NARUTO is a ninja-themed manga that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, and as of 2018, a new series called "BORUTO" is being serialized, starring Boruto, the son of the original protagonist Naruto. In the world of NARUTO, the village of Konoha is ruled by a ninja called the Hokage, who has been passed down from generation to generation. In this article, we will introduce all of these Hokage, starting with the first one.
First Hokage: Hashirama Senju
Hashirama Senju is the first Hokage and founder of the Hidden Leaf Village. He is a descendant of the Sage of the Six Paths and the reincarnation of Ashura Otsutsuki, one generation before Naruto. Distinguished by his long black hair, Senju Hashirama is highly respected and admired. He is the leader of the "Forest Senju Clan" and is also known as the "Strongest Shinobi" and the "God of Shinobi."
Abilities of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama
As the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama excels in Mokuton ninjutsu, and is capable of fighting on equal terms with Uchiha Madara. He is also skilled in controlling chakra and can freely control tailed beasts, making him truly one of the strongest ninja. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, he was revived using the Edo Tensei technique and once again fought Uchiha Madara, making a significant contribution.
Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju
Tobirama Senju is the younger brother of Hashirama Senju, and his students include Hiruzen Sarutobi, who would become the Third Hokage, and Danzo Shimura. Distinguished by his spiky gray hair, he was blessed with ninja talent from a young age. He was strict about rules and regulations, and discriminated against the Uchiha clan despite their positions, even isolating them to maintain peace in the village.
Abilities of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, was a ninja genius, mastering all five forms of ninjutsu: Fire Release, Water Release, Earth Release, Lightning Release, and Wind Release. He also excelled in space-time ninjutsu, allowing him to defeat enemies with extremely swift attacks. He particularly excelled in Water Release techniques, and in the story he used high-level Water Release techniques, such as conjuring large amounts of water even in places where there was none.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage
Sarutobi Hiruzen was the Third Hokage, and after once abdicating the position to the Fourth Hokage, he became Hokage again. He was the longest-lived Hokage in terms of age at death. He has the appearance of a hunched, wrinkled old man. He has a very kind personality and considers all the villagers to be family, protecting them. He was nicknamed "Professor" because he was able to use all of Konoha's jutsu.
The Abilities of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was able to use all of Konoha's jutsu, but his physical strength has declined with age. He is also depicted as refraining from using the Shadow Clone Technique when there are more than three people, as the chakra is dispersed and the technique weakens the person. He can also use the Shiki Fuujin sealing technique, which he used to seal the arm of Orochimaru, who was attempting to destroy Konoha, resulting in his death.
Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze
Minato Namikaze is the Fourth Hokage and Naruto's father. He shares Naruto's blonde hair and gentle features. He has a gentle and kind personality, and is affectionate towards the people of his village, his wife, and his children. He possesses unprecedented talent in Konoha, and is highly regarded by the Hokage and Sannin Jiraiya. Jiraiya is also his master and trained him.
Abilities of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato
The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, is highly skilled in the Shinkenjutsu technique, boasting some of the highest speeds among all ninja. He also overwhelms his enemies with the space-time ninjutsu "Flying Thunder God Technique," which allows him to instantly teleport to the location of a tag or kunai bearing a special seal incorporating his own chakra. For this reason, his enemies nickname him the Yellow Flash of Konoha.
Fifth Hokage Tsunade
Tsunade is the Fifth Hokage and the granddaughter of the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Along with Jiraiya and Orochimaru, she is one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha and is over 50 years old. However, she uses her own medical ninjutsu to alter her appearance, maintaining the appearance of her late twenties. She is also one of Konoha's greatest medical specialists and the person who established the style of incorporating a medical ninja into each of her four-person cell.
The Abilities of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade
As the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade excels in chakra control, and her precise chakra control allows her to unleash incredible power in her taijutsu. Furthermore, she constantly stores a large amount of "White Hair Chakra" in her forehead, allowing her to use her regenerative ninjutsu, "Creative Regeneration," to heal even fatal wounds and even heal others, providing incredible medical ninjutsu.
Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake
Kakashi Hatake became the sixth Hokage and is the son of Sakumo Hatake, known as the White Fang of Konoha. He is a ninja who usually hides his left eye with a leaf-like forehead and a mask around his mouth. A student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, he showed ninja talent from a young age, becoming a Chunin at the age of six. He received the Sharingan from his classmate, Obito Uchiha, and used it to copy many techniques, earning him the nickname "Kakashi the Copy Ninja."
The Abilities of the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake
The Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, has used his Sharingan to copy over 1,000 techniques, many of which are listed in the Bingo Book. He has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and can use the technique known as "Kamui," which allows him to erase anything he sees into a certain space-time. His only original technique is the powerful Raikiri technique.
Kakashi Hatake's Time as Hokage
The story does not depict Kakashi Hatake's time as Hokage. He was likely appointed Hokage shortly after the Fourth Shinobi World War ended, and as the world was becoming more peaceful, there were probably no major conflicts. He then retired and appointed his student, Uzumaki Naruto, as Hokage.
Naruto Uzumaki, the Seventh Hokage
Naruto Uzumaki is the protagonist of this work and the Seventh Hokage. He is characterized by his blond, wavy hair and whisker-like markings on his cheeks. He has a very competitive and playful personality, and although he was full of mischief as a child, he later strives to gain the respect of others. Having lost both parents at a young age, he knows the pain of loneliness.
Naruto Uzumaki's True Identity
Naruto Uzumaki, the Sixth Hokage, is the reincarnation of Ashura Otsutsuki, the second son of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. He is also the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, and the Nine-Tails resides within his body. As a result, he possesses some of the highest chakra reserves of any ninja, allowing him to split into dozens or even hundreds of shadow clones. He has mastered the techniques of the Sage of Six Paths and the chakra of all the tailed beasts, and through his training, he is able to utilize various forms, including Sage Mode.
Naruto Uzumaki's Main Techniques
Naruto Uzumaki frequently uses the Rasengan ninjutsu, created by his father, Minato Namikaze, and specializes in using the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to create diversions. Furthermore, as he is also the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, he is able to use many powerful techniques such as the Tailed Beast Orb.
Danzo Shimura
Danzo Shimura temporarily assumed the position of Hokage after the Fifth Hokage was killed protecting the village of Konoha. He was a former rival of Sarutobi Hiruzen and a disciple of the Second Hokage. He is the mastermind behind the "Root" organization, which supports the village of Konoha from behind the scenes, and has a cold-hearted personality that is not afraid to use drastic measures.
Shimura Danzo's Abilities
Shimura Danzo wears multiple Sharingans on his arms, given to him by Orochimaru. While he would normally be unable to use the Sharingans, he was forced to adapt and use them by implanting them with cells from the First Hokage, and he uses Izanagi. He is a powerful ninja who can erase facts that are unfavorable to him by using Izanagi, but he was killed by Uchiha Sasuke.
Summary
This article introduces the successive Hokage who have appeared in NARUTO. Each Hokage was a powerful ninja, and their unique characteristics varied greatly. Looking at the past Hokage makes it easy to see the changes that Konohagakure has undergone, so why not review it before reading the currently serialized BORUTO?
