This is set prior to them coming back in time, and is in Tseng's point of view. It's just a thought based piece that came to my mind, back when I was thinking about Tseng back in Chapter 8 of Ripples in Time. Don't own the characters, just taking them for a spin.
Tseng is a Turk, has been one for a long time, and has done a lot of things that would make most people, even the ones that know him, confused.
He refused to bring in Aerith Faremis/Gainsborough, the last link to the Ancients/Cetra, because he wanted her to join ShinRa without becoming a lab rat. (He'd been foolish and naïve, he knew that now, but he had hoped they wouldn't risk the anger of the Cetra and loss of the promised land.)
He knew what had happened to Zack Fair and Trooper Cloud Strife, but had not stepped in. When they escaped, he made plans to save their lives, when he should have been giving orders to fire on sight.
He had faked the death of his predecessor and the man's daughter, to keep the Turks mostly intact.
And, when Trooper Cloud Strife reappeared as Soldier Cloud Strife, he hadn't told anyone that he had known the blond swordsman, had purposely edited the other man's file, so that no one realized how out of character the other man was actually acting, only supplying information when asked, and for the most part, Rufus hadn't asked.
He's still not sure why he did the last one. Maybe it was an apology to Zack, who's blade Strife carried, Maybe as a favor to Shotgun, who had been impressed and somewhat favored the young blond. Maybe to alleviate some of the guilt he faintly felt when he remembered watching Hojo all but drool over what he was going to do to both of them.
Maybe it was because Strife had done his best to watch his back during the mission to Modeoheim, and had helped him against the Angeal copies that had gotten the other trooper, before Hewley himself had knocked them both down for the count- Strife had even tried to get back up. They had talked while Zack had gone after Hewley, not much, and nothing important, nothing that should have caused Tseng's hesitation in revealing information about Strife, anyway.
Tseng stared at the set of files- all unedited, and declassified- that he had been gathering and holding onto for years. They weren't much to tell the truth, but . . . Strife deserved to know something, about his former life.
"Tseng." He all but jerked out of his seat to see Reno looking at him in concern. "Cloud's here."
"Send him in."
Maybe he felt like this because Strife had made her happy, when all he could do was cause her pain.
And there you go, Tseng of the Turks.