Third Hokage

• Age: 69(deceased)
• Rank: Hokage
• Seiyu: Hidekatsu Shibata
• Voice actor: Steve Kramer

The Third Hokage (三代目火影, Sandaime Hokage^?) is a former student of the First Hokage and Second Hokage. Because of his name, Sarutobi (猿飛), the Second Hokage called him “Monkey” (猿, Saru). He is the father of Asuma Sarutobi and the grandfather of Konohamaru. The Third was called The Professor (プロフェッサー, Purofessā) due to his vast knowledge of jutsu, purportedly knowing all the jutsu within Konoha. During the only battle he is seen in he utilizes a number of attacks that deal with spiting fire or manipulating earth. The Third also has a personal summon: the Monkey King, Enma (猿猴王・猿魔, Enkōō: Enma). Enma can transform into an indestructible, extendable staff that the Third can wield with great proficiency. Despite all of his abilities, the Third seems to have had some sense of lecherousness in him as he spends much of his free time talking to young girls and even succumbs to Naruto Uzumaki’s Sexy Technique on one occasion.^[48]

The Third was the sensei of Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. While Orochimaru was his student, the Third came to appreciate his natural talent and, after becoming Hokage, hoped to someday pass the title on to him. As he neared retirement, however, the Third realized that Orochimaru was only interested in the role of Hokage as a way to get power, and thus could not give him the role as village’s protector. The Third instead passed on the role to Minato Namikaze, though was forced to reassume the position after Minato’s death. During his second stint as Hokage, the Third discovered that Orochimaru had been kidnapping and experimenting on villagers of Konoha. The Third, unable to bring himself to harm his favorite student, allows Orochimaru to escape.

Years later, Orochimaru invades Konoha in an attempt to kill his former master. After struggling with the battle due to his old age the Third uses the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to try and seal away Orochimaru’s soul, though the injuries he has received from the battle make it impossible. Doing what little he can and hoping to rectify his mistake of allowing Orochimaru to escape years earlier, the Third seals Orochimaru’s arms to ensure that he will never again be able to use jutsu, a punishment for Orochimaru’s obsession with power. With the village saved from Orochimaru, the Third dies with a smile on his face, death being the result of performing the sealing.