Knowing that Natsuhoshi didn't believe he could actually create a jutsu like Rasengan, Ryan simply smiled and pointed at one of the filled water balloons in the bucket.
"I've broken the training down into two stages," he explained. "Stage one: get the chakra inside this water balloon to rotate in a spherical pattern and make it pop."
Natsuhoshi's expression instantly turned serious as she listened carefully.
Ryan's confidence stirred something in her. Maybe… just maybe, he really could do it.
"For stage two," Ryan continued, "I'll try to do the same with the rubber ball—which is way tougher to break. If I can do that, I'll move to the next step… which I haven't figured out yet. First, I need to see if this works at all."
He left out stage three on purpose. Just proposing the first two was already enough to shock anyone. Better to keep things gradual.
Natsuhoshi stared at Ryan, awed by the methodical training plan he'd apparently developed overnight.
"You came up with all that… in a single night?" she asked, amazed. "That's incredible. I'm going to report this to Lord Hoshikage. If your idea works, it might really be a breakthrough."
"Go ahead," Ryan nodded. "I've got a bunch of balloons left to fill anyway."
He returned to his work, attaching a new balloon to the faucet and letting the water flow in.
Hoshikage's Office
When Natsuhoshi reported everything to the Third Hoshikage, the old man leapt up from his chair, eyes wide with shock.
"You're sure he came up with this no-hand-seal jutsu overnight?!"
Natsuhoshi nodded. "Yes. Everything he said checked out. The theory was solid, and it all made sense when he described the ball's movement. I never imagined he'd get such an idea just from seeing my son playing."
"I can't believe Ryan's perception is this sharp," the Hoshikage muttered, still stunned. "He's created a framework for a seal-less A-rank technique—if he pulls this off, it'll be a monumental leap for Star Village."
"A-rank?" Natsuhoshi gasped. She hadn't expected that.
"But, Lord Hoshikage, why are you so certain it would be A-rank?"
The Hoshikage took a long puff from his pipe and exhaled. "You know about Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, right?"
"Of course," Natsuhoshi replied. "He was the Yellow Flash—master of space-time jutsu. But what's he got to do with Ryan's idea?"
"Because Minato was the one who invented this technique," the Hoshikage said solemnly. "Ryan is attempting to recreate the Rasengan—the very same jutsu that came from the Fourth Hokage's hands."
Natsuhoshi was speechless.
Back in the forest, Ryan had filled his basket with water balloons and carried it to his usual training spot—a quiet grove where he wouldn't be disturbed.
He figured the Hoshikage had likely recognized the technique as Rasengan and could already imagine their shocked faces.
Sitting under a tree, Ryan recalled the Rasengan's training process. He drew a small swirl on his palm with a marker, then picked up a water balloon and began channeling chakra into it, trying to rotate the water inside.
Pop!
Ryan sighed, wiping sweat and water off his face. Another balloon had burst. He tossed the rubber scraps aside.
He'd been at it all morning, and so far, he'd only barely managed to pop the balloon through internal water rotation. It wasn't yet the instantaneous burst effect he was aiming for.
"It's easy to spin chakra in a single direction," he muttered, analyzing the failure. "But making it rotate irregularly, around a central point from multiple directions… now that's the real challenge. No wonder Naruto had to cheat by using two hands…"
Ryan sat down and began thinking through the problem carefully. He wasn't willing to use both hands like Naruto—he wanted to master the Rasengan the right way.
After all, what made the Rasengan so remarkable wasn't just its power—it was the speed. The surprise factor. The fact that it required no hand signs.
It was meant to catch the enemy off guard and crush them in an instant.
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T/N:
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