บท 683: Hypothesis
Minato Namikaze's hand moved quickly across the paper as he spoke, his analysis not ceasing momentarily. His mind was extremely active now, and he didn't dare to stop, fearing that his train of thought would break if he did.
As he wrote rapidly, he ignored whether Aoba followed his ideas but continued his analysis.
"Let's start with the first point."
"If Danzo and Orochimaru are opposing the Third Hokage..."
"Then their goal would undoubtedly be to bring down the Third Hokage."
"If that was their only goal, they've already succeeded."
"But..."
"What benefits do they gain?"
Minato paused, writing two prominent characters for "benefits" on the paper, then drew several question marks around them, circling them as he thought.
"Is there no benefit?"
"Orochimaru is the Third Hokage's disciple."
"If there's no benefit, why would he expose the Third Hokage?"
"Moreover, this situation puts him at a severe disadvantage."
"He can no longer stay in Konoha and has to live elsewhere under an assumed name."
"He also has to endure the scorn of the entire ninja world."
"What's in it for him?"
"I don't understand, and I can't understand."
Minato massaged his temples, staring intently at the arrows on the paper. Each sentence he spoke deepened his analysis of the situation.
"Hoo..."
Aoba couldn't help but take a deep breath as he listened to Minato's words. He suddenly realised that Minato was a top-tier ninja and a genius who could naturally become the Hokage. His meticulous thinking made him hard to deceive.
After all, half a month had passed since the revelations. Although many Konoha ninjas had doubts, none questioned Orochimaru and Danzo's credibility or motives. They only saw the events as they unfolded.
This was similar to Aoba's past experiences in the real world, scrolling through Weibo and watching trending news. People followed along, enjoying the drama without considering who leaked the information, their motives, or the benefits they might gain. Everyone just wanted a bit of entertainment during their breaks.
However, Minato was now engaging in a conspiracy theory, and his speculations were frighteningly close to the truth. This worried Aoba. If their conversation continued down this path, Minato might suspect Aoba himself.
"It's not just Orochimaru," Minato continued after a brief pause. His thoughts, once started, flowed rapidly and thoroughly covered the situation. He hadn't thought about it before because he had too many concerns. But now, talking with Aoba, he found this approach very reasonable and practical.
"Danzo is also a significant problem."
"If Danzo is also against the Third Hokage..."
"Then what's the core issue between them?"
"Remember, before Danzo confessed to those deeds, he had sent Root ninjas to stop me. This action shows that he and the Third Hokage were on the same side."
"They've been together for so long, it's unlikely they'd suddenly have an irreconcilable conflict leading to a complete fallout."
"If this is indeed what happened, then there must be some hidden agenda that we're unaware of."
"So, where's the benefit?"
"Danzo left Konoha, where he spent half his life building his power, just to bring down the Third Hokage?"
"The most crucial point here is..."
"Neither Orochimaru nor Danzo witnessed the Third Hokage admitting to any wrongdoing; he just resigned. It's like they insulted him and then ran off."
"If they truly wanted to bring down the Third Hokage, they should have provided substantial evidence to solidify his guilt and leave no room for his comeback."
"Right now, it seems like Orochimaru and Danzo's revelations were guided by someone else, giving them no real benefit. The one who benefits is the mastermind."
"So..."
"Who's guiding them?"
Minato continued his analysis, wholly absorbed in his thoughts. He didn't notice that Aoba's mouth was twitching slightly.
Right, right, this is the correct answer.
You don't know, but you've randomly guessed a truth.
Especially when he mentioned the mastermind...
Aoba felt as if his heart skipped a beat.
"Could it be me?" Minato suddenly asked in a self-deprecating manner. He didn't point fingers at Aoba as Aoba had feared, nor did he suspect Aoba had anything to do with it.
"If this hypothesis holds, then the real mastermind who instructed Orochimaru and Danzo can only be me."
"Because in this scenario, Orochimaru and Danzo are just pawns. They gain nothing, while the Third Hokage is brought down."
"Then, who benefits when the Third Hokage is out of the picture?"
"It's me! I become the Fourth Hokage!"
"Aoba..."
Minato paused, turning to look at Aoba. The sudden movement startled Aoba.
"Do you think it's me?"
Minato asked this profound question, then smiled at the absurdity of it.
"That can't be, right?"
Aoba's mouth continued to twitch. He realised that despite Minato getting close to the truth, he still missed it by a hair's breadth.
"I don't think it's you."
"It shouldn't be..."
"Be you, right?"
Aoba spoke with certainty but then seemed to doubt himself, looking suspiciously at Minato.
"Minato, are you telling me this was all your doing?"
Aoba quickly preempted any further probing by asking Minato directly.
"???"
Minato was confused by Aoba's question, his mind filled with question marks.
What is this about?
Where did that come from?
"I was just suggesting an impossible scenario. If the mastermind were me, then this hypothesis wouldn't hold. Since I don't have that capability, it's impossible."
Minato shook his head, realising he had unintentionally dismissed a correct answer. He sighed and patted Aoba on the shoulder.
"What are you thinking?"
"How could it be me?"
"If it were me, why would I be pretending with you here?"
"Think about it..."
"If it were you in this scenario!"
"If you were the mastermind, wouldn't you have told me by now after all this analysis?"
Minato's final words were more of a comparison to help Aoba understand his point rather than a hint at the truth. He didn't suspect Aoba at all.
"So, the second point..."
Minato quickly moved on to the next topic, not waiting for Aoba's response. He focused back on his paper, filled with thoughtful lines and arrows.
Aoba watched Minato closely. When Minato suggested he might be the mastermind, Aoba's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know how to respond but felt relieved that Minato dismissed the idea and moved on.
Aoba took a deep breath, calming his nerves. He couldn't afford to let this situation escalate, so he decided to keep the conversation focused on other possibilities.
"So, let's assume they are working together," Minato said. "The Third Hokage, Orochimaru, and Danzo all planned this."
"What would be their purpose?" Aoba quickly interjected, taking the lead in the conversation to keep it away from dangerous territory.
"Their purpose…"
Minato frowned, thinking deeply. He was still uncertain about this issue.
"Let me think."
"The Third Hokage and Danzo decided to act against me before I returned to Konoha."
"I don't believe they would suddenly turn against each other upon my return."
"What if this was all part of their plan?"
"What's the catch here?"
"Wait."
"I think I understand now."
Minato brainstormed rapidly. Aoba's questioning gave him a clear direction for his thoughts.
Aoba watched Minato intently, curious about what he would conclude.
"If they planned this from the start…"
"Orochimaru and Danzo's revelations were part of the plan."
"This is a trap to lure me in."
"If that's the case, how do I respond?"
Minato had figured out a likely scenario. He now considered how to counter it.
"A trap?"
Aoba was taken aback, impressed by Minato's deduction skills. He needed to find out where Minato was heading but listened closely.
"Yes, a trap!"
Minato nodded his eyes and expression firm. He believed in this possibility.
"As I mentioned, Orochimaru and Danzo's revelations lack solid evidence. They are merely smearing the Third Hokage, and they can flip the story anytime."
"They both left immediately after the accusations, disappearing without a trace."
"Under these circumstances, the Third Hokage didn't defend himself. It seemed like he didn't refute the claims, but in reality, he had no way to."
"Now, the public believes the Third Hokage is guilty, so he resigned, becoming a joke in the ninja world."
"But this way of fading from the public eye allows for a comeback."
"If, before or during my inauguration as Hokage, Orochimaru and Danzo reappear and claim that I orchestrated everything and their previous accusations were false…"
"Then I'll be in a passive position, unable to defend myself."
"At that moment, the Third Hokage can clear his name, distancing himself from the allegations. As the only suitable candidate for Hokage, I would lose my eligibility, allowing the Third Hokage to retain his position."
Minato analysed this thoughtfully and was increasingly convinced of this possibility. He began thinking of countermeasures.
"Can this work?!"
Aoba exclaimed, seemingly surprised by the Third Hokage's potential manoeuvre but genuinely impressed by Minato's deduction skills.
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