Hiruzen Sarutobi

Behind the Hokage building stood the towering Hokage Rock. The statues of successive Hokage hung at varying heights on the cliff, seeming to speak of an exotic mystery and solemnity that left a profound impression.

Hokage Rock was Konoha's landmark. It immortalized the likenesses of the successive Hokage in stone, letting them watch over the village forever. For Konoha's ninja, it represented both the highest honor and a dream they pursued tirelessly.

Although it was meant to be a solemn place, Hokage Rock was rarely spared, whether in times of war or peace.

It might have been understandable when enemies destroyed it, but, regrettably, people from the village itself sometimes did baffling things to it. Kakashi and Guy held contests on Hokage Rock, Naruto and his son covered it in graffiti, and Boruto drove a Thunder Train into it in the first episode, smashing half of his own father's face...

There was also a very interesting story about the carving of the Hokage statues.

After Pain invaded Konoha, Tsunade fell into a coma from exhausting too much Chakra while healing the entire village. Shimura Danzō seized the opportunity to become the acting Sixth Hokage and attend the Five Kage Summit.

If Danzo had returned safely from the Five Kage Summit, he would very likely have dropped the word "acting" and become the official Sixth Hokage. Even if Tsunade had awakened, she might not have been able to change that.

However, before Danzo's statue was finished, he lost his life to Sasuke's attack. Koki couldn't help wanting to say to his younger brother, who had yet to be born, Nice work!

Konoha then chose Kakashi Hatake as his successor, so naturally, the Sixth Hokage statue had to be changed to Kakashi's. But just as the craftsmen had settled on a new model and begun carving Kakashi's head, Tsunade actually woke up, and work on the Sixth Hokage statue had to be halted once again.

"What's on your mind, Koki?" Seeing Koki stare at Hokage Rock for so long, Guy couldn't help asking.

"I just remembered a few things from the past." Koki walked to the right side of the Hokage building and looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi's statue, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes.

Lord Tobirama, Second Hokage, you really had a discerning eye, finding such a suitable successor.

This choice couldn't have been more right, yet it was also irredeemably wrong.

Indeed, under Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's leadership, Konohagakure had won three Shinobi World Wars and grown into such a prosperous village.

Yet it was also this cowardly Third Hokage who had led Konoha down a path of decline from which there was no return.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, your achievements can't be erased, but your failings can't be ignored either.

Koki felt that his failings far outweighed his achievements.

A closer look at everything Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had done revealed things no one could forget: the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, White Fang's death, Hizashi Hyuga's death, Orochimaru's defection, and the destruction of the Uchiha Clan.

First, there was the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. The Uzumaki Clan lived there, and their greatest specialty was Sealing Jutsu, at which they were unmatched.

The clan had a long history and deep ties to the Senju Clan, like distant relatives. Their two countries had long maintained good neighborly relations, and Hashirama Senju, Konoha's First Hokage, had married the Uzumaki Clan's princess, Mito Uzumaki. They had been very close.

The Uzumaki Clan's emblem could even be seen on the green flak jackets worn by Konoha Ninja.

Though small in number, the Uzumaki Clan possessed unparalleled vitality and vast reserves of Chakra. They were masters of Sealing Jutsu and could even seal the Nine Tailed Beasts. Their powerful Sealing Jutsu and marriage ties to Konoha should have made them stronger, yet such a clan had suffered utter destruction?

The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed by outsiders during the Third Hokage's tenure.

At the time, Konoha was led by Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was in his prime, and the Sannin under him were rising to prominence. The Uzumaki Clan had also been allied with Konoha for a long time. By all rights, when their village was attacked, Konoha, as their ally, couldn't have stood by and done nothing, yet the Third Hokage really had failed to lend a hand.

White Fang's death, Hizashi Hyuga's death, and Orochimaru's defection had all been caused by Hiruzen Sarutobi's cowardice as well.

As for the Uchiha Clan's destruction, during the Third Hokage's rule, Konoha and the Uchiha had actually had a chance to make peace. That chance had come from Shisui Uchiha!

When tensions between the two sides were at their peak, Shisui had proposed a plan to the Third Hokage: at the Uchiha Clan's final gathering, he would use Kotoamatsukami to change Fugaku's thinking, temporarily calming the clan's anger and buying time to find a solution.

Yet Hiruzen Sarutobi had turned around and told Shimura Danzō about it! That had led Danzo to seize Shisui's eye, causing Shisui to miss the final gathering. With Shisui's death, the last chance for Konoha and the Uchiha to make peace had vanished.

In the end, the Uchiha had not escaped the fate of annihilation. Slaughtered by Itachi and Obito working together, they had fallen in a single night and been wiped out.

Many people believed that the Konoha High Command, led by the Third Hokage, had known nothing about Danzo's single-handed orchestration of the Uchiha Clan Massacre. But after the Uchiha Clan was wiped out, the Third Hokage and Danzo had led their respective Anbu and Root forces to Uchiha territory.

At the time, Danzo had explicitly identified Uchiha Itachi as the culprit. In Danzo's account, Itachi had chosen to wipe out the clan because he detested and hated the Uchiha.

But after sending away all the Anbu around him, Hiruzen Sarutobi had said to Danzo, "I won't allow you to act arbitrarily again. I'm relieving you of your duties as aide to the Hokage now."

At that point, the Third Hokage shouldn't have known, or at least shouldn't have been certain, that Danzo had secretly orchestrated the massacre. Yet he had confidently concluded that Danzo must have been responsible and stripped him of his authority as aide to the Hokage.

Brilliant! A single incident had both eliminated the Uchiha Clan, who might have been able to control the Tailed Beasts, and created an opportunity to weaken Danzo's authority.

No wonder Tobirama Senju had chosen Hiruzen Sarutobi rather than Danzo to succeed him as Hokage. The Second Hokage had seen clearly who was suited to which position. He truly was the Senju Clan's strategist, a man who had lived through the Warring States era.

Looking back on the Uchiha Clan's downfall, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi bore major responsibility as the village leader. Next came the sinister and cunning Shimura Danzō, along with the Konoha High Command, led by the Third Hokage, who had yielded to Danzo.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not as kind and amiable as he appeared.

But what of it? Koki would never let Brother Obito and Itachi set foot on that road of no return.

With that thought, Koki looked away.

"Let's go, Guy-senpai. Let's get some barbecue!" Koki's usual sunny smile returned.

"Great! I haven't had barbecue in ages. Dad's been looking for cats all the time, and the mission pay is too low."

"It's fine. I have money."