As testing of Konoha's sensory barrier progressed, Ōnoki, who had already stepped down as Tsuchikage, led a party to Konohagakure!
Even though the two villages had been fighting to the death on the battlefield not long before, Tsunade still brought people to the Konoha Gate to welcome Ōnoki. He was the former Tsuchikage, after all, and that much courtesy was necessary.
Seeing Tsunade and her party coming to welcome him from afar, Ōnoki sighed softly. "A fine student of Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
Thinking back to his last meeting with the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Ōnoki could barely remember exactly when it had been.
Perhaps he should have given up the position of Tsuchikage long ago and yielded it to the younger generation. Iwagakure might have developed better than it had now.
But it seemed Konoha did not attach as much importance to his arrival as he had imagined. Although Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, was present, the only other notable person was Konoha's adviser, Mitokado Homura. The rest seemed to be ordinary ninja.
Shihōin Naraku, whom Ōnoki most wanted to see, had not appeared. Perhaps he was being treated so lightly because he was no longer Tsuchikage?
Actually, Tsunade would do as well, but he did not know whether she still had the time and energy to help treat his granddaughter.
Ōnoki glanced back. Kurotsuchi lay half-dead on a guard's back, with no desire to go on living at all.
That was why he had come to Konoha!
He had not come to cause trouble, but to see whether there was any way to help his granddaughter Kurotsuchi recover. At the very least, she could not keep lying there like that.
As the host, Tsunade did not remain where she was and wait for her guest, Ōnoki, to approach. Instead, she stepped