The standoff between Naruto's team and the elite shinobi of Enraoi held for a moment, both sides breathing heavily. Tension hung in the air, each shinobi poised to strike, ready to end the confrontation that had already stretched them to their limits.

Naruto clenched his fists, feeling the Nine-Tails' chakra pulse through him, grounding him, steadying his focus. The woman with the kekkei tōta glared back, her crystal blade raised, eyes glittering with unrelenting resolve.

Without warning, Naruto burst forward, his speed enhanced by the Nine-Tails' chakra. He weaved in and out of the woman's range, his movements like flashes of light. The crystal blade came down toward him, but he evaded, countering with a Rasengan aimed directly at her side.

She barely managed to dodge, her blade swinging toward his shoulder, but Naruto was already gone, his body twisting gracefully as he landed a powerful punch into her chest. She staggered back, crystal fragments scattering around her as she caught her breath.

Meanwhile, Lee was locked in combat with one of the other ninjutsu specialists, his speed matched by the opponent's mastery of Fire Style. Each blow Lee attempted was met with a fiery barrier or burning counterattack. But Lee, undeterred, upped his pace, pushing his body to its limits. Flames licked at his sleeves as he spun into a powerful kick, finally breaking through and landing a blow to his opponent's shoulder.

Neji, on the other hand, was strategically pressuring the second specialist, his Byakugan allowing him to pinpoint chakra points and disrupt his opponent's flow. Each precise strike Neji delivered weakened the man's defenses, making it harder for him to conjure his Earth Style techniques. As the specialist tried to summon another stone pillar, Neji struck his wrist, disrupting the chakra and causing the earth to crumble before it could take shape.

While the team fought with fierce determination, B joined Naruto against the kekkei tōta user. Seeing that her attacks were now split between the two of them, Naruto created several shadow clones to flank her. The clones distracted her, forcing her to defend herself against strikes from all sides, her crystal defenses beginning to thin.

B saw an opening and transformed partially into his Eight-Tails form, his hand cloaked in tailed-beast chakra. "Lariat!" he roared, launching himself forward. The woman barely managed to throw up a crystal shield, but B's chakra shattered through it with raw power, sending her staggering backward.

Seeing her moment of vulnerability, Naruto channeled the Nine-Tails' chakra into a Rasengan, its size and force growing. With a powerful leap, he brought it down toward her in a spiraling blaze. "Take this—Nine-Tails Rasengan!"

The woman, realizing the overwhelming power behind Naruto's attack, conjured her crystal blade and braced herself. But Naruto's Rasengan met her blade with unmatched force, shattering it upon impact and sending her flying backward, her chakra reserves nearly depleted.

Panting, she struggled to her feet, the determination in her eyes now faltering. The elites, seeing their leader struggling, exchanged glances and began to retreat, understanding that they were outmatched. The ninjutsu specialists quickly fell back, regrouping to protect the woman as they disappeared into the trees, leaving Naruto's team victorious but breathless.

Across the field, Buddha stood facing Horiba, the Moukage of Moukoku, a man whose presence was as heavy as the shadows surrounding him. Horiba's gaze was stern, unreadable, as Buddha regarded him with a mixture of disappointment and hardened resolve.

"Horiba," Buddha began, his voice filled with gravity, "you arrested your own kin—Yami—out of a grudge and fear. For a crime that, in truth, only defied the rules because they were twisted by a tyrant before you."

Horiba's expression didn't shift, but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "Yami broke the peace, Buddha. I swore to uphold the stability of Moukoku, even if that means punishing those closest to me."

"Peace?" Buddha challenged, his voice deep and unyielding. "You call this peace? Caging one of your own for a life of imprisonment, denying him any chance to right his actions or prove himself worthy of freedom?"

Horiba's brow furrowed, the weight of Buddha's words pressing into him. "It is a fragile balance, Buddha. One I worked tirelessly to maintain after the chaos that Totanda left in his wake. Yami jeopardized that balance."

"Perhaps," Buddha conceded. "But you know, as well as I, that Totanda's poison still taints the air here. You've clung to stability out of fear, not out of fairness. And Yami's punishment was severe, harsh, and unjust, even by the standards of peace."

Horiba looked away, his expression one of inner conflict. For the first time, the steadfast Moukage appeared vulnerable.

Buddha continued, softer but unwavering. "I respect the order you've tried to build, Horiba. But you must understand—Yami's sacrifice was not a selfish act. He fought to protect Rei. He fought to defend someone he cared for. Even in your 'peace,' that is a right no one should be denied."

There was a pause, a silence that hung heavy between them. Horiba sighed, his gaze drifting to the distant mountains. "If I relent now, Buddha, if I allow emotions to dictate my actions…will this fragile peace survive?"

Buddha looked him directly in the eyes, a deep understanding in his gaze. "Only if it's a peace worth keeping, Horiba. I have seen what power without compassion creates, and you have, too. It's time to choose—between the stability you fear to lose, and the justice your people deserve."

Horiba's shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of Buddha's words seeming to sink into him. He looked down, the once-unshakable Moukage now facing a decision he had long avoided.

And as the quiet tension held between them, the echoes of battle and the winds of change swept over the fields, signaling that the time for reckoning was drawing closer.