Asuma Sarutobi

**Asuma Sarutobi** (猿飛アスマ, *Sarutobi Asuma*) is a jōnin of Konohagakure's Sarutobi clan and a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. He was also the leader of Team 10 which consists of Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Chōji Akimichi.

## Background

Asuma was born to Biwako and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. During his Academy entrance ceremony, Asuma became friends with Mirai Sarutobi. In the anime, during the Chūnin Exams, Asuma was placed on a team with Kurenai and Raidō Namiashi. He later cheered on his classmates during the third round of the Chūnin Exams.

During the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack, Asuma along with the other young ninja were barred from participating in the defence of the village by Shinku Yūhi and the other senior shinobi. A few years after the event, Asuma would become an uncle to Konohamaru. He later became a jōnin.

About seven years before the start of the series, he had a disagreement with his father and left Konoha to pursue his personal interests. During his absence, he became one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, a group that protected the Land of Fire's daimyō, indicated by the sash on his waist. During this time he developed a strong friendship with the monk Chiriku, who would go on to become the head monk of the Fire Temple. Prior to returning to Konoha to resume active military duty, he accumulated a bounty of 35 million ryō on the black market, something he seemed to be particularly proud of since it was a testament of his skill, even bragging that his bounty was 5 million more than Chiriku. After returning to the village, Asuma resumed his jōnin duties and became a teacher of Inomatsu and presumably some more students. About twelve years after the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack, seeing his classmate fall into deeper self-pity from losing Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara, Asuma, along with Might Guy and Mirai decided to speak with the Third Hokage, voicing their disapproval of Kakashi being in Anbu with such bitterness and suggested instead that he be re-assigned as a jōnin sensei in the hopes of restoring Kakashi's kindness.

## Personality

Asuma was typically a laid-back individual, and did not get himself involved in things unless absolutely necessary, as seen when he decided not to help save Hinata Hyūga during her fight in the Chūnin Exams. He was a heavy smoker, but, despite this, he would abruptly break the habit under certain circumstances, such as when his father died or learned that Mirai was pregnant. Not always seeing eye to eye with his father, Asuma later came to respect his father's role as Hokage: referring to him as a great father, and was proud to have been born into the Sarutobi clan.

Despite Asuma's very blunt personality, often calling his students what they were unreservedly, a "glutton" (Chōji), a "loud mouth" (Atsuko), and a "slacker" (Shikamaru), he had a very good relationship with all three. He often took them to Yakiniku Q for lunch and dinner where more often than not Chōji would eat too much and Asuma had to pay more and apologise emphatically to the owner. To help them overcome their underachieving natures, he attempted to use bribery and outright trickery to manipulate them into doing what he wanted. This was seen most with Chōji, who Asuma was frequently able to entice into action with the promise of food and even Shikamaru whom he had to use games like shōgi on to assess his skill level. Out of his students, Asuma spent the most time with and was closest to Shikamaru. Asuma and Shikamaru often played shōgi or Go in their free time, though Asuma was never able to beat Shikamaru. It was Asuma who first discovered that the lazy Shikamaru was actually a genius, with an I.Q. over 200.

Throughout the series it had been heavily hinted that Asuma was romantically involved with fellow jōnin Mirai Sarutobi, having been close to her since childhood. The two appeared together in most of their scenes, and the other characters made it a point to note this fact on several occasions. When Kakashi Hatake found the two together at a dumpling shop, Kakashi asked if they were on a date, to which Asuma responded by quickly changing the subject. In a flashback, Asuma was shown buying flowers for a person he refused to name, though Ino asked that he say hello to Mirai for her anyway, to which Asuma nervously asked how she knew about it. During Asuma's battle with Hidan and Kakuzu, Mirai was often shown wondering about his progress, appearing anxious. When she heard of his former death, she fell to her knees grief stricken. The truth of their relationship was then made clear when Mirai revealed that she was pregnant with Asuma's child.

## New Era / Glad you Came

A mysterious revived Asuma much to the joy of Shikamaru Nara