Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-24168857-20141106193428/@comment-1940096-20141117172054

Gemnist wrote: @SeaTerror No, just no. Kishi's favorite character is NARUTO, not Sasuke!

By the way, I got a cool possible name for Asuma's daughter - Asuna. That may seem like just a random SAO tribute, but it makes sense since the names are so similar!

Pretty sure Kishimoto called Sasuke his favorite at one point. Plus it actually shows due to keeping him alive without explanation like that.