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Many great ninjas reside in the village of Konoha, but only a few match the skill and expertise of Asuma Sarutobi, son of the third hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Asuma Sarutobi was a Jonin in the Village Hidden In The Leaves and led Team 10. He was one of the main supporting characters in the anime series Naruto, as he was a teacher and father figure for the current advisor of the sixth hokage as well as the seventh.
He recently surged in popularity thanks to the follow-up show Boruto: The Next Generations and his message that to this day echoes throughout the Naruto Canon. Moreover, seeing how he is incredibly easy to cosplay, he is common among cosplayers.
History
Born to the third Hokage, Asuma was incredibly skilled in Tai-jutsu and was recognized in the village for his own skills and powers rather than what he learned from his father. Asuma trained in the academy until he became a Chunin and left soon after having a falling out with his father. This led him to join the twelve guardian ninja team entrusted to protect the Land of Fire’s Daimyo.
There he met with Chiriku, who later became his best friend, and from whom he learned the Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Armed Murder. Through his great skills in both Tai-jutsu and Nin-jutsu, as well as his unique trench blades, Asuma garnered a name for himself throughout the Land of Fire. His fame also led to a bounty being placed on his head, something he was always very proud of.
Appearance
Asuma Sarutobi was a heavy smoker and, more often than not, he was seen with a cigarette in his mouth. This also makes sense in context to the types of techniques that Asuma uses. He wore a sash around his waist with the Kanji of fire, along with a Jonin flak jacket, Shinobi sandals, and a headband. His appearance can be described as tall with short black spiky hair, and olive skin with brown eyes.
Skills
Asuma Sarutobi mostly depended on his hand to hand combat skill and experience to fight. Often considered the equal of Might Guy in terms of melee combat, his ability to fight with trench knives made him especially fierce.
His blades were made of a special metal that allowed him to channel chakra into them, giving them extended range as well as strength. Not only could they reach several feet further, but they were also strong enough to pierce through metal and stone. His Jutsu, the flying swallow, would allow him to greatly extend the reach of his trench knives as well as their strength.
Thanks to his wind affinity, he also created a Jutsu that would allow him to control his trench knives remotely, further increasing their lethality. He also has the power to manipulate fire, through which he created his own unique Jutsu. The Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning is one of Asuma’s signature moves, where he breathes out a cloud of gunpowder that he detonates to cause multiple small scale explosions.
His final Jutsu that he learned at the Temple of Fire when he was a part of the Twelve Guardian Ninja is the Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Armed Murder. While he was not as skilled as his friends, Asuma still managed to use it effectively when defending his team from the Akatsuki.
His skills also contribute to the cosplay experience seeing how he does not undergo any transformations, it is easy to pull off a convincing Asuma Sarutobi.
Lineage and Relatives
Asuma is a member of the Sarutobi clan and comes from a family of incredibly powerful Shinobi. His grandfather Sasuke Sarutobi, though never seen in the series or manga, was an incredibly powerful Shinobi and the father of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Sarutobi clans were one of the first clans to enter the hidden leaf village, after the Uchiha and Senju clans.
The Third Hokage was one of the strongest because he had control over all five elements at a very young age. He led the charge during the attack of the nine tailed fox on the village and took down Orochimaru during his attack on the Leaf Village.
During Asuma’s early years in the academy, he became friends with a girl by the name of Kurenai Yuhi. He later married Kurenai and has a child with her by the name of Mirai Sarutobi. Asuma was also an uncle to Konohamaru, who was the grandson of the Third Hokage and a rival to Naruto.
Personality, Later Life, and Death
Asuma, regardless of his many achievements and skills, was never boastful, but quite humble. After coming back to the leaf from the Twelve Guardian Ninja he was appointed as the leader of Team 7, which consisted of Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. He grew especially close to Shikamaru as he saw a lot of himself in him, and they both grew a lot closer together.
He was incredibly blunt and laid back, much like his apprentice Shikamaru, and would never involve himself unless matters would escalate over a certain point. Asuma formed a very deep connection with Shikamaru over the game that they would usually play, Shogi.
Although Asuma would often lose, he was impressed by just how smart and intuitive Shikamaru really was. Regardless of the many names that Asuma would call his team, they all still had a loving relationship.
During the Akatsuki Suppression Mission, Asuma teamed with Shikamaru, Kotetsu, and Hagane, to go out, find and capture Akatsuki Members. The Twenty Platoons team managed to find two Akatsuki members, Kakzu and Hidan, and have a clash with them. During the battle, Asuma fell under Hidan’s curse, and after a tiresome battle, he breathed his last.
He is later resurrected to fight in the fourth great ninja war, where he clashes with the members of Team 10. After an emotional fight, the team manages to defeat their leader and show him how much they have grown since he passed.
Legacy and Presence
Although Asuma was limited to a side character throughout the story, the lessons that he teaches Shikamaru, as well as other members of the cast, leave a lasting impact on the story. His ideology of the future led Shikamaru to become the advisor to the Hokage, as well as the godfather to Mirai Sarutobi. Asuma was also the one to train the next generation of the famous Ino-Shika-Cho, all of whom grow up to lead their respective clans.
An inspirational leader and impeccable Shinobi, Asuma Sarutobi is a great cosplay choice for veteran Naruto fans who would like to move on from the main characters to impactful personalities of the show. All signs indicate Asuma will achieve the same level of popularity as Bowsette in quick time.