<p>After Sarutobi Hiruzen (the third hokage) stepped down, Namikaze Minato (Naruto's father) became the fourth hokage. Minato died during the kyuubi attack during which it was sealed inside Uzumaki Naruto. Konoha now lacking a hokage, they chose to bring back Sarutobi into office.</p>

<p>So they didn't skip the fourth hokage, they just reinstated the third one after the fourth...</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-13T08:53:12.833Z
Yeah, this pretty much sums it all up. If you even look at the mountain the hokages are carved out of, you see that there are already 4 faces in the rock even when the third was "in seat".
DaMachk
CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-05-28T16:41:35.307Z
2019-02-13T12:35:46.480Z
2019-02-13T12:35:46.480Z
Armin
<p>There was a 4th Hokage when the 3rd Hokage stepped down.</p>

<p>But then the 4th Hokage died prematurely, meaning that the 3rd Hokage had to take up the position as Hokage back (becoming the fifth).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-13T15:03:03.873Z
Isn't this the same as the accepted answer?
Jon Lin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-13T20:24:44.070Z
the third Hokage, Sarutobi was reinstated as the third and not the fifth, (after his death) Tsunade became the fifth
Rumpelstiltskin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-13T11:43:26.890Z
2019-02-13T13:36:49.860Z
2019-02-13T13:36:49.860Z
vikram barandwal
<p>I think I didn't watch <em>Naruto</em> carefully because I can't understand one thing: After the third Hokage died, the fifth was chosen. Why did they skip the Fourth Hokage?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-28T19:43:49.430Z
They did not skip him. At this point in time you should have already seen/ heard quite a bit of the 4th hokage as well.
Dimitri mx
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-29T13:36:53.340Z
very first episode of Naruto a couple of minutes into it they say it was the 4th Hokage that stopped the 9-Tail Fox's attack on the village
Memor-X
<naruto>
Why did they skip the 4th Hokage and choose the 5th instead after the 3rd died?
# Why did they skip the 4th Hokage and choose the 5th instead after the 3rd died?
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-05-28
I think I didn't watch *Naruto* carefully because I can't understand one thing: After the third Hokage died, the fifth was chosen. Why did they skip the Fourth Hokage?
**Tags:** naruto
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: They did not skip him. At this point in time you should have already seen/ heard quite a bit of the 4th hokage as well.  
> **username_2**: very first episode of Naruto a couple of minutes into it they say it was the 4th Hokage that stopped the 9-Tail Fox's attack on the village  
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## 2 answers
### Answer by username_3 on 2016-05-28. Score: 11
After Sarutobi Hiruzen (the third hokage) stepped down, Namikaze Minato (Naruto's father) became the fourth hokage. Minato died during the kyuubi attack during which it was sealed inside Uzumaki Naruto. Konoha now lacking a hokage, they chose to bring back Sarutobi into office.

So they didn't skip the fourth hokage, they just reinstated the third one after the fourth...
> **Comments:**
> **username_4** (2016-06-13): Yeah, this pretty much sums it all up. If you even look at the mountain the hokages are carved out of, you see that there are already 4 faces in the rock even when the third was "in seat".  
---
### Answer by username_5 on 2019-02-13. Score: -2
There was a 4th Hokage when the 3rd Hokage stepped down.

But then the 4th Hokage died prematurely, meaning that the 3rd Hokage had to take up the position as Hokage back (becoming the fifth).
> **Comments:**
> **username_6** (2019-02-13): Isn't this the same as the accepted answer?  
> **username_7** (2019-02-13): the third Hokage, Sarutobi was reinstated as the third and not the fifth, (after his death) Tsunade became the fifth  
---
