At the dinner table, Ron and Raiya sat across from Tsunade, Katsuya Sage, and Kurama. The table was filled with a wide variety of dishes, arranged with care.
Raiya spoke with quiet pride. "The Land of Lightning is famous for its marbled cattle, considered a delicacy throughout the shinobi world, as well as lamb with exceptionally rich, flavourful fat. Freshwater fish have always been common here, but recently we've added seafood as well. With our large vessels now operating at sea, Kumogakure can regularly obtain bluefin tuna, pearl mackerel, and other rare delicacies."
She gestured toward the spread. "Vegetables and medicinal herbs are just as important. They're grown everywhere and are far more nutritious than what most countries can manage, so every meal includes them."
As Raiya introduced the remaining dishes, Ron opened the refrigerator and brought out several drinks, desserts, and even ice cream. For a ninja, such things were trivial to acquire with the right price, especially nowadays with various technologies and food widely available in most markets throughout the ninja world due to trade, but sugar, in particular, mattered to him. Whenever he thought deeply, sugar helped him relax. It provided a smoother kind of energy for his brain, allowing his thoughts to flow without friction. Though he possessed enormous reserves of stored energy through Life Return compressed fat, muscle, and cellular vitality, desserts were simply something Ron enjoyed.
Ron slid a blue-and-red soda can across the table, its design resembling a blend of the 2 most popular cola brands. "Try this," he said. "My custom formula. It's a flavor I've been refining. These days, with the right price, cold foods and desserts can be found almost anywhere in the ninja world thanks to trade, but this soda, and a lot of the food here, still isn't on the market."
Tsunade lifted the can and took a sip.
The flavor was unlike anything found in nature, refreshing, clean, and surprisingly complex. It paired perfectly with the rich meats she had been eating. She immediately realized that unless she wanted to get drunk, this was the kind of drink she could consume endlessly, purely for enjoyment.
The atmosphere at the table was warm and relaxed.
As the meal continued, Tsunade spoke about what she had seen since entering the Land of Lightning. "The scenery and the people feel different," she said thoughtfully. "Even the air itself feels… unlike the rest of the shinobi world."
Kurama, clearly enjoying well-prepared human food, and Katsuya, calmly consuming various herbs and fruits, both turned their attention toward her. Ron was the one who responded.
"That's because it is different," he said. "Just like how, when you return to the Land of Fire after a mission, you feel safer, more relaxed, more prosperous. Compared to many smaller countries, the Land of Fire is wealthy. Its people know they're protected by Konoha, and that confidence shapes their mentality."
He continued evenly. "That mentality reflects in natural energy. The Land of Fire has a higher concentration of natural energy because life there is abundant and thriving. And that natural energy feeds back into the land, making it even more fertile and stable. Ninjas are creatures of energy. Being born and raised in a safe, energy-rich environment can make someone more talented. That might be one reason Konoha has always dominated the shinobi world in raw talent."
Ron paused briefly before continuing. "But the Land of Lightning is different."
"In my experience, the concentration of natural energy here is about to surpass the Land of Fire. More importantly, its nature feels even more prosperous and secure."
He looked around the table. "In the Land of Fire, people still face death, uncertainty, and constant struggle. Farmers worry about harvests and taxes by nobles. Civilians worry about survival. Even ninja orphans in Konoha struggle. I've heard they live with constant anxiety."
"Here, in the current Land of Lightning, people, both civilians and shinobi, don't worry about housing, health, or food. They know that if they're willing to work, there's a path forward. Even those who can't support themselves, whether disabled or orphaned, aren't abandoned. The village and the Daimyo will help them."
"Of course, it's not charity," Ron added calmly. "Most assistance must be repaid in some form. There are no free handouts. But people still have hope. They're happier."
He concluded, "Konoha's forests and sheer abundance of life still give it a high natural energy concentration. But the feeling isn't the same. It isn't as bright or as vibrant as what the Land of Lightning has now."
Ron glanced at Tsunade. "And as a shadow-level ninja, you can feel that difference even if only subtly in the Natural Energy around the world."
The table fell quiet for a moment.
And in that silence, Tsunade understood that what she had sensed upon entering the Land of Lightning was not imagination but the weight of a nation that had already crossed into a future from the rest of the world.