"Nice one, Torifu! You even had Snowflake fly a lap around our wedding, you truly outdid yourself!"
Torifu gave a small smile. "It was nothing. This is all just to set the mood, you know? Look how happy the villagers are."
"Are you happy?"
Upon hearing this, Naori's smile grew even brighter. "Of course, I'm happy! I've been looking forward to this day for so long, but the wedding you gave me is ten thousand times better than anything I could have ever imagined."
Naori had never once considered having a wedding in the sky. As the first person in history to do so, Naori felt incredibly happy and proud. There was no other woman in the world who could be as blessed as she was today.
"By the way, I have a great relationship with Snowflake, too. How come I didn't know she could emit five-colored light?"
At that, Torifu couldn't help but laugh. "Haha, the so-called five-colored light is just because I tucked lots of small, colorful lights beneath her wings and feathers. The light shone on the crystal lamps and simply reflected off them."
This explanation left Naori slightly stunned. She truly hadn't expected the method to be so simple.
"Well, all I can say is you're clever."
At this moment, the two had walked to the front of the rose wall. They turned around and faced all the villagers.
A crystal ring materialized in front of Torifu. He cleared his throat, and his voice echoed throughout the entire room.
"Good afternoon, everyone, all the villagers and our guests from foreign lands."
A round of thunderous applause immediately erupted from the villagers. After the applause subsided, Torifu spoke again.
"Thank you all for attending Naori's and my wedding today. On behalf of my wife and myself, I express our deepest gratitude."
"However, please understand that due to the sheer number of people, the food preparations might not be entirely comprehensive."
"Hokage-sama! We don't care about that!"
"That's right, Torifu-sama and Naori-sama! You two must love each other forever!"
Torifu offered a slight smile. "Thank you for your blessings. I will."
The indoor lights shone upon the crystal-crafted rose wall, reflecting dazzling brilliance that made the entire room feel like it was immersed in a red sea of stars.
Torifu took Naori's hand and dropped to one knee.
With his other hand, he produced an exquisite wooden box, which was carved with the likeness of two children. Others couldn't see it clearly, but from Naori's perspective, she could distinctly make out the images of a young Torifu and herself.
At this sight, Naori's tears began to trace lines down her cheeks.
Torifu opened the box. Inside was a diamond-studded ring. Unlike the one from the proposal, this diamond was one that Torifu had spent a long time searching for, and he had set it onto this wedding band.
Torifu's face broke into a smile. "I promise before all the villagers of Konoha, I will always trust you and be your pillar of support. I will always stay by your side."
"My love for you will always exist, and it will be absolutely faithful. Whether life brings us good fortune or adversity. No matter what kind of life we are prepared to face. I will always be there for you."
"I will be with you through poverty or wealth."
"Do you take me to be your husband?"
Tears streamed endlessly from Naori's eyes, but her face was alight with joy. "I do."
The moment these two words were uttered, a thunderous, deafening applause immediately erupted throughout the hall! All the villagers were cheering!
This was no longer just the wedding of Torifu and Naori; it contained the blessings and hopes of all the villagers of Konoha. The villagers had waited for this wedding for too long.
Torifu placed the diamond ring on Naori's left ring finger, no longer able to hide the sheer joy on his own face.
He rose to his feet and immediately pulled Naori into an embrace.
A massive burst of rose petals appeared out of thin air above their heads and exploded!
The two embraced and kissed amidst this rain of rose petals, under the blessings of all the villagers, and the expectant gaze of their family.
Below the stage, Naori's father, Uchiha Teruya, watched the scene before him and couldn't hold back his tears.
"This is wonderful, truly wonderful…"
Although he had constantly been saying he wanted Naori to hurry up and get married, now that the day had actually arrived, he was, in fact, the most emotional one. After all, this was his little princess, whom he had spoiled since childhood—the most esteemed person in the entire Uchiha Clan. For her to be married today, how could he, as a father, not feel anything?
Hashirama felt the same way. Although Naori was not his biological daughter, she was close enough. He had watched her grow up since she was a child. Hashirama had been instructing Naori since she was six years old, all the way up to the present. He had long regarded Naori as his own daughter.
Hashirama got up and walked over to Teruya, patting his shoulder. "Naori will be happy. Have faith in that boy, Torifu; he has never disappointed anyone."
The marriage vows just now didn't sound insincere. Hashirama could hear that everything Torifu had said came straight from the heart.
Teruya wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. "That's right. That boy Torifu has never disappointed me. He will certainly make Naori happy."
The rose petal rain gradually fell, and Torifu and Naori also ended their kiss. Naori still had visible tears in her eyes, which Torifu gently wiped away with his hand.
"Don't cry, or your makeup will be ruined, and the Villagers will laugh at you."
Naori also wiped the corners of her eyes with her hand. "The tears these past few days are more than the total of my entire first half of life."
"Don't worry, I won't let you cry anymore."
Naori looked at Torifu with a smile. "I believe you."
Naori's tears could have been held back, but when she heard the vows Torifu had just spoken, she completely lost control. She had seen many weddings in her life, but no man had ever said such words to his wife. Naori was touched for a moment.
Most women, after marriage, had to devote themselves to taking care of children, washing clothes, and cooking. From then on, they would not leave their homes except for buying groceries. Even a woman of such high status as her Master's wife could not escape this life.
Before getting married, Torifu had explicitly told Naori that he would not make her live that kind of life. She should do whatever she wanted and pursue whatever she desired. This single promise was what made Naori fully commit to marrying Torifu.
Naori was a person with great ambitions; she would never be content to be confined to a household, washing clothes and cooking for the rest of her life. Torifu understood Naori very well, so it was impossible for him to let her live such a life. After all, a wife was not a housemaid. If they needed cooking and laundry done, it would be much better to simply hire a servant.
Torifu and Naori turned around. His voice once again echoed throughout the entire hall.