*Chapter 2: The Choice*

Several gazes turned toward him again.

As Kouga expected, the rookies who had gathered information now regarded him as their backbone, seeing him as a veteran responsible for guiding newcomers.

And the simple fan-shaped crest of the Uchiha clan on his otherwise ordinary ninja outfit had been imbued by the group with a special meaning.

In truth, Kouga wasn't nearly as strong as they imagined...

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been instantly killed by Itachi—

On a moonlit night, the Uchiha clan members were being slaughtered one by one. Itachi's face gradually became stained with the blood of his kin, whether they were ninjas or the elderly, women, and children who had never awakened their Sharingan; none were spared.

Uchiha Kouga, a Chunin and a member of the Konoha Police Force, happened to be off-duty on the night of the massacre. When he smelled blood and rushed out to investigate, he witnessed his parents fall before his eyes...

Grief, anger, and other extreme emotions reached their peak, causing the chakra within him to surge violently. His scarlet two-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, and soon a third tomoe emerged!

It was in this fleeting moment of brilliance that Itachi drew his ninja blade, flashing like a streak of light. The body that Kouga had just taken over collapsed to the ground, exiting this world at the speed of light.

Fire, lightning, and earth—three chakra natures.

High resistance to genjutsu.

Jonin-level chakra reserves.

Mastery of basic ninjutsu.

If he could stay cautious and avoid especially bad luck, passing the Iron-Blooded Trial shouldn't be too hard.

Now, feeling confident and firmly in control of the situation, Kouga addressed the group, speaking in a deep voice as he met their stares: "Raise your hand if you've seen the Alien vs. Predator series."

"Hmm... the Alien series also counts, as does Predator. After all, these movies can help us better understand our current predicament."

The result was rather surprising.

Of the seven temporary companions, six raised their hands. Only the black man, an older uncle, had a gaze that once again revealed a clueless innocence.

"Well then, let me get to the point."

He glanced at the light screen, where the countdown had reached five minutes and thirty seconds. Kouga briefly summarized the plot:

"Billionaire Charles Weyland used his private thermal imaging satellite to discover an ancient pyramid buried several thousand feet beneath the Antarctic ice.

"Based on calculations, this Aztec pyramid predates the Egyptian pyramids. To verify his discovery, Charles assembled an elite expedition team to investigate."

At this point, a young man dressed like a white-collar worker, eager to make his presence known, chimed in:

"Obviously, we’re the members of the expedition team."

"Right. Inside this pyramid are dormant Facehuggers. Once we step in, the Alien Queen will begin laying eggs," another unnamed temporary member added.

A scholarly-looking white man wearing gold-rimmed glasses responded, "Even worse, the Predators, once worshipped as gods by the Aztecs, have already arrived in their spacecraft, hovering near Earth!"

Seeing this, Kouga fell silent.

Luckily, amid everyone's chatter, the black uncle finally seemed to grasp the basics of the situation:

Predators have incredibly strong bodies, with cloaking abilities and thermal detection. Their gauntlet blades can pop out at any time like Wolverine's claws.

As for Aliens, not only are they powerful attackers, but their blood and bodies are full of corrosive acid, which can counter the Predators' steel-like skin.

"There are warm clothes piled in the corner. Be sure to stay warm; it's below freezing outside."

"Hopefully, we'll all make it back alive."

"Lastly, good luck."

As soon as Kouga finished speaking, a bone-chilling gust of wind crept in through the cracks in the door, putting him on high alert.

What had been a quiet, isolated, and safe little space was now gradually filled with sound.

The protection provided by the Lord God's shield had ended!

At this moment, everyone in the room could hear excited shouts from outside.

"Hurry! Hurry! Over here!"

"There's an ice tunnel that seems to lead straight down to the bottom of the pyramid."

Hearing this, Kouga's mind clicked, and he knew exactly where the plot had advanced to—within a few dozen minutes, three young Predators would arrive in this area.

After slaughtering all the nearby creatures, they would enter the pyramid's hunting grounds to hunt Aliens and earn recognition from their tribe's elders.

That ice tunnel was created by the Predators' spaceship, which had blasted a direct path to the pyramid's main entrance!

Bang!

His thoughts were interrupted as Kouga pushed the door open and dashed out, moving like a shadow.

Behind him, his temporary companions hurriedly donned their polar gear.

Having narrowly avoided death not long ago, Kouga was utterly averse to it. After completing his role as the guide, he prepared to grab whatever would further secure his victory—

High-tech equipment.

In one of the pyramid's sealed chambers lay Predator weapons, like plasma shoulder cannons.

The wind whistled past his ears.

As his toes touched the thick ice, chakra concentrated in his legs. Without leaving a trace, he leaped forward over ten meters.

With swift, agile movements, Kouga cut through the snowstorm like a gust of wind.

During this time, he caught a glimpse of his reflection on the smooth ice—he looked young, his face sharp and handsome, wearing a black bodysuit under a green tactical vest. His thick black hair was tied at the end with a red cord, and the Uchiha clan's emblem stood out boldly on his back.

The important part was that he looked exactly the same as before his soul had crossed over!

If there wasn’t some hidden reason behind this, Kouga wouldn't believe it, even if you beat him...

A similar flower?

A version of himself from a parallel world?

The thought didn't linger long.

With a breath, he let go of the distraction. When he became strong enough, the truth would naturally come to light.

Overthinking things would only lead to chaos!

He had to focus all his energy on passing the first trial.

"Apart from me, there are seven reincarnators and fifteen locals. In the worst-case scenario, all of them will be turned into Aliens by Facehuggers."

His steps suddenly came to a halt as he stomped heavily on the ice, instantly halting his forward momentum. His robust and flexible physical condition was evident.

Moreover, he had moved in complete silence, not alerting Charles Weyland, the billionaire stationed at the ice tunnel with his team, nor his followers.

"Ninja attacks are stronger than ordinary humans', but their defense is fragile, similar to high-damage assassins. On the other hand, Aliens… high attack, high durability..."

By scanning his surroundings, Kouga quickly gathered enough information from the environment, and a thought emerged—should he just kill all the locals?

That would lower the difficulty.

But the dark idea quickly faded.

He wasn't saintly enough to recklessly help his temporary teammates, but he also wasn't a murderer. Compared to Uchiha Itachi, who killed his parents, Kouga was just a person with normal thoughts.

Moreover, he still didn’t fully understand the rules of this unfamiliar Lord God. Trying to pull any tricks might backfire.

(End of Chapter)