This is fanfiction. In no way do I own any part of Naruto. The only character I claim is Jyn Tokiha. This is my first story on fanfiction, so please be nice. The main character is deaf like me. I rarely read about deaf characters or see many on tv. So I wanted to make one for the Naruto universe and show how deafness does not define what you can and can't do. Work hard, struggle, beat the assumption, and stay positive and you can do anything. Enjoy.
I grew up hearing legends about the Monster of Sunagakure. Correction. Hearing is the wrong word. Fun fact about me, I'm deaf. I can't hear anything. So I guess I should say I lip-read legends about the Monster of Sunagakure.
Now it took me seven plus years to really learn to read lips. I'm really good at it now, but while learning I had people scream at me for no reason other then I could not hear them. Even now it is not an exact science. If people talk too fast or have accents or mumble it's near impossible to get anything from them. So I learned sign language. Now that I'm good at. So the majority of my friends are also deaf. I feel most comfortable with them for they understand what I've gone through and what I am going through.
Currently I am the only deaf child in the Ninja Academy of Konohagakure. Talk about a headache. Students behind me talk with no respect that I can't see them, students ahead of me talk so I only see the back of their heads, and my teacher talks really fast. I am falling behind so bad and it's not because I'm stupid. Rather because I can't hear and nobody makes accommodations for me. Now I understand why my friends wanted me to go to the School for the Deaf. Problem is I wanted to be a ninja so this was the only option for me.
Suddenly the student beside me taps my shoulder. He is a blonde kid with the bluest eyes I've ever seen. I think his name is Naruto. He was just getting yelled at for defacing the Hokage statues. He talks really, annoyingly fast. "Yes?" I say. He points to the teacher at the head of the room.
"Jyn Tokiha. Jyn." Oh. He was calling my name. Oops.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry I didn't see you call my name."
"Well listen harder." Listen harder? Am I the only one who gets what deaf means? "We are reviewing the transformation jutsu. You're first." Great.
So that's how I found myself at the front of the classroom with everyone watching me incredibly angry. I put my hands together and, "Transform." Poof. I felt the chakra flow through me, changing my appearance. Then the smoke vanished and an Urika was in my place.
"Good."
Like the deaf girl cares what you think, I huffed to myself.
Listen harder.
Listen harder.
Listen harder.
The words were seared in my brain. It just reminded me of what growing up was like. Well at least he complimented my jutsu, I tried to remind myself. Next up was Sakura. She'd get it no problem. From what I've observed she was very smart. Way too peppy but, very smart. It was Naruto I was worried about. Well, not worried, just afraid if he screwed it up we would have to do it again.
Turns out he did screw it up, but Urika didn't discipline the whole class for it. That was a surprising relief. I was walking home alone when I looked up and saw Naruto cleaning off the paint from the Hokage statues. There was the discipline. Well, served him right after what he did.
Now here is what you have to understand, I didn't hate Naruto or hearing people. It was just that I had to obey the rules to get by more than hearing people. Not just that, I had to work twice as hard as everyone else in everything. School, hearing, making friends, etc. So when I saw one of them break the rules and get away with it with nothing but a slap on the wrist...I was offended. That would never happen to me simply because I was deaf.
That was why I was afraid of joining a ninja team. I was afraid no matter what, I would not fit in. I know I would have to work harder in battle then everyone else, but I was willing to do that for what I wanted. And I would work twice as hard to understand my team and to make them understand me. So, I shook my head as I walked past Naruto. Here goes...the start of my ninja career.