The early morning sun rose above the Hidden Leaf Village, casting a golden light over the rooftops, trees, and streets. The village began to stir with life—shinobi heading to training grounds, shopkeepers opening their stalls, and children walking toward the academy. In a small, shabby apartment on the outskirts of the village, an 8-year-old boy slowly opened his eyes.
Naruto Uzumaki stretched his arms and yawned, blinking the sleep away. But unlike most days, today his mind was not filled with pranks or ramen. Instead, it was filled with the memory of the dream he had the night before—a moment burned into his heart like fire.
---
**Flashback...**
Yin Long sat cross-legged atop a floating stone platform, surrounded by swirling mist. His expression was calm, but his presence was commanding.
"**Naruto, kneel.**"
The boy obeyed without hesitation, kneeling with trembling knees and wide eyes. His breath caught in his throat as he faced the cultivator who had chosen him.
"**From this moment, you enter my Dao lineage. Do you vow to respect your master, train with diligence, and uphold the Dao?**"
Naruto didn't hesitate. He bowed deeply three times, his forehead brushing the stone. "**I do.**"
Yin Long nodded with satisfaction. He extended a glowing jade scroll toward Naruto. "**Then receive this token. With it, you are now my true disciple.**"
As Naruto grasped the scroll, the wind around them shifted—subtle, but real. The very world seemed to acknowledge the bond that had just been formed.
---
**Flashback end.**
Naruto sat up in bed and reached under his shirt to touch the jade pendant hanging around his neck. A gentle pulse ran through it, warm and familiar.
In his mind, he whispered, "Master, are you there?"
A moment later, a voice echoed within his consciousness. Calm and deep.
"Yes, my disciple. Ask your question." It was Yin Long.
Naruto smiled. "Master, how do you plan to teach me? I still don't understand all this cultivation stuff."
Yin Long appeared within Naruto's mental space, a glowing spirit projection. He gestured for Naruto to come closer. As Naruto stepped toward him, Yin Long placed a hand gently on the boy's head and sent a wave of Qi into his body. The energy moved through his meridians, bones, and muscles, silently evaluating him.
After a few minutes, Yin Long pulled back and handed Naruto a scroll with basic arithmetic and logical problems. Naruto looked confused but answered them earnestly. When he handed the scroll back, Yin Long examined the results, then looked deeply into Naruto's eyes.
"Hmm… I see," he muttered.
"See what? Am I… bad at this?" Naruto asked, fidgeting nervously.
Yin Long chuckled and shook his head. "Your **mental fortitude** needs improvement, yes. But your **physical body** is remarkable. Despite your poor diet, rough life, and isolation, your body shows signs of high vitality and strong endurance. That is rare, even among seasoned cultivators."
Naruto blinked. "So I'm not hopeless?"
"Far from it," Yin Long said with a smile. "But we must work harder than I first thought. You have great potential, but it is undisciplined. We need to shape it."
Naruto nodded seriously. "Okay, Master. I trust you. Make any schedule you want—I'll do it!"
Yin Long's expression grew grave as he waved his hand, and a golden scroll appeared midair.
"This will be your training regimen. From today onward, your daily life will be divided between shinobi training and cultivation. The road will be harsh. You must train **18 hours a day**, for **4 years**, without fail. Are you prepared?"
Beads of sweat formed on Naruto's forehead as he listened:
**4:00 AM – 6:00 AM**: Body conditioning using **Vajra Tendon Method** and **Iron Bone Scripture** **6:00 AM – 7:00 AM**: **Qi breathing** and **meditation** under cold water **8:00 AM – 2:00 PM**: Attend ninja academy, silently observing chakra mechanics **2:00 PM – 3:00 PM**: Dao lectures – morality, cause and effect, destiny **3:00 PM – 5:00 PM**: Reading scrolls on human behavior, emotion control, and battlefield psychology **5:00 PM – 7:00 PM**: Combat training using chakra and basic Qi **7:00 PM – 9:00 PM**: Guided cultivation within his spiritual sea **9:00 PM – 10:00 PM**: Star breathing meditation and dream-state entry
"You'll repeat this schedule for **1,460 days**. Only then will your mind and body be ready for true advancement."
Naruto gulped but nodded. "Let's do it."
Yin Long smiled with pride. "Good. Let me explain what lies ahead."
He summoned an illusion of a tall mountain with seven glowing steps etched into the rock.
"**The path of cultivation** is divided into seven major realms:
**Body Tempering** – forge the physical body **Initial Element** – connect with natural elements and awaken your Qi **Qi Transformation** – refine Qi into higher essence **Separation and Reunion** – understand life and death, balance soul and body **True Element** – manifest your element and fuse it with your core **Immortal Ascension** – break free from mortal limits **Transcendent Realm** – become one with the Dao
Each realm has **nine sub-stages**. You are in **Body Tempering – Stage 1**. Your first goal is to reach **Initial Element – Mid Stage**, where your Qi will truly take form."
Naruto stared at the glowing mountain. "And after that… I can reach immortality?"
"Yes, but immortality is not your only goal," Yin Long said. "You wish to be Hokage, to protect others. Cultivation will give you the strength, wisdom, and clarity to walk both paths."
Naruto grinned. "Then let's get started, Master. I'll reach the top—both as a ninja and your disciple!"
---
**Thus began Naruto Uzumaki's true training.**
Each day, before dawn, he would rise and run laps around the forest with ankle weights tied by chakra threads. He would swing heavy logs, meditate in icy rivers, and read scrolls under moonlight. He practiced Wind Qi techniques in secret—spinning gusts in his palm, sharpening leaves into blades, and making his steps silent as shadows.
Iruka noticed Naruto's growing discipline.
"Strange… he's less noisy these days," he whispered one afternoon.
What no one knew was that Naruto Uzumaki had begun walking **two paths** at once: that of a ninja, and that of a cultivator.
And soon… the world would feel the winds begin to shift.
---
**To Be Continued…**