

Notable Quotes

“Wherever leaves dance, fire will burn. The shadow of the fire will illuminate the village and make new leaves sprout...” 5

“I'm no longer suited to serving as Hokage. Once Hatake Sakumo's matter is settled, I'll resign to take responsibility.” 215

“I will create a world with Danzo in it!” 248