Though the chakra within the Star wasn't as vast as a Tailed Beast's, it still far surpassed the reserves of most Kage-level shinobi by several times. Now that it no longer posed a threat to his body, Ryan naturally intended to claim this power for himself.
In the shinobi world, civilian-born ninjas typically struggled to compete with those from prestigious clans. Cultivation required not just hard work, but also access to countless medicinal herbs for chakra-enhancing baths. These rituals expanded the chakra pathways, strengthened the body, and prevented long-term damage from overtraining. And in this regard alone, clan heirs had an enormous head start.
Of course, not all civilians were equal—some were wealthy. Take Tenten from Konoha, for example. Her family ran a sizable ninja tool shop. Judging by how she tossed weapons around like candy in the original series, and used absurdly large scrolls for storage, it was obvious her family was loaded. She likely had plenty of support during her training—chakra baths included.
Furthermore, most major clans had their own refined chakra cultivation methods, allowing their young heirs to extract more chakra in less time. Over the long run, this small advantage became a massive gulf. That's why in nearly every major village, clan shinobi formed the backbone of military power.
Civilian ninjas rarely had access to advanced jutsu or secret arts. In real combat, a jonin from a clan and a civilian jonin with equal experience would almost never be on even footing. The reason? Civilians simply had far fewer techniques in their arsenal. Without exceptional luck or extraordinary talent, civilians had slim chances of obtaining high-level jutsu—much less kekkei genkai or secret techniques. Of course, there were exceptions—but across the shinobi world, the pattern was clear.
Still, any civilian who reached jonin rank was someone who had clawed their way up—a survivor. If their descendants could build on that, the family might one day escape the civilian class altogether. But even in Konoha, a village that relatively valued civilian talent, civilian jonin were few and far between. Most hit a wall at genin or chunin.
Take Rock Lee, for example—a fiercely hardworking civilian shinobi. If not for Might Guy's devoted mentorship, his extreme training would've left him riddled with injuries. Lee's success came not only from effort but also incredible luck. Guy treated him like a successor, even using his own mission earnings to buy Lee rare herbs for body strengthening and healing. Without that support, Lee's career would've ended in ruin.
And then there was Naruto—an absolute anomaly. Born with the Uzumaki clan's monstrous chakra and vitality, and the Nine-Tails sealed within him. Who needed medicinal baths when your injuries healed in real time? He was practically unkillable.
Though Hoshigakure had a decent number of shinobi, its resources were limited. They offered chakra baths occasionally, but nothing like the constant, lavish treatments clan heirs enjoyed. Even with his talent, Ryan couldn't expect elite-level support here.
That's why the Star's chakra was so crucial to someone like Ryan—an orphan in a minor village. If he wanted to rise above the bloody chaos of the shinobi world, this was his chance. The Star's immense chakra reserves, combined with the Dimensional Seal already having expanded his chakra pathways far beyond others his age, would give him a massive edge. Once he absorbed the Star's energy, his chakra network would strengthen even further—making medicinal baths nearly obsolete for him.
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