I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender or Naruto. I now feel obligated to put this thing up every chapter now, though.

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"Sorry, but I don't have time to teach a kid who can maybe Earthbend. I have to get back home." Toph folded her arms and glared in Kakashi's general direction.

They were seated on the floor in Kakashi's kitchen, Tophs back to the wall as she monitered his pulse and breathing.

She wondered when the last time he had swept was.

(The ground was very.... crumbly)

"It's just for a little while." Kakashi remarked, holding that small book in his hand. Toph had really only been able to tell that it was out because of the noise of his fingers on the paper and the pages turning.

"I am sheltering you," Kakashi tried to point out.

Toph slid the stack of this city's money, weird as it was, across the tile. "This is repayment. I can carry my own weight."

Kakashi picked it up. Toph felt his heart rate spike for a second. Was it really that much?

"Where'd you get this from?" He asked.

She leaned back, resting her head against the wall. "Some idiots thought that I would be an easy target in a gambling game. They were wrong."

"What kind of game?" Kakashi asked.

"Card. And don't change the subject. I can't take Sakura. I have to get back." Toph insisted. "They-"

Maybe you should stay back this time, Toph.

She found herself trailing off.

"Look, Toph," Kakashi heaved a sigh. "I have no idea where you came from. If you want to go home, you'll probably have to go to Shikaku. He's the smartest man I know. He should have answers for you."

Toph felt the unpleasant burning in her eyes that signified that she was about to-

She closed her eyes and slammed her fist into the ground. The tile shattered like glass.

"Please don't destroy my apartment," Kakashi said.

Toph stood. "I'm going out."

He remained where he was. "Okay."

Toph left the building and vanished into the night, alone.

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Shikaku felt the faint, civilian-like signature from his couch. He knew instantly who it was, and remained sprawled for only a few more seconds.

Then he stood, picked up the shogi board from its place on the side table, and a large pouch that held the pieces Toph had made.

And then he headed out to see what the Earthbender wanted.

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Toph was standing alone outside of his house, in the dark, though Shikaku guessed it probably didn't bother her.

She looked in his general direction.

Shikaku sat in front of her, placing the board on the dirt, then started pulling out pieces and setting them on it.

Toph sat down with a huff.

The Nara finished with the prep and tapped the ground, gesturing for Toph to go first.

He softly flared his chakra, then felt Hatake do the same, assuring him that he was there.

"How do I get home?" Toph asked, skipping pleasantries and simply getting to the point.

That was a loaded question. Shikaku decided to answer as simply as possible. "That depends on where your home is."

If it is where I suspect it is, Shikaku thought. Then I have no idea.

He set down a lance, a simple looking move, but this one would be useful in the future.

She reacted instantly, taking his just placed piece before he could make any use of it. "It's in the Earth Kingdom. This little town that's full of Fire Nation citizens as well as Earth Kingdom. It's unique. I'm going to be teaching there-"

She cut herself off, but not before her voice wobbled.

Shikaku felt his heart sink. He understood what she meant, but he had heard of none of those places before.

Inoichi was right.

Several moves passed in tense silence. Toph had gotten much better. You'd never be able to tell she had only just learned how to play the other day.

Still, she wasn't nearly as good as he was, or even Shikamaru.

She overreached.

Shikaku took her king.

She scowled, then helped reset the board. This time, Shikaku went first, extending a pawn.

"This place is called Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Shikaku remarked. "One of the great ninja villages."

She froze, her own pawn held just above the board.

"This is one of the five elemental nations. I've never heard of anywhere called the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation." Shikaku tried to break it to her gently. "Do you think that the spirit might have sent you a little bit farther then you thought? A lot further?"

She scoffed, but there was slight panic on her face. "What- no way. There's no way."

Shikaku felt pity creeping up from deep down inside where he'd stuffed it.

"There's no way I'm in another world."

She stood and left, the earth creaking under her feet as if giving voice to her distress.

Shikaku watched her small back disappear into the darkness before looking back down at the board.

And stopped.

Though clumsily done, Toph had been setting up a trap. He had been so busy trying to break the news to her that he hadn't noticed. It wouldn't have won the game if put into play, but it would have been a devastating blow.

He looked back up at where she had gone.

Underneath her harsh exterior, there hid a mind as sharp as a kunai.

She was brilliant.

Though it was horrible and probably too soon, Shikaku couldn't help but be excited. If he was able to teach her a little longer, she would be come a real challenge.

Welcome to the land of Fire, Toph Bei Fong.

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Kakashi waited outside his apartment, wondering if he should go in through the window or risk the front door. If she was in the kitchen, she'd probably have already noticed him, right?

Less then five minutes ago, Kakashi had been watching from a tree as she smashed rocks with her bare hands, feet, and even face.

He never landed so she never sensed him.

She never knew someone had witnessed her tears.

Now, he cracked open the apartment door, his ninja training allowing him to step softly and silently.

The light was on, illuminating the living room. The only sign of Toph was a lump on the floor under the thick brown blanket he'd bought her. She'd chosen to forgo the softer couch to be able to 'see'.

Kakashi moved silently into the hall, walking along the walls, casting one last glance at the young girl under the covers.

He headed into his room, then quietly summoned Pakkun.

The pug looked up at him. "What's up?"

Kakashi motioned towards the door. "Toph had some bad news tonight. Stay with her?"

The dog sniffed. "She smelled so differently then any other human I've ever smelled."

It was an offhanded comment, but Kakashi's mind instantly shot back to the overheard conversation.

Was Toph really from another world?

"Just stay with her," Kakashi opened the door for the pug and watched him waddle out.

She had seemed like a tough chick from the first time he had met her, but every now and then her exterior cracked.

She reminded him of his own past self.

Kakashi sat down on the carpet and leaned against the wall.

What was he supposed to do?

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The next day, Toph sat idly by herself against a tree as team 7 was forced through the torture their sadistic sensei had dreamed up.

Sakura shot her glances through narrowed eyes as she fiddled with a black bracelet, changing its shape. This quiet girl was a far cry from the brash chick who had utterly destroyed Sasuke in their sparr.

During their lunch break, Sakura made her way up to her and sat down besides her, gingerly offering a bento box.

"Kakashi-sensei told me to bring you lunch."

There was no reply.

Her nerve broke. Sakura started to stand again, leaving the box on the ground-

"You're Sakura, right?" Her tone was brusque, down to earth with a no-nonsense air to it.

"Um," Sakura managed. "Yes?"

The teen reached to the ground, her fingers sinking into the earth like it was made out of putty. She withdrew a chunk of earth and tossed it to her.

Sakura fumbled it but managed not to drop it. "Um, what's this for?"

"Change it. Manipulate it. Do something with it. Prove to me that you're worthy of the mentorship of the greatest Earthbender in the world." Toph picked up the bento. "If you do, I'll teach you."

Sakura froze, the slightly grooved rock in one hand, her lunch in the other. To her left, Sauske had frozen very ominously, but she didn't notice. "You mean it?"

Toph picked up a tiny sausage, turning it over in her hand as if examining it. "I am not one for lies."

Sakuras grip tightened around the rock in her grasp. "I won't disappoint you!"

She snorted and popped the sausage into her mouth. "Here's a tip; be stubborn, unbreakable. Like a rock. When two rocks collide, the weakest one is the one that cracks."

Sakura bounced to her feet and bobbed a hasty bow in Tophs direction. "Okay. Thank you so much!"

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"What changed?"

Kakashi's voice spoke from right above her, in the tree she was sitting up again.

It was full credit to her awesomeness that she didn't jump high enough to give Yue a high five. Instead, she only tensed slightly, feeling the earth underneath her left hand give way as she stifled her flinch.

"If my home is really where I think it is, I'm stuck here." She tried to make her voice unemotional and strong.

Be the rock.

"I was already planning on becoming a teacher, the only thing that's changed is the location." Toph tapped the ground lightly, feeling Sakura off in the distance, sitting and holding the clump of rock to her chest. "Might as well test her skills, even if she's just a beginner."

Kakashi moved up above, then dropped to stand beside her. "How old were you when you started..... bending?"

"Much younger than she is now," Toph remarked. "And I had the originals as my teachers. Sakura..... either she'll  be unable to use bending, or succeed. If she does the second, I'll give her instruction."

"If she fails?" Kakashi asked.

Toph shrugged. "Then there will be no one to teach, even if I wanted to."

She could feel him staring at her but chose to ignore it in favor of simply finishing off her food.

"Sakura doesn't have very impressive chakra reserves," Kakashi remarked.

"I have no idea what that is," Toph shot back. "But Earthbending doesn't need that. It's.... different."

He was silent for a long period, then he stood to leave.

"Oh, and Mr Kakashi?" Toph kept her head down to hide the heat in her cheeks. "Thanks for sending me the dog last night. His company was appreciated."

She felt him pause, then set his hand on her head for a brief moment.

They didn't say anything for a second, and then he left to continue torturing his students.

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Aang walked alone. Strange plants and animals surrounded him, brushing against his arms and legs.

This was the furthest he'd ever been in the spirit world.

Avatar Roku had appeared in a vision the other night, warning him that he should not go on. Shouldn't go deeper into the spirit realm.

Warning him, in fact, against this very thing, but he'd also said that the key to finding Toph lay in the furthest recesses of the Spirit World.

Well, his exact words had been, "You will find what you seek where the borders meet, but you should be wary; the souls there are stained with blood. Once you stray there, you will have an almost impossible journey coming back."

But really! He was the Avatar! Who else was supposed to go into the spirit world to save people?

Something suddenly thwacked into the wood by his face. Aang flinched and jumped back.

He could hear people laughing, talking up ahead.

But people? Here? In the spirit world?

There was a sudden feeling at where the thing had hit. Aang only had a second to jump back as the object- a knife- summoned forth a man with bright yellow hair and blue eyes.

He seemed just as startled to see Aang as Aang was to see him.

"Who are you?" Aang asked. His clothing was so odd, almost like armour, dark grey and blue. He carried unfamiliar weapons in pouches and holsters. "You shouldn't be here. You're human."

"And you're not dead," the strange man replied.

"EEEY, MINATO!!" A woman's voice bellowed. "GET THAT KNIFE AND COME ON!!"

"Minato?" Aang asked. "Is that your name?"

The stranger gave a short, terse nod.

"I think you should come with me," Minato said.

"I can't," Aang replied, almost automatically. "I'm not supposed to be here, but I'm looking for my friend."

Minato grabbed Aang's arm and pulled him towards the shouting woman. "Kushina! We have a visitor!"

A redhead who Aang guessed was Kushina turned to face them. She was rather pretty, but there was a stubborn set to her mouth that declared she was more than just a delicate beauty.

"He's alive," was the first thing she said. "He can get through the Gate."

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;)