Sensing the approaching chakra, many nearby ninjas instinctively tensed up, slipping into a combat-ready stance out of habit. Confusion flickered across their faces, but only for a moment. Just as quickly, they relaxed. After all, this was deep within the locked-down interior of the Land of Lightning, and the chakra signature was approaching from the direction of their village. It was unlikely to be an enemy.
Many among them remembered that today was the expected arrival of the Daimyo, his officials, and various guests. Some shinobi had even been assigned as guides or escorts. With that thought, the tension melted away, and most returned to their work, their brief alarm fading into the background.
However, the ones who remained truly surprised were those in charge, including Kohana and Tsunade's group, and even Ay himself. Their expressions turned serious. Unlike the others, they knew the full layout of their forces. And as far as they were concerned, there were no flying ninjas in Kumogakure.
When Ay descended to join the Daimyo's party, the unusual chakra became even clearer. It wasn't just powerful, it was familiar. The moment it reached within range, Kohana's eyes widened in realization.
"It's Ron," she said suddenly. "Ron is coming!"
Ay, standing nearby, let out a low chuckle. "So he's made something new again, huh?"
Tsunade, Kurama, and the Katsuya Sage all turned their eyes skyward. It was the first time they were about to see this mysterious child, the one who had been mentioned in every corner of their journey, directly or indirectly. So many changes, so much advancement, so many questions, they all seemed to converge on this single person.
Far on the horizon, where thick storm clouds loomed overhead like a barrier, visibility was almost zero. But then, suddenly, the darkness was pierced. A single point in the clouds began to glow and then broke open as if something had punched a hole straight through the clouds.
Immediately from that rupture emerged a white streak tinged with a faint sky-blue hue. It wasn't quite lightning chakra mode, nor was it the greenish glow of yang-type chakra mode. It was lighter, more ethereal, almost transparent, yet vibrant. It shimmered like distilled energy itself, difficult to define but impossible to ignore. To some, it might have seemed like a refined evolution of the Lightning Chakra Cloak, but to those attuned to chakra, it felt like something entirely different most importantly there were no visible lightning, as if cloaked in a chakra mode with ethereal and transparent chakra, but still visibly outlining the shape and form.
Ron shot across the sky like a meteorite, trailing faint streaks of chakra behind him. The aura he emitted wasn't overwhelming or oppressive; it was clean, almost gentle, but undeniably powerful. The chakra signature didn't flare with aggression; instead, it resonated with control and purpose.
Then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, Ron decelerated mid-air, his speed decreasing in perfect balance. He hovered precisely above the gathering ten meters off the ground. There, he stopped completely, suspended in the air with no visible effort. The crowd below watched in stunned silence.
From that height, he just dropped down, which was nothing to ninjas if he came down, it might raise dust, and destroy the ground, Of course he believed soon he could perfect the landing and take-off so that the chakra force is more dispersed, especially during the take off, so it does not damage the grounds too much. Despite his gentle landing, the energy trailing behind him previously carried a force so fierce that even those on the ground could feel it, the same force that, unleashed carelessly, could uproot trees or hurl people away, of course, normal people, not ninjas necessarily.
Everyone watched.
The one behind the storm had arrived.