That... Ling Xuan-kun

Ling Xuan was naturally oblivious to all of this.

His life remained strictly regimented; during the day at the Ninja Academy, he would "attend lectures," though in reality, he was feeding all the knowledge into the analytical database of his Eye of Truth.

In the evenings, he received "private tutoring" from Chunin Toma at Training Ground 7.

After receiving vague instructions from the higher-ups to "continue observing," Toma became even more dedicated to Ling Xuan's training, focusing heavily on pushing the boy to his limits.

He began teaching more complex chakra control techniques, such as maintaining the precision of ninjutsu while moving at high speeds, or how to rapidly chain low-level ninjutsu of different natures to create effective combinations.

Ling Xuan maintained his calm and indifferent demeanor; no matter how tricky the challenges Toma threw at him, he always completed them in a way that was "beyond expectations, yet within reason."

This left Toma both amazed and somewhat helpless; he felt as though he wasn't facing a student, but an unfathomable black hole.

No matter what he brought to the table, it was swiftly swallowed and digested.

Yet, in the dead of night, within the humble room of the orphanage, was when Ling Xuan's true revelry began.

He sat cross-legged, his focus sharpened to a razor's edge.

Under the internal vision of his Eye of Truth, the fire and wind chakra within his body, guided by precise control, began to attempt to touch and merge with one another.

Fire borrows the wind's momentum, wind aids the fire's might... The basic theory is correct, but in practice, there is a natural repulsion between these two natures of chakra. The key lies in finding a balance point, or perhaps a catalyst...

After several nights of experimentation, he finally caught a glimmer of inspiration.

Puff!

A small cluster of orange-red flame rose in his palm, but unlike before, the edges of this flame were wreathed in a layer of pale cyan airflow.

As the flame flickered, it emitted a faint whistling sound; its temperature was several degrees higher than ordinary fire, and its form was more condensed, as if bound by invisible wind.

"Initial elemental fusion... the Wind-Flame Prototype?"

Ling Xuan muttered to himself, "Though still crude and with limited power gains, it is a good start."

Quiet changes were occurring not only in his strength but also in the interpersonal relationships around him.

The most obvious was Hinata Hyuga.

Ever since the "accident" during the taijutsu class, this girl, who always shyly hid in the corners, had begun to look at him with a special meaning in her eyes.

She still dared not take the initiative to speak to Ling Xuan, but whenever his gaze inadvertently swept over her.

She would always lower her head as quickly as a startled rabbit, her earlobes quietly flushing red.

On this day after school, Ling Xuan was walking back to the orphanage alone, contemplating further optimization plans for the Wind-Flame Prototype.

"Ah... um... Ling, Ling Xuan-kun!" A faint, noticeably trembling voice came from behind him.

Ling Xuan stopped and turned around to see Hinata Hyuga standing a few meters away, her small face flushed red.

Hinata nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, her white eyes filled with trepidation and a glimmer of summoned courage.

Beside her stood Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka, with little Akamaru perched on Kiba's head.

They seemed to be Hinata's "support group."

"Is there something you need, Hinata-san?" Ling Xuan's tone was calm and ripple-free, as if he were facing a common passerby asking for directions.

Under his clear gaze, Hinata became even more nervous, unable to speak, and simply took out a bento box wrapped in a handkerchief from behind her back.

Holding it with both hands, she bowed slightly and offered it to him.

"Th-this is... th-thank you... for the other day..." Her voice grew smaller and smaller, and her head sank lower and lower.

Ling Xuan looked at the bento, which was clearly meticulously prepared, and then at Hinata's head, which was almost buried against her chest.

[Target: Hinata Hyuga's gift of gratitude (Rice ball bento). Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, pickled plum, small amount of meat floss... Preparation method: Slightly amateurish, but filled with sincerity...]
[Emotional Analysis: Gratitude 70%, Shyness 25%, Admiration 3%... Other 2%...]

The Eye of Truth instantly provided a detailed analysis report.

He did not reach out to take it immediately, but said indifferently, "I did nothing worthy of thanks, Hinata-san. You were the one who seized the opportunity that day."

He disliked unprovoked entanglements and did not want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings or attention over trivial matters.

Upon hearing this, Hinata's body trembled slightly, and her hands holding the bento became unsteady. Her eyes quickly misted over with tears, and she looked incredibly aggrieved.

Kiba, standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore: "Hey! Ling Xuan! Hinata went out of her way to—"

"Kiba!" Shino Aburame gave a low shout, cutting him off.

Beneath his sunglasses, Shino's gaze seemed to linger on Ling Xuan for a moment.

Ling Xuan looked at the teary-eyed Hinata; his heart remained unmoved, though he was not entirely cold-blooded.

He was simply accustomed to handling problems in the most direct and efficient manner.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Ling Xuan reached out and took the bento box.

"Since it is your intention, I will accept it. However, strength is something you must fight for yourself, Hinata-san. Your potential is far greater than this."

Having said that, he nodded slightly to the three of them and turned to leave, without saying another word.

Hinata stared blankly at Ling Xuan's retreating back until he disappeared around the corner of the street.

She didn't quite understand the meaning of his final words, but the fact that he had accepted the bento caused a surge of indescribable joy and a tiny trace of disappointment to well up in her heart.

"He... he actually accepted it..." Hinata whispered to herself, her cheeks still burning hot.

Kiba grumbled from the side, "What is this! That guy is still as cold as ever!"

Shino adjusted his sunglasses and said in a low voice, "He... is very different. Hinata, your judgment... perhaps you were right."

At the same time, a new notice was posted on the bulletin board at the Ninja Academy, drawing the attention of every student.

"First-year comprehensive skills assessment... to be held next Monday..."

The notice detailed the assessment criteria: application of the Three Basic Jutsu, shuriken throwing, weighted obstacle course, and two-person simulated combat.

The entire first-year class at the Ninja Academy became either excited or nervous because of this notice.

An assessment to test their learning progress—and potentially determine the allocation of future resources—was fast approaching.

Ling Xuan returned to the orphanage and opened the bento Hinata had given him.

The rice balls were shaped a bit crookedly, but the taste was unexpectedly good.

As he ate, he pondered the upcoming assessment.

"A comprehensive skills assessment, huh... It's a good opportunity to test the results of my recent training, and also... a chance to reasonably reveal a portion of my strength to gain more attention and resources."

Perhaps it was time to slightly change his strategy of staying low-profile.

At the same time, he could feel that a faint, lingering gaze had been observing him from the shadows lately.

Although it was extremely well-hidden, the sensitivity of his Eye of Truth to such prying was far beyond that of an ordinary person.