"I'm glad he's satisfied. I was worried that your uncle might not accept the outfit due to different beliefs."
Naori laughed upon hearing this. "How could that be? Father isn't that old-fashioned; he's willing to accept new things. Besides, this was my own decision, and he respects me greatly."
That was certainly true. His future father-in-law even used his Mangekyō Sharingan when playing Naruto, which made playing against him a sweaty affair. As the saying goes, 'you're bad but you love to play,' but it didn't matter. If he was bad, he cheated; if he couldn't lose, he cheated. It was an ability he was born with, so there was nothing anyone could say to him, except perhaps to bind him with moral arguments.
After chatting with Naori for a while, the tension in Torifu's heart eased considerably. It seemed the nervousness truly stemmed from the fact that they couldn't see each other. Fortunately, Torifu would be able to go to the Uchiha Clan compound to fetch the bride early tomorrow morning.
The couple had already finalized the schedule. The villagers had to enter the Cloud Palace before eleven o'clock. Torifu and Naori would step into the Cloud Palace precisely at noon, walk across the red crystal path, and formally complete their wedding ceremony.
Torifu didn't have much to do, but Naori, conversely, was quite busy. She had to wake up early to wash and prepare, and then put on all those complicated head ornaments, which took time and effort. Luckily, the maidservants in the Uchiha Clan were quite clever and had already learned how to properly wear the head ornaments and wedding attire. So, Torifu didn't have much to worry about.
The only remaining concern was ensuring the villagers entered the Cloud Palace and were seated early. It would be rather unsightly if villagers were still walking in when the bride and groom made their entrance. To make the wedding as perfect as possible, the villagers absolutely had to be inside the Cloud Palace before eleven. He figured everyone would cooperate willingly.
"Big Brother, lunch is ready!" Amado's voice called out. Torifu answered and walked out of the room. Seeing his brothers and disciples already seated in the pavilion waiting to eat, he smiled and walked over.
"Tomorrow at noon, you guys better bring something to eat. There won't be much to eat at the Cloud Palace."
Minato waved his hand. "It's fine, Big Brother. Skipping one meal won't hurt, and aren't there nuts and cake inside? That can fill our stomachs."
Amado agreed. "He's right. No one will likely want to eat anything; all eyes will be on you two."
Torifu nodded helplessly. "Alright, then do as you wish, but don't blame me for poor hospitality if you get hungry."
From where Torifu was sitting, he could see the full layout of the Kumotsuru Clan compound. The house Torifu lived in was the one his father had assigned him when he was a child, and he had lived there until adulthood. Living alone wasn't a problem, but it would be different after getting married. Starting tomorrow, Naori would be living with him, and living in his old room would be cramped for a married couple.
"In the afternoon, those who are free, help me move. Move all the furniture from my room into my father's room."
Without needing to ask, everyone knew what this meant.
"Got it, Big Brother. I'm free this afternoon; I'll help you move."
His brothers and disciples all offered to help, which naturally lifted Torifu's spirits, and his appetite improved as well. As the Kumotsuru Clan head, he hadn't moved into the main residence before. One reason was to remember his father and mother. The other was that he felt he wasn't a very competent clan head. After all, he was the only one left in the family, and for a clan with a great name, the Kumotsuru Clan was utterly depleted.
Now that he was an adult and had restored the Kumotsuru Clan's reputation throughout the Ninja World, he was certainly qualified to move in, but he had been too lazy to bother. This wedding presented the perfect opportunity to move directly into the main residence. It was logical—they were getting married, and they might start a family soon. Moving into the main residence felt fully justified.
After lunch, the dishes were cleaned up. Torifu went to the main residence ahead of time to look around. He didn't usually come here; only the hired servants came to clean.
"Nothing has changed."
Torifu walked inside. All the furnishings were still the same as they were twenty years ago. The servants had been meticulous in their cleaning, leaving everything exactly as it was.
He came to the bedroom and saw the familiar painting on the wall. It was through the secret room behind this painting that Torifu learned his Kumotsuru Clan actually had a formidable background and wasn't just some random lineage.
"Father, Mother, your son is getting married tomorrow. I wonder if you can see this." Torifu's words carried a slight sadness. Although he had only spent a few years with his parents, they had truly been the happiest, most carefree years of his life. If they were still alive now, what would they be like? Their images in Torifu's memory were already somewhat blurred. He also wondered if they would like Naori. He wasn't usually so talkative, so why was this happening right before his wedding? Torifu found it a little strange.
"Father, Mother, your son is moving in today. As the head of the Kumotsuru Clan, I believe I am finally worthy." The room was empty. His father's and mother's spirit tablets were placed in a side hall, but Torifu didn't go there. After staying in the room for a while longer, Torifu left.
After the afternoon nap, his brothers and disciples began helping to move Torifu's furniture into the main residence.
"Sensei, is this the main residence? Was this your father's and mother's house? I've never actually been here before," Yahiko said, sounding surprised. This house was much larger than the one Torifu lived in before, almost twice the size. You could feel how spacious it was as soon as you entered.
Because the house had undergone a second round of repairs, the electrical wiring and such were all installed, but the original layout was maintained. The exterior of the house had been fully renovated once.
Minato smiled upon hearing Yahiko's words. "Don't feel bad; even I haven't been here. Brother Amado probably hasn't either, since this was Big Brother's parents' sleeping chamber. Others weren't allowed to enter casually."
Yahiko nodded. "So Amado Uncle and Minato haven't been here either."
Konan lightly punched Yahiko. "Less talking, more working!"
Yahiko, having been lightly punched, closed his mouth and obediently moved the items he could handle. As for the heavier things, Torifu simply used his Space Ring for transport. After about an hour of busy work, all the belongings were finally moved in. He would hire a cleaning woman to tidy up the old room later. It might become a children's room in the future. However, Torifu hadn't decided on the specifics; he would discuss it with the mistress of the house once she moved in.