In a flash of lightning, all of Hitomi Kaijima's biggest hopes and dreams vanished. All she had ever wanted was to become a shinobi. Now left blind after a horrible accident, she is determined to prove herself to the people of her village. What Hitomi doesn't expect though, is to discover a kindred spirit, who will teach her to smile again.

Disclaimer: Obviously, as this is a fanfic, I don't own Naruto, or Rock Lee (le sob). I also don't own the song "Welcome to my Life"I do however own Hitomi.

From the author of "Worlds Without End", AKA me! Hope y'all enjoy. I've done my best to banish as much Mary-Sueishnessas I could from my character, so don't cringe at the letters OC. The only Pairings so far are LeexHitomi, so if you have any pairing requests, or heck, an OC you'd like me to stick in, just mention it in a review or e-mail. On a final note; No flames. Thanks in advance.

A drawing of Hitomi(by Me ): http/img140.imageshack.us/img140/7148/blinddeterminationbysilversong.jpg

Chapter Song: Welcome to my Life -Simple Plan

And now let's get on with it!

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Chapter 1- Spiral Eyes

/Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place,
Like somehow you just don't belong,
And no one understands you?/

"What's she doing back here?"

"Isn't that the one who-"

"Ya that's her."

"Maybe she forgot her backpack or something."

Hitomi attempted not to wince as the jeering whispers hit her ears as she stepped into the classroom. The small girl attempt to shrink back into her oversized purple sweater and become invisible as she felt her way across the room to what she determined to be her seat. She let her long, dark brown hair fall across her face in an attempt to shield herself further from the eyes she knew were watching her every move. Hitomi took her seat quietly, and let out a small gasp as a warm hand found her shoulder. She jerked her head around to face the person who was touching her, the bandages wrapped around her eyes becoming apparent.

/Do you ever wanna run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room,
With the radio on turned up so loud ,
That no one hears you screaming/

"Hitomi, what're you doing back in school? Everyone's staring at you."

A female voice whispered to her. Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled weakly.

"Oh Kieta it's you. I...well I'm continuing my ninja training of course."

"You're what?"

Hitomi flinched at the surprise, and edge of disgust in her best friend's voice.

"What are you, crazy! You can't be a ninja now!"

Kieta's whisper had grown hoarse, and Hitomi was suddenly once again painfully aware of the eyes boring into her from all sides, as the comfort she'd felt from finding Kieta faded to nothing.

"B-but Iruka-sensei told my big brother I didn't have to pull out, and Tai says that of all the senses, sight is the most dangerous for a ninja, what with genjutsu and clones and the like. And I-"

"Don't' be stupid Hitomi!"

/No you don't know what it's like,
When nothing feels all right.
You don't know what it's like,
To be like me./

The little girl winced and pulled away as Kieta's grip on her shoulder tightened painfully. She wasn't whispering anymore. She was angry, and shouting. Hitomi drew from her visual memories how her friend must look, gold eyes flashing, one of her lavender pigtails falling over her face as her head fell to the side in a disbelieving glare.

"B-but Kieta I-"

She stammered, but was carelessly cut off.

"No offence Hito, but you weren't even that good before your accident. How the heck are you going to become a shinobi if your blind now! Get out of here!"

/To be hurt.
To feel lost.
To be left out in the dark.
To be kicked when you're down.
To feel like you've been pushed around.
To be on the edge of breaking down,
and no one's there to save you.
No you don't know what it's like.
Welcome to my life./

Hitomi was shocked that her best friend could say such cruel things. It cut her deep, hurting even more than her wounds had. Somewhere beyond that pain though, she wad angry. Something firm, and defiant in the back of her mind stopped her from following Kieta's suggestion, and made her speak then.

"No."

Hitomi said, her quiet voice laced with venom. There was a moment where she heard the murmuring of students who were obviously eavesdropping, then Kieta spoke.

"Wh-what?"

Her voice was shaky, as if she was almost not believing what she was hearing. Hitomi set her jaw and scooted her stool backward to get up.

"I'm going to be a ninja Kieta. I made that decision a long time ago, and I thought you supported me in that dream. I don't care if you approve or not now, I'm just...sorry we can't be friends anymore."

/Do you wanna be somebody else?
Are you sick of feeling so left out?
Are you desperate to find something more,
Before your life is over/

As she felt her way up the staircase that lead to the back to the tiered classroom, Hitomi was grateful from the bandages over her eyes. No one would be able to see her crying that way. Iruka came into the room as she took her seat in the empty upper left corner, and silenced the loud murmurs by telling everyone to settle down. They then started a lesson on Doppelgangers.

You'll see.

Hitomi thought, absently raising a hand to wipe her wet eyes before realising that she couldn't. She clenched her hands into fists and set them on the top of her desk.

I will be a ninja.

/Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies,
While deep inside you're bleeding/

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She was right. On graduation day, Hitomi stood with joy sparking in her sightless eyes as her headband was handed to her. She traced the leaf insignia with her finger, marvelling that it was really hers. She'd earned it.

She was a ninja now.

"Congrats Hito, you really did it."

Taishimaru told his younger sister as her squeezed her in a tight hug. She hugged him back, gladdened beyond expression that he was really, truly proud of her. She didn't think she could be any happier if her mother and father had still been alive, and there with them.

Hitomi had traded her purple sweater in for a black fleece jacket and green sleeveless shirt shortly after her fight with Kieta. Her hair was cut shorter now, most just brushing her shoulders, the rest wrapped in a red ribbon, easily reaching her hips. Her black shorts and sandles stayed the same.

"Of course I did Tai. I worked hard at it and I graduated, just like you said I would."

She whispered, burying her face in his shoulder. Tai was a chuunin, and she'd always believed that if she could impress him, she really amounted to something as a shinobi. He'd always believed in her, even when no one else had.

"I know."

He murmured back to her.

"I'm sorry I had to make it so hard for you to get this far..."

/No you don't know what it's like,
When nothing feels all right.
You don't know what it's like,
To be like me./

Hitomi felt her brother's grip tighten on her, and suddenly felt guilt tug at her heart. No one but they, the Hokage, and the jounin of Konoha knew the details of her 'accident'. Tai had been otu training, and she had followed him, not wanting to miss out on the fun. She'd stayed hidden, the jumped out to surprise-attack him as a joke. Little had she known that she'd been charging a lightning jutsu. It struck her in the face as he jerked around in surprise, melting her pupils shut, and causing the swirling effect of white and violet that now showed in her blind eyes.

Hitomi didn't know what to say when her brother apologized to her, the first time or now. He seemed to do it so often. She couldn't say it was alright-it sure as hell wasn't alright-but she didn't blame him anymore. She had been the one who'd decided to follow him that day...

/To be hurt.
To feel lost.
To be left out in the dark.
To be kicked when you're down.
To feel like you've been pushed around.
To be on the edge of breaking down,
and no one's there to save you.
No you don't know what it's like.
Welcome to my life./

There was a shout somewhere off to one side, and Tai straightened up, patting his sister shoulder fondly.

"I'll see you in a minute Hitomi, Iruka seems to want a word."

"Sure. I'll see you in a bit."

Hitomi listened as her brothers grass-muffled footsteps faded out...then she heard more feet coming her way. She turned in the direction of the sound warily.

"So Violet eyes, you graduated after all?"

Hitomi bristled. She recognized Kieta's mocking voice all too well. The snickering that came afterward told her she wasn't alone either. Hitomi discretely started forming handsels.

Tiger, dog, boar, bird, tiger again.

"Beast Eyes no jutsu"

She murmured. Her blank field of vision suddenly exploded with color as the heat signatures of every living thing in a 360 degree radius lit up with blue light. One of the ways Hitomi had managed to get through the academy was the use of her heat-seeking ninjutsu. Tai had helped her develop it, as a way of seeing without seeing. When the jutsu was active, her eyes could pick up heat, and warm surfaces. It wasn't sight-she couldn't see anything cold, or at any great distance. She couldn't see the sky, landforms, writing, color, her own reflection in the mirror-but it was better than nothing.

Keita and her group were the only figures she could make out with any amount of detail. Basic silhouettes, facial features, hair that had absorbed enough sunlight to be warm. Keita has traded in her pigtails for loose, long tresses. She was dressed in a tanktop and shorts, with armguards and gloves, though Hitomi would never know what color they were. On either side of her were Akari, her hair in a ponytail, wearing a sweatshirt and cargo pants, and Chiru, sporting cropped hair and her kunoichi dress.

"Yes Keita."

Hitomi answered, her calm, quiet voice holding a hint of irritation.

"I'm a genin now, just like you"

Keita laughed, and her 'girls' echoed it in an irritating high pitch, like the whine of insects.

"Like me? What the hell are you implying? Just because we're both genin, does not mean we're equals!"

/No one ever lied straight to your face,
and no one ever stabbed you in the back.
You might think I'm happy, but I'm not gonna be okay.
Everybody always gave you what you wanted,
You never had to work it was always there.
You don't know what it's like, what it's like./

"Yeah Violet-Eyes! Keita is a thousand times better than you!"

Chiru jeered, thrusting her nose into the air.

"A thousand and one times better!"

Akari corrected, not to be outdone. Hitomi smiled as a fleeting vision of the two girls sitting as lap-dogs across Kieta's knees flashed through her mind. Before the girls could inevitably ask what she was smiling at, she spoke.

"Look, Kieta, you have obviously got nothing to say, so why don't you and your lackeys shove off, and come back when you've acquired personalities."

Hitomi felt a deep satisfaction as she heard Akari and Chiru huff haughtily at their comment.

"Whatever you spiral eyed freak."

Kieta spat.

"Yeah, whatever!"

Chiru and Akari echoed simultaneously. Kieta turned as if to leave, then glanced over her shoulder at her former best-friend.

"Have fun getting the tar beaten out of you it the real world."

Hitomi watched silently as the three figures blurred to simple blue shapes as the moved away, then deactivated her jutsu. Without a word, she raised her forehead-protector to her eyes and tied it tightly in place. Her jaw was set firmly.

"Just wait Kieta."

Hitomi hissed quietly.

/To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life/

"I'll show you just what I'm worth."

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Author's Notes: End of Chapter 1. Thanks much for reading, I really appreciate it! Things are slow now due to character introductions, but chapter two will be up soon! For my readers from WWE, don't worry, I'll be working on both stories at the same time so one doesn't get shoved off into a dusty corner. This chapter was pretty long, so I might think of shortening future ones. Please review, and tell me your impressions/ideas! Goodnight!