Broken Timeline?
A man stood watching a particular timeline replay several times. Each time, he changed a small part to try and 'Fix' what had happened.
"What is the problem? The Uchiha Massacre happened properly, the boy's presence in the timeline was erased, so why does it keep shattering?"
It was Ino Yamanaka. For some reason, her 'story' wasn't fixing itself. She seemed to continuously reject everyone who tries to get close to her while waiting for...something.
"His very existence has been erased from the timeline, so what is causing her to not even like Sasuke? Why does she distance herself from the girls in class when they talk about him?"
Suddenly, he heard it. Ino said something he never would have thought she could say.
"Where are you, Yuto?" Her voice was quiet, but the Patriarch heard it clearly.
"How?!"
He began looking through all the various concepts of the timeline until he found one that he had overlooked, even in his attempt to erase the boy's presence.
A faint red thread was tied to the little finger of Ino and disappeared into thin air. It was love! The one concept that he couldn't completely erase. It was similar to Sakura and Sasuke. They too were tied by the red string of fate, Love.
One might ask how he missed something so obvious, but you should know that the red strings only appear in rare cases. In fact, in all of the timelines, he had only seen it appear between one other couple. Kushina and Minato.
The man began to laugh while looking at the one thing that ruined his plans. Sure, he could kill her like the extra Uchiha girls that had been in this timeline, but he had a feeling that it might cause something bad to happen to all of his finely crafted timelines.
"How to fix this...perhaps a timeline rift...ah! Yes! That could work!"
He froze time in the that particular timeline for the second time before opening a portal before Ino Yamanaka.
The girl in question was surprised to see a man step out of a void before her.
"Who are you?" She asked nervously.
The man smiled 'warmly' at the young girl. "You miss him, don't you?"
Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but ask. "You know Yuto? Where is he? Can I see him?!"
The man reached out and a portal appeared before her. She could see Naruto being laughed at, just like the one she knew, but there was something different about him. Something told her that that was Yuto, the one she longed to see. The one only she could remember.
Her eyes turned into a fierce glare at the man. A cold sweat appeared on the Patriarch's back, though he wouldn't admit that. Fated Love was scary and something he couldn't fight.
He cleared his throat and began to explain. "I could send you to him if you want to go, but you would have to abandon this timeline and would be a stranger in that timeline. There is already an Ino there, so you would have to figure out how to survive there to be with him."
Ino hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. "I will go. I...need him. He is the only person who could fill this emptiness in my chest."
The Patriarch nodded and gave a genuine smile. 'With this, the timeline would be fixed enough to have a proper ending.'
"Very well, I will give you a little help. I will have you fall asleep, and when you wake up tomorrow, you and the Ino of that timeline will be sleeping next to each other. It will make the people there believe something happened that duplicated Ino Yamanaka, thus giving you an alibai. I will also change your memories to match such a thing, in case a Yamanaka takes a look. But don't worry, the moment you see Naruto, or as you currently remember him, Yuto, you will regain all your feelings for him and can pursue him to your hearts content."
Ino nodded happily. "Thank you. I don't know how to repay you."
The man just patted her head and replied, "No need. Your happiness will be payment enough."
Ino hugged him, which surprised him. He even felt a bit guilty for taking the boy from her and convincing her to abandon the timeline so he could fix it.
"Now sleep. When you awaken, you will be able to be with the one you love."