Who is Chiriku in Naruto?

A monk — who became head monk — of the Fire Temple, in the Land of Fire, and a former member of the Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninja. He is a close friend of Asuma Sarutobi, whom he served alongside among the Guardians.

How does Chiriku die?

He is killed at the Fire Temple by the Akatsuki duo Hidan and Kakuzu, who came to collect the 30-million-ryo bounty placed on his head. Kakuzu then carries his body to a black-market exchange post, the corpse serving as proof. In the manga, the fight itself is not shown.

What was the bounty on his head?

30,000,000 ryo, a black-market bounty placed by a clandestine organization. For comparison, Asuma's bounty was 5 million higher, that is 35,000,000 ryo.

Why is his death important to the plot?

It puts Asuma on the trail of the two Akatsuki members: having come to pay their respects at the Fire Temple, his squad notices that Chiriku's body is the only one taken away and works its way back to the exchange post, where it intercepts Hidan and Kakuzu. This squad brings together Asuma, Shikamaru, Izumo and Kotetsu — Choji and Ino only join the hunt afterward.

Did he have a special technique?

He had mastered the secret taijutsu of the Fire Temple monks. The "Thousand-Armed Murder" technique, which summons the Thousand-Armed Kannon, is attributed to him — but it is actually shown only in the anime; in the manga, the monks' powers remain a mystery.

Chiriku: The Monk of the Twelve Guardian Ninja

July 18, 2026

1270 words | Reading time: 7 min

OrganizationAkatsukiChiriku

Thirty million ryo: the price of a monk's head. Chiriku, head monk of the Fire Temple and a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, barely appears except to die. Killed by Hidan and Kakuzu, who came to collect the bounty on him, he nonetheless sets off one of the most memorable arcs in Shippuden: his friend Asuma Sarutobi, a fellow former Guardian, then sets out on the trail of the Akatsuki duo. A profile of a brief but decisive character.

A bounty, a friendship, and the starting point of a manhunt: Chiriku barely appears except to die, but his death sets off one of the most memorable arcs in Shippuden. Here is the monk of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.

The Head Monk of the Fire Temple
A Former Member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja
A 30-Million Bounty
Killed by Hidan and Kakuzu
The Trigger of the Manhunt
Summary Table
FAQ

The Head Monk of the Fire Temple

Chiriku is a monk of the Fire Temple, a monastery in the Land of Fire said to house fighters with unusual abilities. After the Guardians were disbanded, he becomes its head.

He had mastered the temple monks' secret taijutsu. A spectacular technique is attributed to him, but it appears only in the anime: in the manga, the monks' powers remain a mystery.

A huge golden apparition with dozens of arms rises above a temple staircase, a tiny figure standing in front of it — The secret taijutsu of the Fire Temple monks: this technique attributed to Chiriku appears only in the anime.

A Former Member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja

Chiriku was a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, the elite guard of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. It was during that time that he formed a close friendship with Asuma Sarutobi, himself a former Guardian.

Along with Asuma, he is one of only two Guardians actually named in the manga — indirect proof of how little the series reveals about this group.

A monk with a shaved head in a torn light-colored robe and a bearded man in a fur-collared coat, blades in his fists, side by side in a dark forest — Chiriku and Asuma Sarutobi met among the Twelve Guardian Ninja and remained close.

A 30-Million Bounty

His head carried a bounty of 30 million ryo placed by a clandestine organization — a black-market bounty, separate from the bingo books kept by the villages.

For comparison, Asuma's own bounty was 5 million higher. These bounties attached to former Guardians make them prime targets for bounty hunters.

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A masked man with a slashed forehead protector, in a dark high-collared coat, counts a wad of bills held together by a red band — Black-market bounties are paid in cash, which makes former Guardians sought-after targets.

Killed by Hidan and Kakuzu

It is precisely for this bounty that Kakuzu, the bounty hunter of the Akatsuki, attacks the Fire Temple with Hidan. The duo slaughters the monks and kills Chiriku.

Kakuzu then carries the body to a black-market exchange post to collect the bounty, the corpse serving as proof. In the manga, the fight itself is not shown.

In a temple courtyard, two men seen from behind in black coats with red clouds, one of them armed with a three-bladed scythe, face a lone monk at the foot of a large staircase — The Akatsuki duo at the Fire Temple; in the manga, the fight itself is not shown.

The Trigger of the Manhunt

Chiriku's death puts Asuma's squad on the duo's trail. Having come to pay their respects at the temple, they notice that Chiriku's body is the only one taken away, and work their way back to the bounty post.

A useful clarification: this squad is not Team 10 in full, but a unit made up of Asuma, Shikamaru, Izumo and Kotetsu. Choji and Ino only join the hunt after Asuma's death.

A vast dark room with walls lined with metal lockers, a body laid out on a counter and two figures in long black coats in the center — The bounty exchange post: this is how far Asuma's squad traces the trail from the temple.

Summary Table

Aspect	Details
Status	Head monk of the Fire Temple (Land of Fire); former member of the Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninja.
Relationships	Close friend of Asuma Sarutobi (fellow former Guardian). A direct personal closeness with Hiruzen is not established.
Bounty	30,000,000 ryo (black-market bounty, clandestine organization). Asuma's = 5 million more.
Death	Killed by the Akatsuki duo Hidan and Kakuzu at the Fire Temple; Kakuzu collects the bounty, the body serving as proof. Fight not shown in the manga.
Consequence	His death leads Asuma's squad (Asuma, Shikamaru, Izumo, Kotetsu — not Choji/Ino) to the bounty post, launching the hunt for Hidan and Kakuzu.

FAQ

Who is Chiriku in Naruto?
A monk — who became head monk — of the Fire Temple, in the Land of Fire, and a former member of the Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninja. He is a close friend of Asuma Sarutobi, whom he served alongside among the Guardians.
How does Chiriku die?
He is killed at the Fire Temple by the Akatsuki duo Hidan and Kakuzu, who came to collect the 30-million-ryo bounty placed on his head. Kakuzu then carries his body to a black-market exchange post, the corpse serving as proof. In the manga, the fight itself is not shown.
What was the bounty on his head?
30,000,000 ryo, a black-market bounty placed by a clandestine organization. For comparison, Asuma's bounty was 5 million higher, that is 35,000,000 ryo.
Why is his death important to the plot?
It puts Asuma on the trail of the two Akatsuki members: having come to pay their respects at the Fire Temple, his squad notices that Chiriku's body is the only one taken away and works its way back to the exchange post, where it intercepts Hidan and Kakuzu. This squad brings together Asuma, Shikamaru, Izumo and Kotetsu — Choji and Ino only join the hunt afterward.
Did he have a special technique?
He had mastered the secret taijutsu of the Fire Temple monks. The "Thousand-Armed Murder" technique, which summons the Thousand-Armed Kannon, is attributed to him — but it is actually shown only in the anime; in the manga, the monks' powers remain a mystery.

In summary

Chiriku gets only a few panels, but his death echoes throughout Shippuden: without it, Asuma would never have crossed paths with Hidan and Kakuzu. Proof that a secondary character can, by his disappearance alone, set in motion one of the most memorable tragedies in the series.