Konan wasn't imagining things for no reason. When she and Aoba made their arrangent, they agreed to et at a ran shop. However, Aoba didn't give her all the details, only ntioning the location and telling her that if she ca here, she might see him.
So, when Konan heard footsteps behind her, she imdiately grew tense.
Anyone could be Ōtsutsuki Shiren.
She didn't turn around imdiately but slowed her actions a little. Suppose she was too obvious and misjudged the situation. In that case, it might give the wrong impression to the gatekeeper ninja beside her, potentially leading to her being quickly escorted out of Konoha.
This was no joke.
Konan had a subtle feeling that she might not et Ōtsutsuki Shiren in the ran shop but after leaving the village. It seed more likely that their eting would happen after she departed Konoha, not while she was still here.
However, she couldn't shake the sensation of being watched, as though soone's eyes were fixed on her. She didn't want to misjudge the situation; she wanted to stay in Konoha a little longer and savor the village's rare and pleasant atmosphere. Even the air here felt sweeter to her.
Konan couldn't help but feel envious. She envied the people who were born and raised in Konoha and who were able to grow up in such a peaceful and happy environnt.
Previously, she hadn't considered people's backgrounds much. She assud everyone faced difficulties like her, but perhaps she was in the group with more significant struggles.
However, her perspective completely changed after coming to Konoha. She realized that many people here were different. They had lived their entire lives in comfort and harmony, never facing the hardships she had endured. It was hard not to be envious.
As the footsteps behind her grew closer, the curtain at the entrance of Ichiraku Ran was pulled aside, and a familiar voice rang out.
"Hey, Teuchi! The usual!"
A gentle voice echoed outside the ran shop, followed by a figure stepping inside. The three people inside the shop instantly recognized the voice, as its distinct tone was impossible to ignore.
Each of them had different reactions on their faces.
"Minato, what brings you here today?"
Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ran, greeted the newcor with a bright smile. The man who had just entered was the future Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
"Just had so free ti, so I ca for a bowl of ran," Minato replied, waving his hand with a cheerful smile. Yet behind that smile, he was carrying a lot of worries. After speaking with Aoba and encountering the Akatsuki trio earlier, his mind had been racing, and he felt that a good al would help him recharge.
As soon as Minato's voice echoed through the ran shop, Konan lowered her head, trying to hide her face in her bowl of ran, hoping that Minato wouldn't notice her.
"Damn it," Konan cursed inwardly. She hadn't expected to run into Minato here. This was an unexpected and highly inconvenient situation.
Konan wasn't naive enough to think that Minato was sohow Ōtsutsuki Shiren in disguise. If that were the case, there would have been no need for the earlier drama at the village gate.
It had to be a coincidence—a strange, inexplicable coincidence.
At this mont, Konan was desperate for Minato not to recognize her. Otherwise, her presence in the village would be discovered, and she had no idea how to explain it.
But avoiding recognition was easier said than done. Ichiraku Ran was small, and there was only one long counter. It would be nearly impossible for Minato to miss seeing her, especially with her distinct appearance—short purple hair, a purple flower in her hair, and her unique purple eyes. She also wore a black cloak with red clouds that identified her as one of the people he had just seen at the gate. If Minato didn't recognize her, it would be hard to believe.
Konan felt highly awkward. She knew that trying to hide her face in her bowl of ran was a futile effort. It was like closing her eyes and pretending the problem would disappear, but it wouldn't.
Minato would recognize her no matter what.
This unexpected and absurd situation left Konan at a complete loss for how to respond. She couldn't think of a single solution, which all felt ridiculous.
Konan felt helpless and frustrated. She wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear, avoiding this awkward confrontation altogether.
However, Konan wasn't the most embarrassed person in the room. That title went to the gatekeeper ninja who had accompanied her. He hadn't expected such a simple situation to escalate, and now they were face-to-face with the future Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
Half an hour earlier, Minato had explicitly instructed not to allow the Akatsuki trio into Konoha. Yet here he was, with Konan sitting before him, eating ran.
It felt like a direct violation of his orders, and he had been caught red-handed.
It was a disaster!
The gatekeeper ninja didn't know how to describe his feelings. He couldn't hide because he could already feel Minato's intense gaze, scrutinizing every detail of his presence.
"You two..."
Minato narrowed his eyes, focusing on Konan and the gatekeeper ninja. There was no need for a closer look to recognize Konan. Her outfit was too distinctive, making her easily identifiable.
This was strange.
Minato frowned, sensing that sothing wasn't right. He had just seen Konan at the village gate. She was one of Jiraiya's disciples and wanted to stay in Konoha, but Minato refused her request.
Yet here she was, sitting in Ichiraku Ran, eating noodles.
How had this happened so quickly?
Minato was baffled. It didn't seem possible for such a situation to occur in Konoha without sothing going awry in the village's managent.
"Explain yourselves!"
Minato's gaze focused on Konan. He didn't imdiately confront the gatekeeper ninja, knowing that the real instigator was Jiraiya's disciple. His biggest question was why Konan, whom he had just refused, was sitting here eating ran.
He would get to the bottom of this soon enough. There could be no loose ends during this critical ti of transition between Hokage.
"I heard from Jiraiya-sensei that Ichiraku Ran was very delicious, so I wanted to try it," Konan explained, though she didn't sound entirely convincing, even to herself. But she had no choice but to stick to her story.
"Jiraiya-sensei?"
"Are you saying Jiraiya-sensei loves Ichiraku Ran?"
"Are you serious?"
Minato was taken aback, his face darkened with confusion. He rembered clearly that Ichiraku Ran hadn't opened until after Jiraiya had left the village.
When Ichiraku Ran officially opened, Jiraiya had only visited Konoha once; by then, he was no longer ntoring the Akatsuki trio.
In other words...
Unless they had t Jiraiya again later, there was no way they would know about Ichiraku Ran through him.
This was a blatant lie.
Minato imdiately saw through Konan's story. He realized she wasn't being truthful, and his expression beca stern. He wasn't pleased with her lack of sincerity.
"And where are your other two companions?" Minato asked. "If I'm not mistaken... one is nad Nagato, and the other is Yahiko. Where are they?"
Minato quickly inquired because he only saw Konan, and the Akatsuki trio usually moved together. The absence of the other two worried him, as they could be engaged in sothing suspicious elsewhere.
Minato wondered if Nagato and Yahiko were secretly plotting sothing with the Third Hokage. Any hidden actions during this ti of transition were especially concerning to him.
At this crucial mont, every detail mattered. He couldn't afford to overlook anything threatening the transfer of the Hokage title.
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