A/N: Hey, Readers (who I hope exist!), welcome to this fanfic - I really hope you'll stick with me and leave, preferably, lovely reviews :) It's been so long since I've written anything, fanfic or original so it's great to be getting back into it. I have so many plans for this story so I fingers crossed some of you enjoy reading it as much I know I'll have fun writing it.

xx

TO SEE THROUGH DECEPTION

PROLOGUE

-DAY 341-

She stood against the rail facing away from Kakashi, the vastness of the dunes sprawled out beneath them and blurred together on the wavering horizon. The late sun wrapped the desert in a soft orange glow as it filtered through the sandy haze that hung in the air and tinted Sakura's hair a shade of dusty rose. It had grown out since she'd left Konoha almost a year ago and now fell to the curve of her back. Pale skin peeked out through slashes in her dark leggings and one sleeve of her black tunic was torn. A gust of wind swept up from below and invisible fingers combed through her hair and rattled the prisoner's chains. It was a melancholy sound, a sad but mocking ring that always jerked her back to reality even if her thoughts were as far away as her past.

The wind died and pink locks brushed against Kakashi's wrist where his hand settled against her lower back. He tightened his hold on her cuffs and took a step closer to his former student. Sakura could feel him behind her and although she had grown up, she only stood to the height of his shoulders. All she wanted to do was close the distance and collapse back into his chest and wrap his arms tightly around her. That's where it was safe.

"Kakashi," she said at almost a whisper and her voice gave away all the emotion she was fighting to suppress. She wasn't sure why she'd said his name. Perhaps it was to hear his voice and know he was there, or maybe to tell him something. All she knew was that his name tasted different on her tongue now and every time she said it an invisible hand squeezed her heart a little tighter. He looked down and exhaled and Sakura felt his hand clench against her back and knew that was closest she would get to him now.

"Do it," a rough voice commanded. Kakashi pushed his hand against the nape of her neck, the other still keeping its firm hold on the cuffs that bound her wrists behind her back. He moved her to the gap in the rails where the cliff dropped straight out from under them and positioned her so her heels stuck out over the edge. He took the two chains attached to her chakra-suppressing irons and fastened them to the rails on either side of her before stepping away. She stared at his single, dark eye like she was trying to tell him a million things with one look and wondered how everything had gotten so out of hand. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if this was what it was like for Sasuke...

Kakashi held her stare and she saw his mouth move beneath his mask. She shut her eyes tightly and felt her heart drumming in her chest. A bright blue light flashed behind her closed eyes and jittering screeches filled the air. When she was hit it was with so much force that it felt like her spine had been torn from her body. The ground rushed out from underneath her and the electricity lashed around her with a bite like barbed wire.

And then she was falling... Falling, falling, falling. Dead silence rang in her ears and her world went black before the ground rushed up to meet her.

-DAY 1-

The pink-haired kunoichi glanced from the framed photo on her dresser to her reflection. Critical eyes stared back at her as she subconsciously rolled her lower lip between her teeth, like she was peering down the lens of her microscope, only instead of a sample the subject of her analysis was herself. She was nineteen now and a far cry from the grinning, clueless genin in the centre of her team photograph. Those days were a lifetime ago. She undid the tiny latch on the back of the frame and removed the picture. It had faded considerably and creases gnawed at all the edges; both side-effects of the medical-nin carrying it with her on every mission since Team Seven's disbandment. Originally it had been so that she would never forget why she trained so hard, but ever since Sasuke's return, taking the old photograph on missions with her had become something of both habit and ritual. When things got particularly hard, it was also nice to have a reminder of simpler times, when the only thing that seemed to matter to her was winning the heart of her troubled teammate. But those days were long gone now.

Sakura sighed and smoothed a thumb over her twelve-year-old face. The little girl in the photo was so blissfully happy and overflowing with childish ideas of her future that it almost hurt to think about them seven years later. She looked back to her reflection again and although she still shared most of the same physical characteristics as her younger self, she would have been lying if she said she recognised the kid in the photo. Her hair was now shorter and brushed the tops of her shoulders while her face had thinned out into feminine curves, as had the rest of her body. Thankfully, she had also grown into her forehead a little more. But none of that compared to the change she saw in her eyes; the glimmering, child-like excitement had vanished to make way for the ghosts of all the misfortunes shinobi witnessed on a regular basis. But when she considered it, she was glad to have their company as those ghosts had since become the source of her determination and motivation to grow stronger.

The corner of her lip curled up slightly and she tucked the photo of Team Seven into her pouch, straightened her red vest and left to meet with Tsunade regarding an impending mission. It had been so long since she'd last left Konoha on a real job and although she adored her work at the hospital, it was refreshing to keep on walking past the large, clinical building for a change. Her eyes drifted up to the Hokage Residence over-looking the village, the grand red walls stood out regally amongst the sea of muted rooftops. Her stomach fluttered with anticipation at the sight of it and she hoped her combat skills hadn't dwindled with all the time she spent hunched over a microscope or trawling through textbooks and patient charts.

Nothing a little spar on the road wouldn't fix, she thought and smirked at the idea hammering her fist into Naruto's head - not that she needed a practice fight to do that; almost every time the blonde man opened his mouth he was practically begging for a beating. Sakura glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see her comrade bounding up the street behind her but when all she saw was peace and quiet she figured he was probably already waiting outside Tsunade's office. But when she finally reached the top of the spiral staircase she wasn't greeted by a blur of limitless enthusiasm, just an empty corridor. Not even Sasuke, who had been making an extra effort since his return, had arrived yet.

"Hm," she toned, feeling a little deflated as she checked the time. She still had fifteen minutes before Tsunade expected her anyway.

"Ah, Sakura," a lazy voice came from behind her and from the upward infliction of his tone she could tell he was smiling.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura spun quickly, surprised by his presence. She had never known her former teacher to be early... He gave her his usual half-hearted wave and leant against the opposite wall with his hands tucked in his pockets.

"Surely you were expecting me," the Copy-nin said and slight amusement carried through in his voice.

"I was," Sakura began. "But not for at least another hour."

Kakashi chuckled softly beneath his dark mask. "Well... I would rather be early than set off Konoha's two worst tempers, especially since Naruto won't be here to take most of the fire."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips before realising what he'd said. "Wait, what? Why wouldn't Naruto be here?" He's probably been sent off somewhere important with Jiraiya and I'm let with the dregs...

"This one's just you and me, Sakura," Kakashi said.

"Oh..." Sakura couldn't help feeling a little discouraged, both at the realisation that her fellow teammates wouldn't be joining them, and the obvious fact that this mission was nothing to get excited over. Tsunade really must think I'm that out of practice that I can't handle real missions... Great.

"Something wrong?" Kakashi asked, his tone as genuine as it always was at the first sign of his former student's self-doubt. She had always been a little delicate when it came to proving herself, even though she had nothing to worry about. He knew she could demolish the entire building they were standing in if she wanted, but growing up alongside hotheads like Naruto and Sasuke who both possessed their own unique powers and abilities, Kakashi knew Sakura had always felt a little left behind.

"It's nothing," she shrugged. "I was just hoping for a mission a little more dangerous than something that only needed two people, you know... It's been a while since I've been outside the village. I guess Lady Tsunade doesn't think I'm up to it."

If Sakura's eyes hadn't been fixed to the floorboards she might have noticed Kakashi's lips curve into a crooked smile beneath his mask. "I wouldn't go underestimating Tsunade's intentions that easily, Sakura."

"Huh?" the kunoichi glanced up at the Copy-nin but before she had a chance to ask him what he'd meant, the door behind her swung open and Shizune called them both inside.

The blonde Hokage glanced up at the two shinobi as she finished the last of her paperwork and set the stack of mission requests aside. She leaned forward and propped her elbows up on the desktop as she eyed Kakashi with raised eyebrows. Sakura followed her sharp gaze to see her former sensei's single dark eye close as he smiled at his superior, before resuming it's usual, lazy expression.

"And here I was thinking I could catch up on all this paperwork because Kakashi Hatake is never on time," she mused out-loud.

"You're a hard woman to please, Tsunade," the Copy-nin returned her banter.

"Yes, I know." Tsunade selected the file on top of the stack beside her and flipped it open. "Your mission..." she announced and Sakura sighed deeply as though she was preparing herself for disappointment. Her eyes turned downcast again and her rose bangs fell forward with the subtle movement. In a formal gesture she clasped her hands behind her back and waited. "Is A-ranked."

A-ranked...?!

Sakura's jade eyes flicked up to meet Tsunade's and her stomach fluttered with that same anticipation she had felt on her way to the Hokage Residence earlier that morning. Had she heard her mentor correctly? There was no way... It was unheard of to send only two shinobi on such a highly ranked mission. Sakura chanced a glance at Kakashi who kept his attention trained on Tsunade; if he was as surprised as she was, he was doing an excellent job of concealing it.

Huh, so he knew all along... And that's what he must have meant outside, before... the pink-haired ninja thought.

"There's a small village tucked away in the desert," Tsunade began. "Recently it was ransacked by a convoy of rouge ninja. I've already sent most of the Leaf's jonin out to investigate and help protect the survivors but the village is lacking their own experienced medics. Sakura, as I obviously can't go to assist them, you're going to go in my place and teach them everything you know. While you're there you will also help Kakashi investigate and mark my words, these criminals are sick, ruthless beings. But I know you can handle it."

"Yes, Milady," Sakura nodded. A determined frown crossed her brow as she wrapped her head around the news, but she couldn't wonder why Gaara's forces weren't sent in instead... But she knew better than to question the reasons behind the mission when all she wanted was to be out in the field again. Even if most of her time was going to be spent teaching the village's medics, at least she was guaranteed some grittier action with the investigation. She swallowed thickly, wondering what sort of awful carnage they would be met with on their arrival; she knew firsthand how serious and brutal these attacks were and one usually meant more were on the way...

"If you're wondering why your teammates won't be joining you, it's because I need to keep some of my strongest shinobi here, in case the attacks reach the Leaf..." Tsunade added, her words trailing off as though the true severity of the situation was something she wanted to keep on a need-to-know basis. Especially since she used the word attacks... On the surface Sakura supposed a mission like this wouldn't usually be considered A-ranked, but she was beginning to realise there was a lot more to the situation than what their Hokage was telling them.

Tsunade cleared her throat and shuffled the pages of the mission back into the file. "You'll leave at dusk," she said with a tone of finality which promoted Kakashi and Sakura's cue to go.

"Oh... One last thing," their leader hesitated and Sakura looked back to see Tsunade's deceptively youthful face taught with worry. She rose from her desk and opened her mouth as if to say something but changed her mind. "...Good luck," she said instead and sent the two shinobi on their way.

A/N: Okay, so there's the first chapter - if you like it please tell me; it's very encouraging :) I think I'm going to have fun with this one ;)