Naruto: The Abstract Strategist of the Akatsuki

Chapter 390 Shikamaru Begins Deduction

Nara Shikaku didn't pay much attention to Shikamaru's little scheme.

Want to monopolize the intelligence?

That's overthinking it.

This time, it wasn't just the father and son who participated.

At most, it just means Shikamaru will know the information in advance.

Shikaku didn't believe that Shikamaru could solve the problem in such a short time.

If it were that simple, the Hokage wouldn't have sent the two of them together and made this the first test.

Nara Shikaku, as the current acting clan leader (self-appointed), must return to inform the clan members of this matter.

"Quack? Such a good thing?"

"Lord Hokage, we love and respect you!"

When the men, women, and children of the Nara clan learned of this wonderful opportunity, they were all eager to try it out.

Everyone could see that even the clan leader wasn't saddened by the possibility of losing his position; he was all eyeing the privileged position of first place.

Then everyone should stop holding back.

As for self-awareness?

Such a thing does not exist among the Nara clan.

Originally, everyone in the clan pretended to be innocent so as not to get involved, and no one knew the actual level of the others.

As for his chess skills?

Chess skills have absolutely nothing to do with strategy, tactics, or solving cases.

Otherwise, the best strategist of modern times should be Jaguar.

The entire Nara clan mobilized, except for the elderly who had already retired and the young ones who were unable to speak or walk. They all went to find Shikamaru, who had just learned what had happened from a few people at the training ground.

"Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and everyone else, you've all come."

Shikamaru jumped down from the wooden stake and threw the scroll he had been recording for a short while over.

"You're not up to any tricks again, are you?"

Shikaku took it and looked at Shikamaru with a suspicious expression.

"Dad, you can doubt my intelligence, but you can't doubt my character..."

Shikamaru scratched his head.

"What I doubt is your character. You brat, you actually faked 'bonds' during the Chunin Exams just to slack off! You've completely disgraced the Nara clan!"

Nara Shikaku interrupted Shikamaru's excuses, seeing right through his son's little schemes and tricks.

This was not just because of strategy, but because of his understanding of his son.

Shikamaru doesn't even seem to like men, let alone women.

Shikamaru's wish to marry and have children is simply because he doesn't want to be different from ordinary people, to avoid being pressured to get married and causing more trouble, and because of his responsibility as a member of the clan.

Now that he finally has a chance to completely give up, will Shikamaru let it go?

Even Nara Shikaku himself couldn't bear to let him go.

When that time comes, even his wife won't have the right to stop him from giving up. He's being ordered to give up, and this is the right he's earned!

So, Nara Shikaku, along with all the other members of the Nara clan who had come with him, questioned Shikamaru again about what had happened, still distrusting him.

After he finished speaking, Shikamaru could see that many people had their own questions, but they didn't want to ask them in front of everyone, and their expressions were all conflicted.

So Shikamaru made a suggestion: "If you have any questions, you can write them down on a piece of paper, and they will return them to you after they answer them."

By the way, each person can only ask one question once, otherwise they'd be exhausted.

However, I suggest you give up. I have the best information and I already have a lead.

"This kid..."

Shikaku felt that Shikamaru had really become a different person; in order to gain the right to play it safe, he was showing such sharpness.

Is Shikamaru really that sharp?

The intelligence gathering phase has ended.

Shikamaru, taking advantage of his status as a peer and classmate, monopolized key positions and led everyone away.

The rest of the Nara clan returned to their homes and began examining the intelligence reports as if they were solving a math problem, trying to find clues within them.

Nara Shikaku watched his son resort to any means necessary to win, and did not stop him.

"The Hokage didn't say that we had to prove their innocence or find the truth. The mission's requirement is to [resolve this matter]."

Nara Shikaku smiled.

Since Shikamaru has taken over these crucial young people, he'll go find their families.

the other side.

"Shikamaru, what do we do now? Help me!"

Kiba Inuzuka looked sad.

Naruto is a true tomboy, so he doesn't care about his bad reputation, but he's not!

"I'll help too."

Hinata also spoke up.

What she was thinking was that if she could prove Kiba's innocence, then maybe she could also prove that Naruto wasn't a bond-type ninja?

"Since the course of events seems to have no breakthrough point, let's start by looking for a breakthrough in the only unknown aspect."

Shikamaru spoke up.

"You mean...?"

Shino calmly touched her face.

"That's right, find out exactly whose body that was resurrected using Edo Tensei is!"

"besides……"

Shikamaru paused, his gaze sweeping over the group, and added, "After all, there were only a few of us at the time. Perhaps the culprit is among you!"

"Among us? Shikamaru, don't talk nonsense!"

Ya looked at the people around him with a wary expression.

"The most crucial thing now is that Akamaru couldn't find the scent of a third person on it."

Ino also disagreed.

"That's right, so we now have two tasks. One is to go back to where we started and check again, and the other is to go to Amegakure, the gathering place for Edo Tensei, to find the person who had dealings with Sasuke."

Shikamaru provided a solution.

The group returned to the place where the incident had occurred that morning.

Shikamaru whispered a few words to Akamaru, who then ran off barking and returned shortly after.

"How is it?"

"Woof woof."

Akamaru nodded.

Nodding or shaking your head doesn't require understanding what they're saying to grasp the meaning.

Shikamaru's gaze sharpened instantly, and a smile appeared on his face.

"What's wrong?"

Others were curious.

"I've found a flaw."

Shikamaru turned his gaze to Kiba. "Kiba, the information you provided mentioned that you came to find Naruto, but you and Akamaru used the Fang Over Fang technique to search for Naruto's scent in the air, and then it suddenly stopped somewhere in the air, right?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"What's amazing is that I asked Akamaru to try to find the scent that Sasuke left with this morning. Although a long time has passed and the scent may have dissipated most of it, it should have dissipated evenly."

Akamaru discovered that Sasuke's scent, like Naruto's, suddenly and completely disappeared from somewhere.

"What?!"

Kiba's face turned pale. "Could it be that Sasuke and Naruto, those two die-hard geeks, are trying to label us geeks too so that people won't discriminate against them?"

The more Ya thought about it, the more likely it was to be true, and she gritted her teeth in anger.

"That's entirely possible."

Even Shino nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Kiba's deduction.