Soon, under Ed's surprised and curious gaze, Ron entered Lightning Chakra Mode. Before Ed could even ask what he was planning to do, what reason he had for bringing them to this godforsaken, super-high plateau surrounded by steep, misty mountains. Ron's entire aura shifted. The region was battered by storms, flooded with swirling rainwater and thunderclouds so thick they crawled up the mountainsides like living things, blocking the sky entirely.
Ron's lightning chakra mode wasn't the usual flickering electric blue. It began to shift, hints of green weaving into the current, transforming the glow into a bluish-green hue that shimmered like lightning dancing on emerald glass.
Ed watched in awe, curiosity burning in his eyes. He'd come to talk about the new Concealment Seals Ron had spoken of and was curious of what Ron planned to do here, but now his attention was utterly captured by the aura surrounding him. Unlike the standard Lightning Chakra Mode infamous for making others feel an eerie, skin-prickling pressure, this one had something more. It retained that familiar sharpness, but beneath it was a layered sense of raw destructiveness and overwhelming pressure, as if Ron's very presence could tear through the air itself.
Without a word, Ron clasped his fists together and arched his back. The stance was reminiscent of a scene from Namek, when Goku, in a moment of pure rage, first transformed into a Super Saiyan. In that instant, Ron's chakra surged to its limit. The water pooled at his feet quivered and then rippled outward in concentric waves before suddenly bursting into mist from the sheer pressure of his aura.
Ron wasn't sure why he'd assumed that posture. It was instinctual; something about it made him feel as though he could push out his maximum chakra output. A little immature, maybe, he thought to himself, but effective.
Seeing Ed's wide-eyed gaze, Ron murmured, "Starting is always the hardest part, but once I'm moving, I won't need to output this much chakra anymore. Watch carefully, Ed. This is my new technique, the Sky Dance/Bukujutsu Technique."
As he spoke, a memory flashed across his mind. The scene where Gohan earnestly teaches Videl how to fly for the first time by showing how to focus and gather Ki in between hands in order to feel Ki. Ron had always found that scene touching; as a kid with his pure, innocent, and determined mind, he would go at it and attempt to do the same as Videl, trying to gather Ki in order or fly, trying to learn it. This innocent and embarrassing memory had stayed with him for years.
As that memory passed through him, the once-chaotic aura surrounding Ron suddenly stilled. His chakra became focused, controlled, all its force directed downward in a singular, refined burst.
With a sharp, thunderous crack, the water beneath him, full of rainwater, exploded outward like a small tsunami. In the next moment, Ron shot into the air like a bolt of living lightning. Ed could only watch in shock as Ron pierced through the thick storm clouds, his glowing figure trailing vibrant streaks of bluish-green light. In mere seconds, he was gone, swallowed by the sky above.
Above the clouds, Ron emerged into stillness. A clear, unbroken sky stretched out around him. Though he felt slightly short of breath, it was nothing he couldn't handle. For most civilians, just reaching this high-altitude plateau would require oxygen masks and mountaineering gear. But Ron understood; ninjas were different. Even without chakra, their biology operated on a different level, each body and cell different and hardened by a lifetime of training and energy manipulation.
He gazed at the distant world below, the jagged Lightning Mountain Range peaks, now seeming small from this height. He thought to himself.
"On Earth, people would struggle to breathe up here. But for a shinobi, this is just another step upward. Even higher altitudes won't stop us. It may be exhausting, yes, but not impossible, not fatal. Especially strong ninjas, biologically each is built differently."
As the wind whistled past him, Ron dialed down his aura, easing out of the rapid ascent. His acceleration slowed until he achieved a gentle glide, maintaining altitude and speed in the open sky like a free bird.
Maintaining speed took barely any effort now. Just the faintest output of chakra was enough. The hardest part, as he'd said, was starting from rest. But once in motion, the chakra exertions became effortless for people like him with shadow-level chakra.
As he circled the sky, Ron's usually stoic face softened. His eyes, always calm and distant, now sparkled with rare excitement. Whether it was the memories of the anime he loved, the unexpected peace of soaring above the world, or simply the exhilaration of flight itself, something had stirred inside him.
And then, he smiled.
It was the smile of someone tasting joy, not as a passing emotion but as something deeply familiar. Something primal. Like a Saiyan on the verge of battle, thrilled by the rush.
For all his maturity and wisdom due to his brain and spirit, Ron hadn't noticed how much he resembled an old sage, quiet, brilliant, and detached sometimes. But now, in that moment, high above the world, he felt something he hadn't since his rebirth.
He felt alive and excited, without worrying about the threat of Otsutsuki or being changed by a world where people killed for a living.