"Outside the era of the Great Ninja War, one Explosive Tag costs eight thousand ryo. Once I return to the Naruto World, I can use the royalties I've saved up and secretly buy a hundred through the Akimichi Clan's Ninja Cat channels."
"I won't feel bad about using them."
"But if I can help it, I'd rather not use those things. I went to so much trouble to get this trump card from the Akimichi Clan through a classmate."
"They gave me the friends-and-family price of two hundred thousand ryo each, too."
His gaze drifted to the small ninja tool pouch at his waist.
Sizzle!
After pausing briefly to make a few minor adjustments, Uchiha Xiu used chakra to dart between the ship's compartments, keeping up a fast pace.
Suddenly, a drop of blood ate through the metal ceiling and fell from the level above. It continued corroding through another layer of metal flooring before finally stopping.
"Hm?"
Having sensed the unexpected danger in advance, Uchiha Xiu halted and, with a thought, drew a Kunai into his hand. "Could any of the native crew from the previous group still be alive—and have injured the Xenomorph?"
He had brought himself to a stop from a full sprint in an instant, displaying his formidable yet nimble physique.
"..."
After pausing briefly and confirming there was no immediate danger, Uchiha Xiu continued on his way, activating the basic Body Flicker Technique.
He shot forward like a cannonball, his speed climbing higher and higher.
His target:
The level above!
Saving a key character came with extra side mission rewards. What Reincarnator would turn down a little extra profit?
Especially someone like him...
Bang!
In the space of a breath, a battered, gaping cargo lift aboard the ship shuddered as the Facehuggers crawling toward it lost their target.
Then came a clang as a Kunai with an Explosive Tag tied to its end plunged into the floor.
It landed right among them.
"Explode."
BOOOM! Light and heat burst outward.
His personal reward points ticked upward.
But a real man never looked back at an explosion. Even more afraid of being too slow, Uchiha Xiu leapt into the air, steadied himself mid-flight, and kept moving at high speed, heedless of the extra physical strength and chakra he was spending.
Normally, even the most basic Body Flicker Technique wasn't something a Chunin-to-be could handle. Being able to use it to save his life in a critical moment was already more than enough.
But he knew what he was doing.
Almost there.
The unplanned expenditure was within acceptable limits.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Uchiha Xiu charged into the ship's conference room!
His Sharingan immediately locked onto a corner by the entrance. There stood a Drone Xenomorph, its head injured and flames licking over its body.
He instinctively raised his hand, sending a Kunai flying.
Against waves of cannon fodder and a single elite monster, Explosive Tags were enough.
At the same time, he wrapped an arm around the woman holding a flamethrower and tackled her behind a cabinet.
The cargo ship's pilot, Ripley, hadn't seen a thing. Everything spun before her eyes, and she was suddenly knocked to the ground.
Thud!
The cabinet, weighing several tons, rocked as its surface temperature rose, successfully blocking the blast's spreading damage.
The fourth Explosive Tag was gone.
Fortunately, the cargo ship was sturdy and spacious enough to withstand explosions of this magnitude. Otherwise... the East Sea Team would have been adrift in space.
But that was all right, too.
If he wasn't strong enough, Uchiha Xiu would consider activating the ship's self-destruct system and escaping in a lifeboat.
That would still count as completing the main mission.
"I was right to make the split-second decision to save the heroine."
Uchiha Xiu had, of course, confirmed the woman's identity.
Her features were hard, not beautiful, but her brows held a fierce, unyielding determination.
The Main God's omnipresent voice rang out.
The wristwatch refreshed—
[Rescue Ripley, the protagonist of the Alien series. Reward: 1 D-rank side mission and 500 reward points!] [Side mission activated: Escort Ripley to the escape ship and get her off the Nostromo within thirty minutes.] [Mission complete: Reward of 1 C-rank side mission and 1,500 reward points.] [Failure penalty: Deduction of 1,000 reward points.]
"You... it's you! You're security from our cargo ship, a genetically modified soldier!"
Ripley finally collected herself. When she saw Uchiha Xiu's face, she lunged toward him again as if he were a lifeline.
"...There are monsters on the planet where the ship landed... One of them infested our first officer, Kane..."
"...There are more and more of them. We didn't have time to wake you from the cryo pods. I can't believe you made it out... What about the others? Are you the only one left?"
The pilot struggled to find the words, trembling as she spoke.
"Security for the Weyland-Yutani Corporation? A genetically modified human? Tch, the role the Main God assigned me is pretty interesting." Uchiha Xiu thought to himself as he patted the woman's shoulder in comfort.
"Ripley, we were attacked by monsters too after we came out, but we've already taken out quite a few."
Seeing that the person he was protecting had calmed down a little, Uchiha Xiu followed up, "You're the only one hiding here. Where are the others?"
"They're all dead... their chests burst open..."
"Okay, okay, I understand. Apart from the security team, how many crew members were there on the cargo ship, including you?"
"Ten. Oh, right—can you save Jones?"
"What's that?"
"My cat. An orange cat. It might still be alive."
Xiu: "..."
Save Hajimi?
That depends on fate.
If it's convenient, sure.
In the original film, the orange cat was actually pretty clever. When it encountered a Xenomorph, it didn't just stand there, activate Spinosaurus Form, and puff itself up.
It made its way back to its owner, then boarded the escape ship with her. Almost no one had to worry about it the whole time.
"I'll do my best, if I can."
"Thank you." Ripley nodded, holding back a sob.
"Wait here for now."
With that, Uchiha Xiu stood up and left the shelter behind the cabinet.
His voice held little warmth.
That very calmness, however, gradually steadied Ripley, whose nerves had been stretched taut for far too long.
One queen.
Nine adult Xenomorphs.
A number of Facehuggers and eggs—little more than fodder.
At most, there might also be a mutant cat-based Xenomorph, courtesy of the big orange fellow.
"I've already taken out three Drone Xenomorphs on the way here."
"Come to think of it, some of those six temporary teammates might have been infested too, either because they were unlucky or because they couldn't keep their heads."
"Either way, the overall difficulty is manageable. I've got the advantage!"
"Let's speedrun this... before any more trouble crops up."
After quickly weighing the situation, Uchiha Xiu raised his hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and crossed both hands into a seal.
Ram!
With just one seal, his chakra was instantly divided in two, and another figure appeared beside him out of thin air.
"Protect her and head for the escape ship at once. Make sure we don't lose that side mission."
"Got it."
After a hushed exchange, Uchiha Xiu's original body tossed out two Explosive Tag-tipped Kunai, a coil of specially made steel wire, and two Shuriken scrolls before darting straight ahead.
The Shadow Clone Technique was a B-rank technique in terms of learning difficulty.
It evenly divided the original's chakra to create a solid clone with its own consciousness, capable of carrying out attacks and tactics.
"It's the most difficult ninjutsu I've mastered so far."
"My ultimate trump card. Time to use it."
"Money is just dirt!"
"The rewards from the side mission and the kill bonuses combined are worth far more than that little bit of cash and goodwill."
Without hesitation, Uchiha Xiu pulled out a small green pill and popped it into his mouth, chewing.
The Akimichi Clan's beginner secret medicine, the Spinach Pill, was a precious item that slightly restored chakra, unlocked thirty percent of one's potential, and tripled physical strength.
As for the drawback? A brief burst of potential came with an equal measure of pain.
Uchiha Xiu could handle it.
At once, a warm current coursed through his acupoints and meridians, making up for the chakra he had spent creating a clone.
"The speedrun starts now!"
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