Before it, Torifu felt so tiny. However, it wasn't big enough yet; it couldn't accommodate all the people of Konoha Village. Torifu needed to make it bigger.
He spread his hands and controlled the surrounding mist and clouds to continuously gather toward the Cloud Palace. Slowly, the Cloud Palace absorbed all the white clouds, and its size visibly increased.
"My guess was right. This thing can indeed absorb cloud particles to grow." In the beginning, the Cloud Palace was only the size of the Kumotsuru Clan Compound. After all these years, it was now half the size of Konoha Village. This was without any human intervention. Now, Torifu needed it to grow to be the same size as Konoha Village.
Against the backdrop of the night, no one noticed the changes happening to the clouds in the sky. Even if someone looked up, they would only think the wind in the high altitude seemed strong and the clouds were moving very quickly. They wouldn't notice anything else.
After about an hour, there were virtually no clouds left within tens of kilometers of Konoha Village, save for a large patch of cloud left beneath the Cloud Palace to obscure it. The Cloud Palace had now reached Torifu's desired size. While it still couldn't cover the entire Konoha Village, it was large enough to cover the original village layout. This size was sufficient.
During every mobilization, the villagers would gather in one place, and the main street and a few side streets could be filled up when everyone was combined. However, a wedding banquet needed entertainment and food. They couldn't just have all the villagers crammed together to watch Torifu get married, could they? If that were the case, what would be the point of holding the wedding in space? No one would enjoy it.
Torifu walked into the Cloud Palace. He could walk on it as if it were solid ground without using any flying ability or chakra. The Cloud Palace was essentially a mobile fortress that could be constantly expanded. The floor inside felt like tile and was perfectly flat. Moreover, Torifu could freely create scenes, architecture, and furniture inside by manipulating the cloud itself.
"Phew. This thing was truly wasted before. It could completely serve as a Second Konoha Village." Torifu used the clouds inside to create many tables and chairs, estimating around three thousand tables, with each table seating ten people. Although the numbers sounded frightening—creating chairs and so on—it was all accomplished with a simple wave of Torifu's hand. As long as he had a rough outline in his mind, he could use Cloud Release, and the clouds within the Cloud Palace would automatically condense.
However, this was indeed a large project. Torifu planned to finish it within two or three days. This period also included the wedding stage and other complicated elements, leaving only tonight for the tables and chairs. Torifu planned to tell the villagers two days before the wedding, which would be a pleasant surprise.
"If the Ninja World is ever destroyed by some unknown alien civilization, could I use the Cloud Palace to take the villagers on a journey—a Wandering Konoha Village?" The moment this thought arose, Torifu felt a little silly, thinking he had watched too many movies. This thing couldn't navigate in space and couldn't provide oxygen. Where would he wander?
However, an alien civilization might actually be a real threat. The Ōtsutsuki Clan is one, isn't it? Currently, there are two on the Ninja World: Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. But for now, they didn't need to worry too much. One was sealed, and as long as all nine Tailed Beasts remained in Konoha Village's hands, they didn't have to fear her. Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was currently possessing Jigen's body, which limited what he could do; he could only send his subordinates to harass or attack. But his subordinates' strength was not enough to pose a life-threatening risk to Torifu. Still, Torifu needed to be constantly on guard for Ōtsutsuki Isshiki deciding to go all out.
Even with the wedding date fast approaching, Torifu still occasionally thought about these extraneous things. Since they were in Konoha Village, Jigen wouldn't really risk coming directly to Konoha Village to fight to the death. It would also take some time before other members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan descended upon the Ninja World. This time was enough for Torifu to develop. If his Sensei and the others could break through to the Six Paths level, they would be very powerful helpers to Torifu in the future.
"Ugh, I just want a peaceful life. Why does it always have to be so difficult?" Torifu shook his head, then continued creating tables and chairs. Three thousand-plus tables and thirty thousand-plus chairs would be enough to accommodate the villagers of Konoha.
"I'll focus on the tables and chairs tonight. A miracle in one night. Let's see if I can finish it." Torifu's plan for tomorrow was to set up the stage and other elements. However, just white clouds would be too monotonous. He also needed to add flowers and crystal embellishments to make it look like a proper wedding.
The night quickly passed. Torifu's speed was remarkable; he finished in a single night, around one in the morning, before returning to his room to sleep.
When he woke up, it was already ten in the morning. Torifu rarely stayed up late, but this was his wedding, so he didn't mind the lack of sleep. Torifu sat up, stretched, put on a simple robe, and went to the washroom to freshen up.
When he opened the door, Minato was already outside playing a game, and Yahiko and Konan were diligently training. Torifu nodded approvingly. "Good kids."
He looked up at the sky. A large area of thin clouds was overhead. That was the Cloud Palace that Torifu had hidden. It should have been completely invisible, but the Cloud Palace was so enormous now that even its concealment showed a tiny flaw. Still, no one but Torifu knew. No one would believe that patch of thin cloud that couldn't withstand the wind was actually a massive, hidden palace. The villagers had long forgotten about the Cloud Palace.
"Big Brother, why are you up so late today? Did you stay up last night?" Minato immediately walked up to greet Torifu when he saw him awake.
Torifu nodded. "Yes, I was taking care of some things last night, so I slept a bit late. Are those two training on their own, or did you remind them?"
Minato nodded. "They're training on their own. After all, Big Brother, you set the rule that they can play after training. There's no point in slacking off for a little while."
Torifu was very pleased with this. Yahiko and Konan were becoming more obedient, and Minato was slowly growing up. In a few years, he would be a capable, independent Ninja. Perhaps Torifu could soon relinquish his heavy burden and enjoy his retirement early.
"I'm going to see your Sister Naori in a bit. You guys go out and get something to eat." Torifu then pulled out several thousand Ryō and handed them to Minato.