Hand Signs [A Deaf Naruto Fanfiction]

Chapter 5: Traitor

Similar to the first episode of the OG Naruto series, this chapter has a lot of POV switching. All third person but there is a lot of it and I know sometimes that bothers people. It's important for the way the chapter is written though.

I tried a new way of showing just how much of conversations Naruto picks up in this chapter, if you hate it let me know and I'll figure something else out but for now I think it's effective.

Also, most of this chapter is ripped straight from the first episode (and ripped from another story I've been working on the side. So if that story ever makes it on here and the scene sounds familiar it's from there (since that was written first).

Important note: Naruto has some pretty dark thoughts later in the chapter and he kind of has a Gaara moment but it's pretty brief.

Anyway...

Onto the chapter!

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Chapter Five: Traitor

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He failed.

The clones he'd managed to create were terrible. He knew it, Iruka-sensei knew it, the only one who didn't seem to know it was Mizuki-sensei. He couldn't hear the interaction that well, but whatever he was saying, Iruka-sensei seemed to regretfully disagree. The most he could tell was the pale haired teacher saying something about passing.

There was an odd look in his eye whenever he looked at Naruto with Iruka-sensei around. When the brunette chunin wasn't looking and he thought Naruto wasn't paying attention, he was happy to glare to his heart's content. But when he knew they were looking the glint in his eye was familiar. It was similar to the look Naruto got when he was planning a new prank (he was due for one of those, it had been months but that could wait until he was less upset). At the same time it was different, darker somehow, in a way Naruto didn't understand. He didn't like it.

He sat alone on the swing outside the academy. Iruka-sensei was talking to proud parents, though the worried looks he kept sending Naruto's way were quite telling and Shikamaru and his other friends had been dragged away by their parents. They were nice enough to protest a little, but Naruto understood what it meant to be told now by someone so high on the ladder--at least the concept since he tended not to listen until fairly recently.

The parents, mostly moms, glaring at him were whispering words Naruto couldn't hear but he knew they were just as cold and spiteful as their eyes. It only made the disappointment sting deeper because for the first time in months, he was completely alone. Of course that was when Mizuki-sensei chose to show up.

He spoke too quietly for Naruto to really understand and when he tried to ask the man to repeat he was swept away to a rooftop. Deep within himself, he could feel Kurama growling, mentioning the smell of snake and how Naruto should get away from the Chunin.

Mizuki (he'd decided to stop calling him sensei since he really wasn't a teacher to Naruto) went on about secrets and Iruka-sensei not letting him pass. He assumed the teacher had meant Kurama at first but he seemed to be alluding to something else. He spoke around it, Naruto only caught parts of it because the man didn't use sign and he spoke fairly quietly.

"--secret test to become a genin that Iruka doesn't want you to know about."

If there was one thing he'd definitely learned while studying with Iruka and his new friends it was to trust your gut instincts and everything inside of him (including the Kyuubi) was suspicious of the pale haired shinobi.