Author's Note: Uhhh…I did my best? Derp.

The Chaos Theory

Genzai Sasuke was handsome in the typical sense of the word. He wasn't unique, but the definition of handsome, particularly when he had that obstinate look on his face, in his dark eyes—gritted teeth—he wasn't trying, he was just...he was...

Genzai Hinata wondered about his eventual evolution into Mirai Sasuke. The future counterpart was commanding, but reticent, and not unkindly towards others. He was patient, fatherly, and…sort of protective. He was painstakingly tactful in his interactions. Genzai Sasuke was to undergo a significant change.

Despite all of that, Genzai Hinata could not discount how uncomfortable she felt whenever she was alone with him. She was Sasuke's inferior in strength and skill. He terrified her, and she didn't want to feel that way anymore.

The two lay supine a few feet away from each other, in the superficial privacy of the Hyuuga compound's rooftop. No one could see them from the ground unless they tried, and the occasional crow served as their only diversion.

As the silence endured, so did her anxiety, until it finally prompted her to murmur, "What do you want?"

It was a fair enough inquiry.

Genzai Sasuke threw a glance at the Hyuuga.

Maybe he was doing this for the wrong reasons, but he couldn't deny that he had…feelings.

He would have settled with a curt, 'To speak to you,' but heard himself mutter: "To be with you."

Sasuke started at his blunder. From the corner of his eye, Hinata was unsurprisingly blushing.

Was it wrong to base his decisions on his interpretation of their counterparts? And what if he was mistaken? What if he was drifting towards a relationship that had been unintentionally triggered by them?

Perhaps his pursuit of Kasai's mother had been a foolish enterprise from the start.

"No," Hinata said, finally. And it was the most logical thing she could have said. "I—I'm sorry. N-no," she stammered, sitting up and wrapping her arms around her knees.

It was his first experience with rejection, and it felt...odd. Sasuke found himself oblivious of his next step. Was he to give up on the Hyuuga? Force her to understand how he felt? But that would suggest she didn't know how thoroughly mortifying it had been for him to confess his interest in her. And he wasn't even certain she had been worth the effort. How did one even measure a girl's worth beyond their own pounding heart and knotted stomach? His body continued to freely betray him, and it was all he could do not to shake some sense into the Hyuuga, to demand prompt resolution, however she might furnish it.

"Fine," he muttered instead, more petulantly than he had intended. Teeth grit, Sasuke climbed to his feet and dropped to the ground, his efforts resigned.

Chapter 12

Shizune pointedly cleared her throat.

Tsunade didn't look up from her paperwork. "Time to meet with the jounin already?" Today she was due to fulfill her annual obligation of sorting out the newly-ordained genin brats. "At least we'll get it over with. I'm tired of everyone's squabbling over Konohamaru."

"Actually…" Shizune intoned.

Tsunade finally looked up from her scroll to see Shizune standing beside Mirai Naruto in front of the desk. She was not sure how she had missed the blonde entering the office. Maybe she had been too absorbed in her paperwork. Maybe it was just the alcohol.

Tsunade raised her brow. The blonde time-traveler was wearing his trademark grin, and it wasn't insincere so much as it was artificial. She observed the way his knuckles went taut and relaxed periodically at his sides.

"Do you have a moment?" Mirai Naruto asked.

"More morbid forecasts?" Tsunade guessed.

Mirai Naruto's smile fell. "I—ano—wanted to prevent—"

"What?" she said tartly, already wearied by all of the previous intimations. "Tell me."

Mirai Naruto bit his lip. He deeply inhaled. "You're going to die," he confessed.

Shizune made a horrified squeak.

Tsunade herself was aghast, if just for a moment. Her heart pounded forcefully against her chest. "When?" The syllable fell out of her mouth.

"Soon," was all that Naruto supplied.

Tsunade took in a deep breath, and then she forced herself to recover. She grasped onto ire in lieu of the obvious self-pity. "Why would you tell me this?" she demanded.

"Because I don't want you to die," Mirai Naruto forced out, looking remarkably cowed.

Tsunade glared at him for a moment, before she stared off in a contemplative silence. Her most pressing concern at that moment was not of her death but her grandfather's technique. If she died soon, she would not have fulfilled her duty to pass it on to a successor.

"I can save you—" Mirai Naruto started.

"No," she cut him off.

"Baa-chan, there are no benefits to your death," Mirai Naruto spoke in hurried words, because he knew her, he knew once she made up her mind, nothing could change it. "It only serves to destabilize the village. You have to let me—"

"Is this directly related to your mission?"

"No, but—"

"Then stop right now," said Tsunade harshly. "This is just you being selfish."

Mirai Naruto looked as though he had been slapped in the face.

"Hokage-sama," Shizue whispered, looking utterly heartbroken.

Tsunade sighed and met her apprentice's eyes. "My only concern right now is about the endurance of my technique." She lightly tapped the purple diamond on her forehead. "Shizune, please send for Sakura."

Shizune nodded, and hurried off.

Mirai Naruto stood stiffly, looking as distraught as Shizune had, but Tsunade would not commiserate with either of them. Instead she stood and walked past him. Mirai Naruto did not move as she exited the room, closed the door, and leaned on the wall. She shut her eyes and took another deep breath.

And then she straightened, and proceeded to her meeting.

Tsunade was the picture of poise when she entered the room full of jounin, each of them eager to be assigned their first genin, hard as they tried to remain aloof.

Her eyes passed over each of the dozen or so faces—pausing on Mirai Sasuke, who looked entirely nonchalant about her impending death. He also looked out-of-place in a jounin vest. The ranking somehow didn't suit him.

"It's finally time to assign your genin teams," said Tsunde, bypassing preamble and formalities, as she suddenly didn't have much time for that kind of thing. She motioned to The Third's crystal ball, upon which the classroom of genin students appeared. "Neji, I think your abilities correspond well with—"

"Wait."

Tsunade grimaced at being interrupted. By Mirai Sasuke.

"Wait," he repeated, pacifically this time as the other jounin stared at him in a mixture of shock and wariness. He stepped forward for a closer look at the crystal ball, his eyebrows furrowing. "What's she doing there?"

There was a small child in the front of the classroom, doing handstands and cartwheels as her classmates cooed and applauded. Traditionally a genin class was no place for toddlers.

"She was a danger to the other five-year-olds. Nara saw it best to advance her. Substantially."

"Hn," was the extent of Mirai Sasuke's reaction. His eyes rapidly darted over the faces of the various eleven and twelve-year-olds on display. "I want her, and her. Fill in the last spot with your top student."

The surrounding jounin yowled in indignation, a twitch developing upon Tsunade's brow. "Konoha is severely short on women. Surely you cannot expect to have two of them. Furthermore, these teams require balance. You can't simply take whomever you want."

Ignoring the death-glares from the others, Mirai Sasuke directed his attention to Tsunade. "Konoha is short on kunoichi only because they're all weak or dead—underestimated and under-trained. They're taught to hide behind their male teammates. I'll make these two strong, and you know I'll protect them. Additionally, these two are impetuous—obvious detriments to any other potential teammates. I think keeping them together should nicely balance things."

The room remained silent in the wake of the time-traveler's flagrant remarks. The other jounin seemed to be holding their breaths. Tsunade maintained a controlled, if angry, smile, before she finally nodded, her right fist clenching absently at her side. "Certainly, Uchiha-san," she said so politely that Iruka began to shiver. "Of course, I already promised the top student to Hana."

Inuzuka Hana whooped in the background.

"But I'm sure you'll be happy with Udon," Tsunade finished in the most appealing tone she could muster. There were some nervous chuckles around the room. Udon had been their worse student since Naruto.

Mirai Sasuke seemed perilously unconcerned by how thinly he had stretched the Hokage's patience. He turned his attention back to the crystal ball. His fingers twitched as the five-year-old's latest cartwheel connected her head with a wall. "Fine," he said. "I have to go." And he left.

When Mirai Sasuke exited the meeting room in the Hokage tower, he came face to face with his wife, walking towards him from the opposite end of the hallway. It was odd that they kept bumping into each other, and in such public spaces. Her ANBU mask was hanging from her belt, and she looked exhausted.

"I didn't expect you back so soon," he said neutrally as she stopped in front of him. He did a quick scan of her body for injury, but she seemed fine.

Hinata shrugged. "I completed my mission."

"Perhaps with more haste than necessary."

"Mmm." He tensed slightly as she let her head fall against his shoulder.

They were in a main corridor of the village's largest and most frequented government building. Anyone could stumble upon them at that moment, but it was almost worth the risk.

Finally, Hinata pulled away. "I'm going to submit my report," she said, and walked off.

Mirai Sasuke picked Kasai up from the academy on his way home, if just to save her from any unnecessary head injuries. She went to sleep that night without much complaint, wearied from the stimulation of all the new people around her.

Mirai Sasuke went to his own room, and as he undressed, he could not help glancing, again, at the cursed seal behind his shoulder. It had reappeared when he had come to the past, and he hoped it wasn't a permanent fixture.

This idea brought him down a disastrous course of musings, and somehow, to Genzai Hinata. All thoughts seemed to lead to his wife's counterpart these days, as she was veritably doomed. He just didn't want her to suffer.

And yet she was inconsequential to the mission. "Irrelevant," he reminded himself, like a mantra. She was a distraction. There were plenty of them. But he had to stay focused.

Sasuke looked down at himself to realize he had been pacing. He felt uneasy, and went to check on Kasai.

It…helped.

Mirai Hinata was curled on the bed with their daughter. He didn't disturb them. He returned to his room.

He tried to sleep, and managed to doze a few times, but never drifted much farther than the surface of sleep, because something still just didn't feel right. Finally, after he had managed to truly submerge, the lights came on, and someone was speaking. He cringed and buried himself deeper in his sheets.

"Sasuke, where is she?"

"What?" he said hoarsely. It was Hinata. He tried to blink away the remnants of sleep.

"Where's Kasai?"

Part 2

Mirai Hinata hugged her robe tighter around herself. She hadn't slept well, and she was partly ashamed. She always dreamt the most horrible things.

"I don't know," was her husband's muffled, decidedly unconcerned, response. "Wasn't she with you?"

Hinata frowned and left.

Something…was off.

She continued to walk through the wide corridor. Kasai had probably just wandered off again—she was well known for the practice. Before Hinata knew quite what she was intending, she had entered the dining room, immediately assaulted by the spicy smell of tealeaves and four pairs of bland eyes. Her father, cousin, sister, and counterpart found her interesting enough to scrutinize, possibly because of the oversized robe that wasn't hers, the disheveled state of her hair, or the awkwardness with which she said— "Have you seen—" She stopped, attempting to collect herself, but not deviating from those stares. "I'm looking for Uchiha-san's daughter?"

The four at the table barely acknowledged her inquiry, her father's raised eyebrow the only indication that she had said anything at all. It was the first breakfast there Mirai Hinata had frequented, and she found herself deeply regretting the decision. Across that rectangular table, with the white linen, and the crystal wares, there wasn't a person who didn't rouse her anxieties. Mirai Hinata's eyes shifted from her father's, to Neji's, then Hanabi's, falling lastly upon her counterpart, where she found herself lingering.

Finally, Mirai Hinata tore her gaze away and started again. "Have you seen—U-Uchiha-san's—?"

"Kesshi?" Neji rose, as if to offer his assistance. His bearing was impassive, but what he proposed was kindness.

Kesshi. The name was oddly familiar.

"Her name is Kasai," Mirai Hinata said, face reddening in indignation. She didn't think a simple name would be difficult for someone as erudite as Neji to remember, but perhaps his arrogance exceeded his intelligence. Or maybe he was testing her—watching to see if she would get flustered. If so, he had succeeded. Turning away from the others, whose faces ranged in expression from concerned to intrigued, Mirai Hinata stormed off to the guest wing where she promptly crashed into something.

"What's wrong?" the something asked.

She pulled back and forced a smile, trying not to look as disoriented as she was.

Sasuke frowned at her. He didn't buy it.

She walked away, all the same.

Mirai Hinata did not know when Kasai had become a means of pacifying herself, but she deeply needed to find her daughter. Her anxiety was verging on panic, which was abnormal, but it didn't matter. All that mattered—

Kasai had obviously run off with one of the kids. It really didn't warrant concern. She was distressingly strong. She was her father's daughter.

Kasai's father, who had been on his own from the age of eight. Sometimes it helped to reflect on that. Sasuke could not empathize with Hinata's demons, but he had his own. He had watched every member of his family slaughtered in front of him.

Mirai Hinata imagined if Sasuke had to relive it. If he knew it would happen again, and was anticipating it, the event advancing on him day by day.

Aware of her growing restlessness, Mirai Hinata decided she needed a distraction. A mission—or maybe just training would suffice. Fully prepared to leave the house and do just that, she made the mistake of almost walking into the person fully responsible for all of her problems.

Hanabi sneered. "Watch where you're—"

Mirai Hinata caught the other girl by the throat, slamming her into the wall. "You were my sacrifice," she admitted aloud.

Hanabi responded with a choked noise.

Mirai Hinata closed her eyes, and felt her hands caressing the intricate system of capillaries beneath her fingers. She knew that she was burning Hanabi with her chakra, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She opened her eyes, veins blossoming beside them.

Her finger's tightened on her sister's throat. Mirai Hinata had eschewed involvement in the mission up until that point, but the answer had always been obvious. She would save Konoha, even if it meant killing an innocent young girl.

Mirai Hinata felt her sister's veins tearing and bursting under her fingers. Hanabi's throat turned reds then blues as the internal bleeding exacerbated with the coaxing of Hinata's chakra.

Hinata was roughly yanked away, and Hanabi crumpled to the ground. Hinata's back slammed against a muscled chest and her arms were pinned at her sides as she was restrained in a strong set of arms. "Let go of me, Sasuke!" She thrashed. "Let go!"

Mirai Naruto and Mirai Sakura hurried into the corridor at the commotion, both still in their nightclothes and looking shocked.

"Heal her!" Mirai Sasuke demanded of Mirai Sakura, jerking his head towards Hanabi.

The eleven-year-old's eyes were wide, but it didn't seem like she was conscious. She was slumped against the wall, her skin pallid, and her body visibly draining of strength.

"Sakura!" Mirai Sasuke shouted with urgency.

Sakura's eyes had taken on a glazed look. She blinked it away. "No." A wry smile crossed her face.

On the floor, more purplish bruises were blossoming across Hanabi's collar. She was still bleeding. She was still alive.

Mirai Sasuke shoved his wife roughly, in the same instant drawing his chokuto on both women. "Heal her," he repeated.

Naruto shoved Sakura behind him. "Sasuke!" he admonished. "Stop this!"

The four of them were wasting time arguing, and in the meantime, Hanabi was dying. Things couldn't end like this. He was supposed to save her—save all of them! Sasuke's chakra started to crackle around his arm.

"Got it!" said an unfamiliar voice. It was a child's voice.

Sasuke swiftly turned, and he joined the others in staring at the small figure knelt down beside Hanabi, hands emanating a bright green glow. Hanabi's bruises receded, her eyes focusing again. She released a pained grunt and hugged herself as the healer finished her work.

Sasuke was astounded. "Kasai?"

The girl stood, and turned around, and as she did, Sasuke realized his egregious error. The girl was slightly older than Kasai—six or seven—and her hair was longer as well. Horrifyingly enough, she was a spitting image of his mother. She wore a red dress with a matching headband.

With a proud look, she slapped her fist into her palm. "I did it—I healed her, Otousan!"

Sasuke was at a loss for words.

"Kesshi," Hinata breathed.