With over three thousand tables in total, three tables per person was enough, and there was no need to worry about their stamina. Once everyone had gathered, Torifu walked to the door and opened it. "Greetings, everyone! I believe you all know your mission for today, yes?"
A few of the leading villagers immediately replied, "Of course, Hokage-sama! It is our honor to take on this mission!" The other villagers all chimed in their agreement. Torifu smiled. "The honor is mine, actually. Alright, no more chatter. Let's take a short break. We leave at nine o'clock."
The villagers were full of anticipation. They felt incredibly lucky to be the first group allowed inside the Hokage-sama's wedding hall! When the owner recruited the part-time workers, they had all eagerly signed up. Only after being selected were they told they would be helping to set up the Hokage-sama's wedding venue! The owner had recruited them in the Hokage-sama's name. They had originally thought they would be helping to receive the various guests arriving in Konoha, but they hadn't expected the task to be something as monumental as preparing the wedding hall! Furthermore, the compensation offered was very generous! They were extremely satisfied and happy with this opportunity. They hadn't come merely for the money, but simply to help out. Among them were many familiar faces to Torifu, including Konoha Ninja and even some Jōnin, who were probably just bored since they weren't assigned any missions recently.
The villagers began discussing where the Hokage-sama's wedding venue could possibly be located. After much talk, Torifu didn't hear a single correct answer. Could it be that the sky was simply too unbelievable a possibility for them? It wasn't the villagers' fault, though. Throughout history, no one had ever hosted a wedding in the sky! Even for Torifu's wedding, they dared not imagine such a thing. Just having a venue large enough for the entire village was already taxing their imaginations; how could they think of the heavens? However, the more they guessed, the more shocked they would be when the Cloud Palace descended! Not just these few, but the entire population of Konoha Village would surely be stunned!
Time ticked by, and with every passing minute, the part-time workers' anticipation grew. The mystery of the wedding hall, which all the villagers had been guessing about for so long, was about to be unveiled! Anyone would be excited under these circumstances.
"Oh, it seems the time has arrived." Torifu looked at the time on his phone; it was precisely nine o'clock. He descended from the upstairs private room. With a body flicker, he appeared on the rooftop of the barbecue shop. It was quite high up, offering a clear, open view. A bustling and crowded street naturally drew the attention of other villagers.
They rushed over to ask the workers what they were doing. The answer they received made them incredibly envious. "We're going to put the final touches on the Hokage-sama's wedding venue! Bet you didn't expect that!" This news quickly spread throughout Konoha Village! Many wanted to sneak in, but the workers were wearing specialized, uniform clothing that was impossible to imitate. The villagers collectively complained about the Hokage-sama's attention to detail, having even thought of this. Even so, the curious villagers didn't leave; they chose to stay put and watch where the group would go. Guests from the other nations also heard the news from the villagers and quickly left their apartments, heading toward the street where Torifu and the group were located. Whether it was the First Prince, the Seventh Prince, the Kage, or the General, they all showed up. Curiosity was human nature, and when it concerned the Hokage, this was a spectacle that simply couldn't be missed.
And now, Torifu, standing on the rooftop, finally made his move. He raised one hand toward the sky! Then he looked up. Boundless Cloud Chakra surged from his sleeve! It formed a towering column of clouds that reached the heavens.
"What... what is the Hokage-sama doing? Isn't he supposed to be going to the wedding venue? Why is he performing a Ninjutsu?"
"Yeah, did the Hokage-sama's plan change?"
Not only were the villagers confused, but even the Kage were perplexed. They didn't know what the Hokage was doing, but they didn't leave, wanting to see what would happen. Even if the plan had truly changed because of the sheer number of people, watching the Hokage perform a Ninjutsu was still quite a treat.
Ichiryu was especially affected; when he saw that towering pillar of clouds, his heart seemed to skip a beat. "Is that really something a human can do... Samurai couldn't achieve that even if they spent their entire lives training."
Mifune smiled wryly beside him. "Master, you can't compare us like that. Otherwise, we Samurai would truly be utterly useless. The Hokage-sama is the strongest in the world; this is all normal."
"Cloud Release is the Hokage-sama's signature Ninjutsu. You should know that the Kumotsuru Clan, as recorded in the Land of Iron, is skilled in manipulating clouds and fog, and the Hokage-sama is the head of the Kumotsuru Clan."
Ichiryu's face showed an expression of shock upon hearing this. "Is that so? The Kumotsuru Clan! No wonder."
Just as all the villagers were starting to treat this as a Ninjutsu show by the Hokage, someone suddenly yelled, "Look! What is that!" The clouds in the sky were surging and roaring wildly! They churned like a sea of clouds, whipping up massive waves. Then, those clouds seemed to fall, steadily approaching Konoha Village. All the villagers felt an immense sense of pressure. Torifu was still continuously pumping out Cloud Chakra! But moments later, Torifu stopped his movements! He waved his hand toward the sky! The boundless, ocean-like Cloud Chakra instantly dissipated into nothing, revealing the Cloud Palace hidden beneath the fog.
The entire palace, built of white clouds, was majestic and spectacular, leaving everyone speechless! In addition to the main hall, the palace featured all sorts of towers and pavilions. Countless white cloud-birds circled the Cloud Palace, enhancing its appearance as a divine celestial palace. The villagers were dumbfounded, utterly unsure what this was. And the bodies of the Kage were trembling!
"What incredible power! To be able to construct a palace in the sky!" Ōnoki stared wide-eyed at the pure white palace. For a moment, he found it difficult to maintain his flight, nearly dropping from the sky. The Kazekage and Mizukage were equally speechless, utterly stunned.
But the person with the biggest reaction was still Ichiryu. The towering pillar of clouds earlier had been shocking, but it was nowhere near a tenth as impressive as this palace! He now understood why Mifune was so insistent on cooperating with Konoha Village. If he had harbored even the slightest reservation before, it was now completely gone. As the strongest Samurai in the world, he had never feared anyone. But at this moment, Ichiryu's heart was filled with terror.