[OP: "Exeunt"--The Oh Hellos]

Silence.

"Would he?" Temari said finally.

"I think he would," Kankuro said. "That's just what he'd be worried about. That's why radical religious groups threaten the shinobi villages--because people are more loyal to them than to the village. Gaara, as a leader, believing that way is very problematic if that's how it came off...and if we, his followers, also talk that way, then we'll sound radical."

"But," Sasuke surprised them by speaking, "if that is how you feel about it, shouldn't you admit it? You think this is more important than your village, don't you?"

They looked very uncomfortable.

And Shine didn't say anything to counter Sasuke's question to them.

"I..." Temari said slowly, "well, I guess, at bottom, you could say it. But it's not as if the village's well-being is in conflict with this. So why worry about it?"

"It could be if they hear about this," Sasuke said.

"I'm sure they wouldn't react that extremely," Gaara said. "They know how we are now."

"And villages never turn on people on a whim," Sasuke said cuttingly.

"Why don't you lay off?" Shoto said. "Stop twisting the knife."

"I thought it was a reasonable question," Sasuke retorted. "Perhaps the Tsuchikage is right about you then. If you are that committed, and he's not, then what is there for him to understand?"

"Are you calling us traitors?" Temari said hotly. 

"To the shinobi way of life, you might be," Sasuke said.

Whether that was actually even an insult from him or not, it was hard to say, but it made them angry.

"Why don't you back off?" Kankuro said. "We're not traitors. We've done nothing but try to help the shinobi force, and if this is the thanks we get for it, then we're not the problem."

"Projecting your way of thinking onto us is not an indictment against us," Temari added. "It's your problem."

"Wait a minute," Shine spoke up, as Sasuke tensed as if for a fight. "Sasuke's point might be worth thinking about. How far are you willing to go for this? Even if you only wanted peace, peacemakers have not always been well received throughout history, particularly ninja history. And this is something more than peace. Would you die rather than renounce it to the villages? Even if they said that peace was not an option if you continue to profess this is the truth?"

Gaara looked stricken. "But peace is the goal we have, and the thing we set out to do for the world.... How can we abandon that?"

"How can you have peace without the thing that gave you peace in your soul?" Shine asked. "What if that thing is not something that people like? Or want...? Does that make it wrong?"

"I'm... Perhaps not, but, for the sake of protecting the village, perhaps we shouldn't stress that point," Gaara said.

Shine stared at him in the most disappointed way they had ever seen her look at Gaara.

"I never thought I'd say this," she said, getting up, "but I think Sasuke may be closer on this one than you are, if that's really what you think."

That shocked them all.

"How dare you say that?" Temari said.

"How dare I say it?" Shine said. "Excuse me?"

Tension was rising, you could feel it. In Karin's case, literally.

"Hey, let's not start accusing each other of things," Wally said. "We're on the same team, guys. And we're assuming this is gonna go that far south. It might not."

"Wally, please," Shine said, sounding kind of mad. "Whether it does or not, this is a crucial point. I'm surrounded by people in my own home who think it's better to give up your point than to have contentions about it--as long as that point is one they don't like. What's popular is not usually what's right. If it was right, it would be difficult, and difficult is never popular. Did we come here to go along with same system as before? To encourage the shinobi to think that they're doing things the way they should? Or did we come here because we knew they aren't? Because decades of violence and backbiting between them have shown that serving the god of the village welfare is not enough to make people true and good. Didn't you accept that was the case? The villages have enslaved their people with curses and with laws when necessary. Would they give up that power so easily? Isn't that what's happening here? You say they don't like radicals... Well, there may be some legitimate reason for that, but isn't it really most likely that they threaten the power unanimity of the Village itself? It wouldn't be the only authority in their lives if they believed there was a different authority. A high one... Isn't that what we agreed on? If you backtrack on that now, for the sake of peace, then you will have no peace, not for long. Maybe for a short time...and you'll hate yourself for it. It's difficult to stand against the tide, but if you go with the tide, you get pounded into the impact zone or swept out to seas, and you can drown. If you go to Onoki and retract any of what you said to him over this, then you can continue this peace mission alone."

She shove her chair back. "Because I won't live a lie!"

She walked out of the room in high dudgeon.

The ninjas silently gaped after her.

"I never said I was going to retract," Gaara said.

"But you did say you might have to," Bakugo said. He was also disgusted. "Pansy. I thought you were tougher than that."

"Wait a minute," Gaara said. "Considering people's lives is not cowardice. What about my village?"

"I understand that," Momo said. "And I would say the same...except that, it does seem dishonest. Perhaps if you'd never told Onoki this story, it wouldn't matter to keep silent on it so much, but now that you have, if you retract it, even in a small way, he'll see it as giving in to the Village's ways...and that can only look like caving now. I'm afraid it does make a statement."

"And the statement is that 'I'm too weak to stand up for my convictions,'" Bakugo said. "That's not the thing we signed up for here. We were gonna change s--t, not give in to them."

"While I wouldn't put it that way," Shoto said, "I do think it would be a mistake to retract. I couldn't do it."

"Yeah, no s--t," Dabi said. "You started this fight--you can't just roll over on this. And since you're a kid, if you do, you look less reliable, not more. D--- it, at least stick to a position."

"He never said he was rolling over," Temari said angrily. "Why are you attacking him? He did as you all said he should, and look what's happened? Maybe we should have been more careful. We're looking at potential political disaster here if this goes further than a mild disagreement, and we did this because you thought we should."

"Wait a second, the peace mission was your idea," Wally said. "Not ours. Wasn't this a risk you factored into it?"

"Of course it was," Gaara said. "But I didn't expect to be considered a threat in this way--perhaps a fool, but I wasn't going to undermine the villages' authority with this. At least, I never saw it that way."

"I did," Sakura said, unhelpfully. "But no one cared what I said."

"Shut up," Dabi growled.

"Hey, I tried to tell you guys that people wouldn't like it," Sakura argued.

"But we still don't know if it's that bad," Hinata tried to speak up. "Shouldn't we wait till we know to react?"

"Maybe she's right," Naruto said. "Come on, guys, don't tear each other apart."

"Well, they're right," Wally said. "This is not helping us. We should try to calm down, pray... And I need to talk to Shine."

"Yeah, and what was that?" Temari said. "If this turns into a mess that we have to clean up, you'll just ditch us? Is that what you do now?"

"Uh...look, Temari," Wally said slowly, "of course we'd want to help you...but if that means lying, we can't do it. If you want to pretend this isn't serious, like Shine said, if Onoki asks us about it, we'll tell him the truth. You can't ask her not to do that. Shine can't do that... She could never lie about what she believes. And if I could, I would hate myself for doing it later. I'm not sure I could, actually. Better for us not to be here if you decide that's the route you're taking."

Temari bit her lip like she was trying not to scream in frustration at them...but also maybe she knew it was useless to ask them to change their minds on this point.

"We could be overreacting," Gaara said. "Onoki said he wanted to consider the matter... He may decide not to fight us on it for the sake of upholding the balance in our villages. He has to consider his village's overall welfare also...so let's not rush to assume the worst. And...we cannot ask them to deny their convictions, so...of course, that is off the table..."

"But will you?" Shoto asked.

Gaara was silent for a moment. "I will have to think about exactly what it means...if it's really against my convictions or not. As a leader, I have to think about this more carefully."

"Okay," Momo said slowly. "You should... We shouldn't try to influence you too much. I mean...we don't live here after all."

"Yeah, well, I'm outta here if we're gonna start backtracking," Camie said. "That's so ew. I think Shine is a little over the top at times with how she talks, but she's right about that part."

"Let's go talk to her," Shoto said. "Maybe we all should, not just Wally. We should show our support."

"Yes, let's talk to her," Momo said. "Maybe she'll have a plan anyway...if there's another course of action we could take without retracting."

"She's good at that kind of thing, so maybe," Dabi allowed.

The heroes all left, Wally included.

"Well, this is what happens when you try to do things like this," Sakura said.

"Sakura, give it a rest," Ino sighed. "Doesn't matter now. We have to think ahead."

Sakura frowned and crossed her arms.

"All of you shouldn't retract," Sasuke surprisingly spoke up again.

"What has gotten into you?" Shikamaru asked him. "Since when do you care?"

"About Stone Village? I don't care," Sasuke said. "And I don't even like any of you, but one thing I can't stand is people who say they're serious about something, and then as soon as it's challenged, they back off. At least I didn't do that. Onoki didn't like it, so what? He's not a model of perfect behaviors as kage, and how is this worse than the Akatsuki? It's ridiculous to cave in to him. And on top of that, if all of you are half as grateful to those people as you say, then where is your loyalty to them? Even if they're extreme, they did more for you than the village did."

"I'm sorry, are you lecturing us about loyalty?" Tenten said. "You of all people?"

Sasuke wanted to set her on fire, but he restrained himself.

"So maybe I'm not the expert of loyalty," he said testily. "But, all of you are supposed to be better than that. Is it true that you're actually no different than I am? Maybe you are just looking for what you can get out of this."

"That's crazy," Temari said, "because our concerns are not for what we'd suffer for this, but what Sand Village might."

"Then don't be the leader of Sand Village," Sasuke said, as if it was that easy. "Then no one would care. Why not just let the villages destroy themselves if that's how they want to be? I don't understand the concern for people who will never return that kind of good will anyway."

"This is not how we think," Gaara said. "You're right about that. We don't abandon people just because they don't do things we want. I think this is not your place to speak about."

"I'm a part of this team also," Sasuke said.

"Oh, are you?" Kankuro said sarcastically. "First time you've acted like it mattered. Why should we take you seriously? You've been fighting this the whole time, and now you're only supporting it because it's against Stone Village. You're not fooling us, Uchiha--you're still a rebel. And we're not your new band of outcast rogue ninja who want to destroy the shinobi world. We're trying to save it."

Sasuke could think of no better retort than, "Well, tell them that." And then he stalked out of the room.

"Has everyone gone crazy?" Sakura said blankly. "Sasuke is defending them and you're not? Is this a bad dream?"

"It does not appear to be," Sai said. "But it is odd. I also agree with Sasuke, which seems like a bad sign to me. But, certainly, we have to be careful about doing something just because we think our people would want us to..."

Silence.

"We all should cool off," Shikamaru said. "I need to think..."

"Sure, whatever." Tenten left the room.

Everyone else decided to follow suit.

[Who did you think was right? Oh boy, I really am asking for a full on comment war here.]

* * *

Shine was sitting in her room in the dark when the team joined her.

"Hey, Honey, are you okay?" Wally asked her, flipping on the light.

Shine rubbed her eyes. "Yeah...just wondering if I went too extreme back there. Maybe we miscalculated somewhere..."

"If you're asking that, we're in trouble." Dabi followed Wally in and leaned on the wall with a flat expression.

"These rooms really aren't meant for this many people to stand in..." Shine said as the kids filed in after him.

Momo sat on one of the bunks. "Shine...I've thought about what you said, and, while I don't like the ultimatum, I really don't see what else we could do. I mean, if they retract, what are we even here for? All we had to offer was our ideas; they can do the other things without us. I didn't realize how little they needed us till you said that."

"They do have the combat part down," Shoto admitted.

"That's bulls---," Bakugo said. "How many times have we bailed them out? Breaking their dumb curses too... They need us."

"Only for that, tho." Camie gestured. "And isn't that just, like, lowkey using us if that's all we're good for?"

"And I've said before I won't be used," Shine said. "We had this with one of our prior missions--before you guys. People at first liked our powers against the problems they had but didn't like our ideas. They wanted one without the other."

"I think we did that too," Shoto said. "At least our teachers did."

"And it doesn't work that way," Wally shook his head. "I'm not a gun-for-hire type...or...whatever it would be in a world without guns..."

"I know that if we were on a hero mission, we'd be told to just do what was necessary, even if we didn't like their personal views," Momo said. "But this is not a hero mission. We're doing this voluntarily...so I think compromising our values is...it's not something to take lightly."

"That is not something we can do, period," Shoto said. "This is what we stand for, whether they like it or not. If they don't want the trouble, we can go. I think Lord Onoki would be satisfied if we just left. "

"And would take it as Gaara choosing their ninja world over us," Shine said. "That would settle the matter, but he would always be watched after this. In the long run, bending over doesn't solve the problem... Still, if he prefers that to fighting, then, we have to abide by that. He asked us to do this--we didn't ask him."

"Like, there are other peeps who might want our help, tho," Camie said. "I don't think Sai-Fi wants us to just bail."

"If we stay here just for them, things get a lot harder," Shine said. "What would we do? Go back to Leaf? Kakashi won't like that if he knows why we're dropping out of this mission."

"No, then we look like troublemakers," Dabi said. "Trust me, we'd not be welcome in Leaf... We barely are now."

"Only because of Gaara," Shoto concurred. "So this is a problem for us personally, not just Team Zoe."

"So what do we do?" Bakugo asked. "We can't just punch the Tsuchikage, though I'd like to."

"He's an old dude," Camie said.

"He can use particles to destroy rocks!" Bakugo said. "I think he could take it!"

"You kids are so weird." Wally shook his head.

"Well, at least I didn't go off the deep end," Shine said. "But if you all agree with me, that means this is a big deal."

"I do think," Momo said carefully, "that perhaps they felt a little abandoned because you said that...but...uh...I don't know how we can take it back without contradicting ourselves now. We can still be friends even if they decide not to continue this part, right?"

"Friends...maybe," Shine said oddly. "I've never had this happen to me with a whole group. But if it did, I can't help but think something would die between us... I take conviction quite seriously, and about the surest way to lose my respect is to act against your professed convictions. Truthfully, I can't really help it. Even if I didn't want to, I couldn't change how I felt about them."

"Funny, you can overlook any number of crimes people do," Shoto said flatly, "but that's where you draw the line."

"Doesn't it make sense?" Wally said. "People do a lot of bad things when they're lost, but if they've found the thing that works and try ditch it because of peer pressure or something else less important, then it's hard to understand that."

"Even with the book, it says that's kind of a tough one," Dabi said. "And I also have no respect for people like that." [He's referring to places in Hebrews as well as Timothy that talk about people who abuse grace as a reason to sin or leave the faith.]

"I thought better of Gaara though," Shoto said. "I can't believe he would really do that."

"I don't think so," Shine said. "But if they all pressure him to, he may consider giving in...even if he feels deep down it's the wrong choice."

"Maybe he won't," Wally said. "Maybe this won't blow up into something big."

"I hope so, but I have a bad feeling about to, even if he and we still agree," Shine said. "It doesn't feel like this is going to blow over--my gut says so...I just can't say for sure in what way."

"I hope you're wrong," Momo sighed. "I've never had such a huge problem to split over...and if we overturn the alliance by putting our ideas in... Oh, I know it's not exactly our fault, but what kind of learning experience is that? I mean, if this didn't work how it was supposed to, did we do it wrong?"

"Hey, Peaches, listen--" Wally put a hand on her shoulder. "--take it from a superhero, you can do everything right and some people will not like it. And you won't always win. It takes a few tries to beat some guys, sometimes even more. You can't just beat yourself up if this doesn't go well. You did what you could. And you can learn from failure. Next time you'll be more ready. Everyone's different. Stone Village isn't the only place out there...so try not to look at it that way."

"We don't like to fail," Shoto said.

"Yeah, and our school doesn't like us to fail either," Bakugo said.

"Well--" Shine looked up. "--Wally and I will never be disappointed in you for failing at something you tried to do for the right reasons. And since right now we're your teachers, why worry about it?"

The hero kids had to smile a little, though maybe they were uncertain.

"And I don't expect to succeed that easy to begin with." Dabi shrugged. "So getting this far was a surprise to me. Honestly, I feel like if I only got the Mist Village one down, I wouldn't care that much. It's hard enough to change any culture. Maybe you're just getting cocky to think you'd get 3 out of 5."

"Well, it's not just that," Shoto said. "It's bringing down Sand Village by extension if Gaara is shamed for this. Just not getting Stone Village would be something I could live with, but Gaara's life shouldn't be ruined because of our efforts."

"Again, not your efforts," Wally said.

"Yeah, gosh, we weren't even there for that convo," Camie said.

"Maybe we should have been," Momo said. "Maybe letting him do it alone was a mistake."

"I really don't think it would have mattered," Shine said. "Though I'd like to think it did... Uh, how mad at me is everyone down there?"

"Temari was pretty mad," Dabi said before anyone could stop him.

"I'm sure they're not really mad at you," Wally said, with a warning look at Dabi. "Just at the situation."

"I guess you do have moments of self doubt," Bakugo noted. "Geez, Likstar, pull yourself together."

"Bakugo!" Momo said sharply.

Shine laughed. "I guess he's right though...though that's not very sensitive, Katsuki."

"If you were wrong, we were too," Wally said. "So, at least we were all wrong together."

"That's not better," Shine said.

"But it feels better, right?" Camie said.

Shine chuckled.

At least someone could find humor in this. The UA hero kids really still weren't so sure.

* * *

Team Taka grouped together when everyone split.

"Well, it was a good run," Suigetsu said, with the air of giving up. "But I knew this was too good to last."

"Good?" Jugo said. "You always complain about them."

"Oh sure, but they were better than anyone else I've worked for," Suigetsu said. "At least they don't try to kill you in your sleep or experiment on you or give you drugs. That's a positive work environment for me."

Karin frowned at him. "Be serious... What if the ninja do decide to just toss aside those people and side with Onoki? We're only here because of them... I mean, I can't just go to Leaf Village with Naruto if I have no credibility!"

"I think you'll be fine," Suigetsu said. "But Jugo and I..."

"Well, you can go back to Mist," Jugo said. "You have a home."

Suigetsu frowned as if he didn't like that thought. "Well...what will you do if they leave Team Zoe or whatever?"

"Me?" Jugo said, without much emotion. "I'll go with them as long as they'll allow it. These people gave me my life, or at least they taught me how I could get it. They are kind and loyal, and they stand for what they believe in. I've never been around anyone like that before. Neither of you had a home to go to before you joined, and because they let you, you have family." Meaning Karin. "And you have a place in your village." To Suigetsu. "And I have neither, but I do have...friends, for the first time. I'll survive somehow, but they deserve my loyalty...and..." He paused for a moment. "I've never been able to choose to be loyal simply because I wanted to and not because someone was leveraging my power against me. There is no point in having a choice if you will not use it."

It was a long speech for  him, so they knew he was dead serious.

Karin and Suigetsu didn't usually have consciences the way other people did--too hardened by their experiences--but...Jugo did make them feel kind of guilty.

"Do you really think that they're right?" Suigetsu said. "That there's some...old guy in the sky controlling all this? Because if there was, why wouldn't they be winning right now?"

"I think perhaps a God like theirs would not play favorites," Jugo said. "Or not interfere too hastily in these matters, just as they don't too hastily in our matters. Great power can be abused greatly, this I've known for a long time. Maybe all this is simply the way to keep things balanced...I don't know. But, even if they were wrong about that, aren't these the kind of people you would rather be around? Do you want to go back to murderers, thieves, and rogues? Is that really what either of you enjoy?"

"Enjoyment never came into it," Suigetsu said bitterly.

"But it can now," Jugo replied placidly.

Karin and Suigetsu looked at each other, for once without contempt or irritation.

Karin sighed. "I can tell you want to stick with them... You're predictable, Suigetsu."

"Ugh," Suigetsu sighed. "I guess I am too soft... Well, we do owe them, and I pay my dues. That's only fair. If they stood by us when we were outcasts, I guess we can stand by them. 'Sides, who wants to sick around with these other people if they go? The ninja think we're scum."

"They don't all think that," Karin said. "But some of them do, I can tell... You know, I don't think Sasuke will stay here if the heroes don't. But, he wouldn't like us to go with him either. I wasn't sure about them, but if both of you are resolved...well, I..." She trailed off. "But then, there is Naruto."

"Maybe you should stick with him," Jugo said. "You have a chance to have a family. Even if it's a small one. We just don't."

"Yeah, whatever," Suigetsu said. "If that's what you want... At least you won't be around to annoy us then."

Karin glared at him, then she sighed. "Still...we do owe them. I'm not completely devoid of gratitude, you know."

"No, I don't know," Suigetsu said, lightly, but Karin couldn't help but wonder if he meant it in a way, after Shine and Camie both had pointed it out to her.

"I could circle back to Leaf later, I guess..." she said. "Maybe...I don't know. But we're not staying in Stone with them, and we'd never go to Cloud with them either...so what's the point in even asking?"

"I guess we're agreed," Jugo said. "I'm surprised. I thought you both would prefer to separate from potential trouble."

"Oh, please, it's us," Suigetsu said. "Karin likes trouble, and I can't seem to avoid it."

"Will you shut up--" Karin broke off suddenly. "Hmm..." She sniffed.

"What?" Suigetsu turned more serious.

Karin stood up. "I sense a strong chakra near... I think someone just entered the village... If I had to guess, it must be Lady Tsunade."

"Are you sure?" Jugo asked.

"Only kages usually have this much..." Karin sniffed again. "And it feels familiar. We knew she was on her way, so who else is it likely to be? But she's not alone."

"Well, if this is her, she'd have guards, right?" Suigetsu said. "Reasonably, if she's a former kage."

"If she's a Sannin, I would think she wouldn't need guards," Jugo said.

"Might just be a precaution," Karin said, "I hope... Very dull chakra, though. Reminds me a little of Sai's. I'd need to get closer to be really sure."

"Should we tell someone?" Suigetsu said. 

"Probably," Karin said. "What if she hears about us? Right now we're not sure how the Village feels about our presence. She could take it as a threat."

"We never get easy," Suigetsu complained.

* * *

 Tsunade was entering Stone Village right then. She'd had a long journey, though, since she was moving at ninja speed, far shorter than Team Zoe had had.

With her she had a guard that Kakashi had insisted that she bring with her since Shizune was staying in Leaf with Tonton, to help Kakashi get used to kage work. 

Suzushi, the name of this guard, was a man of few words and apparently fewer ideas, since all he ever did was what Tsunade told him to, and that made him a very boring companion whom she forgot was there half the time. [So Shizune without the nagging? Sorry, I know she's not that bad.]

He'd been in the ANBU Black Ops, and Tsunade was fairly certain he'd been in the Foundation also, though he'd not owned up to this, and she hadn't asked Kakashi at the time. He just hadn't had anything better to do apparently, and since the Foundation members weren't very well trusted in Leaf right now, it made sense to assign one of them to do this instead of other missions that were more high clearance.

Tsunade hoped that the Tsuchikage didn't ask her too much about him when she arrived; she just wanted to do her job and not get into politics. She was sick of politics.  [😬]

Some of the Stone Village shinobi recognized her from the war and were pleased to see her. They told her that the Tsuchikage was at the kage house and had been all day as far as they knew.

So no scout had noticed her coming? Strange.

"Is the Kazekage's team still here?" she asked one shinobi who wasn't more than 14, she'd guess.

"Yes, ma'am," they nodded at her. "Team Zoe has been working in the village for the past week. They met with the Tsuchikage today too. We think the meeting ended a while ago. We did see some of them around the village looking for food."

So they hadn't left yet? Tsunade hoped to avoid them for the most part, but she was a little curious about how this mission had gone. Sand Village has assured her it was going well based on the correspondents they got from their leaders.

Tsunade headed right to the kage house, naturally. Suzushi didn't have any questions about anything.

He was like a block of wood. Tsunade didn't really remember Sai that well from his early days, but she wondered if he'd been this taciturn.

The guards at the kage house were surprised to see her. Kitsuchi, Kurotsuchi's father, was standing guard, and he was a high ranking shinobi, so that seemed usual.

"My daughter has been talking to her grandfather for a while," he told Tsunade. "They asked us to stand guard."

"Well, can you tell them I'm here?" Tsunade said. "I want to know where I can set up shop, so to speak. You have a medical center, I saw, but it is small."

"I can let them know, but it may be a while," Kitsuchi said.

He knocked on the door and went in.

"Dad? What is it?" Kurotsuchi asked.

"The former Hokage of Leaf is here," Kitsuchi said. "And her guard. A bland fellow, but ANBU, from his uniform."

"She arrived swiftly," Onoki said gruffly. "But this may be fortuitous timing. If anyone would know about this, she would."

"So shall I send her in?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Yes, be quick about it," Onoki said.

Kurotsuchi glanced back at him. "Are we sure she knows these people?"

"Of course she does. In the war when they ran into us on the battlefield, she spoke to them familiarly," Onoki said. "And now that I think about it, she didn't seem to like that woman any too much. Perhaps she is shrewder than Gaara is."

Kurotsuchi pursed her lips.

While she agreed with her grandfather that this all was dangerous, she was not 100% sure Tsunade was an objective person, just based on what she'd heard about her.

Of course all they'd need to know was if Leaf saw these new constituents with their new doctrine as a problem, notwithstanding if Tsunade liked them or not, but,people could slant something in a way. Kurotsuchi would have rather asked Kakashi, since he was currently in charge of Leaf, but Onoki preferred the older generation's take on it and thought Kakashi was less experienced with it than Tsunade. So to him this was the clear solution.

Tsunade came in.

"You can leave your guard at the door," Onoki said.

"Well, go on," Tsunade said to Suzushi.

He nodded blandly and went back out. [Suzushi, in the spelling I used, means "cool" as in weather is cool.]

"I'm glad you've arrived today," Onoki said to Tsunade, after their customary greeting. "There is something we need to discuss right away."