After adjusting her mindset, Konan no longer felt the sa strong reverence for Minato.
After all, she had no more expectations from him.
At this point, Konan had only one goal: to co to Ichiraku Ran in Konoha and eat a bowl of ran. Now that she had finished, everything else no longer mattered.
The reason she ca to eat was to send a signal to Otsutsuki Sheren that she needed help.
She wasn't sure if Sheren had received the ssage, but she felt she had done everything possible. The rest was up to fate.
Konan had already done all she could, so now she simply waited for the outco. As for Minato, she could tell that he didn't particularly care about their shared bond as students of Jiraiya, so she saw no reason to dwell on it.
At least now, Konan knew that relying on Minato to stay in Konoha was pointless. She needed to find soone else, and that person was Otsutsuki Sheren. If there was any chance of staying in Konoha, he was the only one who could make it happen.
With that thought, Konan's gaze toward Minato beca much calr.
"Have you made up your mind?" she asked. "Will you take away, or should I leave on my own? I'm full now."
After speaking, Konan turned her head and looked at Teuchi, who was smiling warmly at the two of them.
"Thank you for the al. This is the best ran I've ever had, truly delicious!" Konan genuinely praised it as the best ran she had ever tasted.
She couldn't lie about it, especially now that she wasn't sure if she would ever get another chance to eat here again.
Knowing that she might never return to Konoha, Konan felt she needed to express her gratitude to Teuchi while she still had the chance.
"You liking it is all that matters," Teuchi responded, his smile growing wider. He loved the feeling of having his food appreciated.
At that mont, Teuchi looked at Konan with even more warmth. She had brought joy to his ran shop, and he felt a deep sense of fulfillnt seeing soone enjoy his food so much.
Teuchi loved ran, but he loved people who loved ran even more.
"???"
Minato was confused when he observed Konan. He could tell she genuinely ant what she said, making him more suspicious.
"Is she really just here for ran? This is too strange..."
Minato couldn't shake the feeling that there was sothing more going on. The contradictions between what he knew and what he saw left him with doubts.
On one hand, Konan claid to be here just for ran, and her actions seed to align with that. But Minato couldn't help but feel sothing deeper at play, sothing he was missing.
Her calm deanor and satisfaction after eating all seed too simple, too easy.
He couldn't let her leave without thoroughly considering the potential risks. Letting her go could be a dangerous mistake.
But as the Hokage-in-waiting, Minato couldn't afford to be seen as narrow-minded. After all, a person coming here just to eat ran wasn't exactly a cri.
The situation put him in a difficult position. He knew Konan was hiding sothing, but without evidence, he was stuck. He couldn't justify detaining her based solely on suspicion.
For a mont, Minato fell into deep thought, struggling with the decision of whether to let Konan go or not.
Suddenly, an idea ca to him—if his judgnt was clouded, he needed to consult soone who could think more clearly.
"You!" Minato called, pointing to the gatekeeper ninja, motioning for him to co closer.
Still feeling the weight of the situation, the gatekeeper rushed over without hesitation. He knew he was in a precarious position after escorting Konan into the village, especially since Minato had specifically instructed him to keep the Akatsuki trio out.
"Lord Minato," the gatekeeper said, bowing respectfully. He understood that every word Minato said from this point forward could be crucial.
He wasn't stupid. As a gatekeeper, he learned to read the room, and he could tell Minato was struggling.
If he could help solve the problem, perhaps it would improve his standing and absolve him of wrongdoing.
Minato didn't speak right away. He gestured again, signaling for the gatekeeper to co closer, ensuring that only the two could hear the conversation.
"Go to Konoha's Anbu and find a ninja nad Aoba. Tell him to co here imdiately," Minato whispered.
"Yes, sir!" the gatekeeper responded swiftly, realizing this was his chance to redeem himself.
He had heard of Aoba before. In the aftermath of the Third Ninja War, the nas of the two surviving Anbu mbers, Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Aoba, were well-known in the village. Everyone had heard their nas, even if few had seen them.
For the gatekeeper, finding Aoba wouldn't be difficult. After all, few Anbu were left, and Aoba's na was practically legendary after the war.
The gatekeeper wasn't entirely sure of Minato's relationship with Aoba, but it was clear that Minato held Aoba in high regard.
If Minato had confidence in Aoba's abilities, it was important not to underestimate him.
After the gatekeeper left to complete his task, Teuchi and Konan exchanged puzzled glances. They could sense that Minato had done sothing but weren't quite sure what it was.
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