At the age of fifteen, Uchiha Sasuke had not had much to live for.

His return to Konoha had greeted him with excruciating pain in his wrists and ankles. It seemed like hours that he was sprawled there, unable to move, think, breathe, or fight, because every time he resisted, the pain increased tenfold, radiating down his limbs and up his chest, until he felt like his heart might burst. He imagined his hands and feet were being hacked off slowly—no, that would have been an improvement. That would have been scores less torturous.

His chest heaved violently, and his muscles spasmed free of his control. Sasuke's eyes rolled upwards, but he continued to scream, because the clemency of unconsciousness would have been far too merciful.

When it was over, he was lying in a pool of his own sweat. It hurt to move, but he breathed steadily. He could see the new markings around one of his wrists—a seal that had been newly placed there. It encircled his joint in an intricate design, but to him, it looked like a shackle. He knew there were others—around his opposite wrist and two ankles. He could feel a final mark burning on the center of his chest.

Vomit rose in his throat, and he choked. The old woman turned him to his side with surprising ease, allowing him to cough up what he suspected to be bile.

She returned him to a supine position when he was finished being sick. He observed her wrinkled skin and paling hair, then took in the diamond on her forehead. "Tsunade," he rasped.

"Welcome back to Konoha," the Hokage responded. She pressed her pointer finger to his chest, upon the character he couldn't yet see there. "As long as I am alive, you are bound to this village."

That wouldn't be long, then, Sasuke thought. She looks dead already.

Chapter 9

There were very few occasions that Genzai Hinata had seen her counterpart smile.

One such, notable one, had been some days ago. It had been the middle of the night, and Mirai Hinata had walked out onto the veranda, wearing not a smile, but a full-on grin. It was startlingly uncharacteristic, but then, Mirai Hinata had probably thought she was alone. The woman stared up at the sky, her face flushed and eyes bright. She closed her lips, but they still tugged into a smirk. Genzai Hinata had seen the same expression on numerous others, in the various hotels and inns she frequented for missions. It was that unequivocal, undeniable, I-just-had-sex grin.

When Mirai Hinata noticed her counterpart, her expression became blank, with no sign of the smile. The two stared at each other as Genzai Hinata reddened and subsequently mumbled a hasty excuse to go back inside. Genzai Hinata hadn't known what to think of it. She honestly tried not to think about it at all.

It had been a baffling incident, especially since Mirai Hinata was the most withdrawn of the time-travelers. She didn't attend meals with the family and rarely interacted with others, except for pleasantries. Initially, Genzai Hinata had assumed that her shyness had worsened over the years, and was now reflected on her counterpart. But as Genzai Hinata continued to observe Mirai Hinata's behavior, it became increasingly evident that this was not the case.

As the time travelers were a source of anxiety for Genzai Hinata, she found it was easier to train than to obsess over them. Though it was 2AM, Genzai Hinata walked outside, and took a breath of the crisp night air. She crossed the veranda and started through the yard, when another's voice stopped her.

"Hinata."

Genzai Hinata turned around, and came to face Mirai Sasuke, who was seated in a corner of the porch that was drenched in enough shadows that even a Hyuuga might miss him. He was dressed in loose pants, and that was all. Genzai Hinata's eyes shot down to her sandals.

"Where are you going?" He stood.

"T-training," Hinata said, still embarrassed by Mirai Sasuke's familiarity towards her.

"It's late," he noted.

She pressed her pointer fingers together. "It h-helps to train at night. T-tousan says—"

"You should go back to bed."

Hinata lifted her head, confused by the dour suggestion.

Mirai Sasuke analyzed her reaction, and he reformed his statement scrupulously, "Can you? Hinata? Can you go back to bed?"

Genzai Hinata felt heat rise to her face. "W-why?" she mumbled, though she did not know why she questioned him. She was usually inclined to do what she was told by those who were older, or outranked her.

Mirai Sasuke said nothing, he just gave her a cold stare—a different approach, but it was not working.

Turning away, Genzai Hinata continued to walk. She came to realize that her interactions with Mirai Sasuke were almost exclusively limited to him telling her what to do. And initially, he had been neutral to kindly towards her, but lately, he was increasingly stony.

There was also the matter of Uchiha Kasai.

Mirai Sasuke made sure to capitalize on his fatherhood. After all, it was disarming. People liked children, they liked Kasai, and her presence could turn Mirai Sasuke from an infamous rogue to a weary father.

But in Kasai's absence, Uchiha Sasuke was just…Uchiha Sasuke. And for whatever his reasons, he was hiding things. People were more cautious around him, as they should have been, and Genzai Hinata was not excluded.

Hinata's byakugan activated as Mirai Sasuke materialized in front of her. In the same instance, she assumed a fighting stance.

He held up his hands. "I wouldn't—"

"W-what do you w-want?" she stammered.

"You train alone as a form of meditation—I assume," he said, quickly rationalizing. "You do it to deal with anxiety—I would imagine. Though would you ordinarily do it tonight? Or is your compulsion to go out a byproduct of me, or my comrades, or some impact that we've left on this time? Because if it is, then you're not supposed to go." He crossed his arms.

He was dripping his meticulously-crafted composure, and beginning to come off as unhinged. He was reminding her more of his counterpart, especially in the twitch at the end of his jawline. But Genzai Sasuke was not much of an enigma, as he had always been in her periphery. Mirai Sasuke, on the other hand, was an unpredictable variable, and Genzai Hinata knew that she had to treat him as such. "Why does it matter?" she wanted to know.

Mirai Sasuke looked away, reluctant to supply an answer. "Because you're my comrade," he stated flatly. "And you should trust me." Even he could see that he wasn't winning her over. His hand began to lift, but he replaced it firmly against his bicep.

"I don't trust you," Hinata admitted blankly. She lowered her stance and continued to walk.

"You're going to be raped."

Her legs stopped moving.

"In a few days," Mirai Sasuke went on. "And if you're…reckless," he said weakly. "It could be worse. You could get yourself killed."

Genzai Hinata could not react, she just tried to process what Mirai Sasuke had said. Her initial thought was that he was lying. There was no way she would let something like that happen to her. Still, she trembled and struggled to incite her body to move again. Her heart pounded and her breathing thinned, but somehow she managed to proceed.

She got herself across the yard, onto the wall, and then in one of the surrounding trees. In moments, she was flying through the forest rapidly, going over Mirai Sasuke's claim in her head.

She moved nimbly from branch to branch, while also fighting back waves of nausea. When she came upon a familiar training ground, she slowed, and finally allowed herself to land.

Next, her knees made impact with the earth, and Hinata hung her head beneath the blue hues of the winter sky. Her body heaved in silent sobs until she was struggling to breathe again.

It did her no good. It never did. For a while she was knelt there, teetering slowly towards true panic and unconsciousness. Finally her eyelids fluttered, and her body swayed—

"Hyuuga?"

Genzai Hinata lifted her head and blinked a few times until her vision focused. "W-what are you doing here?" she said to Genzai Sasuke. Beyond him, the sun was beginning to rise on the jagged horizon.

"Meeting Naruto and Sakura, but I thought I sensed your chakra." There was a look of morbid fascination on his face. "Why are you…"

It was only then that Genzai Hinata noticed that her cheeks were wet. She hastily wiped the tears away. "It's n-nothing."

Genzai Sasuke did not say anything more on the matter, though he did not look impressed. He pocketed his hands and nodded to the village. "Let's go."

"W-where?"

"The academy."

"K-Kasai's not with me."

"So?"

She climbed up to her feet. "Y-you want to skip training…t-to spend time with me?"

Sasuke locked his indifferent eyes with her wet ones. "Yes."

She had found herself mellowing out to Genzai Sasuke. Mirai Hinata had suggested that it wasn't such a bad thing. Genzai Hinata did not know what it meant, but it had given her some reassurance about his company.

But then there was Mirai Sasuke's earlier suggestion that she stay away from Genzai Sasuke. The supposed comrades starkly contradicted each other. Genzai Hinata did not know who to believe, and yet she knew that employing caution was her safest strategy. She could not allow either Sasuke to exploit her meekness anymore, so she tried to make herself abundantly clear. "I am n-not K-Kasai's m-mother."

Genzai Sasuke simply scrutinized her. "Un," he agreed, approaching. Hinata had no choice but to take a step back, feeling herself make contact with a tree. She pressed hard against it as the tip of Sasuke's nose came to be centimeters from hers. He muttered carelessly, as he did everything, "But I think we're supposed to get to know each other."

Uchiha Sasuke's power-hunger defined him. Kasai was like a new technique. Hinata reminded herself of this as she ducked away, but not before Sasuke caught her hand.

It was the first time a boy had held her hand, though not the best of circumstances. She pulled away, and he let her, then she hurried off, putting as much distance between them as she could.

She came upon the training ground where she and her teammates usually met. To her relief, they were both there—Shino and Kiba…but then Hinata saw that Sakura and Naruto were present as well. Her delight of seeing Naruto was quickly squashed by the gut-wrenching realization that she had walked into another joint training session between teams seven and eight.

Sasuke walked out of the forest after her, and she could still feel him watching. She didn't like the way he looked at her now. Something had certainly changed.

Part 2

So, they all had their quirks. Hinata was a control-freak and historically buried her problems in more problems. Sasuke was a defective stoic, crippled by guilt and affection. Her husband, an abettor and willing slave to his demon. And she...well, she had multiple personality disorder.

Sometimes it felt more like a second soul.

Of course, she knew it wasn't. At least, she pretended that she knew it wasn't. But she also knew—or thought—but knew, that it was all a lie. That the other was real—her secret friend, and they'd always been together protecting each other.

It was this unrelenting, senseless, determination—this utter refusal to acknowledge a chronic problem—that had always hindered the process of treating it. It was also what enabled her abilities.

It made her invulnerable to the Yamanaka mind assaults, or any noxious mental influences for that matter.

Haruno Sakura could not be controlled.

So when she had been drawn into negotiation, she had seen the cruel smile beyond the redhead's peaceable guise, and she had watched Kushina snatch her child away.

But she'd get him back.

For Sakura.

"Ne, Sakura-chan?"

Bright green eyes blinked and became dull again. "Hm?"

"What was that grin?"

"What grin?" Mirai Sakura glanced her husband's way. She wore a red dress with her O-shaped family emblem, because in this world she wasn't supposed to be an Uzumaki. He poked at it childishly and she swatted his hands away. This nearly caused him to fall backwards on the branch they shared, so reluctantly, she caught his arm. "I don't get it. Aren't they supposed to be sparring?" She arbitrarily poked Mirai Naruto back.

"I think they are," said Mirai Naruto, catching her hands and holding them captive. He glanced down on teams seven and eight, thirty feet below them on training ground four.

"They're a little distracted," Kakashi admitted from the other side of the tree trunk.

Mirai Naruto reluctantly released Sakura's hands. "Trying to sneak up on us, sensei?"

"I'm guessing I failed?" said Kakashi.

"I don't see what's so distracting," Mirai Sakura went on. "It's not like they know that we're here."

"They're distracted by the implications your arrival has left on their futures. No one's been able to concentrate ever since," said Kakashi.

"It's an interesting grouping," the blonde mentioned.

"I insisted," said Kakashi.

"Oh?"

"I like to keep the four together. After all, you seem very close in the future."

Mirai Naruto picked his teeth and didn't respond. Mirai Sakura rested her head against his shoulder.

"Tell me about the Uchiha girl," said Kakashi.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Why are you interested?"

Kakashi responded, "She's very smart for a five-year-old."

"She's a normal kid." Mirai Naruto continued to watch their counterparts fumble below. "Ano...Hinata likes dogs, and Sasuke likes cats. Kasai was a compromise." He grunted in pain as Mirai Sakura's sandalled foot collided with his knee.

Kakashi chuckled. "So they really are her parents."

"Kaka-sensei, we'd appreciate your discretion," said Mirai Sakura.

"Of course."

Mirai Sakura climbed up to her feet. "Chibi-Sakura and Chibi-Naruto still haven't noticed us." Genzai Sasuke and Genzai Hinata on the other hand...the doujutsu users were staring directly at them. Sakura flashed them a smile, and their odd looks intensified. "These kids are pathetic, Uzumaki. They make me want to spar."

Naruto raised his brows. "I'd love to, Haruno. If it's all right with Kakashi-sensei?" They glanced toward the man in question, the only visible body part beyond the tree trunk being a tuft of gray hair.

Kakashi waved, "By all means-"

Mirai Naruto yelped as he was kicked out of the tree, falling the thirty feet to the ground in a prone position. He slowly turned onto his back, three pairs of shocked teenagers standing around him.

Kakashi scratched his cheek. "Ano...Sakura...wasn't that a little…?"

Mirai Sakura leapt from the tree, heel first, and Mirai Naruto barely managed to roll out of her way. The earth cracked where she landed, dust clouds encasing the clearing. She surveyed the area in search of her fleeing husband, when her jade eyes met with those of her stunned counterpart's. It gave her pause, and it worked against her.

A clean chop struck the back of Mirai Sakura's neck causing her head to jerk backwards. Her surroundings flickered and her legs buckled. "Eugh..."

Mirai Naruto's fox grin was in full force. "You're still conscious." He was impressed. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up to her knees, the blade of a kunai caressing her jugular.

"I'm going to kill you," Mirai Sakura assured him.

"I believe it," Mirai Naruto returned.

Mirai Naruto and Mirai Sakura were always together. It was so consistent, that it had become unusual to see one without the other. That in itself struck Genzai Sasuke as odd. He rode it off as the built-in team seven dynamic of which he had always remained apart.

It made it all the stranger that the two would brutalize each other.

Genzai Sasuke threw a glance at Genzai Hinata. Despite the apocalyptic battle transpiring before him, he still found himself distracted by the look of horror on Hinata's face every time Mirai Naruto's head was bashed into the shape of a toaster. The Hyuuga looked on the verge of tears. Sasuke again found himself wondering how she and Mirai Hinata could be one in the same. Just before Genzai Hinata could catch him staring, Sasuke returned his eyes to the spectacle.

He didn't like girls, and hadn't the patience to acknowledge, communicate with, or deal with them. Girls were annoying for their weak emotions, whiny professions, confusing anatomy, and general ability to be distracting. It should have been easy to co-exist with the other gender, but it just wasn't, not for Sasuke, and this annoyed him as well.

He didn't know when girls had become worth the effort, but it might have been yesterday, after he had met Mirai Hinata.

"Shit," hissed Shino, and the group of chunnin narrowly dodged Mirai Naruto's sandal. It bounced off a tree anticlimactically, but everyone was still rather shaken. Kiba clutched his chest and breathed.

Mirai Hinata was icy, cool, ethereal, powerful, and fucking, fucking…attractive. Which wasn't particularly relevant to anything, but he was sure there was a practical reason he had noticed it. It couldn't be that he was just another feeble-minded male.

Fucking Konoha, Sasuke thought. He didn't fare well with the peaceful environment. He was suddenly becoming acquainted with pointless things, like his sexuality. Even now, he found himself paying more attention to Mirai Sakura than the overall battle. For practical reasons, he told himself. She was the more aggressive warrior.

"Why are they fighting?" Genzai Naruto said, staring in shock as Mirai Sakura impaled his future self with her fist. He sighed in relief when his counterpart disappeared in a poof of smoke. "Just a shadow clone," he chuckled nervously, joining the group as they retreated to the outskirts of the clearing.

"I don't know," Genzai Sakura whispered, wide-eyed.

"She's savage," said Shino, and their group fell into silence.

No one found they could disagreed.

"It's kinda hot..." Kiba admitted, only to be backhanded, and stomped to death by Genzai Sakura and Genzai Naruto.

The Uchiha bit the inside of his cheek.

Mirai Sakura was vicious.

The woman seemed to hold dominance all throughout the fight. Twice, she had caught the real Mirai Naruto in a hold that would break his neck, had she wanted to.

"What do we take from this?"

Half the teens jumped at seeing Kakashi standing beside them.

"They're powerful," said Hinata in a small, despondent way.

"Ruthless," said Shino.

"They go after each other with killing intent," said Genzai Sakura. "Even though they're…even though they're friends."

Sasuke glanced at Hinata, who looked sickly pale by then. After the third time Mirai Sakura ripped Mirai Naruto's arm off (before the blonde, yet again, disappeared into a poof of smoke), the Hyuuga got up and took her leave.

Genzai Sasuke reflected on the battle. It made him realize how perilously outmatched he would be in combat with the time travelers. It also made him crave a real fight, as opposed to the tact-lessons he'd been enduring with the Hyuuga lately.

Biting the inside of his cheek, Sasuke began to go after Hinata.

"Holy shit," Kiba hissed.

Sasuke stopped in his tracks, his eyes darting back to the fight. Then he was mercilessly sucked back into the bloodshed.

Part 3

It was late, but he was restless.

The moon was out and he bathed in its light. Sprawled across the roof, his left arm was folded behind his head. The right was risen, fingers twisting through the cool air.

The blonde was still pretty enough to draw birds near, and quick enough to snatch their clawed feet. He held one tightly in his fist watching it writhe for escape. He broke its neck then bit its abdomen, guts snapping as he pulled away. Shining blood dripped from his chin.

Kyuubi was getting to him. He allowed it.

Someone dropped beside him. She broke a tile free with a flick of her foot, then spat a few obscenities up at the sky.

Mirai Naruto glanced at her as she plopped down beside him. He threw the bird's carcass aside, though his hands and clothes were covered in its blood. "You got worked up today," he grinned at her. There was no question that they were bad for each other.

"So did you," she accused.

"You did it first," Mirai Naruto countered. He traced the fallacious family emblem on her red dress. His finger trailed along to her bare shoulder. "You put my body through hell, Sakura-chan. No way you thought Kyuubi wouldn't step in."

"I guess you're right."

"One might think you did it on purpose."

She leaned over, and they shared a brief kiss, one of those spousal ones that Sasuke gawked at.

As Mirai Naruto pulled back, he noticed that she wore blood as well. Her hair was stained with splotches that looked black in the darkness. He could see more rolling down the side of her head.

"What happened?" he said, trying not to lick the blood on his lips—or her face for that matter. Kyuubi and Inner Sakura did not make a constructive alliance. He realized it wasn't particularly smart to be conversing with his wife's alter ego, but he was curious of what she had gotten up to since their spar.

She huffed, "Sasuke hit me."

Naruto's eyes turned red then blue again. "Why?" He tried to sound more interested than concerned.

She rubbed her head and glared at him, blinking hard as though through dark blotches. "He's always getting in the way of the mission." She began to heal her wound and turned to the sky, the moonlight making her iris' small disks of silver.

"Teme does like to be in charge, ne? At least wait until he isn't around." He began to tremble in amusement at the concept. "That's a good idea, isn't it? We could just blame your mental illness."

As Sakura glared at him, he lifted his arms in capitulation. "You're not angry at me, are you?" Naruto playfully reached for her stained locks, but she jerked away. "So you know everything?" he asked, standing and stretching his arms in the air. He removed his jacket and offered it to her but Inner Sakura left it ignored. Stupid affection. Naruto shrugged, and allowed the jacket to drop. He trailed to the edge of the roof.

"I know a few things. The things Sakura doesn't know." She broke another painted tile, this time crumbling it in her fist. "Like how that woman took our child. What are we going to do about it?"

Naruto cast her a wave and allowed himself to fall. He didn't think he could verbalize a response. But primal, adulterated thoughts transcended longtime convictions. I'm going to protect you. Fuck everything else.