The Academy classrooms were designed for indoctrination, not education.
As Ryota sat in the middle row, flanked by a vibrating Naruto and a perpetually sleepy Shikamaru, he observed Iruka Umino's lecture on the history of the Hidden Leaf. To the other students, this was gospel. To Ryota, it was a series of tactical omissions designed to foster loyalty over logic.
[SYSTEM STATUS: ANALYZING ENVIRONMENT]
[TRAIT: HYPER-COGNITION ACTIVATED]
[DATA STREAM: CLASSROOM DYNAMICS]
Primary Variables: Sasuke Uchiha (High hostility, trauma-driven focus).
Secondary Variables: Naruto Uzumaki (High energy, chaotic chakra signature).
Environmental Obstacle: Standard Academy curriculum is 87% inefficient for rapid growth.
I need a more efficient way to utilize these hours, Ryota thought. He wasn't arrogant enough to ignore the basics, but he knew that with his [Total Cellular Control], he could do more than just listen.
The Internal Gym
While Iruka spoke about the First Hokage's legacy, Ryota initiated his next "Work" session. Under the desk, his posture was perfect—spine aligned to allow the most fluid chakra circulation.
[NEW TRIAL DETECTED: THE MICROSCOPIC FORGE]
[OBJECTIVE: MANUALLY STIMULATE MUSCLE FIBER TEARING AND RECOVERY THROUGH CHAKRA VIBRATION.]
[WORK REQUIRED: MAINTAIN 144 HERTZ VIBRATION ACROSS THE LATISSIMUS DORSI WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY TAKING ACCURATE CLASS NOTES.]
[REWARD: TRAIT - REFINED PHYSIQUE (RANK: BASIC - ENHANCED DENSITY)]
The pain was a dull, rhythmic thrumming. Most people had to lift weights to tear muscle fibers; Ryota used his chakra as a microscopic scalpel, "exercising" while sitting perfectly still.
"Ryota? Are you paying attention?" Iruka's voice cut through his focus.
The class turned. Sasuke Uchiha, sitting in the front, glanced back with a look of mild disdain. The Uchiha didn't care about a civilian orphan, but he noticed that Ryota's skin was slightly flushed and steam was almost imperceptibly rising from his shoulders.
Ryota didn't startle. He didn't even stop the vibration in his back. He stood up, the movement so fluid it looked practiced.
"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Ryota said, his voice a calm, melodic baritone. "You were discussing the transition of power from the Nidaime to the Sandaime. Specifically, how the Second Hokage's emphasis on structural administration allowed the village to survive the transition during a time of war. However, I was wondering—from a tactical standpoint, was the creation of the Police Force an administrative necessity, or a psychological containment strategy for the Uchiha clan?"
The room went silent.
Iruka blinked, his mouth slightly open. That wasn't in the textbook. That was a high-level political analysis that even some Jonin avoided discussing.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his entire body tensing. He looked at Ryota not as a background character, but as a potential threat—or at least, a curiosity.
"That's... a very complex question, Ryota," Iruka stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe something for a later date. Let's focus on the dates for now."
"Of course," Ryota smiled, a polite, "Aizen-esque" mask that hid a mind already calculating the political fallout of his question. He sat back down.
The Uchiha Confrontation
During the lunch break, Ryota headed toward the training grounds, Naruto and Hinata trailing behind him like satellites. Ryota had intentionally cultivated this: Naruto provided the raw Yang energy and unpredictability, while Hinata offered the Yin-based perspective of the Gentle Fist.
They were intercepted by Sasuke.
The Uchiha stood under the shade of a maple tree, arms crossed. "You," he said, looking at Ryota. "The civilian."
"My name is Ryota," he replied, stopping. He didn't look up at Sasuke, despite the Uchiha being slightly taller. He looked through him, his [Hyper-Cognition] mapping the tension in Sasuke's shoulders. "And you are the survivor. Is there something I can help you with?"
"How did you know?" Sasuke demanded. "About the Police Force and the 'containment'?"
"Logic," Ryota said simply. "A clan of elite warriors specialized in fire and ocular genjutsu is better suited for the front lines of a war, not for patrolling the streets for drunkards. It's a waste of resources. Unless, of course, the goal wasn't efficiency, but isolation."
Sasuke's breath hitched. He had spent nights wondering why his father felt so pressured, why the clan felt so separate. This civilian boy had just put into words the shadow that hung over his house.
"Don't speak about things you don't understand," Sasuke hissed, though the bite was missing from his tone.
"I understand more than you think, Sasuke," Ryota said, taking a step forward into Sasuke's personal space. He didn't use chakra; he used Presence. "For example, I understand that you are training your body into the ground, but your chakra coils are inflamed. You're pushing too hard. If you continue, you'll plateau before you're twelve."
"Shut up!"
"If you want to be strong enough to... accomplish your goal," Ryota whispered, leaning in so only Sasuke could hear, "you need more than anger. You need a design. Come to the library after class. I won't teach you how to be an Uchiha, but I can teach you how to be efficient."
Ryota walked past him without waiting for an answer.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: SEED PLANTED.]
[PROGRESS TOWARD 'THE ARCHITECT'S GUILD' (TARGET: SASUKE UCHIHA) - 5%]
The Work Continues
The rest of the day was a blur of "Work." While others played or gossiped, Ryota was a machine of self-improvement.
By the end of the day, the notification he had been waiting for finally appeared.
[TRIAL COMPLETE: THE MICROSCOPIC FORGE]
[TRAIT ACQUIRED: REFINED PHYSIQUE (RANK: BASIC)]
[EFFECT: MUSCLE DENSITY INCREASED BY 20%. CHAKRA CONDUCTIVITY THROUGH TISSUE IMPROVED.]
He felt heavier, but more explosive. He wasn't the "Civilian Orphan" anymore. He was a biological weapon in its early stages of refinement.
As he walked home to his small, empty apartment, he felt a presence behind him. He didn't turn around. His [Aura Perception]—the basic sense he had developed through his high IQ—told him exactly who it was.
"I didn't think you'd actually show up, Shikamaru," Ryota said.
The Nara stepped out from the shadows of an alleyway, looking troubled. "You're a drag, Ryota. You know that? You're playing a very dangerous game. Between the Uchiha and the things you say to Iruka-sensei... you're going to get noticed by the people in the shadows."
Ryota turned, the moonlight reflecting in his eyes, giving them a cold, silver sheen.
"I want to be noticed, Shikamaru," Ryota said, his voice echoing in the quiet street. "Because the people in the shadows are the ones who think they run this world. I intend to prove them wrong. Do you want to watch? Or do you want to help me build the new one?"
Shikamaru stared at him for a long time, then sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. "I knew I should have just stayed in bed today. Fine. But if this gets us killed, I'm never letting you hear the end of it."
Ryota laughed. It was a warm, genuine sound. "Deal."