A whole year had passed.
It had been a year since Dan woke up by that stream, a year since he found himself trapped in this dangerous world—a thousand years before the events he used to enjoy watching on TV in his past life.
Dan sat on a large rock outside the village, eyes closed, trying to focus on the faint spark of chakra moving inside his body. Sweat poured from his forehead despite the early morning chill. This had been his daily routine for months: waking up before dawn, coming to this secluded spot, and trying to refine his chakra.
Ninshu. That's what the Sage of the Six Paths called it.
Dan remembered that day eight months ago when the villagers gathered in the central square. The Sage stood before them, explaining Ninshu as a way to connect people by understanding their inner energy—a path to peace and understanding.
But Dan didn't care about peace. He cared about staying alive.
During this year, he had integrated well into the village. The people were surprisingly kind, helping each other without expecting anything in return. At first, Dan felt uncomfortable with this kindness, but he soon realized it was genuine.
He helped them with their daily chores—farming, building, fetching water. He didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart, but because he wanted to earn their trust. He wanted to become part of the village so no one would grow suspicious. The more he helped, the fewer questions they asked about his past.
When the Sage began teaching Ninshu to some villagers, Dan was among the first to attend. He wasn't excited about the philosophy, but he knew that using chakra was essential for survival.
However, reality was harsh. His talent was weak. Very weak.
While most villagers could feel their chakra after a few weeks, it took Dan four full months just to sense its existence. Four months of constant failure and frustration that almost drove him to despair.
But he didn't give up.
He knew something no one else in this village knew: he knew this world would eventually become a battlefield. Endless wars, monsters with destructive power, and warriors who could level mountains with a single blow.
In this world, the weak die. And Dan didn't want to die.
He opened his eyes slowly and looked at his hands. He could feel it now—that faint energy flowing inside him. It was much weaker than anyone else's in the village, but it was there.
"Slow progress is better than nothing," he muttered to himself.
He stood up and began his physical training. Dan decided to split his free time between refining chakra and body conditioning. In his previous life, his body was average, but he knew that wouldn't be enough here.
He started his push-ups, then squats, then ran around the area ten times. For someone like Dan, who wasn't used to hard exercise, it was a brutal routine. But he forced himself to continue.
Every time he felt tired, every time he wanted to quit, he remembered his goals.
Goal one: Power. Enough power to protect himself. He didn't want to be a hero or the strongest person alive; he just wanted to be strong enough to stay out of trouble.
Goal two, the most important one: Immortality.
This goal lit a fire in his chest. In his past life, Dan feared death. He hated it and avoided thinking about it. But here, it was different. He wanted to live forever. He never wanted to face the end.
Dan knew this world held ways to achieve immortality. He remembered Orochimaru's experiments, Kakuzu's five hearts, and Madara's plans. But those things were centuries away. He didn't know if such methods existed yet, but he was determined to find one.
This greed pushed him forward. He imagined himself living for hundreds, even thousands of years, watching the world change while he remained alive. This vision fueled a fierce, unsatiable desire within him.
He finished his workout and caught his breath as the sun began to rise. The village was waking up. He walked back slowly, greeting villagers with simple nods. In his heart, he felt no real connection to them. They were just tools for his survival—a way to stay safe.
He reached his small hut, a simple place the village gave him. Inside, he pulled a small piece of leather from his pocket. On it, he had written down everything he remembered about the Naruto world—techniques, future events, and key characters.
The problem was that most of this information was useless now. He was a thousand years in the past. The people he knew hadn't been born, and the techniques hadn't been invented.
Dan was alone, with limited talent and limited info. But he had one thing no one else had: the knowledge that immortality was possible.
"I will become stronger," he whispered, his voice full of resolve. "No matter how long it takes, I will get power, and I will get immortality."
Dan wasn't a hero, and he never would be. He was selfish and cowardly, hating risks and the spotlight. But he was greedy—greedy for life. And that greed was the fuel that would drive him forward, step by step.
Whatever the cost.
He looked out his small window. The village was peaceful, full of kind people who believed in the Sage's philosophy. But Dan knew this peace wouldn't last. One day, this world would turn into a hell of war and blood.
And one day, he would be ready. Because he wouldn't allow himself to die.
He would live. Forever.