Though the Naruto franchise most often focused on the title character and his teammates, there was a very large cast of characters around him, including some beloved teachers. Asuma Sarutobi was best known in the series for being the sensei that lead Team 10, taking care of Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino as they became capable fighters. Asuma also provided one half of one of the biggest fan favorite relationship in the franchise — he and Kurenai Yūhi had a daughter, though Asuma didn’t get to see Mirai grow up.
The loss of Asuma hit a lot of fans almost as hard as it hit his students. As a result of the anime expanding its story with filler episodes, more of Asuma’s backstory was revealed there than in the manga, providing fans with more fuel for their admiration. In addition to the anime, databooks also provide fans with even more details, giving fans the answers to some of their questions about the character.
Why Did Asuma Leave Konohagakure When He Was Young?
There’s a lot of pressure attached to being in the family of a Hokage. Asuma’s father was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, and a well respected man. While Asuma loved and respected his father, the two didn’t always see eye to eye.
About seven years before the events of Naruto began, Asuma and Hiruzen disagreed about life as a shinobi. Deciding he needed to figure out his life for himself, Asuma left the village, pursuing a new path. While away, he began working for the leader of the entire Land of Fire.
Why Does He Wear A Sash On His Uniform?
Though Asuma wears a (mostly) standard Konoha military uniform during his time on the series, he does have his own unique accessory for it; there’s a sash attached to his belt that fans can see underneath his jacket.
That sash is from the time he spent protecting the leader of the Land of Fire. During his travels, Asuma became a member of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi. This group of twelve highly skilled ninjas were responsible for making sure nothing bad happened to the leader. Asuma kept the sash to remind himself of his loyalty.
What Is His Nature Type?
In the world of Naruto, all shinobi have a special affinity for specific nature types. For Asuma, that is Wind Release.
Another character that shows an affinity for Wind Release early on in the series is Naruto, and Asuma even spends some time training him. That means that the two can easily master skills relating to Wind Release, like those skills that require actually movement of the wind.
As shinobi grow in power level and master more skills, they can learn to use other nature types as well. While we don’t know just how many Asuma could use, he was also skilled with Fire Release techniques.
What Role Did Asuma Play In Kakashi Becoming A Sensei?
Asuma was only shown to be particularly close with his students and Kurenai Yūhi during his time on the show. He did, however, have something of a close friendship with Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy. This friendship was made particularly clear when the three sensei banded together on Kakashi’s behalf.
Kakashi had been a member of the Anbu (a secret military group in Konoha) after losing his teammates years earlier. Asuma, Kurenai, and Guy agreed that remaining in the group wasn’t good for their friend, and they went to the Hokage to talk about it. They convinced Hiruzen Sarutobi that Kakashi should act as a teacher to the next generation for a while to prevent him from crossing lines he couldn’t come back from.
What Is His Blood Type?
It seems like every culture enjoys discussing theories on personality types. Sometimes, that’s comparing people to animals or sorting them into their Hogwarts houses. In Japanese culture, there’s a belief that a person’s blood type can tell you a lot about their personality, so many manga and anime materials provide blood types for their characters.
Asuma is Type O. According to the theories surrounding blood types, those with Type O blood are associated with confidence and strong will, which sounds like Asuma. On the down side, Type O would also indicate an arrogant and ruthless personality, which also sounds just like Asuma.
How Did He Lose His Mother?
When Naruto was born, the Nine-Tailed Fox was unleashed on the village, if only briefly. The attack on Konohagakure was orchestrated by Obito Uchiha. While Asuma and his peers were told not to engage and to protect the younger generation, the older generation of shinobi set out to combat the fox while Minato sealed it.
Asuma’s mother, Biwako Sarutobi, was one of the shinobi who set out to check on Minato and Kushina, to help them against the fox. Unfortunately, Obito Uchiha encountered her and took her life.
When Did Asuma Graduate From The Academy?
Children who want to pursue a life as a shinobi enter the Academy at a young age sometimes as young as five. While we don’t know how young Asuma was when he started at the Academy, we do know how young he was when he graduated thanks to anime flashback episodes.
At only nine years old, he became a genin, ready to train for real shinobi missions. To put that in perspective, most of Naruto’s generation graduated the Academy at 11 or 12 years old. Asuma actually became a chūnin at 12, passing the exams, though not all of his teammates did the same year. Kurenai, for example, became a chūnin a year later.
What Is His Star Sign?
Western astrology isn’t something touched on in the world of Naruto, but it can be interesting to see how it applies to the personality of the characters. Asuma, born on October 18, is a Libra.
Libra is an astrological sign associated with balance and the element of air — which falls in line with Asuma’s nature type. Libras usually have an appreciation for art and intellect, which seems right on target with Asuma falling for Kurenai and appreciating Shikamaru’s intelligence.
How Much Was His Life Worth On The Black Market?
Those who participate in illegal activities in the Naruto franchise don’t exactly like the fact that shinobi exist as a force to enact the law — shinobi who are especially skilled might find a price on their head on the black market. For Asuma, his price was especially high. If someone could take him out, they would be awarded 35 million ryo.
Ryo is the fictional currency in Naruto, so we don’t know exactly what it would equate to in the real world, but it’s certainly a lot in-universe. It’s even 5 million ryo more than Asuma’s long-time friend Chiriku, who served as a member of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi with him.
What Does Asuma’s Name Mean?
Series creator Masashi Kishimoto liked to use names that had an important meaning to them. For example, in the Boruto series, Boruto is actually named as a reference to Hinata Hyuga’s cousin Neji. His name means “bolt,” while Neji’s means “screw.” In the case of Asuma, his name is also referenced in the next generation.
Asuma translates to “true tomorrow.” As someone who was always concerned with legacy and passing on the will of fire to the next generation, that name makes perfect sense. His daughter’s name is Mirai. Her name translates to “future,” indicating Asuma’s legacy lives on.
