The Hidden Leaf Village, Akatsuki Organization

"Senior brother?"

Konan and the others exclaimed in surprise, their gaze collectively falling on Ao, their eyes flickering with intense confusion. For a moment, they couldn't grasp what Ao meant and who their senior brother could be.

Ao swept his gaze over the trio, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He had expected the Akatsuki to arrive in the Hidden Leaf Village slowly. His interaction today was just a precursor, even thinking it would be good if the Akatsuki were still developing in the Rain Country.

But now that things had reached this point, he didn't see it as too problematic!

After all, the change in the Akatsuki was related to the messages he had passed on. When Konan asked him where to find him, he mentioned the Ichiraku Ramen in the Hidden Leaf Village.

Clearly, they had followed this information to find their way here.

Ao knew they would come eventually, mainly since he had laid the groundwork for Nagato to be from the Otsutsuki clan. So, their arrival was not surprising, but their speed was.

"Indeed, it's your senior brother," Ao confirmed with a nod.

"Does that mean there are other Otsutsuki members here?" Konan asked again, now appearing somewhat relaxed, unlike the other two, who seemed incredibly restrained in Ao's presence.

Nagato and Yahiko had learned from Konan that Ao was Sheshin Otsutsuki. They didn't know how formidable Ao was, but Konan's descriptions had instilled a profound respect in them, and they dared not speak carelessly.

For a moment, both men could only watch, letting Konan do the talking, content with this arrangement—if not for her inquiries, they might not have had the chance to ask anything at all.

Konan's question was exactly what they were curious about.

How strong was the Otsutsuki presence here?

Were there other Otsutsuki members in the ninja world besides them?

Questions floated in Nagato and Yahiko's minds as they focused on Ao, hoping for answers.

"It has nothing to do with the Otsutsuki," Ao slowly shook his head, not expecting them to link his statement to the Otsutsuki clan. They had been pondering over the Otsutsuki matters all this while.

As the saying goes, "Daytime thoughts lead to nighttime dreams." Often, when people concentrate on one thing, they tend to overlook others.

That meant these individuals had been constantly thinking about the Otsutsuki clan, leading them to associate any discussion with the clan.

Realizing this, Ao felt a hint of amusement. The trio had expected their discussion to be separate from the Otsutsuki.

In fact, even Ao himself hadn't anticipated their intense focus on the Otsutsuki information he had provided, especially the fear of the unknown and formidable, which made them feel utterly insignificant, almost losing their will to fight.

This feeling likely made them perceive the existence of the Akatsuki as less significant, now relying more on Nagato's Otsutsuki identity.

Ironically, this kind of pressure—like a high wall impossible to scale—can crush someone's spirit the moment they deem their efforts futile.

Nagato was coping better because he was nominally an Otsutsuki, but Yahiko, the leader of the Akatsuki, no longer felt as driven to change the ninja world.

"Have you forgotten your teacher, Jiraiya?" Ao asked his gaze complex, especially towards Yahiko, who he believed would never act this way if he were alive. However, he was deeply displeased with Nagato, a student who had killed his teacher.

This was similar to how he viewed Obito.

The ninja world is a whole of madmen. Despite their past feelings and subsequent regrets, their actions can't be undone simply because of their intentions.

Ao had taken Konan because she was an unwilling participant in these events, and her profound feelings for Jiraiya had eventually brought them back together.

But he found no reason to forgive Nagato.

Hence, his emotional distance, though he believed that Nagato could be influenced, unlike Obito's anti-human nature.

Without an emotional crisis to revert Nagato to his original self, even Ao couldn't predict the future outcome.

Had the Akatsuki not come to the Hidden Leaf Village, it might have been different, but now that they had arrived, Ao decided to give them a chance.

This opportunity was to seek out Minato Namikaze.

This was all he was willing to do; he had no interest in leading the trio or using them for anything, considering them useless to his plans.

Now, he intended to hand the Akatsuki over to Minato because, nominally, they were all Jiraiya's disciples, thus Minato's junior siblings.

Minato was about to become the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, a time when he needed to cultivate loyal followers. With the Akatsuki's arrival, if they could become Minato's right-hand men, based on their shared mentor, Jiraiya, perhaps under Minato's influence, they could shine differently.

However, influencing them was Minato's task to accomplish grandly; Ao had no interest in these matters, though Minato's charisma was well-suited for the role.

"Jiraiya-sensei?"

The Akatsuki trio was surprised, their faces showing a long-missed expression. They had thought of their teacher during their journey but hadn't expected Ao to bring him up, assuming anything Ao said would relate to the Otsutsuki.

"Yes, Jiraiya," Ao nodded, confirming their connection. "Before he taught you three, he led another disciple here in the Hidden Leaf Village. That disciple, in fact, is your senior brother."

After Ao's explanation, the trio fell silent, unable to argue against such a logical point. They had always had only one teacher, Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze, is currently a strong candidate for the next Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. If all goes well, he'll be the village's new leader. If you wish to continue living long-term, aligning with your senior brother would be an excellent choice."

Ao's gaze seemed to lay everything out clearly, his voice carrying clearly to the rest of the Akatsuki members, who could hear every word.

They all understood what this meant.

If the Akatsuki wanted to reside in the Hidden Leaf Village successfully, their best approach would be to seek allegiance with Minato Namikaze, the likely future Hokage.

"Yes!"

Led by Konan, the trio nodded unanimously, accepting the order without question or concern, showing neither joy nor anxiety. They simply viewed it as a task assigned by Ao.

"What if we need to contact you after arriving in the Hidden Leaf Village?"

Konan asked Ao a crucial question that only she felt able to voice.

"Visit Ichiraku Ramen," Ao replied.

"You don't need to go there often, but if you need me, just eat a bowl of ramen there, and I'll know."

With those final instructions, Ao dismissed them, setting the stage for the Akatsuki's integration into the Hidden Leaf Village under Minato's leadership, marking the beginning of a new chapter for all involved.