Ep. 489: Shikamaru faces boredom at his desk job while investigating missing ninja in the Land of Silence.

489

Shikamaru endures a dull desk job, waiting for Naruto to become Hokage. During a Shinobi Union meeting, he and other ambassadors discuss the decline in shinobi assistance, prompting Temari to suspect he is hiding information. Shikamaru confides in Kakashi that the Land of Silence may be responsible for the rise in missing ninja, noting that Sai has already been sent to spy. However, Sai’s reports raise doubts, leading Kakashi to order Shikamaru to assassinate or capture the leader, Gengo, assisted by Anbu members Ro and Soku. Before departing, Shikamaru dines with Ino and Choji, visits the graves of his father and Asuma, and meets Mirai and her mother. He then shares a brief moment with Naruto before heading to the village gates.