Reborn in Konoha as the Anbu Torturer - Chapter 719
At that moment, Aoba’s entire body shuddered as a surge of energy swept into his consciousness.
Immediately after, fragmented memories began to load into his mind, stringing together into images that played like a movie in his head.
These were the memories of the gatekeeper ninja standing before him.
In addition to these memories, he also gained a unique ability. A new Fire Release ninjutsu was loaded into his consciousness, enhancing his mastery of Fire Release techniques to an even higher level.
After reading the memories of so many people, the rewards from the mind-reading system started to feel a bit redundant and repetitive for Aoba.
“You…???”
The gatekeeper ninja jumped back, startled by Aoba’s sudden action. He quickly placed his hand on his head, stepping back to create distance between himself and Aoba.
In that instant, the ninja felt like a ghost was grabbing him. The calmness he had just begun to feel was instantly replaced by anxiety. He had never expected Aoba to suddenly make a move on him, and now he was deeply unsettled, unsure of what to expect next.
“Relax. It’s nothing. Let’s go,” Aoba said with a light smile, waving his hand. After realising that asking the gatekeeper ninja directly wouldn’t yield useful information, he used his mind-reading system to access the ninja’s memories.
With that, Aoba didn’t need to speculate anymore—he could simply view the memories.
The gatekeeper ninja looked at Aoba with confusion, still wary and keeping a safe distance, but he said nothing more. He simply turned and started leading the way.
Though Aoba didn’t need anyone to guide him to Ichiraku Ramen—any ninja in the village could easily find it—the gatekeeper wanted to fulfil his mission thoroughly, so he led the way.
Aoba followed closely behind, silently, his thoughts now elsewhere. He began sifting through the gatekeeper ninja’s memories.
Since arriving in Konoha, he had become skilled at reading memories, having read the minds of countless individuals.
He quickly focused on the most recent events to discover what happened.
Even though he could simply wait until he arrived at Ichiraku Ramen, where Minato would tell him everything, Aoba preferred to avoid being caught off guard.
Especially when dealing with Minato, who often infused his explanations with his unique perspectives, as Aoba had observed during their conversations, for instance, Minato firmly believed that everything happening was orchestrated by the Third Hokage.
Although Aoba had nudged Minato toward this line of thinking, the extent of Minato’s imaginative conclusions had surprised even him.
Because of this, Aoba wanted to know the facts beforehand and assess what Minato said, ensuring he stayed ahead with all the necessary information to handle the situation smoothly.
In his experience, having the right information gap was key to controlling the situation.
For now, Aoba shifted into a semi-auto pilot state as he delved into the gatekeeper’s memories.
Scenes played out like a movie in his mind, quickly flashing until they stopped when the Akatsuki trio arrived at the gates of Konoha.
…
At the Konoha gates, the Akatsuki trio approached, and their tense expressions were visible in the gatekeeper ninja’s memories. The three kept a certain distance as if each had different thoughts.
This was something Aoba could notice upon reviewing the memory. The gatekeeper ninja, who hadn’t been privy to the full context, didn’t find it strange at the time, simply taking note of their presence.
Aoba, however, could immediately sense that something was off. He recalled that the trio—Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko—had always been incredibly close, showing no signs of division between them.
But now, things seemed different.
The trio’s actions had always been based on strong camaraderie, especially since Nagato had expressed his sole desire to protect Yahiko and Konan.
Yet, their current distance indicated some tension, though Aoba couldn’t pinpoint what might have caused it.
As the memory progressed, the trio reached the gate, and Nagato was the first to speak.
“We are disciples of Jiraiya-sensei. We wish to meet with Minato Namikaze,” Nagato said, delivering a statement that immediately shocked the gatekeepers.
“What?”
“What did you say?”
“Say that again…”
The gatekeeper ninja couldn’t believe his ears and asked Nagato to repeat himself. It wasn’t that his hearing was bad—he simply found the statement too shocking and needed confirmation.
After all, Jiraiya was one of the Legendary Sannin, a highly respected figure in Konoha. He was the disciple of the soon-to-be-retiring Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the teacher of the next Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
His status was so illustrious that hearing someone claim to be Jiraiya’s disciple seemed too incredible to accept at face value.
“We became Jiraiya-sensei’s disciples during the Second Shinobi World War, when he was in the Land of Rain,” Konan added, further clarifying their connection to Jiraiya.
“Phew…”
The gatekeeper ninjas collectively gasped, unsure whether to believe what they heard.
They exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of how to proceed.
“Are you serious?”
The gatekeeper ninja, now somewhat calmer, asked the Akatsuki trio again to gauge whether they were truly serious.
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Nagato responded coldly. His face, emotionless and detached, gave off an aura of arrogance as though he considered the gatekeepers insignificant. Even though the gatekeepers had never met Nagato, his presence now seemed to loom large.
This commanding attitude radiating from Nagato was palpable, even as Aoba reviewed the memory.
What happened to Nagato? Aoba wondered.
From his previous interactions with Nagato, Aoba knew that when Nagato used his true body, he wasn’t nearly as confident as he appeared now. That level of arrogance was something he usually displayed through the Deva Path, Yahiko’s body.
But now, it seemed like Nagato had fully embraced a godlike self-assurance, more than when they last encountered him during his travels as a rice merchant.
Could this be the effect of the ?tsutsuki influence? Aoba mused. He hadn’t anticipated that bestowing this identity on Nagato would result in such a drastic change in his demeanour.
Nagato had become much more prideful.
As Aoba continued examining the memory, he noticed that Konan and Yahiko’s expressions remained unchanged, but there was a faint tension between them and Nagato.
Could this tension be the source of the group’s issues?
Aoba pondered, filled with more questions than answers.
He watched as the gatekeeper ninja, after exchanging a glance with his colleagues, nodded.
“Wait here. I’ll notify Lord Minato right away.”
The gatekeeper ninja wasn’t willing to take a gamble. He decided it would be best to inform Minato of the situation and let him handle it, ensuring that whatever happened next would be outside his responsibility.
With that, the gatekeeper ninja made his way toward Minato’s location.
When he arrived at Minato’s residence, he encountered Kushina Uzumaki.
“Minato isn’t back yet. You’ll have to wait for him a little while. He should be here soon,” Kushina had said. Although she hadn’t revealed where Minato was, her words made it clear that the gatekeeper should wait.
At this point, Aoba could deduce the timing of events. When the gatekeeper spoke to Kushina, Minato had already come to Aoba’s Anbu dormitory to discuss matters regarding the Third Hokage.
I see…
Aoba nodded, understanding the sequence of events. He began piecing together the situation as he continued walking toward Ichiraku Ramen.
Knowing the full story would be key to handling what came next.
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