A Subtle Shift

10| Troublesome Women

Naruto stood in front of Lady Tsunade, his arms pressed to his sides as his jaw clenched. It wasn't that he was particularly nervous, it's just that some of the things he did during the mission were rather... considerable.

Almost killing somebody twice? Straying from the group because of personal feelings? Not exactly honorable actions for a fully-fledged shinobi.

Still, Naruto hoped the information he had gathered on Yuto would make up for it. He hated using something from a sentimental conversation with his aunt as evidence, but if he wanted to find Yuto, this was the only way.

Beside Naruto were Kakashi, Yamato, Sai, Sakura, and Sasuke. They were ready to answer all of the Hokage's questions honestly, for it'd be an act of treason for them to do otherwise.

"Naruto," Lady Tsunade calmly said, leaning forward onto her desk. "So the mission failed, is that right?"

"Yes, M'Lady," he said with a nod. He just needed to seem as nonthreatening as possible. "But we did gather some information on how to stop Orochimaru, so it wasn't entirely a fail, I'd say."

"We did?" Sakura asked, her brows furrowing.

"All we really got was that Orochimaru definitely knows who Yuto is," Yamato said. "Unless you guys picked something else up, that's about it."

"And Naruto's behavior?" Lady Tsunade pried. "Any lashing out? Did the Nine Tails pose a threat at any time during the mission?" She seemed set on getting that specific information as if she wasn't entirely sure if the Nine Tails was an ally or a foe.

"Not directed toward us, M'Lady, but..." Kakashi started, trailing off slightly. "He was unnecessarily violent toward enemies."

"How so?" the Fifth Hokage pried. Naruto gulped.

"To the point where Daichi just barely survived," he continued, casting Naruto a glance. "It was driven by anger from seeing five-year-old Akira Uzumaki get stabbed. I don't think he has a solid handle on controlling his emotions."

Well, ouch. But he wasn't wrong. Naruto did tend to lose it faster than most people did, but it had to be justified! Right?

"Hm." The Hokage leaned back in her chair. "I'll need detailed descriptions of what exactly went down with what Shizune described as the Nine-Tails'-chakra-cloak, but for right now, I have reports to go over. Dismissed."

"Wait," Naruto hurriedly said as everyone in the room began turning around to leave. "I... have more intel on Yuto that I think is worth sharing. Though... it's sorta confidential since I'm not exactly supposed to be telling anyone."

"Go on," Tsunade said, frowning.

"I—uh—recently found out that Yuto Tanaka is the brother of Fugaku Uchiha's brother." Naruto noticed Sasuke's eyes widen considerably. Everyone in the room frowned, visibly confused. Naruto continued. "Aunt Kiyomi told me that he had not only a Kekkei Genkai but also a visual prowess: Ice Release and the Sharingan. Which still confuses me, because how can he have both? I know this seems kind of hard to believe, but it's the truth."

"No wonder Orochimaru wanted him," Sai said, frowning.

"My father's... brother?" Sasuke asked, and it was clear he didn't believe a fraction of it.

"That doesn't exactly make us cousins," Naruto said with a nod. "But the twins are definitely your cousins. Which means Akira wasn't lying when she called you 'Cousin'." Sasuke's eyebrows very slowly lowered as he took a step back.

"That wouldn't make sense, though," Sakura breathed. "How can—can..?"

"Naruto, how exactly would that work?" Kakashi also asked. "Fugaku having a brother? There are not even any medical records of the existence of his supposed brother."