Throughout the history of Konoha, several Hokage have been hailed as the "Strongest Hokage." The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was among them.
Beyond that title, he was revered as the "Professor" and the "God of Shinobi."
To describe his prowess in a single sentence: he was the direct disciple of both the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. He had mastered every existing ninjutsu in Konoha, excluding only Bloodline Limits and specific secret clan techniques.
Mastery...
Consider a ninja like Uchiha Uehara, blessed with a certain "halo" of genius. Despite his staggering intellectual capacity and learning speed, how many techniques had he truly mastered by now?
From that perspective, the Third Hokage truly deserved the title of the God of Shinobi.
However, as for being the "Strongest Hokage"... that was a bit of a different story. Especially after the "bug-level" combat power of the First Hokage was revealed to the world, the Third's claim to being the "strongest" felt like a bit of a joke.
But while he might not have been the absolute strongest, no one could deny his power. He was formidable. Lethal.
Looking at the official data and settings, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a remarkable shinobi. Even at sixty-nine years old—long past his physical prime—his scores in Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Intelligence, and Hand Seals remained at maximum value. The only stats that had declined were Strength, Speed, and Stamina, all victims of the relentless march of time.
That was the sixty-nine-year-old Sandaime.
What about now?
Currently just past fifty, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still standing at the absolute zenith of his career. To put it simply, he was a ninja capable of achieving a perfect score.
Beyond the data, he was a master of all five elemental natures. In the application of composite ninjutsu, the Third Hokage had reached a state of perfection; in the entire shinobi world, there was no one who could stand as his equal.
Five elements... this was one of Uehara's ultimate goals.
Orochimaru, one of the Sannin and a prize pupil of the Third, once described him:
"If he were ten years younger, he would have killed me with ease."
Perhaps he was being uncharacteristically humble, or perhaps he was simply stating a cold, hard fact.
During the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, the Third Hokage was a presence that could intimidate the entire world. At this moment, his chakra reserves were vast, and he could unleash devastating high-level techniques at will.
And this version of the Third Hokage was about to step onto the battlefield. Not as a distant commander, but as a warrior.
"While the Sand Shinobi haven't had time to finalize their mobilizations and defensive preparations, we will launch a full-scale assault on their entire frontline within the next three to five days."
The Third Hokage spoke as he pointed to a hanging map. His finger traced a path across the parchment—a seemingly casual movement that actually outlined the strategic invasion route Konoha would take in the coming days.
"Our strategic objective is to break into the Land of Wind in one fell swoop and force the Kazekage to sign a peace treaty."
"Lord Hokage, isn't the timing a bit rushed?" Minato Namikaze asked.
Though Minato was primarily active on the fronts against the Stone and Cloud—where the pressure on Konoha was greatest—he had temporarily moved to this theater after Kushina's recent crisis. Since the Hokage was determined to end the war on this front, Minato remained for the time being.
His concern was justified. After all, asking Konoha's shinobi to launch a massive operation immediately after arriving was, by any standard, hasty.
However, the Third Hokage saw it differently. Their perspectives were fundamentally misaligned.
"Minato, what you say is true," the Third acknowledged. "But opportunity waits for no one. Our preparations aren't perfect, but we've addressed the essentials. We currently have nearly 5,000 shinobi ready for combat. At their limit, the Sand's numbers can only equal ours at best."
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharpening.
"This is an ideal window for an offensive. If we wait until we are perfectly prepared, the enemy will not have spent that time idling. In terms of power dynamics, they are weak and we are strong. Now is the time to strike."
"I understand."
Minato nodded, offering no further objection. On the battlefield, the aura the Third Hokage projected was entirely different from the grandfatherly figure seen back in the village.
"Furthermore," the Hokage continued, "the command of this operation will be handled entirely by Tsunade..."
"Me?"
Tsunade looked visibly stunned. No matter how she calculated it, the command shouldn't have fallen to her. "Why me? What about you, Sandaime?"
Konoha operated on a centralized system; the village head was the ultimate authority. Based on experience, status, and prestige, the war should naturally be commanded by the Hokage himself.
"Because once the operation begins, I will be in the first wave breaking into the enemy ranks. I intend to deal a decisive blow to their formation at the very start."
Tsunade and Minato exchanged glances, wondering if they had heard correctly.
As the Hokage, the Third was going to abandon his duties as a commander to lead the charge from the front?
No one doubted his combat power, but charging the front lines was clearly outside a Hokage's job description. It was too risky. In the chaos of the battlefield, what if an accident occurred?
To put it bluntly, the victory or defeat of this planned campaign wasn't nearly as important as the safety of the Hokage himself.
"Lord Hokage, this is too dangerous," Minato urged. "In such a pivotal battle, the Sand will surely exert every ounce of their strength. If you are at the very front, you will be in extreme peril."
During the battle that night, the enemy had learned of Kushina's identity as a Jinchuriki and charged her with suicidal desperation. Take that level of desperation and multiply it by ten—that was how ferociously they would throw themselves at the Hokage.
"Precisely because this battle is so important, I must act personally," the Third Hokage said, his tone as firm as stone.
He had already decided. This wasn't about being a hero. He was the only one capable of utilizing large-scale, destructive ninjutsu to instantly disrupt the Sand's formations and cripple their counterattack capability.
By doing so, he could preserve Konoha's fighting strength during the initial clash.
Konoha wanted to crush the Sand and end the war, not engage in a mutual double-suicide. The elite shinobi led by the Hokage, including his direct ANBU, were Konoha's last mobile reserves. Every single one saved was a victory.
The Hokage might not care if a single ninja died. But what if a hundred died?
Konoha needed a spearhead that could pierce the enemy line in an instant. And for that task, there was no one more suited than the Third Hokage himself.