Asuma gave the impression of a very calm, even slightly lazy and relaxed person. He rarely interfered in events unless he considered it absolutely necessary, preferring to go with the flow. His constant companion was a cigarette, which he almost never took out of his mouth, except in truly serious moments—for example, after his father's death or when he learned of Kurenai's pregnancy.
Despite his outward carelessness, Asuma was a very perceptive and caring sensei. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of his students and skillfully used little tricks to motivate them. He bribed Choji with promises of barbecue, and with the brilliant but lazy Shikamaru he would pass the time playing shogi, never once managing to beat him. It was Asuma who first saw in Shikamaru not just a slacker, but a true prodigy with incredible intellect.
Although in his youth he had conflicts with his father and left the village, over time Asuma genuinely came to respect the role of Hokage and truly took pride in belonging to the Sarutobi clan. In his personal life he was rather shy: when the subject of his feelings for Kurenai Yuuhi came up, he would noticeably blush and try to change the subject, despite the fact that their romance was obvious to everyone around them.
