If anyone here felt the most bitter, it was undoubtedly the gatekeeper ninja. He stood there, looking around, realizing that every person present was far beyond his reach.
Minato Namikaze, soon to become the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, was incredibly powerful and exceptionally talented. The Fire Country's Daimyo had already approved Minato as the next Hokage, and it was only a matter of time before he officially assumed the title.
Faced with someone like Minato, the gatekeeper ninja couldn't even muster a proper response, let alone express dissatisfaction. He knelt on the ground, trembling, knowing full well that offending Minato would mean the end of his future.
Although being a gatekeeper wasn't a particularly high-ranking position, it was still a desirable post in Konoha — a position not everyone could easily attain.
This gatekeeper ninja understood the gravity of the situation. If he had made even a slight mistake that led to something serious, there would be no way to explain it, and he would end up in a very passive position.
And then there was Konan…
She, Nagato, and Yahiko had come to Konoha, claiming to be Jiraiya's disciples. That was a name no one could ignore! Whether true or not, the gatekeeper had to take them seriously.
If it was true…
If his negligence led to an issue, there would be no explanation. He would be the one bearing the blame. After all, he was just a low-ranking gatekeeper — he couldn't afford to offend the Hokage, nor someone as prestigious as Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin and a disciple of the Third Hokage.
Even if their claim turns out to be false, Minato, as the future Hokage, will be the one to deal with them for impersonating Jiraiya's disciples.
The gatekeeper had witnessed Minato's interaction with the trio and saw that Minato hadn't done anything harsh to them. He'd simply asked them to leave without saying anything too severe.
This gave the gatekeeper a sense of reassurance. It seemed that the trio was indeed Jiraiya's disciples, thus earning Minato's respect as his junior colleagues.
After Minato left, Konan approached the gatekeeper, asking him to take her to Ichiraku Ramen. Though reluctant, the gatekeeper felt he had no choice.
As Jiraiya's supposed disciple, Konan had a status far too high for him to defy. There was no option but to comply, even though he knew this might put him in a tricky situation.
But now, seeing things spiral into this mess, the gatekeeper deeply regretted his actions. Had he known this would lead to suspicion from Minato, he would have refused Konan outright, even if it meant offending her or Jiraiya.
Of course, this is all hindsight.
If he had known the outcomes, he would have chosen the lesser two evils. Offending Konan would have been preferable to offending Minato, the soon-to-be Hokage.
But he had taken a chance back then, hoping to avoid offending anyone.
If Minato hadn't come to Ichiraku Ramen and everything had gone unnoticed, the gatekeeper and his colleagues could have kept it a secret, with no one else being the wiser.
Now, though, the situation had blown up. Minato, Konan, and Aoba — an ANBU member — were all involved, and the gatekeeper was in serious trouble.
The gatekeeper was terrified of Aoba. Although he didn't fully understand Aoba's abilities, the brief interaction they'd had left him feeling that Aoba was incredibly dangerous. The pressure Aoba exerted felt even more intense than Minato's.
And now, this danger had materialized into the worst possible outcome. The gatekeeper was left kneeling on the ground, trembling in fear, covered in cold sweat.
"I really am not a mole!" he exclaimed again, trying to defend himself. Although he hadn't said anything of substance, the fear and urgency in his voice were clear.
If he were accused of being a traitor, it would no longer be a matter of dereliction of duty but of being directly associated with Konan. Any problems she caused would directly implicate him.
This was something he could not accept.
The gatekeeper had only brought Konan into the village because she claimed to be Jiraiya's disciple. But now, if he were accused of being her accomplice, it would be a disaster.
He couldn't handle the consequences of being labeled a traitor.
"Silence!" Minato snapped, glaring at the gatekeeper with frustration. He was annoyed that the gatekeeper had brought Konan to Ichiraku Ramen in the first place.
"Useless fool!" Minato muttered in frustration. He knew that this gatekeeper would be the one to blame if Konan exchanged any crucial information with someone inside Konoha. But instead of focusing on punishment, Minato was more concerned about the implications for his future as Hokage.
Although he had questioned the gatekeeper, Minato didn't truly believe he was a mole. It wasn't a matter of trust; if the gatekeeper were innocent, the situation would have been much easier to handle.
If the gatekeeper turned out to be a traitor, however, it would mean that Konoha had some deep security issues that would take a long time to resolve.
Minato wanted to believe that everything was under control, that the gatekeeper was just a small part of a bigger problem. But he needed to be sure.
Turning to Aoba, Minato realized that he could fully trust Aoba at this moment. Aoba had no deep ties to any specific family or faction, making him the perfect ally.
"I didn't mean that he's a mole…" Aoba said, waving his hand calmly. "What I'm suggesting is that since it's inconvenient to read Konan's memory, I can read his memory instead."
Aoba's gaze landed on the gatekeeper ninja, who froze in fear. Aoba continued, explaining that by reading the gatekeeper's memory, they could uncover everything that had happened, including the whereabouts of Nagato and Yahiko.
"Most importantly," Aoba added, "this gatekeeper is a Konoha ninja. As long as he agrees to have his memory read willingly, it won't break any rules."
Minato's face lit up with realization.
"You!" Minato turned coldly toward the gatekeeper, his blue eyes filled with pressure. "Are you willing to have your memory read?"
Hearing this, the gatekeeper couldn't help but feel desperate, nodding repeatedly in defeat.