The days of silent travel had passed, anticipation growing with every breath. From the window, their destination filled half the horizon: a massive emerald world, wrapped in rolling clouds and shimmering auroras. Vast oceans reflected greenish hues, while endless forests stretched across its continents.
Shisui pressed closer to the glass, his eyes wide.
—It's alive… everything. The whole planet looks like a sea of green.
Renji was already scanning the atmospheric readings, his hands gliding over seals engraved into the control console.
—Rich in oxygen. Gravity is slightly lighter than back home. The reactor is stable. She's ready for descent.
Itachi's heart pounded. This was the moment: the first real step beyond their world.
—Then let's make history.
The ship pierced the upper atmosphere with a roar only they could feel from inside. Fire streaked across the windows as the thermal shields blazed. And then, silence—replaced by the soft pull of gravity and the sight of forests drawing ever closer.
They landed in a wide clearing surrounded by towering trees, each faintly glowing as if they absorbed and radiated light. The leaves shimmered in the wind with a strange silvery hue. The very air seemed charged, alive.
Shisui was the first to touch the ground, kneeling to run his fingers through the grass.
—It feels… different. The chakra here is like a constant breeze flowing through the body.
Renji inhaled deeply, narrowing his eyes.
—It's not just chakra. There's something in the air itself. This planet… was made for life.
The calm didn't last. A sharp whistle cut the air, followed by the ripping sound of something slicing through the wind. Itachi's instincts screamed. He activated his Sharingan just in time to catch the glint: an arrow tipped with compressed air grazed past his shoulder and embedded itself into the ship's hull.
—Ambush! —Shisui shouted, vanishing in a flash as more projectiles rained down.
From the treetops emerged figures. Tall, slender, their pale skin glowing faintly green, their hair flowing like strands of living leaves. They moved with impossible grace, bows drawn, arrows vibrating with the edge of wind.
Renji raised a barrier seal just as another volley struck, the impact making the air tremble.
—These aren't hunters… they're warriors.
Itachi raised his hand, forcing calm into his voice.
—Wait! We are not your enemies!
But his words were drowned out by a fierce gust as one of the warriors descended, spear in hand, suspicion blazing in her emerald eyes.
The one who seemed to be the leader, a blonde elf woman with sharp green eyes, shouted something they couldn't understand. Knowing communication was impossible, they proceeded with plan B.
—Shisui, Genjutsu.
Shisui reacted instantly, his eyes flashing red. Within moments, all their attackers collapsed, their minds ensnared.
While Shisui worked, the others cloaked the ship and began scanning the surroundings for more enemies.
Minutes later, Shisui finished. Forming hand seals, he touched his own head, then Renji's, then Itachi's. It was a method of information transfer they had developed long ago. What Shisui transmitted was the language used by these people.
Soon, the elves stirred awake, alert and scrambling for their weapons.
The leader's voice cut through the chaos, cold and sharp.
—Firebloods! How dare you trespass in our sacred forests?
Itachi's chest tightened as he understood.
—They think we're someone else…
Shisui reappeared at his side.
—"Firebloods." Who are they?
Renji frowned.
—Perhaps… another people. Fire warriors. Likely their enemies.
A wind-forged spear slashed through the air, grazing Itachi's arm. His Sharingan flared as he fixed his gaze on the elven leader.
—We don't come from the volcanoes. We are not your fire warriors.
The blonde elf hesitated, bow still drawn, but her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
—Prove it, —she spat, as the wind around her sharpened like blades.
Itachi kept his gaze fixed on her, his voice firm but controlled:
"How can we prove it? If we had meant harm, you would already be dead. We did not come to destroy."
The elf leader hesitated, lowering the tension of her bowstring by just a few millimeters. The other warriors watched her expectantly, awaiting her judgment. Finally, her voice took on a more calculating tone:
"Only the elders of our village can discern the truth. They possess the eyes of the wind, capable of seeing beyond flesh and deception."
Renji frowned, crossing his arms.
"Then take us to them."
The leader nodded slowly and gestured with her spear for them to follow. The group began moving through the forest. The air was fresh, and with every step, the constant murmur of the wind could be felt, as if the planet itself were breathing.
Shisui, always sparing with words, walked attentively, observing their surroundings, but he couldn't help muttering a quiet comment:
"It's not hostility I sense… more like distrust. They're like sentinels."
Along the way, several younger warriors emerged from among the trees, curious, not entirely hiding their awe. One of them, with silver hair falling to his shoulders, approached just close enough to speak, a gleam of excitement in his green eyes.
"Are you… the ones we've been following?" he asked.
Itachi tilted his head.
"Following us?"
The young man clenched his fists, as if holding back a secret too great to contain.
"The great meteor that fell from the sky…" he murmured. "The elders said it would bring salvation to our people. That from the stars would descend those capable of breaking the cycle of fire and wind."
A murmur spread among the other warriors—some showing discomfort, others reverence. The blonde elf leader shot a stern look at the young man, who fell silent immediately, though his eyes remained fixed on the newcomers.
Renji exchanged a quick glance with Shisui and then with Itachi. The silence between them was eloquent: this was no coincidence.
As they advanced, the forest grew denser and more majestic, with colossal roots rising like natural walls and luminescent flowers floating in the air like tiny green fireflies. With every step closer to the village, the feeling of entering a sacred place grew more intense.
And on the horizon, between the treetops, what appeared to be a city suspended on natural platforms began to emerge, glowing with a soft radiance, as if held aloft by the wind itself.
The village was located in a tree at least five kilometers tall, with people moving up and down everywhere. They used gliders on their backs, propelled by the wind to ascend or descend.
When we arrived, the leader told us we needed to go up, and we told her we had our own means. Renji immediately pulled out a mini-thruster with four rotary turbines from his storage seal. We boarded it and began to follow the group of Elf warriors.
After ascending about 2000 meters, we reached a kind of plateau formed by the tree trunks where the Elven city began.
We slowly descended, and a large group of warriors greeted us. By their faces, we could see that some held murderous intent, while others even smiled at us. But they all parted to make way for a group of 24 elders. All of them were taller than the others, had emerald tones to their skin, and when the sunlight hit them, their skin seemed to glow.
The elf woman at the front welcomed them and invited them to enter the meeting hall.