As the day of the meeting drew closer, the wheels of change began to turn more visibly. In the capital of the Land of Lightning, movement and activity filled the streets. People bustled about their work, and infrastructure projects could be seen in motion; towers rising across the skyline, including water tanks, signal towers, and constructed electrical towers spreading outward from the city. Much like Kumogakure, the capital was built atop a modern foundation, a fully integrated electrical grid, underground sewage systems, and expansive railroad networks.
Above ground, trains moved steadily in and out of the massive city, connecting it to other modern hubs across the country. Some railways even crossed mountain ranges, reaching isolated villages and, most notably, Kumogakure itself. While an underground high-speed railway system existed, it was primarily reserved for strategic military use, allowing for the swift deployment of troops and elite ninja and for resource management or Daimyo's mansion for the government and Kumogakure. It was not open to the public.
Within the capital, public transportation was readily available in the form of buses and vehicles, while personal cars were still uncommon in cities, many still used them, though a license was required, based on the vehicle's size and speed, much like in the modern world. Roads had already become dominant, weaving through the expanding cityscape. Alongside them, new industries had emerged, centered around traffic regulation, vehicle production, maintenance, and construction, and many others.
One of the cornerstones enabling such organization and progress of this modern society was the ID and license system, derived from Ron's ID-seal techniques. Over the years, this system has evolved, integrating with electronic databases and eventually being adapted by the research center in collaboration with government officials for citizens. What began as a chakra-based solution was refined for use by civilians without chakra, allowing every citizen of the Land of Lightning to possess a unique identity seal that worked with electronics despite not possessing chakra. These IDs were essential not only for business, education, and employment but also for administrative tasks and governance, most ID's had simple seals as the core storage for identification systems, while for things like crucial business, and for most ninjas, the core was made out a tiny silver, less than 1 gram of chakra metal system for more complicated security and firewall.
Of course, for any of these IDs, the outside world first had to overcome the electronic code-based security, which was still something out of this world and unique to Kumogakure and the land of lightning for now, as most devices sold to the outside world did not have complicated electronics.
Inspired by Ron's numerous writings on the structure of modern society, both the Third Raikage and the Daimyo began implementing systemic reforms internally. They consolidated their national systems quietly, avoiding any premature exposure of their technological and societal advancements to the outside world.
Politically, the Land of Lightning was evolving into a constitutional monarchy, still led by the Daimyo and the Raikage, whose positions remained beyond public contest. However, unlike other nations where nobility diluted the Daimyo's authority and the common populace had little say or room for advancement, the Land of Lightning took a different path.
In this country, nobility was not just a matter of bloodline. It was also a title earned through achievement and the fulfillment of responsibility. Bearing a noble name meant shouldering duties and setting an example. Compared to civilians, nobles may have inherited more land and wealth, but their status came with obligations, not just privileges.
Within the capital, modern architecture stood tall. Signal towers and ninja watchtowers stretched as high as 10- to 20-story buildings, some serving as hotels, others as commercial centers, and many as office spaces. At the city's heart stood the newly remodeled Daimyo's residence, a fusion of traditional elegance and modern engineering. While it boasted advanced capabilities, its aesthetic honored the architectural spirit of the Warring States period, reminiscent of a shrine combined with a modern government building, as the Daimyo's residence was not just a place where the Daimyo and his family lived, it was the political center and the central government building. The place with the 2nd highest security in the land of lightning, aside from the Raikage building, when the third Raikage resided in it!
Surrounding the Daimyo's residence was a harmonious blend of nature and modern infrastructure. Greenery lined the roads, and even in areas of dense development, natural serenity was preserved. This balance was no accident. Ron had emphasized the importance of harmony between nature and architecture during his teachings at the Hollow Mountain Research Center and the Kumogakure Academy, where the most talented minds from across the Land of Lightning and refugees and experts from other nations were brought together.