The Kage had already left. Torifu wondered what they felt earlier—had they felt the pressure? Torifu's other purpose for today was to show these Kage the strength of Konoha Village, lest they harbor any ill intentions. With this display of deterrence, they shouldn't dare to cause trouble, especially the Land of Water. No one had informed or invited them this time, yet Kirigakure had come on their own accord. While Torifu had let their past slide, he still had to guard against any small tricks or schemes they might have.
While others' reactions were unclear, Ichiryu had certainly felt a great deal of pressure. Now back in his apartment, the image of that gigantic Cloud Palace slowly descending kept playing in his mind. This was comparable to the power of the Sage of Six Paths!
"Mifune, I have truly realized what you've been telling me this time. But how can he be so terrifying when he's a young man the same age as you, or even two years younger?" Ichiryu's worldview felt shattered. Even when his master spoke of Senju Hashirama's frightening and world-destroying Great Buddha decades ago, he had never felt any fear. But today, he genuinely felt terror.
Mifune shook his head helplessly. "Master, how could I possibly know? Perhaps it's because his master, the First Hokage-sama, taught him well. But the Third Hokage's own natural talent must be immense as well."
Ichiryu nodded. "Yes, the Kumotsuru Clan, the Kumotsuru Clan... they must be incredibly strong."
Mifune felt that his Master was acting strangely and regretted bringing him out. To have his Master constantly startled and shocked—if this continued, he worried it might cause mental issues. The Land of Iron couldn't afford to lose its leader.
"Master, please don't overthink things. Calm your mind; otherwise, it won't be beneficial for your future training." Bushido was most wary of a heart filled with excessive distracting thoughts, and the shock Ichiryu had experienced had clearly made him doubt himself. If he didn't quickly escape this state, he might never be able to improve again.
But Ichiryu waved his hand. "It's fine. To be honest, I wasn't scared out of my wits by the Hokage's strength. There is fear, of course, but it's more the feeling that there are always stronger people out there." He had always been within the Land of Iron, naturally believing that aside from Hashirama, no one was his match. But now, it seemed he had been "a frog in a well." The Kage of these other villages were all highly skilled; while they might not be as strong as the Hokage, they weren't weaker than him either. They could, at the very least, fight to a draw.
"Master, you have to look at this openly. You're not the only one in the world who is improving; others are also working hard to refine their strength." While Ichiryu was the world's strongest Samurai, he was fine facing the Kage of other villages, even if he couldn't compare to the 'freaks' of Konoha Village.
At this thought, Ichiryu felt much more relaxed. For a long time, he had viewed Senju Hashirama as the mountain he absolutely had to surmount, believing this great mountain was blocking the path of the Samurai's development. But now, was that really the case? It seemed that the Land of Iron simply had too many problems, and a large portion of the Samurai were complacent. It was only natural that the former status of hegemony was replaced by the Ninja.
"Sigh, truly, comparing people is deadly, and comparing goods is throwing things away. Even if Senju Hashirama were still in this world, he might not be as great as this Kumotsuru Torifu."
"Eh? Master, what are you talking about? The First Hokage-sama, Hashirama, is still alive! I even went to pay my respects last time."
Upon hearing this, Ichiryu immediately stood up. "He's still alive! Take me at once! I must go pay my respects personally!"
Mifune was momentarily confused by his Master's behavior, but he quickly responded. "Master, now might not be the best time. Hashirama-sama must be busy with the wedding of his two disciples. Let's wait until after the wedding."
Ichiryu realized he had been abrupt, immediately sat down, and drank a cup of tea to stabilize his emotions. "I was a little rash. Coming to Konoha Village has truly shown me so much. No wonder you were so eager to change the Land of Iron and unite us with Konoha."
Mifune smiled. "Master, it's not too late now. We've already come to Konoha Village, and the Kage of the other Great Ninja Villages are here as well. We can absolutely seek their wisdom."
"Then we can integrate their strengths into our Land of Iron to bring about its gradual rebirth."
Ichiryu looked at Mifune. His disciple was excellent—quick-witted and forward-thinking. Everything he himself couldn't understand or see, Mifune could explain perfectly. Every time he saw Mifune, he felt the future of the Land of Iron was bright.
"By the way, Master, would you like to have a chat with the Tsuchikage next door? His attendant came this morning to deliver a message, saying the Tsuchikage-sama wishes to meet with you."
Ichiryu thought there was no harm in it. It was just a casual chat, exactly as Mifune had suggested: learning about the strengths of other nations and gradually integrating them into a reborn Land of Iron.
"Good. Let's schedule it for the afternoon. Just a short chat."
"Your wisdom is commendable, Master."
About two hours later, the setup inside the Cloud Palace was basically complete. The part-time workers were quite efficient, finishing the three thousand tables quickly. Afterward, they wandered around for another hour. Torifu didn't know what they were looking at; perhaps they were just curious. They looked left and right, but by lunchtime, they all walked down from the Cloud Palace.
Torifu went in and checked one last time. After confirming there was no one left, he raised the Cloud Palace back into the high sky. The actual wedding was tomorrow; he would let it descend then. Leaving it there would block the sunlight.
They worked quickly, and Torifu paid quickly. The total cost for all these people was around fifty thousand ryō—quite reasonable. After all, they only worked for about three hours, one of which was spent wandering, and Torifu still paid them. It was quite generous. The villagers had originally just wanted to help, never expecting to go to the actual wedding venue. Everyone was ecstatic. They'd have been happy to pay Torifu, let alone take the money. So, no one complained about the small sum.
"I owe you a debt of thanks this time, Boss. You solved a huge problem for me."
The owner rubbed his belly and laughed heartily. "Hokage-sama, if you'll excuse my boldness, I watched you grow up since you were a child. Now that you're getting married, I'll naturally do my best to help you." It had been over twenty years since Torifu first met the owner at the age of six.