Ōnoki and the Kazekage both smiled. "Thank you for the hospitality, Hokage-sama, but this is not the place for conversation. We will speak in detail once you've finished with your duties."
Torifu cupped his hands. "Understood. Thank you both for your consideration. Please, hurry inside. Other guests might be arriving soon, so please excuse me for not escorting you to the apartment."
Ōnoki waved his hand. "You're too kind, Hokage-sama. With your wedding, it is only natural that many nations in the Ninja World will send people to offer their congratulations. We certainly understand."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ōnoki and the Kazekage entered the village. Konoha Village's layout hadn't changed much since their last visit a few months ago, so they naturally knew the way. Moreover, they were accompanied by Konoha Village personnel, which was very considerate.
Since the Tsuchikage and the Kazekage had arrived, the other guests should be arriving soon as well.
Sure enough, shortly after the two Kage entered, Torifu saw a small team running toward Konoha Village in the distance. Their vibrant red hair made it unnecessary to ask; they were definitely people from the Uzumaki Clan, guests from the Land of Whirlpools. Torifu just didn't know which prince was among them.
As they approached, Torifu finally recognized him: wasn't this the Seventh Prince? Kushina's father.
Good grief, this guy was a lot like Senju Asa—a birth father who, despite Kushina living in Konoha Village for so many years, had never once come to visit her. Just like Senju Asa, who had two children and dumped them both on Hashirama without caring for either. Plus, there had been no news of him for so many years; he might even have died outside.
[T/N: I forgot what I named Tsunade's father. Can't find it.]
"Ah, Hokage-sama! Congratulations, congratulations! After all these years, I never imagined we would meet again at your wedding!" The Seventh Prince was so enthusiastic right from the start that Torifu naturally couldn't make him lose face.
"Seventh Prince, it's been a long time. You look a bit more worn out, though."
The Seventh Prince paused for a moment, then laughed self-deprecatingly. "Haha, ever since that incident, my father left the Land of Whirlpools. Everything was handed over to us brothers, and only then did we realize how much pressure Father was under."
Torifu felt like laughing when he heard this. The Land of Whirlpools was tiny, with only a few thousand people. In that small place, with so many brothers supporting each other, they still felt pressure? However, Torifu couldn't be bothered to argue with him. He used to have a decent impression of the Seventh Prince, mainly because he was Kushina's father. But after all these years, this father had never once come to see Kushina. Torifu naturally had no good impression of him anymore.
Still, the basic courtesies had to be maintained. "Governing a country is not an easy task. I realized the difficulties after becoming Hokage myself."
The Seventh Prince sighed. The youth he once knew had now become the strongest Ninja in the entire Ninja World. It was truly remarkable that he was single-handedly maintaining the peace of the entire Ninja World.
"Please come in quickly. The apartment is ready. If you wish to visit Elder Ashina, you can ask the Konoha Village attendant to take you. He is in the Senju Clan Compound."
When the Seventh Prince heard Torifu's words, he was so excited that he burst into tears. "Hokage-sama, do you mean Father is still alive!"
You're crying here right now? You thought your dad was dead? Is that why you never came? The crucial point was that only a little over four years had passed; there was no way such a sturdy old man could just drop dead. He knew the truth perfectly well, yet he had to put on a show here.
But to maintain his own excellent image, Torifu simply smiled faintly. "Of course. Elder Ashina is very healthy, and something you wouldn't expect has happened to him. It's best to be mentally prepared." If Torifu had told the Seventh Prince directly, "Your dad is younger than you now, and you might precede him," the Seventh Prince would likely think Torifu was joking. But a simple, polite reminder was enough; the rest he could discover for himself.
"Wonderful! Thank you, Hokage-sama, for taking care of him all these years!"
"It was nothing. Seventh Prince, please go in quickly. The Konoha Village attendant will help you get acquainted with the village."
With that, the Seventh Prince and a few Uzumaki Clan members walked into the village. This Seventh Prince was truly being insincere. If he truly missed his father, how could he have failed to visit even once in four years? Konoha Village was not far from the Land of Whirlpools; a round trip only took about a week. He simply didn't care about Ashina or Kushina.
However, such behavior was not entirely incomprehensible in a royal family. As soon as Ashina went missing, these princes began vying for power, so it was understandable why they hadn't visited Ashina once in all those years. Thankfully, this Seventh Prince would return to the Land of Whirlpools after Torifu's wedding, so he wouldn't have to deal with him much.
Still, Torifu needed to be wary of this guy seeing Kushina, who had grown into a fine young woman, and trying to take her back. That was something Torifu would absolutely not allow.
Just as Torifu was mentally making various unfavorable judgments about the Seventh Prince, his senses picked up another group of people heading toward Konoha Village on the Cloud Palace map.
As they drew near, fine rain began to drift down from the sky over Konoha Village. Then, all the water droplets gathered on the ground, forming a massive water vortex! The splashing rain soaked the villagers waiting to greet the guests at the gate of Konoha Village. However, they harbored no resentment. The villagers had already guessed who this important figure coming to Konoha Village was.
Suddenly, the water vortex shot up into the sky, transforming into a water spout that nearly connected heaven and earth! The tremendous suction almost made the surrounding villagers lose their footing. Fortunately, the water spout did not last for more than a few seconds, and a figure emerged from within. He wore a light purple long robe, and his long black hair flowed in the wind. His eyes were constantly narrowed, as if he hadn't fully woken up.
This person was the Third Mizukage—Getsuji. Torifu had fought him in his youth, and he was a difficult opponent, but he could no longer be compared to Torifu. Counting the time, it had been almost twenty years since they last met. Getsuji was about eighteen or nineteen, perhaps twenty, back then. Now, he had also entered middle age.
"Congratulations to Hokage-sama on your blissful marriage." Getsuji dispersed the water spout behind him, and a team of Kirigakure Ninja lined up neatly behind him.