Reborn in Konoha as the Anbu Torturer-Chapter 716: The So-called Danzo

At this moment, the first person Minato Namikaze thought of was Aoba. He knew that only Aoba could help him solve this complicated situation.

If things hadn't reached this point, Minato wouldn't have sought Aoba's help so soon, exceptionally since he had just returned from seeing him.

Visiting him twice so quickly felt too frequent, and even Minato felt a little embarrassed by it.

Minato wanted to solve the problem on his own. However, even he had to admit that the situation was far too complex, consuming his mental energy to exhaustion. He now needed Aoba to step in and help him clear things up. Aoba was the only person Minato trusted utterly.

Of course, he couldn't reveal this in front of the others, especially since he didn't fully know the extent of Konan's influence. If Konan genuinely aligned with the Third Hokage, mentioning Aoba's name could expose Aoba's identity.

This was something Minato didn't want to risk.

Minato knew he had to protect Aoba, as he was one of the few allies Minato could rely on. If Aoba's identity were to be revealed to the Third Hokage before Minato officially took over as Hokage, Aoba could face grave danger.

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Minato was very cautious about this.

He didn't have many people he could rely on. If the Third Hokage controlled Aoba, it would be a significant problem.

Thus, Minato refrained from mentioning Aoba's name in front of Konan, preventing her from discovering his identity.

As for Teuchi, Minato didn't have the same concerns. He knew Teuchi had a close relationship with Aoba, and Minato trusted that Teuchi wouldn't betray him. There was no issue there.

"What's your plan now?" Konan asked, blinking as she stared at Minato. "Should I stay, or should I go? You can't keep stalling me forever, can you?"

Konan felt that she now had the upper hand in their psychological battle. She no longer needed Minato's support to stay in Konoha; thus, she had no more fear or concern.

She was beyond needing Minato.

Her only goal had been to come to Ichiraku Ramen and send a signal to Otsutsuki Sheren. Now that the signal had been sent, she no longer cared about anything else.

Konan was no longer afraid after having done what she set out to do. She no longer needed Minato, and she could leave whenever she wanted.

Teuchi, meanwhile, didn't think too deeply about the situation. After knowing him for many years, he knew Minato's character very well, so he wasn't worried.

"Just wait," Minato said calmly, without explaining anything to Konan. In his mind, she was still a potential enemy.

At this crucial moment, Minato couldn't afford to take any chances. Once Aoba arrived, he could help analyze the situation, and Konan's inconsistencies would be exposed.

Minato was increasingly aware of how valuable Aoba was to him. As the future Hokage, Minato would face countless challenges, knowing he couldn't analyze every situation thoroughly.

He needed someone sharp, clear-headed, and loyal to help him solve problems—and Aoba fit that role perfectly.

At this moment, Minato realized why the Third Hokage had someone like Danzo by his side.

Even the Third Hokage couldn't handle everything on his own. He needed someone utterly loyal to make tough decisions.

Danzo was that person.

However, Minato also realized that having such a person close to the Hokage meant they would learn many of its secrets.

If that trust were ever broken, it could lead to catastrophic betrayals, like what recently happened when Danzo exposed everything on the Hokage Monument.

Still, Minato didn't see Danzo's actions as a true betrayal of the Third Hokage. He believed it was all part of a larger plan orchestrated by the Third Hokage and Danzo to create the impression that the Third Hokage was stepping down.

Minato suspected their ultimate goal was to sabotage the upcoming Hokage succession ceremony and prevent him from becoming the Fourth Hokage.

It was a cunning plot.

Minato understood this, which is why he was so cautious now. He believed the Akatsuki trio was somehow tied to the Third Hokage, perhaps sent to gather intelligence on him.

Meanwhile, Aoba was sitting in his Anbu quarters, reading a book. He had sensed Konan's chakra earlier and now felt another presence heading in his direction.

The chakra he sensed earlier had been with Konan at Ichiraku Ramen. Once Minato arrived, this second presence began moving toward him.

Aoba could sense their chakra and the nervousness within it. However, he didn't give it much thought. These were minor players, and he wasn't too concerned.

In Aoba's mind, Minato was likely sending someone to introduce the Akatsuki trio to him, assuming everything had gone well.

He didn't expect any conflict, especially after the previous situation with the Akatsuki trio.

Aoba figured that Minato and the Akatsuki trio had probably resolved everything by now, so he wasn't overly concerned.

But as the chakra drew nearer, Aoba began to feel a sense of confusion.

"Wait a minute," Aoba thought, frowning. "Why is this person so anxious? Am I really that intimidating?"

The nervousness in the approaching chakra didn't seem normal for someone coming to meet him.

"Strange!" Aoba muttered to himself. "Why are they so uneasy about coming to see me?"

He began to suspect that something more was going on.

After waiting a while longer, Aoba sensed that the person was now in the empty, dark hallways of the Anbu quarters, nearing his room.

But instead of moving confidently, they seemed to be pacing back and forth as if lost.

Aoba considered helping them but couldn't think of a good reason to intervene.

He sighed and decided to wait until the visitor found their way.

"Why is this taking so long?" Aoba wondered, growing more and more puzzled as time passed.

Finally, unable to wait any longer, Aoba sighed, picked up his book, and opened the door to head outside.