"Are you really my uncle?"
"My uncle isn't someone like you!"
Tears faintly welled at the corners of Naruto Uzumaki's eyes. The words left his mouth before he could think, shouted on instinct. They did not only wound Uzumaki Kuming—they wounded Naruto himself as well.
Uzumaki Kuming looked deeply at Naruto, then let out a soft sigh, feeling somewhat helpless. Under Kuming's influence over the years, Konoha had remained peaceful amid these troubled times. As a result, Naruto had been well protected and had never truly witnessed the darkness of the shinobi world.
That had shaped his current character: steadfast and upright, daring to fight against all injustice. His sense of justice had also been deeply influenced by Jiraiya, making him somewhat naive.
"I'm sorry that I, as your uncle, am not the person you imagined me to be."
"But this is the real me."
"I know what Deidara did. As a subordinate, although his methods were somewhat problematic, he completed the task I gave him overall."
"On a personal level, I will not take Deidara's life over people who are already dead."
"He is still useful to me."
"I know you must be very confused right now. That is normal for someone your age."
"If you do not understand now, that is fine. Once you experience more things, you will understand what I have done."
"War is only temporary. What lies ahead is lasting peace."
After all, Naruto was Uzumaki Kuming's own nephew. Their bond had grown deep over the years, and Kuming still wanted to change Naruto's way of thinking.
It was not that he wanted upright Naruto to become someone like himself. Kuming merely wanted Naruto to understand that not everything in this world was as simple as he imagined.
"Someone who slaughtered innocent people throughout an