Boulders

Anthracite

Okay, guys. I'm tired of writing the disclaimer. If you think I own either Naruto or Avatar the Last Airbender, you're wrong and should look back at the beginning of the first eleven chapters.

Thank you!

▪▪▪

"Here you are!"

Toph stiffened as arms threw themselves around her in a tight hug. Perfumy hair brushed against her face as the surprise hugger squeezed harder before releasing her.

She had sensed the group of three; Shikamaru and his friends, entering the house, but she had decided not to pay them that much attention. After all, she had been so close-

"Who are you?

"Oh, I'm Ino. Ino Yamanaka. Shikamaru told me about you."

Oh. One of Lazybone juniors buddies. Toph patted her arm, but she still didn't let go. Instead, she grabbed Toph's hand and let out a gasping shriek. "YOUR NAILS!"

"What about them?" Toph asked, pulling away from the perfumy girl. Her nose was getting irritated.

"I suppose you can't see them, but trust me. They need help. Your hair needs help."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Toph asked.

"Everything," the Yamanaka shot back. "Look, Nara-san, I'm kidnapping this chick. We'll be back soon."

"Does 'this chick' get a say in that?" Toph asked wryly.

"There's a reason it's a kidnapping," Ino replied. "Now come on. Before you're nails give me a coronary."

Toph felt a rueful twist of deja vu and decided to simply follow Shikamaru's friend.

Shikamaru sounded slightly annoyed. "I didn't agree to introduce you to her so you could turn her into you!"

"Can't hear you!" Ino called back. "Too busy kidnapping!"

▪▪▪

Sakura sighed and sat back against a tree trunk. She was sweating like mad and covered in dirt, which was turning out to be something of a regular for her now.

Try as she might, she couldn't 'see' as Toph did. All she got from her feet was dirt, rocks, and the occasional bug.

That she stepped on.

Because she couldn't see where she was going.

Sakura snatched off the blindfold and screamed in frustration. She punched a boulder left over from their training session and it shattered into dozens of tiny pieces. How come she could do something like that, but not the simpler stuff?

She took a deep breath. No. Rage was ugly. Sauske didn't like ugly girls.

Sakura selected three sticks, jabbed them into the ground, and without replacing the blindfold, she tried to make the middle one fall down.

A wave of earth swept over all three of them.

Okay, then. Think. You're good at thinking.

Toph-sensei couldn't see. She didn't need to. She-

I'm not Toph-sensei.

Sakura took a deep breath.

I'm not Toph-sensei.

I'm not a chakra powerhouse.