"Nagato..."
Konan stood there, watching Nagato walk away. She wanted to call him back but didn't know how to continue the conversation. She could feel the resentment emanating from him.
Even she couldn't quite explain what was going on.
From Konan's perspective, she felt rather wronged. In her view, Nagato had changed, yet his attitude seemed to imply that she was the one who had first shifted.
"What is this about?"
Konan clenched her fists, her purple eyes locked onto Nagato's retreating. Her mind swirled with confusion. Aoba had instructed them to come here and seek out Minato Namikaze, leveraging his connection to gain entry into Konoha. But now, everything seemed to have taken a completely different turn.
At this moment, even she didn't understand why Nagato had suddenly given up as if he had no intention of seeing Ōtsutsuki Shiren anymore.
No matter what she said, Nagato acted like he hadn't heard, leaving them with a lonely and distant silhouette.
"..."
For a moment, Konan was at a loss for words.
She didn't know how to deal with this situation.
After all, this was something she had never experienced before.
Ever since she had met Nagato, they had been close friends, always discussing everything together and overcoming any difficulties. But now, she realised that something had changed between them.
"Yahiko, what do you think about all this?"
Konan turned her gaze to Yahiko, who had been silent this whole time. To her, Yahiko was the only person she still felt close to. Seeing Nagato's prideful and arrogant demeanour made her reluctant to persuade him to return.
The only person she could talk to now was Yahiko. If Yahiko could side with her, it would make her feel better. They could stay together in Konoha. In her heart, she had already decided to remain in Konoha, no matter what Minato thought. She would find a way to stay.
Yahiko glanced at Nagato, who had already walked far and then turned to Konan, who was looking at him expectantly.
A strange thought crossed his mind.
He didn't want to choose either side. He didn't want to go with Nagato because the arrogance Nagato displayed made him feel small, like an insignificant insect.
But he also didn't want to stay with Konan because he had noticed the changes in her. Konan no longer seemed to be on his side, and it felt like they were drifting apart.
At this moment, he could not make any choice if he had to choose between the two.
Perhaps...
A thought popped into Yahiko's mind: maybe it was time for him to change and live a different life.
"I choose neither."
Yahiko shook his head, turned, and walked in another direction. He didn't want to follow Konan into Konoha.
Konoha was a place he had never been, utterly foreign to him.
And after Minato Namikaze's cold reception, his pride had been hurt. Whether they shared a teacher in Jiraiya no longer mattered.
They had no real connection.
As for entering Konoha, he was not interested.
The village felt more like a prison.
If he genuinely entered, he could imagine the cold looks he would receive from the people there.
After all, he wasn't originally from Konoha. Entering Konoha with the identity of a rogue ninja from the Land of Rain would make him a target of disdain.
Moreover, after witnessing Minato Namikaze's attitude, Yahiko knew he couldn't join Konoha and become a Konoha ninja.
If he couldn't become a ninja of Konoha, forcing himself to stay there would bring him no benefits.
For these reasons, Yahiko didn't care much about what was happening here.
He had no affection for Konoha so he wouldn't side with Konan. If Konan had still been aligned with him, he might have stayed for her sake, but now, she no longer shared his feelings.
Unlike Nagato, Yahiko still had a sense of pride. He liked to take charge and didn't want to be subservient. Especially in his interactions with Konan, he preferred to be the leader, not someone who would bend to her will.
That was why he wouldn't stay in Konoha just to please Konan.
That was the main reason he wasn't staying in Konoha.
However, not staying in Konoha didn't mean he had to leave with Nagato.
Over the past few months, Yahiko had watched Nagato change. It was an apparent transformation—from a humble, quiet person to someone arrogant and self-absorbed.
This had left Yahiko with a strong sense of dissatisfaction.
Yahiko had witnessed Nagato's transformation. When Nagato saved Konan, he wasn't like this. But after learning that he was part of the Ōtsutsuki clan, he had become insufferable.
Because of these feelings, Yahiko wouldn't choose Nagato either.
"..."
Now, Konan stood watching the two people she had once been closest to—Nagato walking away from Konoha and Yahiko heading in another direction. The two were diverging paths.
Konan had once wondered if the three of them might one day part ways. She had sensed that, no matter how close they were, there would come a time when they would go their separate ways.
It seemed that the time had come.
"I'm staying in Konoha."
Konan said firmly, watching them leave. She wasn't going to change her mind because someone had left. Her decision was resolute, unaffected by others.
Ever since she had met Aoba, she had been sure of what she wanted.
She wasn't seeking anything extravagant or demanding but simply wanted to be near the person who had moved her heart in her way. That was enough.
"I wonder when we'll meet again."
Konan whispered to herself, watching their retreating figures. A strange feeling washed over her. She had thought that if they ever parted, it would hurt deeply.
They were her only family in the world.
They had grown up together and were incredibly close. She had once believed they would always be together. But since the day Jiraiya-sensei left, she gradually realised that no one would stay by your side forever. Sometimes, you have to move forward on your own.
Konan had made up her mind. She would move forward and do what she thought was right. And right now, staying in Konoha to find Ōtsutsuki Shiren was right.
With that, Konan turned toward Konoha.
At that moment, the Konoha gatekeepers were still watching her.
They had assumed all three would leave but were surprised that one remained. All their attention turned to Konan.
"Aren't you leaving?"
One of the gatekeepers asked, puzzled. To him, these three were just young people around Minato Namikaze's age. After facing rejection, there was no reason for them to stick around.
The two boys who left seemed to understand that.
But this girl staying behind was odd.
The gatekeepers noticed the tension between the three as if they no longer shared the same unity.
"I'm not leaving."
Konan shook her head at the gatekeeper. Her words stunned the guards, leaving them unsure of what she meant.
Are you not leaving?
Is that really up to you?
The new Hokage already said he wouldn't take you in!
What are you going to do? Should you stay here?
The gatekeeper's mind filled with questions. He didn't understand what Konan's plan was, but he grew more alert. If something went wrong, it would be on him.
Right now, during the transition between Hokages, anything could happen. He knew that even a tiny mistake could ruin him, becoming a casualty of the era's changes.
From one perspective, their job as gatekeepers had been assigned by the Third Hokage. They were part of the old regime. Now that Minato was about to become Hokage, new people might replace them. While being a gatekeeper wasn't difficult, they didn't want to lose it.
"What do you mean by that?"