Asuma Sarutobi

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Hiruzen Sarutobi (Father)
Biwako Sarutobi (Mother)
Mirai Sarutobi (Daughter)
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**Asuma Sarutobi** (猿飛 アスマ, *Sarutobi Asuma*) is the son of the Third Hokage and the Jounin Leader for Team 10.

## **Origin**

Asuma is one of the Jounin Ninja whose job it is to train new ninja teams. He is the son of the third Hokage and uncle to Konohamaru. Despite being a leader of a team of Genin and a high class jounin himself, he was not always cleared headed man as he is seen to be. As a teenager, Asuma left Konoha after an argument with his father and become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. After some time had passed and several missions took place, he grew close to the others and became good friends with everyone in the group. Chiriku was perhaps the closest of those friends and would later become the head of the temple. This friendship would not last long though as Asuma was forced to kill one of his own team mates in order to protect his father, the Hokage. Returning home, Asuma still wears a sash with the emblem of the Twelve Guardian Ninja and while the group had placed a bounty of 35 million Ryo on his head for his treachery. Asuma became a Jounin and began training students at the college as well as doing various missions for Konoha.

## Story Arcs

### **Chunin Exams**

Asuma was assigned to Team 10 which consisted of  a young group  of Genin. Members of the team included  Ino Yamanaka, a young female ninja with a mind technique, Shikamaru Nara, a genius with a lazy attitude, and Choji Akimichi, a fierce fighter who loved to eat. We do not see much of his training as the manga and anime focuses on Team 7 but we see his students in action for the first time during the Chunin exams. The three students would pass the first portion of the Chunin Exams which required them to cheat on a written exam. During the second portion which would throw teams against each other in a wooded area, the team would encouter Sakura under attack by the Sound Ninja.  At first Choji and Shikamaru did not want to help but after Ino dived into attack, the others followed her into battle. It was here for the first time we saw Team 10 working together with their training paying off, but were no match for the sound Ninja but had bought enough time for Sasuke to wake up now with his cursed mark in full power. Shikamaru suggested that Team 10 retreat and leave the fight as the overpowered
Sasuke was enough to decimate the Sound Ninja.

Team 10 passed the second exam and were sent into the third round which would consist of one on one battles between the surviving teams. Ino would have to face off against her long time friend Sakura, Shikamaru would have to fight Kin of  the Sound Village, and Choji would have to fight the last of the Sound Ninja. Choji was worried about his battle ahead and Asuma took him aside and swore nothing would happen to him, if the battle was to go wrong he and the other Jounin would step in to help. Asuma also offered Choji that if he tried that he would take the team out to an all you can eat buffet on him as an extra incentive. Choji lost his battle and Ino fell into a draw with Sakura. Shikamaru would be the only one to win his battle and go onto the last portion of the Chunin exams.

The final round came and Shikamaru found himself facing of against Temari and while it looked as if he would win his match against the Sand Genin, he quickly quit as he claimed that he would not have enough Chakra for the next match. Despite the fact he gave up, Shikamaru would later be made into a Chunin because of his actions in this battle. As the final match began between Sasuke and Gaara, Konoha was invaded by the Sand and Sound Villages and an all out war broke out. Shikamaru was sent along with Sakura and Naruto to track down Sasuke, who had followed one of the attackers into the woods.

Along the way Shikamaru says that they are being followed, letting the rest of the group to go ahead as he will slow down the trackers. Now faced with eight Sound Ninja, Shikamaru traps them all when a ninth ninja appears as Shikamaru runs out of Chakra. It looks as if the group of Sound Ninja are going to kill him when Asuma appears and takes out all nine without even a scratch. Taking the tired and weakened Shikamaru back to Konoha, they discover that Naruto has defeated Gaara and the invasion has been driven back.

## **Strangers In The Village**

Asuma and Kurenai are seen later after the invasion walking in the village when they come across Kakashi, who asks If they are on a date.

Neither one answers as Kakashi turns to see that a group that was behind the trio a minute ago had suddenly disappeared. Kakashi tells the two of them to keep their eyes open. A while later, Asuma and Kuernai find two strangers as they reveal themselves to be Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, members of the Akatsuki who have come for Naruto. Asuma readies himself for battle as the group fights.

Asuma manages to get a lucky attack on Kisame and catches him across the face with one of his knives, but the battle soon turns against him. Asuma and Kuernai are nearly hit by Kisame’s Water Shark Missile Technique when Kakashi uses the same technique to block the attack. Now the three ninja of Konoha face the two rouge ninja. Kakashi is struck down by Itachi’s Superior Eye Technique and once again Asuma and Kurenai find themselves in trouble. But then  Mighty Guy arrives and starts to tell Asuma and Kurenai how to fight someone who has a Sharingan after training with Kakashi all these years. He tells them never to look into their eyes and to judge their movements by their feet or body. Asuma, now able to get the upper hand, causes the two rouge ninja to flee before anymore Konoha ninja arrive.

## **Choji The Brave**

Shikamaru was picked to lead a team to find Saskue after he went rouge and was on his way to join Orochimaru, one of the main attackers during the Invasion of Konoha. Before Choji set out, Asuma gave him a dressing
down saying he spends to much time eating and not enough time training. Choji almost died in his battle against Jirobo, one of Orochimaru’s men, but Choji won when he had to use some of his family’s secret pills in order to win. After the battle, Choji went to Asuma and asked for intense training so he would never have to use the pills again but would be able to beat anyone on his own. Asuma agreed and the two began their training.

Shortly after this, Asuma and Kurenai were sent on a mission to question Mizuki. He was
being held at the Leaf Village Maximum Security Prison. Upon arriving, the two found themselves greatly outnumbered as the inmates had all broken out. Fujin and Raijin, the Legendary Stupid Brothers, were among the inmates, and even though they fought well, the two were soon overcome by the sheer number of rioting prisoners. They where later rescued and recovered in Konoha.

## Etymology

* The name **Asuma** is written in katakana (アスマ), which has no special meaning. However, when written in kanji (愛洲馬, 明日真, 明日磨, 明日茉, 明日馬, 明日麻, 明馬, 未来磨, 遊馬, 飛海, 飛馬 or 飛麻), it could possibly mean:
	+ 愛洲馬 - "" () (**a**), "" () (**su**) and "horse" (馬) (**ma**).
	+ 明日真 - "tomorrow" (明日) (**asu**) and "real, genuine" (真) (**ma**).
	+ 明日磨 - "tomorrow" (明日) (**asu**) and "grind, polish, scour, improve, brush (teeth)" (磨) (**ma**).
	+ 明日茉 - "tomorrow" (明日) (**asu**) and "jasmine" (茉) (**ma**).
	+ 明日馬 - "tomorrow" (明日) (**asu**) and "horse" (馬) (**ma**).
	+ 明日麻 - "tomorrow" (明日) (**asu**) and "hemp, flax" (麻) (**ma**).
	+ 明馬 - "bright, light, clear" (明) (**asu**) and "horse" (馬) (**ma**).
	+ 未来磨 - "future" (未来) (**asu**) and "grind, polish, scour, improve, brush (teeth)" (磨) (**ma**).
	+ 遊馬 - "play" (遊) (**asu**) and "horse" (馬) (**ma**).
	+ 飛海 - "flying sea".
	+ 飛馬 - "flying horse".
	+ 飛麻 - "flying hemp".
* Asuma's surname **Sarutobi** means "monkey, ape" (猿) (**saru**) and "to fly" (飛) (**tobi**).