They may not have a jinchuriki and the last Uchiha, but this team’s the best of the bunch from Konoha.
The Big Picture
- Team 10, led by Asuma Sarutobi, is actually the best ninja team in
Naruto
, surpassing the hype surrounding Team 7. - Despite initially appearing as ne’er-do-wells, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji demonstrate qualities that make them exceptional ninja and the best team in Konoha.
- Team Asuma exhibits unparalleled teamwork, utilizing their family’s unique jutsu and exemplifying lifelong friendships and the Will of Fire, making them the embodiment of the Hidden Leaf Village’s ideals.
The world of Naruto is dangerous, and to survive, ninja operate in four-man teams out in the field. In a shōnen anime as colorful as Masashi Kishimoto‘s, the teams depicted in the series are rife with plenty of exciting combinations of characters, abilities, and interpersonal relationships that make them incredibly endearing and entertaining. Understandably, the squad that receives the most spotlight is Team 7, which features big names like Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi. When your team consists of two future Hokages, the last living member of the Uchiha clan, and the next generation’s greatest medical ninja, the hype and limelight make sense.
However, despite all that acclaim and recognition, the best ninja team in Naruto actually isn’t Team 7. Looking at TheShockNews of squads, their complementary teamwork, and how successfully they support and heighten their members, it’s evident that Team 10 is actually the best of the best from Konoha. Led by Asuma Sarutobi, the team of Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji not only demonstrates the most cohesive and consistent synergy in the series, but also best represent the ideals and philosophies that founded the Hidden Leaf in the first place.
Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village’s leader and strongest ninja.
- Release Date
- October 3, 2002
- Cast
- Junko Takeuchi , Noriaki Sugiyama , Chie Nakamura , Kazuhiko Inoue , Hidekatsu Shibata , Yoichi Masukawa , Masashi Ebara , Ryôka Yuzuki
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 8
Team 10 Has the Biggest Glow-Up in ‘Naruto’
After graduating from the Academy, rookie shinobi are paired with two classmates and assigned a Jōnin commander to lead them on missions. Like a classic hero’s journey, the fledgling ninja of Konoha must learn from their teacher as they take on more challenging missions before being promoted to the Chūnin rank and beyond. Since the series follows Naruto Uzumaki, it closely tracks his progression from resident village hooligan to hero of Konoha. Despite first being introduced as an underdog, Naruto and his team skyrocket in skill and savvy during their time together. Seeing Team 7’s exponential rise to becoming some of the most capable ninja in the village is fulfilling, but not particularly surprising considering they’re the protagonist’s team. So, when Asuma’s Team 10 is introduced as a group of slackers, the expectations aren’t high. And yet, despite this initial perception, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji end up having some of the most realistic, encouraging, and narratively fulfilling developments of all the characters in the series.
Team 10 was first introduced as a group of ne’er-do-wells. Shikamaru is lazy and perpetually complaining, Choji is overly sensitive and gluttonous, and Ino is prideful and bossy — they don’t exactly exhibit the traits of heroes. However, the team begins demonstrating the personal qualities that make them exceptional ninja and the best team in Konoha. Shikamaru, despite his carefree attitude, reveals his unparalleled intellect and strategic skill that far exceeds his years. Choji, although in need of encouragement to fight, is shown to be loyal and deeply caring for his friends. Ino serves as a foil for Team 7’s Sakura, demonstrating the self-confidence that the other ninja had yet to attain, forcing the two young women to push themselves to their limit against their rival. Even though they lack prodigious talent like Sasuke or Kakashi, or the unrelenting drive of Might Guy and Rock Lee, Team Asuma proves their mettle against adversity. In fact, even though he resigned from his match against Temari, Shikamaru’s survival skills and instincts make him the first of his graduating class to get promoted to Chūnin.
Over the next several years, each member of Team Asuma continues to surpass all expectations set before them. Shikamaru begins leading critical missions and becomes one of Konoha’s most respected strategic voices. Choji unearths some of the most powerful techniques of his clan, turning his kindness into immense strength. Even Ino, who was at first too boy-crazy for other ambitions, takes on her father’s position as one of the preeminent experts in Sensory techniques and telepathic communication, allowing her to be the main form of communication for the Shinobi Allied Forces in the climatic confrontations of Naruto‘s Fourth Shinobi World War. By the time Boruto: Naruto Next Generations comes around, each member of Team 10 becomes the leader of their clan and a prominent ninja in Konoha’s expansive military structure.
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Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji Demonstrate the Best Teamwork in the Anime Series
Even though each member of Team Asuma individually rises to incredible heights, the strongest feature of their team has always been their unparalleled teamwork. No other combination of characters in the series complements each other as cohesively and effectively as this trio, and that’s even if you put them into consideration against Naruto and Sasuke or any of the pairs of Akatsuki members. Team Asuma is the 16th generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, a collaborative formation between different clans in Konoha that utilizes each of their family’s unique jutsu.
Ino uses the Yamanaka clan’s Mind Body Switch technique, allowing her to control the movements of other people. Choji can increase his strength using the form-changing Multi-Size Technique developed by the Akimichi clan to expand to a gigantic size. Shikamaru, the future head of the Nara clan, utilizes the Shadow Possession Jutsu to paralyze and control other people that come into contact with his shadow. Each of these abilities are already quite effective on their own, but several generations of family members have confirmed that they are even more effective when used in tandem. Ino’s sensory abilities paired with Shikamaru’s Shadow stitching allow them to connect to Choji who, in turn, can unleash his destructiveness with precision enabled by his two teammates. This formation is not only the most comprehensive combination of techniques in Naruto, but also has a variety of different iterations and stylistic differences.
However, not only is Team 10 the epitome of teamwork on the battlefield, they also exemplify the personal loyalty and friendship that shinobi squads can only aspire to. For as much as they have their conflicting and contradictory personality traits (Ino is often bullying her two more lackadaisical friends), they also demonstrate a degree of thoughtfulness and consideration that few others show. This unparalleled camaraderie is the direct result of Asuma’s effective teaching skills.When Choji is afraid to fight in the Chūnin Exams, Asuma speaks to what motivates his student, assuaging his fears by promising to stop the match if it goes too far and offering him a BBQ afterward. Since Shikamaru detests putting in effort, Asuma teaches him while they play shogi together. Asuma even recognizes and affirms Ino’s expectations of her teammates, asserting that her friends need her more than they care to admit. The team’s dynamics on and off the battlefield aren’t just fun to watch, they’re phenomenal examples of lifelong friendships and hard-earned lessons.
Team Asuma Best Represents the Hidden Leaf Village’s Ideals
Even though they may not have the same international fame as the Sannin or Team Kakashi, Team Asuma is unique among ninja squads because they are the greatest visualization of the Will of Fire among all squads shown in the series. The Will of Fire is the foundational philosophy of Konoha, handed down from Hashirama Senju to future generations. Those who subscribe to the Will of Fire believe that the Hidden Leaf Village is a family, and it’s a ninja’s duty to protect their loved ones and ensure that future generations are protected. Interestingly, this value system is most explored in the series not through Naruto’s storyline, but through Team Asuma’s. Asuma likens Konoha to a game of shogi which, like chess, involves protecting a king. Though Shikamaru first believes that the king is the Hokage, Asuma’s teachings show him the truth: the king, the most prized person in Konha, is actually the youth. Asuma instills in his team the paramount importance of protecting the village’s future, just as much as the present, and his students would go on to exemplify these beliefs better than anyone else.
From their lineages alone, Team Asuma already represent the bedrock of Konoha. The Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans are prominent groups in the village and have had a long-standing connection with the Sarutobis, another notable family that includes Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. In the peace following the Fourth Shinobi World War, each member of Team Asuma continues to represent the Will of Fire and Konoha’s ideals. The new age of international peace allowed Choji and Shikamaru to marry ninja from other Hidden Villages, a sign of peace previously unattainable in the ninja world. Choji became the head of his clan, while Ino became the head of Konoha’s intelligence and sensory division. Coming a long way from being a lazy slacker, Shikamaru even becomes the Seventh Hokage’s right-hand man and future successor. From unmotivated slackers to prominent leaders, Team Asuma is hands-down the most entertaining and endearing squad in the whole series.
Naruto is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com