Naori and Amado had also finished their cooking. One had made sushi, and the other had made braised fish. It was obvious that the sushi was Naori's contribution.
In addition, Naori had made a sukiyaki hotpot.
These two simple dishes were classic gourmet offerings in the ninja world and could be found in nearly any village. They were deeply loved by many people.
Before long, Minato arrived as well, carrying a large basin of bright red food to the pavilion. The moment he set the dish on the table, a spicy aroma instantly filled the entire pavilion.
"I didn't expect it, Minato! You actually like eating things this spicy."
Minato chuckled. "I really enjoy it, which is why I made this dish. Speaking of which, Big Brother taught me the name for it: what was it... Maoxuewang? I think that was the name."
"Maoxuewang? What a strange name, but it looks really good!" Naori said with a smile, already feeling impatient.
[T/N: It's a Boiled Blood Curd Dish intestines and stuff. Google it XD]
Over the past few months, preparing for the wedding, Naori hadn't dared to eat any greasy or spicy food. Now that the wedding had concluded successfully, she no longer had to worry about spice or grease and could finally eat her fill.
"Let's dig in."
The moment Torifu finished speaking, countless chopsticks were already reaching into the dishes, eagerly snatching up portions.
When Torifu looked back, only one piece of sushi was left on the platter. Naori saw that Torifu hadn't gotten any, so she quickly picked up the last piece and placed it in his bowl.
"Hurry and taste it. How's your wife's cooking?"
Torifu smiled, popping the sushi into his mouth, and then gave a thumbs-up. "It tastes really great!"
Seeing this, Naori grinned happily. "Hehe, I'm glad you like it."
This meal showcased the skill of every chef now residing in the Kumotsuru Clan compound. Everyone had presented their most signature dish, and they ate until they were fully satisfied.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the sky was completely dark, and Konoha Village's streetlights began to operate.
Naori activated her Sharingan and saw that there was no one left on the Cloud Palace's platform, so she told Torifu.
"They probably went inside the hall to sleep."
He didn't need to think twice; there were bound to be curious people who decided to spend the night up there. After today, they wouldn't know when the Cloud Palace would open again, so they surely wanted to make the most lasting impression possible.
After all the villagers came down tomorrow, Torifu planned to remove most of the cloud Chakra from the Cloud Palace, allowing it to return to its original, smaller size. Otherwise, even if it rose into the sky, it would still block the sunlight. Torifu loved sunbathing, and this would certainly affect his mood.
After Minato and Amado finished washing the dishes, they returned to their rooms to rest. They had been busy for a full day and were understandably tired. Torifu and Naori also watched the stars in the yard for a while before heading inside to sleep.
The next morning, when Torifu woke up, he found Naori lying on her side, watching him.
"Oh, you're awake. I hope I didn't stare you awake?"
Torifu smiled and kissed Naori. "No, I wake up around this time every day."
Torifu stretched and then went to the washroom in his pajamas. "Aren't you coming to wash up? I prepared your things for you."
"You go first. I'll come in a minute."
"By the way, I need to go home today to move some of my things over. Do you have time?"
Torifu considered the request. "I'll send a clone to go with you. You know, the other Kage have been waiting in Konoha for days now."
Naori thought it over and realized he was right. If people found out that the Hokage's real body was helping his wife move while only sending a clone to deal with them, even the most amicable guests would surely feel insulted.
"That's fine then. You go negotiate with the Kage. Just send a clone for me."
Naori was not angry or petulant. She and Torifu had been dating for so long and this wasn't their first day together, so she would never say something like, 'You choose work over me.' Furthermore, as the Hokage's wife and his former student, she understood the difficulties of his position even more. Just like her Master back then, who was often busy until late at night before he could return home, her Mistress never complained.
Compared to her Master, Torifu had many ways to be lazy, so he wouldn't fail to come home every night. However, when faced with special circumstances, Torifu had to be present in person.
Today's meeting was one such example.
They were all Kage, and it would be immediately obvious whether the person sent was the original or a clone. Sending a clone to attend the negotiations would undoubtedly be a huge insult to the other Kage. Torifu wouldn't do that.
After about twenty or thirty minutes, Torifu finished washing up. He prepared to take a chair to the doorway to enjoy the sun, as usual.
But as soon as he sat down, he remembered the Cloud Palace still needed to be dealt with.
After telling Naori inside the house, Torifu turned into a wisp of cloud Chakra and flew up to the Cloud Palace.
When he entered, he was astonished!
Nearly a thousand people had spent the night inside!
Torifu stood at the doorway and clapped his hands. "Everyone, wake up! The Cloud Palace is about to disintegrate! Everyone must get up quickly and evacuate the Cloud Palace in an orderly fashion!"
Hearing Torifu's voice, the villagers who were still a bit grumpy from being woken up immediately became alert. They quickly approached Torifu. "Hokage-sama, is this…?"
Before they could finish, Torifu cut them off. "Stop talking! The Cloud Palace was overly burdened from yesterday's transport and now needs to be disassembled and repaired! Hurry, get down now!"
Seeing how serious the Hokage-sama was, the villagers immediately formed a line and exited the Cloud Palace via the cloud-ladder.
From the moment Torifu arrived until all the villagers had descended, only fifteen minutes had passed. If Torifu hadn't used such urgent language, they probably would have lingered and tried to stay even longer.
He then went inside the hall and inspected the surroundings, finding no villagers hiding. Anyone who wished to live should have left. Once the Cloud Palace disintegrated and rose into the sky, the people inside would never be able to leave. They wouldn't be able to hear their cries and would simply wait to die.
Torifu shouted a few more times inside, using some harsher words.
Seeing that absolutely no one came out, he closed the main door.
He suddenly leaped up and flew into the air.
Clapping his hands together, the Cloud Palace instantly collapsed.
The colossal palace turned into a roiling sea of clouds! It nearly covered the entire sky above Konoha Village!
Most of the villagers witnessed this spectacle and felt a deep sense of regret over the disintegration of the Cloud Palace. At the same time, they were relieved that they had witnessed and recorded its moment of greatest glory, feeling it was worth the experience.
Gradually, the chaotic sea of clouds subsided, and the Cloud Palace, now shrunk to a fraction of its former size, rose into the high sky and vanished.
Torifu absorbed all the Chakra from the clouds into his Cloud Ball and tossed it far away.
The sun once again shone down upon Konoha Village.