Torifu smiled slightly. "Eat plenty if it's good. Your Sensei doesn't cook often, you know."
This was true; normally, they either ate out or Minato or Amado cooked. For a ten-year-old to be in the kitchen cooking, you could tell how lazy Torifu, the eldest brother, must be. He only cooked when he was in a particularly good mood.
"We'll have one more person in the family tomorrow, and it'll be even livelier," Amado said, smiling.
That reminded Torifu that it was a shame Naori couldn't attend tonight's dinner. But that's fine; tomorrow night will be the same, and I'll show off my cooking then.
"Sister Naori's cooking is pretty good, too. I've had her food before," Minato said.
This was true, although Naori didn't cook much either. Her family was large, and Naori usually ate at Kagami's place. Kagami's wife enjoyed cooking, just like their Aunt Mito. Even Torifu himself had only eaten Naori's cooking a few times. However, he imagined he would have many more opportunities after they were married.
Torifu's cooking was excellent, and everyone was genuinely hungry, so the meal was quickly devoured. Minato and Amado went to wash the dishes, while Yahiko and Konan helped put away the plates. It was a very warm and harmonious scene.
Sometimes Torifu felt incredibly lucky. He hadn't endured much hardship since coming to this world. Although his parents had sacrificed themselves early, many relatives and friends—like his Sensei and Aunt Mito, Aunt Katō, his younger brothers, Naori, and Hiruzen—filled his life. Life was rich and colorful, and he wasn't lonely at all.
When a person was on the cusp of a major life event, they tended to indulge in useless introspection. These were usually small, insignificant things in daily life, but Torifu found himself recalling them repeatedly. However, this feeling wasn't bad.
He lay back in his chair, looking at the clear sky. Although the stars were largely obscured by the lights of Konoha Village, he could still make out the vast sea of stars and the brilliant Milky Way. The Ninja World was just a tiny speck among the billions of stars in the cosmos. Love, separation, and conflict might be playing out on every star, but Torifu had no interest in them. To live out his small life well in this world was enough. He felt complete.
Wasn't this the ultimate ideal for a person? He didn't harbor any dreams or desires for supreme power or conquering the universe. Even with the System, those goals were likely unattainable. If transmigrators from other worlds knew Torifu had this mindset, they might find him unambitious and dismiss him. But why would Torifu change his life based on other people's opinions? His own life should be lived in a way that made him feel comfortable.
Torifu's initial dream was to live peacefully in this Ninja World and eventually have a child to guide and teach. All these years later, that dream remained unchanged.
"Phew, living out my life according to my own vision doesn't feel bad at all." No need for anything dramatic; peace was enough.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the System woke Torifu up. This time, he didn't choose to sleep in. He immediately got out of bed and washed, then dressed himself in his wedding attire in front of the mirror. The style of the wedding attire was the same as his usual robes, but made of bright red fabric, embroidered with golden phoenixes and accompanying flying birds. It wasn't gaudy; rather, it had a somewhat sacred feeling. He then took out a violet-gold crown from his Space Ring and placed it on his head. His demeanor was extraordinary, though his snowy white hair combined with the bright red robe gave him a slightly demonic look.
Once fully dressed, Torifu called Naori. The voice that answered was that of a maidservant.
"Hokage-sama, Naori-sama is changing into her wedding attire and putting on her head ornaments. Have you finished on your end?"
Torifu replied, "Yes, I have. I'll head to the Uchiha Clan compound now."
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
Most of the villagers were already awake, pulling out their most formal clothes from their wardrobes. After all, this was the first time in their lives they would attend a Hokage's wedding, and it was taking place in the sky. They naturally wanted to look presentable. Many of the efficient workers had already finished getting ready and had ascended to the Cloud Palace.
After those part-time workers came down yesterday, Torifu had not raised the Cloud Palace back into the sky; he had only closed the entrance to the cloud ladder. This morning, when Torifu woke up, he had already reopened it.
As Torifu stepped into the courtyard, he found that Amado and Minato were already awake. Seeing Torifu's wedding attire, they exclaimed in surprise, "My goodness, Big Brother, did you design this yourself or did the clan's ancestors?"
Torifu scratched his head. "I designed it myself—male and female versions."
This was the first time they had seen a wedding attire of this style.
"Shouldn't the wedding be in traditional white attire?" Minato asked curiously, having read about it in books.
"It's the ancient tradition of the Kumotsuru Clan to wear red for the wedding."
While Minato didn't quite understand why a clan that habitually wore white robes would wear such vibrant colors for a wedding, he respected the custom. After all, this was something the Big Brother's clan had passed down through the generations.
"Is Big Brother going to fetch Sister Naori now?"
Torifu nodded. "Yes. You can either go find my Sensei or head directly to the Cloud Palace."
With that, Torifu turned into a wisp of cloud and flew out of the Kumotsuru Clan compound, heading toward the Uchiha Clan's direction. In mid-air, he could see that almost all the villagers were dressed in their finest, looking radiant. It seemed everyone took his wedding seriously.
Before long, Torifu arrived at the Uchiha Clan compound and flew directly into Naori's room, startling the maidservants who were helping her dress.
"You're here, Torifu. You have no idea how nervous I was last night." Naori was already in her wedding attire and was currently putting on her head ornaments; it looked like it would take a while longer. She hadn't finished her makeup yet, either.
"I was a little nervous, too, but after chatting with Sensei yesterday, I feel much better."
"Also, Sensei and Aunt Mito will be attending our wedding as my parents."
Naori paused upon hearing this, then took Torifu's hand and gave him a gentle smile. "Sensei and Aunt must be thrilled. Father and Mother will certainly approve of your decision, too."
"I think so, too." The two smiled at each other.
Naori's crown was a gold phoenix, but it wasn't overly exaggerated; it was generally delicate and small. Yet, it didn't make her look simple in the slightest.