After witnessing the scene, Aoba felt even more confident in his thoughts.
It was just as he had anticipated.
There had been a shift in the roles between Yahiko and Nagato, which was a complete transformation.
Originally, Yahiko was the leader of the Akatsuki!
But now, the role of the leader has shifted to Nagato!
This was because Nagato's identity had changed from a mere ninja of the Land of Rain to a member of the universe's greatest godly clan, the Otsutsuki!
Yahiko was deeply dissatisfied with this role change but didn't express it. After all, he was just an ordinary ninja; he didn't even have the power to fight against a force as immense as the Land of Rain, let alone the terrifying Otsutsuki clan.
So, even though he felt uncomfortable with the situation, he cleverly kept it to himself and didn't show it outwardly.
However…
Both Nagato and Konan could easily miss this change in expression.
This was because they should have paid more attention to Yahiko.
Nagato was still consumed with the humiliation he had just experienced. He felt that Minato Namikaze had gone too far. To Nagato, Minato was just an ant, yet he acted so confidently in rejecting someone as powerful as Nagato.
This wounded Nagato's pride deeply, filling him with resentment.
But since Nagato didn't have the power to change the situation, he could only sulk in silence, seething with frustration.
That was the real problem—he lacked the strength to solve the issue.
If Nagato truly had the power of the Otsutsuki, he would have struck back when Minato rejected him.
But he had to swallow his pride and leave because he didn't.
This proved that he wasn't yet qualified to be the leader of the Akatsuki.
Through the gatekeeper ninja's memories, Aoba could see everything.
The Akatsuki trio was already beginning to fracture.
Aoba noticed that the once-inseparable trio of Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan was showing signs of breaking apart.
He knew deep down that he had played a part in this.
After all, these changes occurred because he introduced them to the concept of the Otsutsuki clan.
However...
Aoba didn't regret it.
In his eyes, it was like telling three poor kids that one of them was a rich heir.
The three poor kids, who had once bonded through hardship, had made promises to always care for each other.
But such bonds were not absolute.
Over time…
The rich heir would start to realize his true status, developing a sense of pride that distanced him from his former friends. Meanwhile, the other two would feel inferior, unworthy of standing beside their wealthy friend.
This psychological divide had always existed, and Nagato's inability to guide them through it only worsened things.
As Aoba observed this unfold, he realized the trio was heading down different paths.
Konoha was merely a road sign on their journey.
It would have been some other marker if it hadn't been Konoha.
The cracks between these three had already formed.
Aoba didn't regret it because if this situation forced them to confront their differences, perhaps it would have been better if they hadn't remained friends.
After all, who could say if they would have truly stayed together through both the good and the bad?
Aoba had always had doubts about Nagato.
Nagato used to say that all he wanted was to protect Yahiko and Konan.
But when Konan was captured and Yahiko was forced to commit suicide, Nagato was powerless.
This had always made Aoba feel that something wasn't quite right.
At the very least…
Nagato hadn't been as committed to Yahiko as he had claimed.
Everything was simply that—words.
Later, when Nagato stood alongside Konan, he continued to use Yahiko's body as his Deva Path.
That fact was particularly interesting.
It was clear that, for Nagato, his bond with Konan wasn't as strong as his connection to Yahiko.
He understood that Yahiko and Konan had privately pledged themselves to each other. Using Yahiko's appearance, Nagato could keep Konan close, in essence, exploiting Yahiko's body.
Finally, when Nagato used the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu to save the people of Konoha, everyone realized that the Rinnegan had the power to bring people back to life.
But Aoba noticed that Nagato had never even considered reviving Yahiko.
Even though it would have required a life-for-a-life exchange, it was clear that Nagato, despite being willing to sacrifice himself or others, did not want Yahiko to return.
This was due to Nagato's selfishness. Nagato liked Konan, and Yahiko and Konan had been romantically involved. If he revived Yahiko, it would mean returning them to their lives together.
How could Nagato ever agree to that?
Nagato would rather remain in the middle, disrupting things, than let them live happily together.
One clear sign of this was that Yahiko had originally been the leader of the Akatsuki, but now that role had shifted to Nagato.
If they were judging by ability alone, Yahiko would still be the better leader. In situations like this, Yahiko had always been the one to make the final decision.
When Konan and Nagato had differences of opinion…
Both would look to Yahiko.
Then, Yahiko would make the decision!
Back then, Yahiko held enough authority to keep Konan and Nagato following him.
But now, it was clear that things had changed within the Akatsuki. Konan had her ideas, and Nagato had his ideas. Yahiko's voice no longer carried the weight it once did.
It was no wonder Yahiko had changed.
After experiencing such a dramatic fall from power, anyone in his situation would undergo some psychological transformation.
After all, the entire dynamic had shifted.
The balance between them was different from what it once was.
Yahiko had fallen to the lowest rung.
He could see Konan and Nagato standing on opposing sides and knew he no longer had the power to make any decisions.
At this moment, Aoba couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Yahiko.
He had given Nagato the identity of an Otsutsuki and allowed Konan to witness the greater world, but Yahiko hadn't been given anything.
Although Yahiko and Konan were both ordinary in Nagato's eyes, Konan still had her ambitions. On the other hand, Yahiko seemed to have completely lost his way, and his original dreams were now extinguished.
Upon realizing this, Aoba suddenly felt he had been somewhat cruel to Yahiko. But this wasn't entirely his fault, as Yahiko hadn't made much of an impression on Aoba, even in the original anime. Yahiko had only appeared a few times.
Aoba didn't know Yahiko's exact strength or true personality or what Yahiko might have done if he had lived longer.
As for reviving those who were meant to die…
No.
As for preventing the deaths of those originally fated to die…
Aoba had always been cautious about this.
The only person he had intervened for was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. He didn't want Minato to die as he had in the original storyline, so he had taken action to prevent that fate.
However…
Aoba hadn't done this out of pure compassion.
It was because Minato had been a source of warmth for him after he arrived in the ninja world. Their friendship and trust had grown strong, and once Minato became Hokage, it would also benefit Aoba.
That was why Aoba didn't mind helping him.
But Yahiko was different.
If Yahiko had survived, it wouldn't have mattered to Aoba. The only ones who might have benefited were Nagato and Konan.
Yet, looking at those two now, it didn't seem like it would have made much of a difference.
That made the situation even more unusual.
From Aoba's perspective, if Yahiko had lived, the entire ninja world could have changed, and he had no idea what that would look like. It would be like a butterfly flapping its wings, creating unpredictable ripples.
After all, Yahiko wasn't an ordinary ninja!
From what Aoba could see, Yahiko had strong opinions and a lot of initiative.
The most obvious example was the formation of the Akatsuki.
Yahiko was the founder of the Akatsuki.
Even though Nagato would later bring the organization to prominence…
It was Yahiko who had conceived the original vision.
Yahiko was a man with ideas, and someone like him, if placed back into a world where he wasn't supposed to exist, could potentially bring about unforeseen consequences.
This was something Aoba wasn't sure how to handle…
As he observed Yahiko, Aoba felt uneasy in his heart, as if this man might stir up something significant in the future.