The decision to challenge Konoha Ninja Village had been made long ago. Whoever came before Ōnoki, his resolve would not waver. A powerful Konoha Ninja Village did not serve the interests of the Land of Earth, and as the leader of Iwagakure Ninja Village, he had a duty to curb its increasingly evident might.
But it was still too early. As far as Ōnoki knew, Konoha Ninja Village still had shinobi forces on standby that had yet to deploy. Even while facing two shinobi villages, Konoha Ninja Village was nowhere near its limit. Yet that was precisely why Ōnoki feared it all the more—and wanted it gone all the more.
Ōnoki had always planned before acting. Until the situation became clear, he never made a rash decision. That was what his teacher, Mu, had taught him. He would never forget how, during the First Shinobi World War, his younger, hotheaded self had tried to persuade his teacher to join forces with Kumogakure Ninja Village against Konoha Ninja Village out of his hatred for Madara Uchiha. His teacher, however, had calmly chosen to assist Konoha Ninja Village and fight Kumogakure Ninja Village together.
Events later proved his teacher's judgment both discerning and correct. Kumogakure Ninja Village, which posed an enormous threat to Iwagakure Ninja Village, suffered devastating losses in the war. It was as though Iwagakure Ninja Village had broken free of its shackles. Drawing on its status as one of the victors, it secured considerable benefits for its nation.
Ever since then, Ōnoki had demanded that he learn his teacher's keen judgment and not let his personal feelings sway him. Naturally, he approached this Shinobi World war in the same way. Admittedly, joining forces with Konoha Ninja Village as they had in the previous war was the least risky option