At this critical and tense mont, Konan's thoughts were obvious. She understood perfectly that it was a significant opportunity when Aoba, also known as Ōtsutsuki Shiren, ntioned they should et at Ichiraku Ran. She realized that Aoba lived in Konoha and could monitor the situation at Ichiraku Ran. Her presence would be noticed as long as she got inside the ran shop.
If she wanted to seize this opportunity and stay close to Aoba, remaining in Konoha, she needed to rely on him to find him.
The problem now was...
With Minato Namikaze being uncooperative, Aoba was the only person who had initially connected them to Konoha. She wasn't sure what kind of influence Aoba held in Konoha or if he could override Minato's decision and allow her to stay. But regardless, she had to try.
Having made up her mind, Konan knew the next step was to find a way into Konoha and Ichiraku Ran. However, after the recent encounter with Minato, who didn't want them entering the village during the Hokage succession ceremony, her only option was to circumvent him. This led her to think of Jiraiya, the one who had connected them to Minato in the first place.
The more critical the situation beca, the clearer Konan's mind was. She began assessing all the resources she could use to her advantage, figuring out how to make them work in her favor to stay in Konoha.
After invoking Jiraiya's na, the gatekeepers were montarily stunned. If Konan had tried to force her way in, they would have dealt with her accordingly. But ntioning Jiraiya complicated things significantly.
"I'm going into Konoha to have a bowl of ran," Konan said firmly. She had made up her mind and didn't want to wait. If she couldn't get in now, she would find another way later, but she wasn't going to give up easily.
"I've made my intentions clear. My two companions have already left, and we've spoken with Minato Namikaze. We understand we can't stay in the village, but I've traveled a long way just to taste the ran that Jiraiya-sensei spoke so fondly of."
Konan continued to speak confidently, subtly observing the gatekeepers' reactions. She could see their hesitation. Her ntion of Jiraiya had made them uneasy.
Opportunity.
Konan instantly recognized the opening. The gatekeepers' hesitation was her path forward.
After all, no one thinks purely rationally like a machine. Everyone has sothing they care about, and after ntioning Jiraiya, Konan saw the subtle changes in their expressions. Although slight, they didn't escape her keen observation.
"My request is simple. I'm not here to cause trouble. If we had planned to create problems, we would've tried forcing our way in from the beginning. I just want to eat a bowl of ran. You can accompany the entire ti, and once I'm done, I'll leave. If you deny even that, I'll have to speak to Lord Tsuchikage."
Konan's words were sharp, using Jiraiya's na as both a sword and a shield. The gatekeepers were now visibly uncertain. They weren't sure how to handle the situation.
The lead gatekeeper sighed, taking a deep breath to calm himself. His mind raced. Being a gatekeeper in Konoha required quick thinking, and now he had to make a tough decision.
"I understand."
After a mont, the gatekeeper nodded, signaling he had decided.
"I'll let you go and have your ran," he said, "but you must leave Konoha imdiately after. No lingering or causing any trouble. If you do, I'll have to act accordingly."
His tone was stern, showing that he only bent the rules out of respect for Jiraiya. If it weren't for that, he would never have agreed to this.
The thought of refusing Jiraiya's student over sothing as trivial as ran and potentially facing the consequences later was enough to convince the gatekeeper to allow her entry.
"Good!"
Konan nodded in agreent, relieved. Her only goal was to get into Ichiraku Ran and possibly et Aoba. She had no ulterior motives.
Konan's plan was simple and honest. Aoba had told her that if she wanted to find him, she should go to Ichiraku Ran. She was taking a chance on this one opportunity to figure out if she could stay in Konoha.
"Follow ."
The gatekeeper signaled for her to follow, exchanging glances with his colleagues, who would continue guarding the gate. He then led Konan into Konoha.
Konan followed without hesitation, not looking back in the direction where Yahiko and Nagato had gone. She had already accepted that they were now on different paths.
As Konan entered Konoha for the first ti, she took in the beautiful, peaceful village around her. Everything felt fresh and new. The green trees, the sound of flowing water, children playing in the streets, and the lively marketplace were all so vibrant.
Konoha's environnt far surpassed Agakure to the point where they couldn't even be compared.
Konan had grown up in the constant rain of Agakure, a land plagued by war and poverty. Its economy was stagnant, and the people lived in despair.
In those dark tis, survival was all they could think about. They did whatever they could to stay alive, even resorting to stealing and other desperate asures. There was no sense of an everyday life; everything was dark. For Konan, the whole world had seed that way—until now.
Now that she was in Konoha, she realized that there were people who lived in peace and grew up in a world filled with sunlight.
"I knew so little about the world," Konan muttered, recalling what Ōtsutsuki Shiren had told her. The ninja world was just a tiny part of the planet, and the earth was nothing more than a speck in the vast universe. Everything she had known was rely a limited view of the world.
Seeing Konoha now, Konan felt this deeply. Even though it was still the ninja world, this village completely differed from the ones she had known.
And this made her realize why wars constantly broke out in the ninja world.
The resources were so unevenly distributed!
If she had been in Hanzō of the Salamander's position, she might have also been tempted to seize Konoha's wealth. The Land of Fire was desirable, after all.
At first, Konan's desire to stay in Konoha had nothing to do with the village itself but with its people—specifically, Ōtsutsuki Shiren. That's why she didn't want to leave when Nagato did.
But now, as she walked through Konoha, she couldn't help but fall in love with the village itself. If she could live here, it would be a wonderful life.
"So, this is Konoha, huh?"
Konan looked ahead and saw the three faces carved into the Hokage Rock—Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Seeing these faces etched into the mountain filled her with awe, making her first visit to Konoha an awe-inspiring and unforgettable experience.
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