Aoba watched as Nagato's expression and posture revealed his inner thoughts. It was clear that Nagato was no longer the same person he once was.
After experiencing everything that had transpired, Nagato now fully regarded himself as a member of the Otsutsuki clan, with a pride and disdain that made it seem like everyone else was nothing more than ants in his eyes.
This feeling extended even to Konan and Yahiko, who stood beside him, unchanged by the shift.
At this moment, since Konan and Yahiko had chosen not to leave Konoha with him, Nagato's attitude towards them began to reveal its true nature.
Nagato's figure grew more distant as he walked away.
Neither Konan nor Yahiko moved to follow him.
When Aoba saw this scene in the gatekeeper ninja's memories, he immediately understood that the Akatsuki trio would inevitably change from this point onward.
The three of them would no longer continue together.
The history of the ninja world had changed.
Ever since Aoba had arrived in the ninja world, its history had been altered. Now, his influence had reached the Akatsuki.
Aoba could foresee the Akatsuki disbanding in the future or Yahiko taking back control.
At the very least, Aoba knew Nagato would not return to the Akatsuki.
The original purpose of the Akatsuki no longer had any relevance to Nagato.
The Akatsuki was originally founded by Yahiko, who was driven by his passion and ideals. He wanted to gather like-minded individuals to bring peace to the ninja world.
Nagato had only joined to help Yahiko fulfill that dream.
However, once Nagato learned about the Otsutsuki clan, everything changed.
Nagato now saw their previous ambitions as insignificant, like frogs at the bottom of a well competing over trivial matters.
Nagato believed Otsutsuki Sheren's words—that they shouldn't limit their vision but instead expand it to encompass the vast universe, where the Otsutsuki were the gods of the cosmos.
In this grand world, humans were as insignificant as insects compared to the Otsutsuki.
After learning this, Nagato's inner world became even more complex.
He no longer cared about staying with these people.
It all seemed different to him now.
Nagato didn't feel any guilt. In his mind, he had given Konan and Yahiko a chance, but they had failed to seize it.
They could have continued being friends if they had chosen to leave Konoha with him and stand firmly by his side.
But now that things had reached this point, none of that mattered.
What Nagato didn't realize was that, given his personality changes, this outcome was inevitable.
It was only a matter of time.
Their bond had never been purely about shared ideals. It was like a survival strategy, where they stuck together through hardship.
However, when one person escapes poverty and elevates themselves, the disparities in their circumstances become apparent.
Nagato's transformation had sealed their fate—they would always end up on this path.
Aoba watched Nagato's retreating figure with a sense of melancholy. He didn't believe it was solely his influence that caused this outcome. Even if he hadn't mentioned the Otsutsuki, many other factors would have led to the same result.
The rift between Yahiko and Nagato had its roots in deeper issues, with Konan caught in the middle.
It was akin to a love triangle, where two men loved the same woman. They could maintain the illusion of peace for a while, but once the woman made a clear choice, the friendship between the two men would inevitably crumble.
Only Nagato and Konan remain part of the trio in the original story. Their dynamic had been preserved because Nagato had turned Yahiko's corpse into a Deva Path, creating the illusion that they were still together. In reality, it was just Nagato controlling Yahiko's body.
Konan never sought another person besides Yahiko and Nagato.
The result was a strange, tragic outcome. Konan still had Yahiko by her side, but Nagato's control had replaced his soul through the Rinnegan.
It was a bizarre three-way relationship.
Seeing this unfold, Aoba understood that even if he hadn't revealed the Otsutsuki clan's existence, once Nagato awakened the Rinnegan, they would have ended up in the same situation.
Nagato's transformation wasn't solely due to the Otsutsuki title. His personality was such that gaining power would make him arrogant. Once he awakened the Rinnegan, he would have believed himself to be a god, with or without knowledge of the Otsutsuki or the vast universe.
At that point, Nagato would have considered himself the one true god of the ninja world.
As long as Yahiko was alive, the conflict between him and Nagato was inevitable. Their mutual feelings for Konan were the root of their conflict.
Reflecting on this, Aoba felt that the situation was all too familiar, having seen it play out many times in both reality and fiction. It was a typical, dramatic scenario, easily recognizable from countless TV dramas.
After observing this interaction, Aoba clearly understood the Akatsuki's future.
Konan's eyes revealed a strong desire to enter Konoha, a longing she couldn't hide.
On the other hand, Yahiko seemed torn between two sides, uncertain and hesitant, standing alone as a neutral third party while watching the tension between Konan and Nagato.
As for Nagato…
Aoba could already imagine Nagato pursuing a path focused on gaining power. Knowing his identity as an Otsutsuki, Nagato would undoubtedly seek to unlock the full potential of the Rinnegan.
When that happened, Nagato's power would increase, and his arrogance would rise again.
The trio was now on separate paths, each heading toward an unknown future.
But they were all determined to change their lives and move away from the past.
Perhaps that was the Akatsuki's future.
Aoba couldn't say for certain.
As he watched the memories, it became clear that the gatekeeper ninja had witnessed everything.
Even Minato Namikaze wasn't aware of what had transpired between the Akatsuki members after he left the gate. The conversation between the trio was private, and they hadn't even considered the presence of the gatekeeper ninja.
Moreover…
The Akatsuki trio had already developed differing opinions, creating cracks in their unity.
"Nagato…" Konan murmured as she watched Nagato leave. She didn't call out to him, just spoke his name softly.
Aoba could see that Konan wasn't eager to continue engaging with Nagato. Although they had once been teammates in the Akatsuki, their relationship was now strained.
Perhaps it was due to Nagato's arrogance…
Or maybe it was Konan's own changing feelings.
Either way, things had shifted between them.
"Yahiko, what do you think?" Konan turned to Yahiko, who had remained silent the entire time.
Aoba's curiosity was piqued. He wanted to know what Yahiko thought of the situation, considering that in the original storyline, Yahiko and Konan had mutual feelings for each other.
At that moment, Yahiko looked at the now-distant Nagato and the expectant Konan.
"I choose neither," Yahiko said, shaking his head. He turned and walked in another direction, unwilling to follow Konan into Konoha. Konoha was completely unfamiliar, and Minato's reaction had bruised his pride. Whether or not they were Jiraiya's disciples no longer mattered.
Aoba understood Yahiko's decision and felt a bit of agreement.
Through Yahiko's perspective, it was clear that despite his connection to Minato through Jiraiya, they had no real bond beyond that shared teacher.
Yahiko didn't have Konan's motivation. She wanted to come to Konoha for her reasons, but Yahiko had no such desire.
Yahiko's presence in Konoha was solely because Konan had suggested moving the Akatsuki there. Yahiko had been reluctant, feeling that the Akatsuki, his creation, should remain in the Land of Rain.
Still, for the sake of their relationship, he had followed Konan and Nagato to Konoha. In doing so, he had already made sacrifices.
But those sacrifices hadn't yielded the results he'd hoped for.
He watched as Nagato changed, his expression and demeanor shifting with the revelation of his Otsutsuki heritage.
The Nagato before him was a stranger.
Even Konan seemed like a stranger now.
Caught between two unfamiliar people, Yahiko couldn't envision living in a strange village like Konoha.
Yahiko decided to leave and return to where his dream had begun. Perhaps he would continue pursuing his vision of the Akatsuki, even if it seemed like a fleeting illusion. However, he no longer wanted to be entangled in the reality of Nagato and Konan's struggles.
Now, only Konan remained from the original Akatsuki trio.
Konan's expression showed a trace of sadness. She had once believed that neither of them would leave her.
But now, they had both gone.
And they had left decisively.
She stood there, alone.
Yet, in her eyes, there was no sorrow—only a growing determination.
"I'm going to Konoha!"