Now that Sasuke's story arc is done, it's time to shine the spotlight on Shikamaru. The current story arc focuses on everyone's favorite shinobi from the Nara clan, and Shikamaru's story arc will continue in "Naruto Shippuden" episode 490.

The upcoming episode is titled "Shikamaru's Story: A Cloud Drifting in the Silent Dark, Part 2: Dark Clouds," and it will pick up where the previous episode left off. There wasn't any action in last week's episode, but things are about to get interesting as Shikamaru and his team enter the Land of Silence in search of Sai and the rest of the shinobis sent to the village. Unfortunately, he will have to formulate a plan to free his friends and deal with Gengo's genjutsu.

Shikamaru may be a side character, but he has always been one of the most popular characters thanks to the strategies he comes up with.

Anime fans who can't wait for the episodes to air can check out the source material. The story arc is actually based on a light novel titled "Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness." The book was written by Takashi Yano and "Naruto" creator Masashi Kishimoto did the art work.

"Naruto Shippuden" episode 490 will air on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7:30 p.m. JST on TV Tokyo. Sources say Episode 491, "Blindly," will air on Jan. 26 while episode 492, "Cloud of Suspicion," will premiere on Feb. 2. Episode 493, "Dawn," will hit the small screens on Feb. 9.

Meanwhile, reports say a new story arc will start on episode 494. The episode is allegedly titled "The Hidden Leaf Village Story: The Perfect Day for a Wedding, Part 1," and it will focus on Naruto and Hinata's wedding. That's also something to look forward to.

In the meantime, fans will get to hear Shikamaru utter "how troublesome" for four more episodes.