This Little Ninja Is Truly So Capable

Mrs. Yamada's vegetable garden sat on the edge of Konoha's residential district. It wasn't large, but the weeds had grown so thick they were nearly swallowing the vegetable seedlings.

"Great! Watch me! I'm definitely going to be the fastest at weeding!" Naruto was as energetic as ever. He plunged into the garden and tore at the weeds with both hands, recklessly pulling out plenty of innocent seedlings along with them.

"Hey, idiot! You're pulling out the vegetables!" Sasuke watched coldly, his tone full of disdain.

Though he was just as fed up with this kind of mission, Uchiha pride kept him from complaining. He simply drew a kunai and swiftly, precisely cut through the weeds' stems at the roots. His movements were crisp, but his efficiency wasn't particularly high.

Sakura tried her hardest to impress Sasuke. She carefully distinguished the weeds from the seedlings and worked diligently, but she was also the slowest.

Kakashi leaned against a tree, holding his Icha Icha Paradise as though he couldn't care less about what was happening.

Only Ling Xuan remained where he was, not immediately getting to work.

His Eye of Truth was already active, and the world in his vision was utterly different from everyone else's.

[Target plot: Mrs. Yamada's vegetable garden. Soil analysis: Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels are moderately low. The pH is slightly acidic. Suitable for growing cruciferous vegetables, but inhibits the growth of some root crops.]

[Weed analysis: Seven varieties in total. The most common are ragweed and goosegrass. Ragweed has shallow, radiating roots and can be pulled out in one go.]

[Goosegrass has deep, resilient roots. Pulling it out directly would bring up a lot of soil and damage the seedlings' roots. The optimal method is to cut it three centimeters above the root, depriving it of sunlight until it naturally withers.]

[Seedling status analysis: Three vegetable varieties in total. Konoha Cabbage: growing well. Land of Fire Tomato: some leaves are yellowing, likely due to magnesium deficiency. Ninja Radish: growth is limited by compacted soil.]

Ling Xuan surveyed the entire garden, already forming a complete and efficient work plan in his mind.

He didn't work recklessly like Naruto or focus only on what was right in front of him like Sasuke. Instead, he walked into the garden at an unhurried pace, his movements precise.

He gently moved the leaves aside with his left hand, while his right worked like a scalpel, pulling or cutting as needed. Every movement removed the weeds just right, without disturbing a single seedling.

After clearing each patch, he even loosened the compacted soil a little with his fingers.

Half an hour later, Naruto was panting with exhaustion, and Sasuke was starting to feel bored. They were astonished to find that Ling Xuan's section was already spotless and orderly. He had accomplished more than all of them put together.

When Mrs. Yamada came to inspect the garden, she praised Ling Xuan to no end.

"Oh my, this little ninja is truly so capable! He not only cleared the weeds, but loosened the soil for me, too!"

Ling Xuan simply replied, "Mrs. Yamada, I recommend adding a little wood ash or Epsom salt the next time you fertilize. It could improve the tomatoes' growth. Also, the radish patch needs to be tilled more deeply."

Mrs. Yamada was stunned. She looked at Ling Xuan as if he were an experienced farmer, not a child of seven or eight.

Kakashi looked up from his book and gave Ling Xuan a long, thoughtful glance. This student could always display something extraordinary in the most ordinary situations. His powers of observation and analysis already went beyond the scope of a ninja's.

The missions that followed only made this contrast more striking.

For example, there was the mission to "capture the daimyo's wife's pet cat, Tiger," which every Genin in Konoha dreaded.

The chubby cat, named Tiger, was nimble and ill-tempered. Spoiled by its owner, it scampered all over Konoha, making fools of countless ninjas who tried to catch it.

"Damn it, you stinking cat! Stop!" Naruto chased it wildly across the rooftops with several Shadow Clones. He either crashed into a clothesline or collided with his own clones, ending up bruised and battered.

Sasuke tried to capture Tiger with Shuriken and Chakra Threads, but the cat always dodged at the last moment with unbelievable agility. It even looked back at him with a contemptuous expression, making Sasuke's face darken with anger.

"Calm down." Ling Xuan's voice reached them both. "Chasing it is only getting it more excited."

Ling Xuan didn't join Naruto and Sasuke's pursuit. He simply moved between different vantage points, using his Eye of Truth to record everything about Tiger.

[Target: Pet cat Tiger. Status: Excited, playing. Physical traits: High body fat, but strong core muscles and excellent explosive power.]

[Behavioral pattern analysis: Has a fixed territory, with three main hiding places and five familiar escape routes. Reacts strongly to the smell of catnip. Has sharp hearing, but shows a stress response to certain ultrasonic frequencies.]

[Psychological analysis: Craves attention and enjoys being chased. Conventional attempts to corner and catch it are ineffective and will instead make it more defiant.]

"Kakashi-sensei." Ling Xuan found Kakashi reading his book. "I need a silver vine branch and a ninja tool that can produce sound at a specific frequency."

Kakashi was a little surprised, but he still took them from his ninja pouch and handed them over.

Instead of chasing the cat, Ling Xuan headed to a small alley along one of Tiger's usual routes.

He placed the silver vine inside a cardboard box at the far end of the alley. Then, at the entrance, he used the ninja tool to emit ultrasonic waves—inaudible to human ears, but painfully shrill to a cat.

Tiger had been strutting proudly across the rooftops, but suddenly it froze, its ears twitching in agitation. It quickly fled the area, following its instincts along a familiar, safe route.

When it darted into the alley, the shrill sound stopped. In its place was an irresistible, enticing fragrance.

Without hesitation, Tiger plunged into the fragrant cardboard box and rolled around happily.

Ling Xuan walked over at an unhurried pace and easily closed the lid.

When Ling Xuan appeared before Naruto and Sasuke carrying the box, they were both stunned.

"H-how did you do that?" Naruto pointed at the purring coming from inside the box, unable to believe it.

"Analyze it, then use its instincts," Ling Xuan replied calmly. "It's not an enemy. It's a pet. Fighting isn't the right approach for every situation."

Sasuke remained silent, but the shock in his eyes was stronger than ever. Once again, he realized that the gap between him and Ling Xuan might not be in strength, but in the way they thought.

After they completed the mission, Kakashi led them back and asked in an apparently casual tone, "Ling Xuan, where did you learn to observe and analyze things like that?"