Aoba's thoughts developed rapidly, and at this moment, he suddenly thought of a useful method. However, he wasn't entirely sure yet.
It wasn't something he could decide based on his current thinking alone.
He needed to review the memories again carefully and finally draw a conclusion, as he still didn't know why Konan had appeared here.
In other words, he still had to figure out exactly what had happened.
With that, Aoba continued to look into the memories.
Scene after scene unfolded before his eyes.
These memories were quite clear.
Aoba believed that Minato Namikaze sending this gatekeeper ninja to fetch him was a very good decision.
After all…
This gatekeeper ninja had witnessed everything that had happened, allowing Aoba to see the entire situation.
Even if nothing was said, he could still know what had transpired.
That was a big advantage.
Aoba continued playing through the memories without fast-forwarding but watching them at a normal pace.
Only a little time has passed since Minato left.
This indicated that the interaction between Minato and the Akatsuki trio was brief.
In such a short time, everything had already been decided.
This suggested that their encounter hadn't lasted long, and a core issue had likely emerged quickly.
Precisely because of this!
Aoba felt there was no need to fast-forward, as doing so might cause him to miss key details. These details could be critical to the outcome.
"I don't want to talk much more about Jiraiya-sensei here!"
"If you're here to seek Jiraiya-sensei's help…"
"Then I can tell you that Jiraiya-sensei is not here!"
"Of course, you can wait until Jiraiya-sensei returns and then go to him—not me!"
Minato's cold voice echoed.
Through this unyielding response, Aoba could sense that Minato had decided. He was determined not to let these three enter Konoha.
After all, Minato had even brought up Jiraiya-sensei.
This clearly showed that Minato no longer wished to continue the conversation.
The bond between Minato and the Akatsuki trio was purely through their shared connection to Jiraiya.
But when Minato suggested they directly seek Jiraiya, it was like severing their connection.
This was a very clear message.
Aoba didn't know what Minato was thinking while saying this, but it would have felt like a strong rejection from the Akatsuki trio's perspective.
It was as if Minato was saying...
Their only bond had been through Jiraiya, the bridge connecting them.
But now, Minato was tearing down that bridge, severing the bond.
With that, the Akatsuki trio no longer had any way to maintain a relationship with Minato through Jiraiya.
Minato's firm severing of the connection showed that, in his eyes, becoming Hokage was far more important than any vague ties.
After all, Minato didn't know if these three were Jiraiya's disciples.
Moreover, Minato harbored suspicions about their true intentions.
Nagato's prideful demeanor made Minato even more suspicious, thinking there might be ulterior motives.
Minato felt these people weren't simply here to join Jiraiya—they might be part of a conspiracy!
In Minato's mind, even if these three weren't tied to the Third Hokage, others could still have sent them to stir up trouble.
At this critical moment, as long as Minato did nothing, there would be no mistakes.
Minato's mind was also still preoccupied with the upcoming Hokage inauguration.
He hadn't found Orochimaru or Danzo yet and didn't know how to deal with these hidden threats.
For him, the current situation was already a tangled mess, leaving him little energy to deal with other stressful matters.
Aoba could understand Minato's state of mind.
Given the circumstances, it was indeed the simplest way to handle things.
At this moment, it was best to keep everything simple.
After all, Minato had already experienced many twists and turns on this journey.
Aoba could see through the gatekeeper ninja's memories that the Akatsuki trio, including Konan, were momentarily stunned.
This was the first time anyone had expected Minato to respond in such a manner.
It was a solid reason for rejection.
Aoba realized that the Akatsuki trio had used their connection as Jiraiya's disciples to approach Minato, their only real bond.
However, with Minato's rejection, they had no other valid reason to stay.
If they were looking for Jiraiya, they should go directly to him.
There was no need to add Minato into the mix.
After witnessing this, Aoba increasingly felt that Minato handled the situation simply and highly effectively.
Minato had quickly shut down any potential interference the Akatsuki trio might cause in his pursuit of the Hokage title.
Based on the intelligence Aoba possessed, the other villages were too busy dealing with their problems to send anyone to meddle. And internally, Konoha had just gone through upheaval, with the Third Hokage stepping down, so no one else was competing with Minato for the position.
Logically speaking, Minato's path to becoming Hokage should have been smooth.
But due to certain circumstances, things had changed.
Minato had started suspecting the Third Hokage, influenced by events that led him to confide in Aoba for advice.
After discussing it with Aoba, Minato realized there was a real possibility of a plot and thus began viewing any unexpected events with great suspicion.
However, from Aoba's perspective, this cautious mindset wasn't necessarily bad.
In the current situation, news of Minato's impending appointment as Fourth Hokage was well-known across the ninja world.
Who knew if some other village might send forces to interfere?
At this point, any amount of caution was justified.
As the saying goes, better safe than sorry. Aoba believed that Minato's caution was entirely reasonable, and dealing with the Akatsuki trio had proven his patience during this period.
If Minato couldn't even trust Jiraiya's disciples, no other threats could disrupt his transition to Hokage.
Aoba genuinely hoped Minato would become Hokage.
Once that happened, Aoba could finally relax.
So, at this point, his goal aligned with Minato's—to ensure Minato became Hokage smoothly. However, Minato still had many concerns weighing on his mind.
But for Aoba…
He could be considered one of the masterminds behind Minato's rise to Hokage.
Or rather, the mastermind.
Aoba had orchestrated everything Minato was doing.
There were even many things Minato wasn't aware of.
Or rather, most things Minato wasn't aware of.
"Brother Minato..."
Konan took a deep breath, about to say something, but Minato cut her off again before she could.
"This is not open for discussion."
Minato decisively shook his head, cutting off Konan's attempt to speak further. Without looking back, he started walking toward Konoha, leaving behind a final statement as he walked away.
"You should leave."
Minato's voice gradually faded.
As his words trailed off, he disappeared from the trio's sight.
At the same time, from the gatekeeper's ninja's view,
The gatekeeper quietly watched Minato's departing figure. Aoba didn't know what the gatekeeper was feeling, but through the ninja's perspective, he could see the varied expressions on the Akatsuki trio's faces.
At this point, Minato was gone.
This meant their plan to enter Konoha had failed.
Minato's rejection was absolute, leaving no room for further negotiation. His words carried the weight of an order as if already speaking as Hokage.
"Please leave."
The gatekeeper ninja shifted his gaze back to the Akatsuki trio, his tone less polite now. After all, Minato had given him clear instructions, and he had already fetched Minato for them. Their connection had been severed.
At this moment, everything was progressing exactly as Aoba had anticipated.
Aoba had already guessed this outcome while reviewing the earlier events.
But he still had many questions.
At this point, how had Konan managed to enter Konoha?
Normally, she should have left with the others. Minato had already departed, so how would they get into Konoha?
Wait a minute.
When he had checked the chakra earlier...
Aoba suddenly remembered that when he had checked the chakra, both Konan's and the gatekeeper's ninja's chakra were together, and they were at Ichiraku Ramen.
Could this gatekeeper ninja have brought Konan into Konoha?
That was likely an explanation.
As Aoba continued reviewing the gatekeeper ninja's memories, he started piecing together the situation.
Now, he thought it was most likely that the gatekeeper ninja had brought Konan in.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain how the gatekeeper and Konan had ended up together at Ichiraku Ramen. It wasn't as though Konan had kidnapped the gatekeeper.
Especially since the other gatekeepers weren't present and the rest of the Akatsuki members were nowhere to be seen.
As Aoba reached this point, he understood more of the backstory but still needed to catch up on some key details. He knew that he wouldn't be able to make an accurate judgment without looking further.
Because of this…
Aoba realized he needed more information.
At this moment…
He decided to continue sifting through the gatekeeper ninja's memories. He needed to gather more data to ensure the accuracy of his conclusions.
This was very important to him!
Aoba knew he had to efficiently consolidate all the intelligence to remain in an unbeatable position. Armed with enough information, he could manage everything happening here and ensure full control over the situation, especially when it came to planning the future Hokage matters.