*Chapter 3: The Lone Wolf*

Endless white stretched before him.

Kouga stood on a snow-covered slope, as the cold wind slashed like knives. The chakra inside his body flowed steadily, counteracting the freezing temperature, making him the odd one out among the whale station crew.

At this moment, experts from various fields were braving the snow, collecting samples from the surrounding area. The engineering team stood guard at the entrance to an ice cave, preparing to utilize this mysterious passage.

As for the security team?

They paired up, standing guard at the lookout tower of the abandoned whaling station and at various corners, wary of uninvited forces—though this possibility was mostly theoretical.

In reality...

Space. Near Earth orbit.

Inside a stealth spaceship.

"This human... is strange."

"He looks powerful. Without using any tools, the energy inside his body alone is enough to resist the harsh environment. I want to collect his skull."

In a 3D hologram, a young man stood on a high point. The red glow representing heat exaggerated dramatically, like a small furnace at work.

Standing beside the hologram were three masked creatures, each over two meters tall, dressed in peculiar armor.

Sensing something, Kouga looked up at the sky.

"Predators... with their long-range monitoring, they must have discovered me by now."

This was an intriguing race, fiercely devoted to primitive hunting culture while also developing advanced technology, capable of piloting spaceships and battling various strange creatures.

"Perhaps, when I'm stronger in the future, I can attempt to make contact with Predator civilization, trade for useful equipment, and explore their world."

"For now... let’s focus on passing this trial."

Calming his thoughts, Kouga quickly formed hand seals, following the fragmented memories in his mind—

The Ram seal.

Instantly, his conspicuous ninja outfit disappeared, replaced by an ordinary polar survival suit.

In the world of Naruto, ninjas would form hand seals before launching attacks, allowing them to convert their chakra into jutsu for release.

Most seals required both hands, but there were rare exceptions. A few naturally gifted elite Jonin, or even Kage-level ninjas, could perform single-hand seals.

The founder of Konoha, Hashirama Senju, known for his Sage Art and Wood Release, could often summon techniques without forming seals at all.

The jutsu Kouga used just now was the Transformation Technique, a way to alter his appearance and deceive others.

In various situations, such as combat, espionage, or luring enemies, transforming into someone else could maximize his advantage.

Now, Kouga, without any noticeable oddities, arrived at the entrance and rejoined the storyline characters.

“The steel cable anchors are set. Should we send the scientific equipment down first or have the security team scout ahead? I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Set up the lights along the way. It’s pitch black in there, like the maw of an abyss—how could it not be creepy?”

“Then get the generator running…”

The construction site around the ice cave was a chaotic mess.

Amid the noisy conversations, Kouga approached a corner and silently placed his hand on a man’s shoulder:

"Hey, can you tell me how to express the current time in Aztec on a Mayan calendar?"

Sebastian, a professor lost in thought, jolted in shock. Regaining his composure, he turned to Kouga and sighed, "Man, you're like a ghost—no sound when you walk."

“...” Kouga responded with silence and a pair of Sharingan eyes.

In both of his eye sockets, three black tomoe rotated.

The illusionary technique of his bloodline activated.

There was no need to expend much chakra—after all, the target was an ordinary human.

In the next moment, this expert in ancient civilizations pulled out a pen and paper, starting to write.

Though Kouga’s recollection of the plot was hazy, the key moments were still clear.

The room holding the plasma cannon was located directly beneath the main sacrificial chamber, and walking along the pyramid’s centerline would lead him there!

The main issue was how to acquire the equipment.

The symbols written on the paper were crucial.

"Adjust the time on the Mayan calendar to the current date in Aztec, October 10, 2004, and you'll obtain it..."

As Kouga took the paper, he let out a long breath, releasing the illusion. His eyes returned to normal.

In fact, for those with Uchiha blood, even without mastering genjutsu, controlling ordinary creatures through their eyes was effortless.

Once the Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan, even giant-tailed beasts could be controlled.

At this moment, as Kouga walked away, Professor Sebastian’s face remained blank, still in a daze. Even when his companions woke him up, he wouldn’t remember what had just happened.

At the entrance, several engineers setting up the steel cables saw Kouga approach and were about to greet him, but a shadow flashed before their eyes.

By the time they looked again, Kouga had vanished!

“He… he jumped?”

“No way… I thought this guy was part of the security team.”

Whoosh!

Not bothering to use the cable, Kouga, having secured the ancient language key, slid directly into the depths of the ice cave.

Before long—

A kunai stabbed into the ice at a thirty-degree angle, absorbing most of the force. With a dull thud, Kouga landed firmly on the ground, eyes scanning the area ahead.

A pyramid came into view.

Majestic in scale, its front archway alone was over thirty meters high.

At the same time—

The shivering reincarnators arrived at the entrance. They had no choice but to descend.

The main god's watch had updated, showing that if they didn't enter the ice cave within ten minutes, they would be erased!

"That veteran is too ruthless. He’s strong, but he doesn’t look out for us newcomers."

“Yeah, without the protection of a powerful ally, relying only on a handgun... we can't even kill a facehugger, let alone an Alien.”

“Screw that main god! It gives us new life, only to cruelly take it away again. It's a psychopath!”

“I just got a second chance at life. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to feel that pain again!”

“Aliens burst out from your chest…”

“Wait! I know why that guy rushed off. He’s after the Predator’s weapons to boost his chances of survival!!”

As the last group of humans entered the ice cave, three missile-like devices were launched from the stealth ship in outer space.

They sped towards the Antarctic trial site at lightning speed, without leaving any trace of exhaust, a testament to technology far beyond human imagination.

The hunt was about to begin!

(End of Chapter)