Reborn in Konoha as the Anbu Torturer-Chapter 714: Konan’s Carefree Attitude

Minato's mind had been entirely unsettled by everything that had happened recently. Although he had always been known for his sharp analytical skills, the series of events over the past few days had left him with little mental energy to dissect and understand the deeper issues at play.

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After all, there's only so much a person's mind can handle.

Just after his conversation with Aoba about the Third Hokage, Minato felt mentally drained, as though he had used up all his brainpower. That was why he came to Ichiraku Ramen—to recharge himself with a comforting bowl of ramen.

But he never expected to run into Konan from the Akatsuki trio here.

What made things even more complicated was that Minato initially believed some deeper issue must be at play. After all, Yahiko and Nagato, the other two members of the Akatsuki trio, gave him the impression that there was some hidden agenda—they seemed to be holding back something in their conversations with him.

Though not profoundly focused on the trio's every word, Minato could keenly sense a slight distance between him and them. This gap wasn't noticeable, but his instincts picked up on it.

After going through those encounters, Minato didn't want the Akatsuki trio to enter Konoha, believing they would only cause him trouble. He tried his best to send them away.

But he never imagined that even during his short break for ramen, he'd run into Konan from the Akatsuki trio.

And the odd part was...

When Minato thought Konan might be up to something, she showed no signs. Yet the things she said contained numerous inconsistencies, leaving him unsure of what to make of the situation.

It seemed strange, but was happening before his eyes, leaving him puzzled.

This was a shocking revelation to Minato, especially when the gatekeeper ninja mentioned that the Akatsuki trio had gone their separate ways.

Minato didn't know much about the Akatsuki trio. Even when Jiraiya had returned to Konoha, he only mentioned them briefly, saying that the three of them were ninjas from the Land of Rain who had grown up together and shared a strong bond. But from what Minato was now witnessing, it seemed like their relationship wasn't as deep as Jiraiya had suggested.

Otherwise, why would they part ways over such a minor disagreement?

This didn't make sense.

There was more going on beneath the surface.

Or... could they be staging a performance for him?

The more Minato thought about it, the more uncertain he became, unable to decide what these three were up to. At this point, Minato truly understood the meaning of the phrase "It's lonely at the top."

Minato was the Hokage-in-waiting. In just over a week, he would officially take the Hokage title during the inauguration ceremony, succeeding the Third Hokage.

Because of this, Minato felt he had no one to confide in anymore.

Even casual conversations with people now carried a sense of formality. His friends from his age group seemed cautious when speaking to him.

It wasn't like he could have honest discussions with others as he did with Aoba about the Third Hokage. To most people, such topics were off-limits. This made Minato feel incredibly isolated.

He realized that his peers could joke about it among themselves when discussing the darker aspects of the Third Hokage's tenure. But now that he was seen as the next Hokage, nobody wanted to engage with him on those topics.

If Minato had not been chosen as the Fourth Hokage, he could have joined in those conversations and laughed with his friends. But now, because of his new role, there was a natural distance between him and everyone else when it came to matters involving Konoha's leadership. People instinctively showed him more respect, even without asking for it, simply because he was no longer just another ninja or a former academy student but the future Hokage.

This was a different time, and Minato's position had changed.

Anyone with common sense knew to tread carefully around him now. Otherwise, they could face unintended consequences if they didn't adjust to the changing dynamics.

For this reason, Minato found himself without many friends in Konoha anymore. The only person he could genuinely discuss these topics with was Aoba. But after their intense conversation, Minato's head was ready to explode, and now he had stumbled into another confusing situation that he couldn't easily decipher.

While Minato questioned Teuchi and the gatekeeper, Konan, for her part, simply continued eating her ramen without care.

From Konan's perspective, after the incident at Konoha's gate, she no longer had any expectations from Minato. And without expectations, she had nothing to fear.

Konan had no further demands from Minato. Her sole purpose in coming to Ichiraku Ramen was to potentially meeting Otsutsuki Sheren again.

Now that she was here, where they had agreed, she wasn't sure if she would get to meet him, but she was confident that Minato wasn't Otsutsuki Sheren. So, there was no reason to bother giving him any special attention.

When there's no real cause and effect between two people, there's no need to be overly cautious.

Konan had already achieved her last goal: to come to Ichiraku Ramen. In her own way, she had sent out the signal to Otsutsuki Sheren that she was there. Whether or not he received it or chose to respond was beyond her control.

Konan had done all she could. If anyone expected her to do more, she wouldn't know what that could be. She had already infiltrated Konoha, which was an accomplishment in itself. A second attempt might not even succeed.

With that in mind, she felt that since Minato had already discovered her, there was nothing more to hide. She was ready to leave Konoha at any time, and even if she were captured and thrown into the village's prison, she wouldn't mind. As long as the signal had been sent, her mission was complete.

Now, her focus was on finishing her ramen without wasting it. After that, there would be no regrets.

"You really just came here to eat ramen?" Minato asked, still perplexed as he enthusiastically watched Konan devour the noodles. His question sounded less like a genuine inquiry and more like a sarcastic remark, as his suspicions about the Akatsuki trio's possible connection to the Third Hokage had already taken root in his mind.

"To be precise, I've eaten two bowls," Konan replied nonchalantly after slurping the last noodle. She looked up at Minato, with traces of ramen broth still on her lips, her expression completely content. The tension from before had vanished, leaving her looking carefree and relaxed.

"Well, there's nothing more to say. I'm ready to leave now. Of course, if you feel I've done something wrong and want to investigate me, go ahead and arrest me," Konan added calmly. Having achieved her goal, she had nothing to fear and could face whatever came next with peace of mind.