Ōnoki is the current Tsuchikage of Iwagakure.
He trained under the Second Tsuchikage, Mū, who passed on knowledge of Dust Release—a rare and devastating ability. Later, Ōnoki took Deidara as a student. He claimed Deidara's artistic philosophy and fighting style got on his nerves, though he remained genuinely proud of him. Among living Kage, Ōnoki is unique for having actually fought Madara Uchiha. That encounter left him deeply wary of Madara's power, which made it all the more puzzling when Madara eventually worked through Akatsuki instead of acting openly. Ōnoki hired Akatsuki multiple times over the years, justifying it as necessary given Kumogakure's aggressive military buildup—apparently unaware of Madara's central role in founding the organization. He's known A, the Fourth Raikage, since the latter was young.
Ōnoki carries himself with obvious pride, but he's visibly aging and frequently complains about his back and hips. He refuses to step down or name a successor, stubbornly insisting he's still capable of ruling. Kurotsuchi calls him a "stubborn old man," and his arrogance means he has little patience for younger leaders—he's dismissively criticized Gaara multiple times over his perceived naivety in politics. He apparently hated Deidara's Exploding Clay art enough that Deidara picked up on it. During the chaos at the Kage Summit, Ōnoki seemed unbothered at first, content to let Mei handle things until the fighting got entertaining enough to join in himself.
He's shown a ruthless streak, going after an already-battered Sasuke to finish the job on the grounds that the ninja world wanted him dead, regardless of his own feelings. He immediately turned on Karin next. Yet he's also demonstrated respect for due process—he reasoned with the Raikage to hear Madara out before making judgments. His approach to strategy suggests he's willing to take calculated risks, something Tsunade shares with him. After Gaara got through to him, Ōnoki reflected that he'd forgotten who he was before becoming a curmudgeon—implying he used to be kinder and more open-hearted.
Ōnoki is a formidable fighter, though his age has taken a physical toll. He's no match for taijutsu specialists in close combat, but his combat experience—especially having survived an encounter with Madara—makes him invaluable to any allied force. His knowledge of high-level threats is hard to overstate.
Abilities
Ōnoki's signature technique is Dust Release, a Kekkei Tōta he learned from Mū by combining three elemental affinities: Earth, Wind, and Fire. He's only the second person ever to master it. His Dust Release attacks pulverize targets down to a molecular level, with enough destructive power to theoretically level an entire island. His Earth Release is equally impressive—he can petrify opponents with a touch. Beyond that, Ōnoki can fly at high speed, even well into old age. He's also capable of extending this ability to others and can even lift massive objects like the Island Turtle, carrying it through the air to Kumogakure.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
