A/N: You people rock. Thank you for the reviews! And here's the second prelude-chapter, because that's what I promised. I hope you like it.

State of Shock

Nothing

I swore to myself that I would forever protect them. I swore that I would take care of them. I promised myself that I would never fail my students. My students would be happy and safe for as long as I lived, I promised and swore.

Yet, here I was.

One of my students ran off to join the murderer of Sandaime Hokage. To become stronger, he said. To kill a certain man. Uchiha Sasuke had been foolish, thinking that Orochimaru would give him power without expecting anything in return.

My other male student went on a three year long journey with another sannin – Jiraiya. Uzumaki Naruto came back stronger than ever.

My only female student, Haruno Sakura, found her way to Tsunade, Godaime Hokage, and became her apprentice.

I should have been proud – all of my students were being taught by the sannin.

Sasuke returned four years later, one year after Naruto's comeback. Konohagakure no Sato welcomed the last living Uchiha in with open arms. I was not surprised; even if Sasuke wasn't reliable, he was a great weapon.

When Sasuke returned, a lot of things changed.

Haruno Sakura gained weight – lots and lots of weight. She didn't leave for any missions, and stayed as a medic nin at the hospital. Naruto didn't gain anything. The once loud and cheery voice that filled Konoha's streets disappeared.

Naruto couldn't speak.

About a year after Sasuke's return, I wasn't very surprised when Sakura gave birth to his child. A little boy. A little, beautiful boy. There was no marriage between Sakura and Sasuke, but the child got Sasuke's last name.

I was not happy in the least when Sakura found herself nursing a child by her own, only eighteen years old. She turned to the persons she trusted most in the entire world – Naruto...and me.

Even though I certainly do not have any skills in taking care of a baby, I managed to help her pretty well.

It wasn't until she asked for Naruto's help as well, seeing as she wanted him to have an important role in her baby's life, that we realised that Naruto had changed.

He had lost his voice and some necessary weight, which we all noticed. We had merely thought that he was still the same vibrant, happy person as before. Before Sasuke came back, that is.

UAUAUA

I was on my way to the Hokage Tower when I heard some kind of commotion in the apartment on my left. It was as light as a stumble, innocent enough. I knew who lived there, though, and nothing was innocent with him.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Curious on whatever Sasuke could be doing, I jumped up on the balcony. Sasuke had the grace of a swan, so he couldn't be alone and cause all that commotion. I was lucky that the curtains were parted – otherwise I would never have seen.

Yet, when I left, I wasn't so sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that I had seen what was happening in Sasuke's apartment.

The way Sasuke oh-so-gently kneaded Naruto's ass with his hands. The way Naruto kissed back, disturbingly eagerly. I wish I hadn't seen how Sasuke pushed Naruto up against the wall, the blonde's legs wrapping around the Uchiha's waist; and how Naruto encircled his arms around Sasuke's neck.

I could hear Sasuke's grunt through the window as he penetrated Naruto with one swift, gracious movement – as if he had done this several times before. Naruto arched his back, his hands gripping the fabric of Sasuke's shirt.

I left after that, not wanting to see Sasuke pound in and out of fragile, innocent Naruto.

It was funny,really. Hilarious, I thought as I continued my way to the Hokage Tower to hand in my mission report.

Naruto had never been considered fragile before, but now everyone was walking on their toes as if he was ready to break any moment now. I didn't blame them – I found myself doing the same thing at times. Without his strong voice it was easily to forget how to read him – how to know what he was feeling. We were all used to hear his complaints or cheers.

And the innocence.

The innocence part came naturally, with the way Naruto looked. His blue eyes, his blonde hair and childish attitude. But had anyone really bothered to look under the surface and see if Naruto really was as innocent as he looked? Was he the naïve boy he looked like?

When I walked home from the Hokage Tower the same night I realised that no, no one knew whether Naruto was innocent or not.

To Be Continued