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.
All the appliances inside the house were arranged, and the basic layout hadn't been altered much. Mainly, there wasn't much to move; appliances were simply placed in corners. The visible furnishings were mostly unchanged. As for how things would proceed, he would wait for Naori to arrive and discuss it with her. This was, after all, their wedding home.
Just as Torifu finished up and was about to take a rest, the phone rang.
"Hello, Sensei, why are you calling now? Is something the matter?"
Hashirama's voice came through the phone. "Nothing much. I saw your wedding hall this morning and was quite impressed, but I figured you must be busy, so I didn't call you then."
"Speaking of which, are you really going to have thirty thousand people at your wedding? They could drown you in a spoonful of spit."
Torifu chuckled. "Haha, Sensei, you're exaggerating! The villagers wouldn't spit on me, would they?"
"It was just a metaphor; don't take it literally."
Torifu responded, "I know what you're worried about, Sensei—safety, primarily. The Cloud Palace is very sturdy; you don't need to worry at all. As for the village's safety, I'll send Shadow Clones to stand guard."
Hearing that Torifu had already taken care of everything, Hashirama quietly thought to himself that his boy had truly grown up.
"Very good. You're certainly a man ready to start a family. When you answered the phone just now, you sounded a bit breathless. What were you busy with?"
"Haha, I just finished moving from my old house into my father's and mother's room. I'm getting married, after all. Before, it didn't matter, but now it does."
Hashirama nodded. "That's right. Your father and mother would certainly be very happy to see you getting married." Hashirama's call was simply to chat with Torifu, see if he was nervous before the wedding, or if he needed help with anything. Seeing that his disciple had handled everything very well, he, as the Sensei, was relieved.
Just as he was about to end the call, Torifu suddenly said, "Sensei, would you and Aunt Mito be willing to attend my wedding as my parents?"
Hashirama was silent on the other end of the line.
Torifu continued, "Since I was six years old, you and Aunt have always guided me, taken care of me, taught me all sorts of Ninjutsu, and educated me on how to be a person, helping me understand my own will."
"There's an old saying in my family: A teacher for a day is a father for life. So I hope you can attend my wedding as my father."
Torifu spoke these words seemingly calmly, but his heart was racing. He wasn't good at saying sappy things, and saying them to his closest Sensei made him even more self-conscious.
After a long while, Hashirama burst into laughter and said, "Hahaha, you sly dog! I accept! Your Aunt and I will attend the wedding as your parents!"
"In our hearts, you have always been like a son to us."
Hashirama had watched Torifu grow up from the age of six to the moment he was about to start his own family. Torifu had been through so much, transforming from a strong young boy who lost his parents to the Hokage of Konoha Village, who now maintained peace in the entire Ninja World. His Sensei had witnessed it all.
"Thank you, Sensei..."
Hashirama ended the call first. Torifu saw the call disconnect, sat down on a chair, and let out a long sigh of relief. After saying those words to his Sensei, the nervousness in his heart diminished even further, almost completely disappearing.
Meanwhile, Hashirama couldn't calm down after hanging up the phone. A man who had never cried in his life shed a tear at that moment. He had always viewed Torifu as a son in his heart, and knowing that Torifu viewed him as a father filled him with immense joy. The emotion was overwhelming.
He had always paid more attention to Torifu than to his own son. After all, his son had left home early and hadn't returned once over the years. He might be living in seclusion somewhere, or he might have died long ago. This was one of Hashirama's deepest regrets. Therefore, after taking Torifu and Naori as his disciples, he poured all his energy into them. He guided them with all his heart, and tomorrow was the day his two disciples were getting married. It filled him with immense pride that he, their Sensei, would attend their wedding as a father. It was a marvelous thing for him, a relic of a bygone era who should have retired, to witness the dawn of a new age with his own eyes.
Mito, in the kitchen, had overheard the conversation between her husband and Torifu, and she secretly wiped away tears, ensuring no one saw her. Her feelings mirrored Hashirama's. Watching the two children grow up over the years filled her with genuine happiness. When she heard Torifu propose to Naori, she was so happy she didn't sleep a wink all night. Everything she felt was from a mother's perspective. Mito had long treated both Torifu and Naori as her own children.
"Torifu, Naori, be happy."
With that, Mito wiped the tears from her eyes and continued preparing dinner.
Night fell quickly. Torifu was in a good mood today and specifically cooked some of his best dishes—all the flavors that everyone loved. Yahiko and Konan had also grown used to Torifu's cooking during their time here.
"Wow, Sensei! This is really delicious!" Konan exclaimed happily.
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.