It's a lot to process, but to Minato's surprise, the predominant emotion he feels is a sort of tender pride. Ken's come so much farther in shorter a time than Minato did. He's already seen through his own excuses. His gaze is soft and knowing and there isn't a single trace of judgement in them, there isn't any alarm. Minato knows better than anyone what kind of desires the human soul can hold, and he knows too that they can be overcome.

"I'm proud of you for knowing yourself that well," he says simply, without fanfare. Minato detangles his hand from Ken's but only raises it to rest lightly on his head, fingers sliding through his hair before his hand settles back on his shoulder. Be more forward, show more emotion, he's telling himself as watchwords, determined to do better.

"Until I found SEES, it wouldn't have bothered me to fall asleep and never wake up. I think... I would have been grateful for it." And then when it'd finally happened, he'd been grateful then too in a different way, for the dread to be over. "I never would have imagined that something could make me see differently. If I'd given up before then, I never would have met you."

Minato lets out a breath. "I'm glad that I didn't. It was worth everything, to meet all of you. And I know that some day you'll be glad you didn't give up, too. I know it's hard to believe that, so if you can't, then believe me. Believe me until you find that day."

That unfaltering conviction, the complete absence of hesitation in his faith, that kept Minato as their leader.