[Bonus update, thanks to Kongyu Xuanyuan for the 58 monthly votes] Flying Thunder God Formation

Lightning poured down like a waterfall, spanning heaven and earth. Countless roaming dragons formed of thunder danced wildly, while thunderclaps like heaven's wrath mingled with terrifying detonations that echoed in every direction. Vast, majestic heavenly might cascaded down, carrying the boundless righteous spirit of heaven and earth, as though it would purge all evil.

Almost tangible chakra coalesced with lightning into golden spears brimming with divine majesty. Mysterious patterns adorned their surfaces as they plunged straight into the earth, bridging heaven and earth and radiating tremendous power.

In the distance, Ao was already dumbstruck. Had an invisible barrier not shielded him the instant the lightning descended, he was certain he would never have survived.

Whether the Fourth Mizukage could survive this attack was another question entirely. Ao did not believe he could withstand it; even from so far away, he could feel the terror of this ninjutsu and its overwhelming divine might.

Was this still ninjutsu? Was this still a ninja? Why did it feel as though his entire worldview, outlook on life, and values from the first half of his life had been overturned?!

Yet in the very next moment, Ao noticed something amiss. The lightning did not seem to be striking Karatachi Yagura-or rather, not all of it was. Most of it struck haphazardly in other directions. It felt almost like...

Setting up a barrier?

No!

Ao considered himself somewhat knowledgeable about barriers. This felt a little like the kind that separated the inside from the outside, but although it looked similar, it was entirely different. Everything seemed reversed...

If the normal version separated the space inside from the space outside, then reversing it would mean...

He was given no more time to think. Countless lightning spears activated at once. Even through the barrier patterned with swirls, he