The Veil Of Mystery

A/N: Here's another update for you! :) I was most certainly amazed by how many people actually checked out this story, and I'm honestly glad to hear it. Anyways, please enjoy the first chapter and thank you for reading.

Chapter 1: Behind The Purple Gaze

"…Welcome back, Mr. Hatake." The sound of his secretary's calm, collected voice as he quietly entered his private office reached him. Without turning his head, Kakashi glanced over towards her direction and nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

"Thank you, Yugao." He murmured as he continued towards his room, secretly thankful the unsuspicious secretary was occupied with scheduling clients on the computer. He was also glad he had taken a shower at his apartment and cleaned up before showing up to work. If he hadn't, well…That would lead to even more disaster.

Sighing softly as he grasped the metal handle, Kakashi moved to open the door, only to be stopped by Yugao's voice.

"You have an appointment today, Mr. Hatake." Completely unsuspecting, Kakashi turned slightly towards her direction once more, careful not to show any of his scar.

"Oh? I thought I didn't have any appointments on Thursdays." She finally glanced up, her brilliant, yet strangely colored purple eyes quietly watching him. A knowing look resided in them, as if she knew what had happened with the mysterious attacker.

"You might want to make an exception today. The next day they would have been open for you would've been in a month or so." Yugao pushed away from her desk a bit to lean back in her chair. Folding her arms in a questioning pose, her expression changed to confusion. "Besides, if I remember correctly, you specifically requested the closest date."

Kakashi said nothing, even though mentally he was searching for any recollection of this scheduling. He ended up empty, which only helped peak his interest. Trying to sound nonchalant, Kakashi asked, "Can you remind who exactly I'm meeting with, Yugao-san? I'm a bit foggy on this subject since it is quite early."

Even though disbelief clouded her eyes, she answered without a beat. "You're meeting with Haruno Sakura, Mr. Hatake. She's a special patient at Tokyo's finest mental rehabilitation facility." Yugao took a brief pause, allowing him to register the information in his mind. "However, if you want to know more, you can always confer with your case files. Her file is already on your desk."

Kakashi nodded slowly before smiling a bit in appreciation. "Once again, thank you, Yugao-san." His smile turned a tad sheepish. "Perhaps, I should start studying my files more."

Yugao's disbelief didn't fade at all despite his careful charade. "Perhaps…" She murmured in a low tone before continuing in a stronger, concerned voice. "…You should take care to receive more sleep at night to get rid of 'fogginess'." The catch in her voice was barely there, but Kakashi still heard it.

Choosing to end this conversation as soon as possible, Kakashi grasped the door handle once more, pulling the door open halfway. "Of course." He politely responded before stepping into his office, closing the door shut behind him with his back facing Yugao.

Yugao merely released a deep breath, stretching her slightly stiff back before returning to her work. As she scanned through all the recent emails, she couldn't help but search for the specific one that requested that the appointment with Haruno Sakura.

"Yugao,

Would you please schedule an appointment with Haruno Sakura from the Tokyo Mental Rehabilitation Center? I would prefer the closest date possible. I also require her files as soon as possible so this case will be able to really start.

Sincerely,

Hatake Kakashi"

It's as if he knows nothing about this case… Yugao thought as she read the brief email. Glancing up at the sending email address, she was slightly taken aback by the fact it was none other than Kakashi's office email. She'd almost half-expect it to be from someone she'd never even heard of…but she guessed that was probably just her wild imagination going wild once again.

Exiting the email, Yugao glanced back at the Kakashi's office. The window blinds were closed, just as they always were since he loved his privacy. Then, Yugao smiled softly as she berated herself for her own stupidity.

Maybe I should get some more sleep…

Kakashi blinked in surprise as he stared at the files before him. This Haruno Sakura…was…was…in this mental facility for murdering her adoptive parents? He reread the file once more, expecting something to come up that would explain some more valid reason. Wouldn't the investigators of the case just send her to jail instead of a mental facility? What was the meaning of this?

"Something is not right…" He murmured to himself as he reached into his black trench coat. His fingers hesitantly brushed against the note in the pocket, but faltered away as he sighed in defeat. Kakashi picked up the criminal file in one hand and the health record in another, comparing them briefly.

The health records held no information on any legitimate reason for her entry into the mental facility. It only held her blood type, date of birth, and other nonsense he didn't really need. His eyes scanned over the date of birth once more, making sure to keep her age in mind. If it was a child he was meeting, he would have to be extra careful with her mind…but luckily, this was not the case.

In fact, Haruno Sakura was at the ripe age of twenty-one. He was filled with a brief period of relief. Even if she was a mental patient, Kakashi was still sure Haruno's mind had matured enough to the point of having the capability to understand him.

Glancing once more at the criminal files, he calmly folded them and stuffed them into one of his pockets. Swerving his chair round to face the giant window, Kakashi stood up and slowly moved towards the view to the outside world.

The streets were crowded just like any day in the massively populated city of Tokyo, Japan. It was all full of different colors, the sight always changing as the people continued to move. His gaze still scanning the main street where his small building was located, his eyes stopped at the lamppost where a hooded figure stood.

A shiver ran down Kakashi's spine, his eyes narrowing in anger as his mouth formed a grim frown. His hand, without him knowing it, reached up to lightly graze the scar on his face. It still burned with pain and was raw despite the time that had passed since last night. Sadly, he wasn't able to hide it since it covered a little bit above and below his left eye. He was lucky he had closed his eyes in time to save him from losing an eye.

As Kakashi snapped out of his entranced daze, his eyes quickly glanced down towards the lamppost once more. However, the dark hooded figure that had been looking up at his office was gone.

Overcome by a short moment of anger, Kakashi forcibly closed the curtains shut and moved towards his desk once more to turn on a nearby light source. The dim glow of the lamp barely reached the edges of the room, encompassing everything in its path with a yellowish-orange shade.

His hand reached for his pockets once again, grabbing the note and throwing it onto the desk. He couldn't help staring at it for a few seconds in silence. After all, what kind of information could this possibly contain that would earn him a scar and an unheard appointment scheduling?

Kakashi paused his mental thinking. How did he actually know that Haruno Sakura's appointment was actually connected with this note? His eyes glanced over the records, without reading them once more, and then over the folded note.

Without waiting any longer, he carefully unfolded the note slowly, his eyes growing wider as he did so. The words coming into view was not what he had wanted…but unfortunately, this was something Kakashi had expected. As he lifted up the piece of paper to better light, another folded note fell onto the desk with a thud.

Ignoring the fallen note, Kakashi carefully read over the paper. As he read, he felt his body shake a bit and his scar burn once more.

"Mr. Hatake, in the note below, you'll find something that'll help you find answers. Get them quickly and act even faster."

There was no signature, but Kakashi wasn't sure if he really wanted there to be one. Dropping the paper without hesitation, he quickly snatched up the slightly heavier fold of paper.

It didn't take much time to find what had weighed down the paper. The paper held no significant purpose other than to transport the object inside. That object was a small, silver key. The number of two hundred and fifteen was imprinted into the key, its bold lettering catching his attention.

A knock on his door caused startled Kakashi as his head jerked up in a bit of fear. Swallowing down some spit gathering in his throat, he tried to calmly answer.

"Yes?"

There was a slight pause after his answer and his fear rose a bit. How did he know that the man with crimson eyes was not behind that door? Or the hooded figure? Clenching his jaw shut, he realized his stupidity. The hooded figure was that crimson-eyed man.

"Mr. Hatake, you should really be leaving soon. Your appointment starts in half an hour." Relieved to hear Yugao's voice, Kakashi glanced towards the digital clock. Its red letter flashed angrily at him. It was already 11:25, but that was no surprise considering he had come in late.

Clearing his throat before speaking as he pocketed the item and notes once again, Kakashi replied in a calm manner in order not to arouse suspicion. "Thank you, Yugao. I will leave now."

Turning off the light hastily, he walked in a quick manner towards the door and exited to find Yugao returning to her desk.

"Will you return later today?" She questioned him without as much as a glance.

"It depends on how long the appointment drags on, Yugao-san. If I'm not back by two, you can take the rest of the day off. I'll shut down the place for the day." Kakashi didn't even realize he was talking a bit faster than normal. However, Yugao noticed and merely waved him off.

"Deal." She murmured as she watched him leave. The moment the door closed, her gaze darkened. The sound of his quick footsteps retreating downstairs caused her to move to the closest window, her calculating purple eyes watching him as he called over a taxi and sped away.

Not only had she noticed his unusual hastened speed to reach the appointment, but also she had seen the scar. It wasn't the sight itself that bothered her, but the fact that Kakashi could be hiding something.

It wasn't her personal matters, but he was still her employer. If he were to get into major trouble, she would lose a job. Of course, that wasn't the real problem since she could find another secretary occupation anywhere else in this massive city. The real idea that bothered her was that she wouldn't be able to find anyone like Hatake Kakashi.

What could Yugao say? He was different from anyone she'd ever met. A man who would hide pain to spare others' sake and a man who spoke few words unless you really got to understand him.

A slightly amused scoff escaped her mouth.

Hell, she barely understood him and she'd been working for him for the last two years.

A/N: I'm certainly pleased with myself on such a quick update. The main point of this chapter was to really gain an idea of Kakashi's character. He's a quiet, calm man who doesn't really show pain. Unfortunately for him, that could really have sealed his fate in this dire situation.

Yes, Yugao is actually a real character in the Narutoverse. I was always wondering who exactly could be his secretary and POW! It hit me that she would probably be the best for that part in this story. Luckily, since she really doesn't have much of a role in the story of Naruto, I was able to twist her characteristics a bit to my liking. And thankfully, she seems a bit like herself.

Next chapter, we'll be meeting our awaited Haruno Sakura and actually get into more of the serious matters. Lol, as if it isn't already starting to get serious. ;)

Anyways, thank you very much for reading and hope you enjoyed! Look forward to the next update!

Until next time,

SharinganAnbuSakura