Reborn in Konoha as the Anbu Torturer - Chapter 721

Minato Namikaze’s sharp instincts were as clear as ever. In an instant, he identified the leader among the three Akatsuki members, even though Nagato had only recently been designated as the leader of their group.

Unaware of the recent change in leadership, Minato quickly pinpointed Nagato as the dominant presence—a testament to his keen perception.

“So, you’re Minato-senpai,” Nagato said indifferently, his tone dripping with disdain as if he couldn’t care less about Minato.

This attitude was extremely obvious.

Even Aoba, observing through the gatekeeper’s memories, could feel it.

And Minato, with his sharp senses, undoubtedly noticed it as well.

From this third-person perspective—via the gatekeeper’s memory—Aoba could see a subtle shift in Minato’s expression. Although barely noticeable, it was there.

Minato Namikaze was a genius, and his talent level was no less than Nagato’s.

Every genius has their pride and confidence.

Minato usually interacted with others in a warm, sunny manner because that was his personality—he was kind and gentle. However, this didn’t mean he lacked his sense of dignity and self-respect.

Aoba understood the nature of geniuses like Minato very well. As long as you treat them kindly, they will return the favour with warmth. But if you act arrogantly and condescendingly toward them, it can ignite a fire within them, prompting a return of that same prideful attitude.

Right from this initial meeting between Minato and Nagato, Aoba could sense the tension thickening in the air like a brewing storm.

The two were roughly the same age.

At this moment, Nagato didn’t yet possess overwhelming power. Even with his Rinnegan, he might not have been much of a match for Minato.

Minato had already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, created the powerful Rasengan, and had even learned Sage Mode on Mount My?boku. His heroic achievements in the Third Great Ninja War were well-known, and he was on the cusp of becoming the Fourth Hokage of Konoha.

Minato’s record and abilities make him easily considered the strongest member of his generation.

Nagato’s current strength didn’t even come close to Minato’s.

Yet, Nagato looked down on Minato with an arrogant, superior attitude as if he were a deity gazing upon mere mortals, and Minato was just a larger ant among them.

This arrogance exuded from Nagato unintentionally, but Minato quickly picked up on it.

Even Aoba, observing through the gatekeeper’s memory, could feel the unusual dynamic in the air.

Aoba realised something strange had happened.

This fabricated Otsutsuki identity had truly influenced Nagato.

This identity, which Aoba had made up to fool Nagato, had worked far too well.

Aoba hadn’t expected Nagato to fall for it so easily.

If he had known, it would have turned out this way.

He might have toned it down a bit.

Aoba’s lips curled into a slight, awkward smile. He hadn’t anticipated that the Otsutsuki identity would profoundly impact Nagato, fueling an arrogance that would be hard to contain.

It was like how powerful figures in various anime could become too overconfident.

Aoba had hoped this story would boost Nagato’s self-confidence, but he hadn’t expected it to inflate his ego this much.

From Nagato’s tone, expressions, and subtle behaviours, Aoba already knew that this negotiation was doomed to fail before it started.

Aoba now understood the issue: Nagato saw himself as a member of the powerful Otsutsuki clan, far superior to everyone else. No one else was worth Nagato’s attention except for Yahiko and Konan.

The only reason Nagato had come to seek Minato’s help was because of Aoba’s suggestion.

In Nagato’s mind, he was stooping down to grace Minato with his presence.

In his eyes, as an Otsutsuki, he was far above everyone else. Minato, as just another ant, should feel honoured to have someone like Nagato seeking his assistance.

Nagato believed that Minato should be proud to have the opportunity to help someone as extraordinary as him. Instead of feeling grateful, Nagato expected Minato to be filled with admiration for this opportunity.

This was the mindset that Nagato had unintentionally conveyed.

Aoba hadn’t anticipated this development at all.

He had only seen Nagato as respectful and humble before. But it was clear that Nagato’s humility had only been reserved for Aoba’s Otsutsuki persona, Otsutsuki Shiren.

To everyone else, Nagato felt far superior.

Realising this, Aoba’s smile deepened, tinged with irony.

Since arriving in this world, Aoba had been like a butterfly flapping its wings, creating ripples that led to unexpected storms. While he could predict and manipulate certain outcomes, he couldn’t guarantee that everything would unfold exactly as planned.

This was a common challenge he had faced since coming to the ninja world.

As long as the general direction of his plans remained intact, Aoba was satisfied.

However, small details often strayed from his predictions.

But that was okay.

He could accept it.

Nagato’s reaction didn’t surprise him. Even in the original timeline, Nagato had regarded himself as a god after awakening the Rinnegan.

That Nagato would view himself so highly now wasn’t shocking to Aoba.

However, What surprised him was how exaggerated Nagato’s arrogance had become.

Based on Aoba’s experience, even with all his manipulation, he hadn’t expected Nagato to inflate his sense of self to this extent.

It turns out Nagato was prone to this kind of overconfidence.

This was his true nature, and it had fully surfaced after Aoba’s influence.

Now, seeing how Nagato was behaving towards Minato, Aoba could already tell that this negotiation would go south fast.

“Who are you?” Minato asked, narrowing his brilliant blue eyes, his gaze firmly locked on the trio.

Through Minato’s stance and expression, Aoba could see that the future Hokage was already on high alert.

This look was identical to what Minato had worn in Aoba’s Anbu dormitory when they discussed the Third Hokage.

Aoba knew that with Minato adopting this cautious mindset, the Akatsuki trio’s hopes of entering Konoha were already dashed.

In the end, it wasn’t anyone else’s fault.

Aoba had warned the Akatsuki trio about this outcome, but they hadn’t followed his advice. So, their failure was predictable.

For Aoba, this plan had no special significance.

He had never intended for the Akatsuki trio to significantly influence his larger strategy. Their arrival in Konoha was already outside of his expectations. Since they showed up, he suggested they try to ally with Minato, but if Minato refused to accept them, it had nothing to do with Aoba.

After all, Aoba hadn’t been counting on them to succeed.

But one thing did pleasantly surprise him.

By coming to Minato, the Akatsuki trio unwittingly helped solidify Minato’s belief that there was a hidden hand orchestrating events behind the scenes.

Inadvertently, they had boosted Aoba’s plan.

Minato had an even stronger conviction that the Third Hokage was involved in some grand scheme.

Even if Aoba later cleared the Akatsuki trio of wrongdoing, it wouldn’t matter. Minato was already convinced that the Third Hokage was pulling the strings.

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