Chapter 387: Exceeding Expectations
With Naruto's wedding concluded, everyone returned to their respective homes. However, the other ninja of the same generation who had partners began preparing for their own weddings. Since Naruto had already tied the knot, they couldn't afford to fall behind.
Meanwhile, the other Kage took the things they had discovered in Konoha back to their own villages to kickstart their own development. Konoha had remained consistently advanced; various companies were springing up like mushrooms after rain, showcasing the village's prosperity to the fullest.
In Tobitake Tonbo's view, the current Konoha undoubtedly rivaled many major cities from his previous life. After all, with the existence of chakra, many things didn't need to follow conventional logic—they could simply be built.
"Next up are the weddings for everyone else. Better start getting ready."
Most of these weddings would likely happen around the same time. He could just replicate the setup used for Naruto. As for gifts, he would follow the same pattern. Since he had watched almost all of the Konoha 11 grow up, repeating the process was simple.
"Big Brother Naruto's wedding was so beautiful. When I grow up, I want one just like it," Maki Tobitake said, her eyes full of longing. She was already fifteen; it wouldn't be long now. Having a boyfriend already, she was already fantasizing about what she would look like in a wedding dress.
Tianyu Tobitake chimed in, "Sister, you're only fifteen, don't overthink it. Besides, Wataru probably doesn't have the money to throw such a grand wedding for you." Wataru Itabu came from an ordinary family in Konoha, unlike theirs.
"Che, you can't even win over Big Sister Hanabi, yet you're worrying about my future? Big Brother Naruto was from an ordinary background too. Besides, even if Wataru is from a common family, I'm not! I'll have Dad give me an incredibly luxurious and romantic wedding—even more romantic than Big Brother Naruto's. I believe in Dad's abilities."
Maki wasn't discouraged by Tianyu's words. Instead, she began plotting how to use Tobitake Tonbo to come up with an even more romantic wedding. She had the money, and she had a capable father.
Upon hearing this, an image of a brown-haired girl flashed through Tianyu's mind, pushing his former crush, Hanabi, out of his thoughts. He realized his heart had shifted; his target was no longer Hanabi, but Hinoko—an old classmate.
He shot his sister a look. She was right; in the future, he too would hold a magnificent wedding, even better than Naruto's. And for that, he would need his father.
"I don't even like Hanabi anymore. I was just curious about the heir to the Hyuga clan," he said stubbornly. He used to like her, but now? Sorry, he had moved on. Hinoko's uninhibited, gentle, and direct nature suited him perfectly. Plus, she was beautiful, and she seemed to have liked him all along.
Maki looked at her brother suspiciously, trying to read something in his eyes. Finally, seeing his open and unconcerned expression, she made a deduction.
"You have a new love." Her tone was absolute.
"Mind your business! You should worry about your Wataru. If he ever has a change of heart, don't come crying to me," Tianyu redirected the topic. He was telling the truth—if he could shift from Hanabi to Hinoko, Wataru was a man too; maybe they thought alike. He was worried his sister wouldn't be able to handle it.
Maki sneered. "Heh, you definitely moved on and found someone new. Now you're projecting your own behavior onto Wataru. Wataru is way better than you; worry about yourself."
She saw right through her brother's thoughts. They were twins and geniuses in perception; she could feel Tianyu's emotional state.
"Che, I'm leaving. Going on a date. I'm going to get Dad to set up a great wedding for me too!" Exposed, Tianyu stopped pretending and laid his cards on the table. Maki watched her brother walk away with disdain.
Successively, Neji, Tenten, and the others began their own weddings. They were all grand affairs. Whether it was Neji and Tenten or Shikamaru and Temari, they were all members of major clans and had no habit of being frugal with weddings.
Tobitake Tonbo presented his gifts one by one. A sense of the passage of time began to rise in his heart. He was getting older; the children had grown up. They were no longer the youths of the past. They had all started families and taken on responsibilities.
He had been the same way back then. Since they were marrying at around the same age, the mental shift felt even stronger. Unknowingly, he had been in the Shinobi world for over twenty years, watching the characters he once loved grow up and get married. That feeling was incomparable. Witnessing the rings of time, he realized something. Life is about watching the little things around you slowly grow.
"Life goes on, and memories will keep accumulating. The children have grown, and so have I."
A smile touched Tonbo's lips. He looked at the youths holding their weddings: Neji and Tenten, Kiba and Tamaki, Shikamaru and Temari, Choji and Karui...
The images flickered before his eyes like a slideshow. Finally, the scene shifted to a massive space, with a giant moon-like sphere hanging above.
"And I shall provide a guarantee for a better life in the future."
After years of research, his new ninjutsu was finally complete: World Harmonization.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
He created several Shadow Clones and then used the Summoning Jutsu to bring forth the Shield of the World he had been researching.
"Brothers, let's go."
The original body stood confidently, holding the Shield of the World.
"Boss, don't take this lightly. Even if the damage is returned, the pain is still yours," a clone said, exasperated. After all the experiments lately, wasn't the repeated pain enough for him? They should have used beasts for the experiments instead. Testing it on himself—he was truly a genius.
"Less talk. I'm the original; listen to me."
As soon as Tonbo spoke, several figures struck instantly. Kunai slashed across his body.
"World Harmonization."
Blood sprayed into the air, as thick as mercury. One could sense the massive life energy within it. This was a physical change accompanying his evolution toward a massive chakra capacity over the years. The blood was thick and didn't disperse even when scattered in the air. His life level had already changed.
Boom!
An invisible force shifted, and a phantom set of scales appeared in the air, connecting the original body with the Shadow Clones who used the power. The original was low; the clones were high.
Clang!
The scales suddenly leveled out. Wounds identical to the original's appeared on the clones, and then...
Poof, poof, poof...
The clones all took the damage and vanished. Meanwhile, the injuries on Tonbo's original body slowly faded, creating tiny ripples on the Shield of the World in his hand.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!