Ryan spent two days in the orphanage cellar trying to follow Chozhu's paper. He sat in the lotus position, his brow furrowed.
Breathe in. Hold. Visualize the 'Spark' in the gut.
Nothing.
Hypothesis: My adult soul is too 'heavy' for my underdeveloped physical coils. I am trying to jump-start a lawnmower engine with a jet-fuel ignition. I need a manual override from a high-level chakra user.
He knew exactly where to find the most "Righteous Fools" in the village. He headed toward the residential district, timing his arrival perfectly with the return of a certain blond Jonin.
Ryan saw them: Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. They were the "Golden Couple" of Konoha. To Ryan, they were "Potential Bio-Stabilizers."
He began to rub his eyes until they stung. He pinched his own arm to force a surge of cortisol and tears. He broke into a panicked run, purposely tripping on a loose stone and skidding right into Kushina's shopping bags.
THUMP.
"Oh! Careful, little guy!" Minato's hand was on his shoulder instantly. The speed was terrifying—the Yellow Flash didn't even leave a footprint.
Kushina knelt down, her red hair swaying. "Are you okay, honey? We're so sorry, we weren't looking where we were going, ya know!"
Ryan looked up, his lip trembling with the precision of a Swiss watch. He recoiled, his voice high and shaking. "N-nothing happened, sir! Please don't punish me! I'll get out of the way, I promise!"
Minato's eyes softened with a deep, aching pity. "Punish you? Why would we do that? We're good people."
Ryan looked at Kushina, staring at her hair with wide-eyed "wonder." "Princess... can I trust you?"
Kushina's brain practically short-circuited. "P-p-princess? Are you talking to me, ya know?"
Minato let out a hearty laugh, the tension breaking. "Hahaha! She's not a princess, little guy. She's just Kushina."
Ryan tilted his head, looking utterly confused. "But... she looks so pretty. Like the princesses in the picture books at the orphanage. I thought only princesses had hair like fire. I'm sorry, I'm just a stupid orphan kid."
The atmosphere shifted. The air became thick, heavy, and hot. Minato's laughter died as he felt a terrifying surge of chakra. He turned to see Kushina, her hair floating in nine distinct strands.
"Oh? So, Minato-kun..." she purred, her knuckles cracking with the sound of breaking wood. "You don't think I'm as pretty as a princess? Is that the 'joke' you were making?"
"H-hey! No! You're the prettiest in the world! I was just—the boy—he's just a kid!" Minato squeaked, sweat pouring down his face as he backed away from his terrifying girlfriend.
Ryan let out a sob, pulling their attention back. "I'm sorry, sir! I started your fight! I'm just a bad kid like the others say! They're right, I'll never be a ninja!"
Kushina immediately deflated, her hair falling back. She scooped Ryan up into a hug that nearly crushed his ribcage. "No, no, honey! It's just this dense, dumb boy's problem. Tell us why you're crying."
Ryan sniffled, leaning into the "innocent child" persona. "I want to be a ninja. To protect the village... and maybe people who look like princesses. My friend Chozhu gave me a paper on how to breathe, but I've tried for two days and nothing happens. The other kids say my talent is too low and I'll just be cannon fodder."
Minato looked at the crumpled paper. He looked at Kushina and nodded. "He's a bit young, but his spirit is clearly ready. If we don't help him, he might try something dangerous on his own."
"Sit down right here, Ryan-kun," Minato said, leading him to a nearby park bench.
For the next hour, Ryan received a private masterclass from two of the strongest people in existence.
"Don't just pull the air, ya know?" Kushina said, her hand flat against Ryan's back, sending a warm, comforting pulse of chakra into his system. "Feel the warmth in your belly. It's like a little sun. You have to invite the energy in, not trap it! Be like the whirlpool!"
"Focus on the 'string' of energy," Minato guided, his voice calm and melodic. "Imagine it's a golden thread connecting every cell in your body. Now, draw it together at your center. I'm going to guide a tiny bit of my chakra through your coils to show you the path."
Ryan closed his eyes. With Minato's precise chakra acting as a "GPS" and Kushina's vast reserves acting as a "Booster," he finally cracked it.
Observation: Chakra is a frequency. My physical body was 'tuned' too low. I need to increase the oscillation.
He adjusted his internal "dial," mimicking the flow he felt from the Yellow Flash.
POP.
A warm, tingling sensation exploded from his solar plexus, rushing through his limbs like a shot of liquid lightning. His skin glowed with a faint, pale blue light for a second before settling into a steady hum.
"He did it!" Kushina cheered, ruffling his hair so hard his head spun. "Look at that! Such clean chakra for a little guy!"
"Medium-low volume," Minato noted internally, "but incredibly stable. He has excellent control for a beginner. He might not have the raw power of a clan heir, but he has the mind of a veteran."
Ryan looked at his hands, feeling the hum of power. Bio-engine: Started. Talent: Medium-Low. Brain: God-Tier.
"Thank you, Princess! Thank you, Sir!" Ryan bowed deeply, hiding the predatory gleam in his eyes. "I'll practice every day until I can protect everyone!"
As he ran back toward the orphanage, he passed a silver-haired boy leaning against a wall. Kakashi Hatake watched him go, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
That kid... Kakashi thought. His chakra just spiked from zero to 'trained' in an hour. And why did he look at me like I was a rare species of butterfly he wanted to pin to a board?
Ryan didn't look back. Phase 2: Complete. Next up: Training my 'average' coils to handle the 'Ice' data.