Hokage

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File:Hokage Monument in Color.jpg

Hokage Monument. Kages are in order from left to right: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth.

The Hokage (火影, literally meaning: Fire Shadow) are the leaders of Konoha. They are generally the strongest in the village, although ideology and renown plays a large part in their being chosen for the position.

Five shinobi and one kunoichi have gained this title so far.

After being appointed, they are given the Hokage mansion in which to live and have their faces carved out in the stone wall behind it. Only four faces were originally carved into the wall but, at the beginning of Part II, five Hokages are present.

List of Hokages

First Hokage

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Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage

Main article: Hashirama Senju Hashirama Senju (千手柱間, Senju Hashirama) was a member of the famed Senju clan. He himself was hailed as the "God of Shinobi" for his unmatched ninja prowess. Hashirama sought peace for the shinobi world, and to that end founded Konohagakure with his clan, his childhood friend and rival: Madara Uchiha and the Uchiha clan. He would later become the First Hokage (初代火影, Shodai Hokage, literally meaning: First or Founding Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure. Although he was not able to achieve peace during his lifetime, his legacy and vision for the world would continue to shape the village and the entire shinobi world even after his death.

Second Hokage

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Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage

Main article: Tobirama Senju Tobirama Senju (千手扉間, Senju Tobirama) was a member of the renowned Senju clan, who, together with his elder brother and the Uchiha clan, founded the first shinobi village: Konohagakure. Throughout his lifetime, Tobirama would work tirelessly to achieve political stability and implement the institutions that made the village system work, thus ensuring Konoha's continuity and prosperity. After his brother's death, he would earn the title of Second Hokage (二代目火影, Nidaime Hokage, literally meaning: Second Fire Shadow).

Third Hokage

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Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage

Main article: Hiruzen Sarutobi Hiruzen Sarutobi (猿飛ヒルゼン, Sarutobi Hiruzen) was the Third Hokage (三代目火影, Sandaime Hokage, literally meaning: Third Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure. A disciple of the village's two previous Hokage, Hiruzen was a powerful ninja, hailed as a "God of Shinobi". Though he was only ever directly the teacher of the Sannin, generations of Konoha shinobi benefited from his wisdom during his lifetime.

Fourth Hokage

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Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage

Main article: Minato Namikaze Minato Namikaze (波風ミナト, Namikaze Minato) was the Fourth Hokage (四代目火影, Yondaime Hokage, literally meaning: Fourth Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure. He was renowned all over the world as Konoha's Yellow Flash (木ノ葉の黄色い閃光, Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō, English TV: Yellow Flash of the Leaf). He died during the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack, sacrificing his life to seal a part of the Nine-Tails into his newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki.

Fifth Hokage

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Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage

Main article: Tsunade Tsunade (綱手, Tsunade) is a descendant of the Senju and Uzumaki Clan, and is one of Konohagakure's Sannin. She is famed as the world's strongest kunoichi and its greatest medical-nin. The repeated loss of her loved ones caused Tsunade to later abandon the life of a shinobi for many years. She is eventually persuaded to return to Konoha and take on the mantle of Fifth Hokage (五代目火影, Godaime Hokage, literally meaning: Fifth Fire Shadow), where her skills prove invaluable to the village.

Sixth Hokage

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Danzo, the Sixth Hokage

Main article: Danzo Danzō Shimura (志村ダンゾウ, Shimura Danzō) was an elder of Konohagakure. As the founder and leader of Root, Danzō gained notoriety as The Darkness of the Shinobi (忍の闇, Shinobi no Yami, English TV: The Shinobi of Darkness) because of his frequent unsanctioned actions and his often-suspected (but rarely proven) undermining of specific Konoha personnel. Despite his decades of suspicious deeds, Danzō only ever acted in what he believed were the village's best interests. He was appointed the Sixth Hokage Candidate (六代目火影候補, Rokudaime Hokage Kōho, literally meaning: Sixth Fire Shadow Candidate) after Pain's Assault, but died before he could be formally approved to the position.

Trivia

• All of the former Hokage have been sealed away in the stomach of the Death God summoning. The Fourth was sealed when he sealed the demon fox inside of Naruto, while the First and Second were sealed when Orochimaru resurrected them and the Third sealed them away, and the Third was sealed when he gave his life to seal Orochimaru's arms.
• Three of the Hokage are from the Senju clan.
• The Hokage Monument resembles the Mount Rushmore monument with four of the most monumental presidents of the time.
• All of the Hokage have some connection to each other, the First and Second are brothers, the Third was the student of the Second, The Fourth was the student of Jiraiya who was a student of the Third, and the Fifth is the granddaughter of the First and the student of the Third.
• Tsunade is the only known female kage in the elemental countries.