Asuma Sarutobi

Background Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Asuma Sarutobi was the leader of Team 10, consisting of Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka. Not much was known about Asuma, only that he seemed very laid back and was always smoking a cigarette whenever he was seen. Asuma smoked about two packs of cigarettes a day, though, as Shikamaru Nara pointed out, he stopped the habit when there was "something going on" or something that bothered him. However, despite his laid-back attitude, he often worried about his team, which (as he put it) consisted of a "glutton" (Choji), a "loud mouth" (Ino), and a "slacker" (Shikamaru). Asuma was very close to his team, even though he admitted that they are very hard to work with. Most of them are underachievers who would rather pursue other pastimes than train or take on missions. The team was often shown snacking at the Amaguri Ama dango and teashop or eating at the Yakiniku Q restaurant.

Because his team was lazy, he learned several techniques to get them to do what he wanted, often through bribery and sometimes through outright trickery. He promised Choji barbecue dinners if he completes the day's mission, or whatever else Asuma may want him to do. Knowing that Shikamaru would never take a written test under any circumstances because it would be "too troublesome" (he wouldn't bother to lift his pencil at the academy, hence his low grades), Asuma disguised the I.Q. test as a series of puzzles and asked Shikamaru to solve them (knowing that Shikamaru couldn't resist solving a new puzzle). This method is how he discovered that Shikamaru has an I.Q. of over 200.

Note the sash around Asuma's waist, symbolizing his membership in the 12 Guard Ninjas of Note the sash around Asuma's waist, symbolizing his membership in the 12 Guard Ninjas of Fire.

The sash under Asuma's vest indicates that he was one of the 12 Guard Ninjas of Fire who protected the Lord of the Land of Fire at one point in his life, before returning to active military duty as a Jonin (akin to Kakashi's stint as an ANBU operative before returning to the rank of Jonin in the ninja military). These ninja seem to be particularly skilled, and Asuma was no exception. Asuma used trench knives (brass knuckles with a blade on one end) to fight. He could extend the blades of his brass knuckles with his chakra to injure the enemy even though the physical portion of the blade didn't touch them. In Part II, he exhibited the ability to extend the blades by several feet. Coupled with his taijutsu skills, this made him a formidable combatant.

It has been heavily hinted that he was romantically involved with Kurenai Yuhi. During one episode, Asuma and Kurenai are at a dumpling shop. Kakashi mentions this and Asuma attempted to change the subject. The two were seen together almost constantly when not on duty, and are usually paired together when they are on duty. There has also been a flashback in which Asuma bought flowers for someone and refused to say who, though Ino told him to "Say hi to Kurenai-sensei" for her. When Asuma, Shikamaru, Kotetsu and Izumo are fighting Hidan and Kakuzu, various shots of Kurenai in her apartment are shown, indicating that she was concerned about him. At one point, when she was watering flowers, one of the flowers fell off of its stalk, symbolizing that something had happened to him. In chapter 330 when the report of his death is made to Tsunade, Kotetsu asks, "What about Kurenai?" Tsunade then offers to tell Kurenai the news herself, but Shikamaru interjects that Asuma had wanted him to tell her something. This same chapter then reveals panels of Shikamaru speaking with Kurenai. We are shown a close-up of her shocked face and her reaction of falling to her knees and then later the action of her laying flowers on Asuma's grave during his funeral.

Part I

Chunin Exam and Destruction of Konoha arcs

Asuma's talent for getting his team to do what he wanted is shown during the preliminary matches of the Chunin Exam. Choji, fearing the leftover competition, thinks he should forfeit. Asuma convinced him not to by offering to take him out for "all you can eat" barbecue (yakiniku or Korean BBQ). He also claims that he'll stop the match if it gets out of hand, as the other Jonin did during Hinata's match. Both Ino and Shikamaru note to themselves that Asuma didn't help in that instance.

At the main matches, during Shikamaru's match with Temari, Asuma explained to Kurenai that Shikamaru is a genius, despite his grades. Once again his talent for trickery is shown, this time in the form of the IQ test he gives Shikamaru, which was disguised as a game.

After the attack on Konoha begins and Shikamaru offers to hold back the enemy for Naruto and Sakura, it is Asuma that comes to his rescue, single-handedly defeating nine Sound-ninja without being hit once.

Return of Itachi arc

Just before their battle with the Akatsuki members Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, both Asuma and Kurenai are seen at a dumpling shop. Kakashi happened to notice and commented that they are acting friendly as usual. Kurenai blushed and protests at this, saying that it was Anko that wanted the dumplings. Asuma changes the subject quickly by asking Kakashi why he's there, to which Kakashi replies that he is waiting for Sasuke. Sasuke arrives, and is surprised since it is unusual for Kakashi to be early for anything. In reality, Kakashi was only there to keep Sasuke from knowing about his brother's return, while Asuma and Kurenai confront the Akatsuki pair.

During their brief battle with Itachi and Kisame, Asuma manages to catch Kisame off-guard with his trench knives, leaving a slight cut on Kisame's cheek. The rest of the battle goes poorly for Asuma, however, and he is nearly hit by one of Kisame's powerful water jutsu. Kakashi copies the technique and reproduces it to block the attack.

Part II

Asuma makes his appearance in Part II with his team after the Grass Country arc. They visit Kakashi in the hospital and Asuma sends the kids off to dinner saying he will pay. Apparently, Asuma wanted to talk to Kakashi about something of importance, but he was quickly interrupted by appearance of Kurenai, who was looking for Asuma. Once Kurenai appears, Asuma changes his mind and says they'll talk later. As he left with her, Kakashi commented that he was even more curious about what Asuma had to say.

Revelations

In chapter 314, it is confirmed that Asuma is the son of the Third Hokage and in chapter 330, that he is Konohamaru's uncle. While standing at the Third's grave, he comments on how he's finally beginning to understand what the Third taught him. Asuma confesses that he's always been detached from Konoha, but after seeing how his father sacrificed himself for the village, he is now proud to be a member of the Sarutobi family. There were several clues leading to the revelation of Asuma's connection to the Third Hokage, including:

* The Third is often seen smoking a pipe seeing as he is from an older generation, while Asuma is often seen smoking a cigarette as he is from a younger generation. * In flashbacks of the Third when he was younger, his facial features bore a resemblance to Asuma, minus Asuma's long sideburns. * He and the Third share a resemblance in terms of appearance. Note that they both have similar hairstyles and facial hair.

Asuma's trench knives.

In chapter 317, the reasoning behind Asuma molding chakra around his trench knives is explained; by imagining his chakra being split into two pieces and rubbing them together, he can sharpen the chakra parts into fine pieces and compress them together. He emphasizes that "the thinner and sharper the better." Like Naruto, he has wind-based chakra. The split piece of paper that confirmed this for Naruto is symbolic of Asuma's technique. After molding chakra around the knife and throwing it, the knife possesses enough power to pierce through a tree and embed itself in a boulder behind the tree. Asuma told Naruto that if he hadn't restrained himself, he could have also sent the knife through the rock.

Current arc

In the following chapter, he is teamed up with Shikamaru, Kotetsu Hagane, and Izumo Kamizuki as members of Niju Shotai. His team, along with the entire group, was ordered by Tsunade to search and capture Akatsuki members. However, if it doesn't seem possible, they can kill them. Asuma mutters a slight complaint about the mission before taking off ("Well, somebody has to do it.") and Shikamaru looks over in confusion. At that moment, Kurenai looks through her window, just missing Asuma's team as they depart.

Asuma is one of the 12 Guardian Ninja and has a large bounty on his head. He boasted that his bounty is 5 million ry®≠ more than Head Monk Chiriku's bounty, meaning his bounty is 35 million ry®≠.

Asuma and his team caught up with Hidan and Kakuzu at the Bounty Station. He threw a handful of shuriken at Hidan, distracting him long enough for Shikamaru to trap him with his Shadow Imitation Technique. Asuma engages Hidan in close combat, with Shikamaru providing backup using Shadow Sewing. Eventually, Hidan invokes his ritual, emerging from Asuma's fire jutsu with a Grim Reaper-like appearance and causing Asuma's arm to be inexplicably burned, as well. Furthermore, any subsequent damage inflicted on Hidan is also inflicted on Asuma, Asuma's pain being translated to Hidan as pleasure through this curse-jutsu. Since Hidan is immortal, a fatal attack on himself would kill Asuma, but leave him alive. Before he could do that, however, Shikamaru captures him in a shadow bind. After Shikamaru used the Shadow Bind to remove Hidan from his ritual circle, Asuma was able to openly attack Hidan without fear of taking any damage himself. After cutting Hidan's ear with a shuriken (to check if the curse jutsu is broken), Asuma beheads him with his trench knife, in one clean stroke. Surprisingly, Hidan survives the attack and his severed head starts spewing insults toward Asuma.

With this, Kakuzu steps in to help the decapitated Hidan. He reattaches Hidan's head using threads from his forearms, and Hidan again manages to bind Asuma to his curse jutsu. Hidan impales himself with a pike through his heart, remarking how good it feels as blood runs from Asuma's mouth and his eyes glaze over. The rest of Asuma's old team 10 then arrives as backup along with Aoba Yamashiro and Raido Namiashi. Choji picks Asuma up and moves him away. Shikamaru senses that Asuma still has a faint heartbeat and tells Choji and Ino to quickly take him back to Konoha for medical treatment. At that moment, the Akatsuki team retreat as their leader telepathically called them to fall back.

Despite this sudden reprieve and his team's best efforts, Asuma doesn't make it back to Konoha. His last actions were some parting words to Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru, including revealing to Shikamaru (but not the reader) who the "king" is, and smoking one last cigarette.

Recently, a funeral has been held by Konoha to honor Asuma's passing, much like the Third Hokage's funeral. Because of Asuma, it seems that Shikamaru has taken up smoking and has also tried using Asuma's trench knives.