Asuma Sarutobi

1. 1
   The Third Hokage's son

   A distance with his father

   Asuma is born into the Sarutobi name, the son of the Third Hokage. An early disagreement with Hiruzen leaves the two of them estranged for years.

2. 2
   The Twelve Guardian Ninja

   Away from the village

   Asuma leaves Konoha and joins the Twelve Guardian Ninja, the elite unit that protects the Daimyō of the Land of Fire — a career built well away from his father's shadow.

3. 3
   Return & Team 10Debut Arc · Chūnin Exams

   An easy-handed sensei

   Asuma returns to Konoha and takes charge of Team 10 — Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji. He teaches the way he lives: unhurried, guiding rather than dictating.

4. 4
   Reconciliation

   Proud of the name at last

   After Hiruzen dies defending Konoha, Asuma comes to see the Sarutobi name and the Will of Fire differently. He admits he was always a little detached — and that he is, now, proud to be his father's son.

5. 5
   Hidan & Kakuzu

   Hunting the Akatsuki

   Asuma leads a team after the Akatsuki pair Hidan and Kakuzu — a mission to track and bring down two of the organisation's deadliest members.

6. 6
   Death & the Will of Fire

   The lesson he left behind

   Hidan catches Asuma in a ritual that turns every wound Hidan takes into Asuma's own. Dying, Asuma passes the Will of Fire to Shikamaru — and names the village's children the "king" worth protecting.

Asuma was a Wind-natured jōnin who fought up close. His weapons were chakra-flow trench knives — knuckle blades he charged with wind chakra until they could cut stone — and behind them was the discipline of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, the elite unit he once served.

Play today's Narutodle or browse past answers.

• Who is Asuma Sarutobi?+

  Asuma Sarutobi is a jōnin of Konohagakure and the leader of Team 10, the trio of Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji. He is the son of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and fought with wind-charged chakra blades.
• How did Asuma die?+

  Asuma died on a mission to hunt the Akatsuki duo Hidan and Kakuzu. Hidan caught Asuma in a ritual that linked their bodies, then wounded himself to wound Asuma. Although Asuma's team broke the ritual, the injuries were fatal.
• What are Asuma's chakra blades?+

  Asuma fought with trench knives — knuckle blades he charged with his Wind Release chakra. The technique, Flying Swallow, made the chakra dense and visible, sharp enough to cut through rock and iron and able to strike beyond the blade's physical reach.
• Were Asuma and Kurenai together?+

  Yes. Asuma and Kurenai Yūhi, the jōnin leader of Team 8, were in a relationship and married. Kurenai was expecting their child at the time of Asuma's death — a child whose future became the "king" Asuma asked Shikamaru to protect.
• Who did Asuma train?+

  Asuma led Team 10 — Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Chōji Akimichi, the current generation of the Ino–Shika–Chō formation. He was closest to Shikamaru, often playing shōgi with him to sharpen the young strategist's mind.
• Has Asuma Sarutobi been a Narutodle answer?+

  Asuma is in the daily answer pool of 210 characters. The Previous Narutodle Appearances list on this page shows every date he was the Classic answer, each linking to a replayable archive puzzle.
• How do you guess Asuma in Narutodle?+

  Asuma's Sarutobi clan narrows the board to a small family, and his Attributes column reads Edo Tensei. His Kenjutsu jutsu type is an uncommon entry that helps; his Jōnin rank and Konoha village do little on their own.