Snake Eyes: Declassified #5
	Short Summary The Arashikage Clan meets to honor Snake-Eyes as he is becoming a full member, and heir apparent to the leadership, of the Arashikage Ninja Clan. The Faceless Master and Zartan set their plan to kill Snake-Eyes in motion. Mistaking the Hard Master for Snake-Eyes, Zartan kills the wrong person with Storm Shadow's arrow. Storm Shadow is mistaken as the Hard Master's killer and flees the compound in pursuit of the assassins. Snake-Eyes then leaves the clan and goes to hide in the High Sierras. This is where Stalker and Hawk find him and recruit him as one of the original members of the GI Joe team.
	Notes of Interest Six Issue Mini Series Significant events: Jinx's name is Kimi. Firefly masterminds Zartan's attack on the Hard Master. Death of the Hard Master. Snake-Eyes finds Timber. Snake-Eyes' induction into the GI Joe team. Cobra Commander and Billy enter Springfield.
Major Players Arashikage Clan Members: Hard Master, Soft Master, Professor Onihashi, Storm Shadow, Snake-Eyes, Blind Master, Kimi (Jinx) Affiliate Clan members: Faceless Master (Firefly), Professor Onihashi's apprentice (Zartan) Joe Team: Hawk, Stalker Cobra: Cobra Commander, Billy
Creative Team Story: Brandon Jerwa, Pencils: Emiliano Santalucia, Colors: Jason Jensen, Letters: Steve Seeley with Brian Crowley, Senior Editor: Mike O'Sullivan, Front Cover: Emiliano Santalucia & Jeremy Roberts, Special Thanks to Mark Powers, Based on and inspired by the works of Larry Hama
Long Summary Snake-Eyes has just finished receiving his first ninja sword and is now an official tattooed member of the Arashikage Clan. The famous group photo of the Arashikage Clan is taken at this ceremony. The people included in that photo: Hard Master, Soft Master, Blind Master, Professor Onihashi, Kimi (Jinx), Tommy Arashikage (Storm Shadow), Snake-Eyes, and the Faceless Master (Firefly). Later that night Firefly and Zartan meet to plan the assassination of Snake-Eyes. Firefly gives Zartan a compound bow with heat and breathing recognition capabilities. He locks the breathing pattern of Snake-Eyes into the settings. Firefly, who has retrieved Storm Shadow's arrow, forces Zartan to go through with the mission that Cobra Commander has hired both of them to do, which is kill Snake-Eyes. The next night, the Hard Master is training Snake-Eyes. The Hard Master mixes in talking about making Snake-Eyes the rightful heir, over Storm Shadow. Snake-Eyes doesn't accept. The special technique that he is teaching Snake-Eyes is the Chameleon's Mantle. Which is a technique that is about taking on the breathing patterns of a different person, in this case the Hard Master is masking as Snake-Eyes. Outside in the courtyard, Zartan has his bow locked on the breathing patterns of the Hard Master, which he thinks is Snake-Eyes. The arrow flies and kills the Hard Master. In another part of the courtyard, the Soft Master spots a man running off, which appears to be Storm Shadow and then Soft Master goes to see that his brother is dead. Firefly and Zartan fly away in a Cobra helicopter with Storm Shadow in hot pursuit. With the Hard Master dead and Storm Shadow gone, Snake-Eyes also leaves the Clan with the burden of having brought on a terrible tragedy to his new family. Professor Onihashi is aware that Zartan has killed the Hard Master then repays the dishonor to the Arashikage Clan by killing himself, in front of Zartan. In America, Cobra Commander, with his very young son Billy in the backseat, arrives in Springfield. Over the next year or so, Snake-Eyes lives in a cabin up in the High Sierras. He saves Timber from a bear trap, and Timber becomes his only friend. Then one day, Stalker and Hawk come looking for Snake-Eyes. They find the cabin, Timber and a completely different Snake-Eyes then the one Stalker used to know. As the conversation continues Stalker offers Snake-Eyes the opportunity to be one of the first to join a new team of soldiers that is going to fight the worst of the worst the world has to offer. At first, Snake-Eyes refuses but Stalker eventually wins him over. Snake-Eyes now leaves his solitary life behind to become a member of America's elite team of soldiers called G.I. Joe. Summary by Josh Eggebeen
Issue Five, December 2005