Chapter 395: Two Weddings
November, Ninja World Year 50.
"As many of you know, the groom and I were classmates. Of course, it felt like he spent half his life in school while I graduated early. Back in our Academy days, this man was a real celebrity. Out of a hundred girls, ten of them liked him... and the other ninety liked me."
Inside the grand hall of the hotel, Yotsuki Dana-sama, dressed in a sharp formal suit, spoke eloquently from the stage. His banter drew a wave of laughter from the guests below.
To have the Consul of the Federation act as the wedding witness was a rare and singular honor, even if the groom was currently rolling his eyes with a "dead fish" expression.
Beside the groom, the bride, Kaoru Uchiha, looked serene and gentle with her long black hair. She covered her mouth with a small hand and giggled softly. "So, was your school life really that colorful, Hiroto-kun?"
Hiroto Uzumaki clicked his tongue, looking utterly speechless.
Nearby, Kayo, whose lower abdomen was slightly rounded, chimed in, "Actually, Sister-in-law, out of a hundred girls, ninety-nine liked Dana-Nii-san. The last one was simply determined to stay single for life."
Today was the wedding of Hiroto Uzumaki, the famous "Crimson Fortress." Naturally, the scale of the ceremony was massive, with a guest list that included nearly every prominent figure in the Federation.
The bride, Kaoru Uchiha, was the daughter of an Uchiha Elder. The two had met two years ago while serving in a Joint Squad. It was a classic case of mutual attraction, and their relationship had progressed rapidly.
The wedding was attended not only by the Federation high command and veterans of the old Cloud Village but also by a significant delegation from the Uchiha Clan.
Serving as flower boys, Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha diligently tossed handfuls of petals into the air from their baskets.
Intermarrying with an "outside" clan required a fair amount of mental adjustment for the Uchiha, but seeing the hall filled with such prestigious guests, Fugaku Uchiha felt that this political move had been a masterstroke.
Perhaps because Dana had married so young, by the time his peer Hiroto was just tying the knot, Dana's third child was already nearly due.
However, the child currently expected wasn't the one in Kayo's womb. It was the child of his fourth wife, Yotsuki Teru (Kaguya). Kayo's child still had at least eight months of pregnancy left.
The gestation period for Dana's bloodline was simply absurdly long.
The Consul's speech wasn't long, but it ignited the atmosphere of the room. The entire venue was immersed in joy.
Yotsuki Mao, who had come to attend the wedding with her father, hopped up onto the stage after the speech. She presented a gift to the groom with both hands.
"Uncle Hiroto! This is a gift I prepared for you!"
Hiroto looked at the item in Mao's hands—a toad frozen solid inside a block of ice—and his expression turned incredibly strange.
"It can even talk! I'm not lying!" Mao said with an innocent smile. "It tried to talk to me yesterday, so I kept it to give to you, Uncle!"
Looking at Mao's pure, guileless face, Hiroto couldn't bear to hurt her feelings. He could only pretend to be delighted as he accepted the "gift."
The wedding was a resounding success. Three days later, the same venue hosted yet another ceremony.
Dana stood on the stage once more as the witness.
"As we all know, our groom today is an exceptionally 'domesticated' man. I have full confidence that in the future, he will be the ultimate support for his bride, providing a strong and stable foundation from behind the scenes..."
Below the stage, Minato Namikaze, dressed in his formal attire, laughed awkwardly. Beside him, Kushina Uzumaki blushed a deep shade of crimson.
Today was the wedding of Minato and Kushina. One was the Hokage, the other a member of Consul Guard Squad One... well, that title didn't matter as much as the fact that she was the Perfect Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
This was another heavyweight wedding. Minato had originally considered holding it in Konoha, but Kushina had vetoed the idea, insisting on Cloud City.
Many of the guests were the exact same people from three days prior; they had attended the Crimson Fortress's wedding and stayed for the Hokage's.
Moving forward, the couple would settle in Cloud City. After all, the "Blond Flash" had the Flying Thunder God. Teleporting to Konoha in the morning to work as Hokage and returning to Cloud City in the evening to be a "house-husband" was no trouble at all.
In fact, the Federation had now opened up a portion of the Heavenly Transfer capacity for civilian use. Even those without Space-Time Ninjutsu could play this game—working in Cloud City by day and returning to the Land of Earth for tea by night. However, the cost was high; without an official expense account, the average person couldn't afford the commute.
Yotsuki Mao, participating in yet another wedding, performed another "magic trick" and produced another frozen toad.
"Auntie Kushina, I can't be biased. This one is for you. It can talk too, but it has a bit of a foul mouth and likes to curse. It stopped once I froze it, though! This is my wedding gift to you both."
Kushina accepted the block of ice with an awkward smile.
Man, this is really cold, she thought, her fingers going numb. The Federation's little princess has terrifying talent...
When I was her age, I probably couldn't even mold chakra...
End of Ninja World Year 50.
Consul Yotsuki Dana welcomed his second son.
Following his eldest daughter, Yotsuki Mao, and his first son, Yotsuki Keiji, his fourth wife, Yotsuki Teru, gave birth to a son. He was named Yotsuki Kimimaro.
Ninja World Year 51.
Five years had passed since the establishment of the Federation, and over three years since the total unification of the continent. The entire ninja world was flourishing. Whether shinobi or commoner, all lived and worked in peace under the Federation's banner.
With no clear external pressure (publicly known), the Federation focused its energy on development and progress. Technology and civil livelihood changed daily.
With the full promotion of the "Ninjutsu-fication of Agriculture," the Federation had effectively eliminated systemic hunger.
June, Year 51.
Consul Yotsuki Dana welcomed his second daughter, born to his third wife, Kayo. She was named Yotsuki Karin.
Following a council meeting, the era name was officially changed from "Ninja World" to "Federation," with the year number remaining the same.
July, Federation Year 51.
The head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku Uchiha, welcomed his second son. He was named Sasuke Uchiha.
August, Federation Year 51.
The first fleet of mass-produced Floating Fortress Islands entered active service. This batch consisted of 40 units. The flagship measured 800 meters in diameter, while standard vessels were 400 meters. The flagship was designed as a ceremonial vessel, while the others were combat-ready. The Grand General (Third Raikage) led the fleet on a three-month world tour.
October, Federation Year 51.
The Fifth Hokage welcomed a son. Due to his unique family dynamic and lack of a surname on Minato's side, the child took his mother's name. He was named Naruto Uzumaki.
November, Federation Year 51.
The Consul took a fifth wife. Her origins were shrouded in mystery, known to no one.
In the same month, Group 3 of the "Root Source" Project achieved a major technological breakthrough.
End of Federation Year 51.
The "Heavenly Palace" Project successfully developed a mass-producible small-scale aircraft, primarily for individual use. To maximize a ninja's combat capability, they abandoned the "utility craft" route Dana had originally envisioned in favor of an "Auxiliary Individual Flight Unit" that combined Suna's puppet technology with the "Super Light-Weight Rock Technique."
Paired with the previous medium-sized craft results, Phase 1 of the Heavenly Palace Project was declared complete, and work began on Phase 2.
From this point on, the Federation entered a new cycle of high-speed development.
With the wide-scale popularization of Chakra Technology, the world progressed at a dizzying pace. Centuries of untapped potential were unleashed as ninja units and clans alike poured out countless new discoveries.
This era would later be known as "The Glorious Decade."