"Naruto Shippuden" finally opened a new story arc this Thursday with the arrival of Episode 489 titled "Shikamaru's Story: A Cloud Drifting in the Silent Dark." The episode that is currently streaming online takes place after the chapter 66 of the manga.
Now that Sasuke's story arc comes to a close, what's next for fans of "Naruto Shippuden"? As the title suggests, Episode 489 follows Shikamaru's story arc which started two years since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
The remainder of January will cover the story of Shikamaru's mission in the land of silence, according to Yibada. The Hidden Leaf Village story will start by mid-February.
At the time, Shikamaru Nara served as the chief coordinator of the Shinobi Union. It was a peacetime organization that took the place of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Shikamaru was known for his rare intellect that allows him to prevail in combat despite his very lazy nature. This time, Shikamaru has an important role in the Hidden Leaf government. He also represents the Leaf in the Alliance.
In the latest episode of "Naruto Shippuden," Shikamaru rushed to the office to learn about the outcome of Sai's mission. He discovered that Sai's team has gone missing for days. Kakashi and Shikamaru were warned of a danger when they learned that Sai was not the one who send the report.
The Sixth Hokage gave the mission to Shikamaru to know what happened to Sai and his team. Once proven that it was Gengo who is threatening their peace, Kakashi wants him to be killed. Gengo leads the Land of the Silence where he developed a genjutsu-inducing speech technique to further his goal of controlling others for his bidding.
Meanwhile, Saiyan Island has learned that Shikamaru's story arc was based on the Japanese book "Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness." An English version of the book will be launched this coming Feb. 2.
"Naruto Shippuden Episode 490 - Shikamaru's Story: A Cloud Drifting in the Silent Dark, Part 2: Dark Clouds" will air next Thursday, Jan. 19 on Tokyo TV. Watch the preview of the next episode below:
