Boulders

Granite

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender or Naruto. If I did I wouldn't be writing this.

The 'Hokage' was this really old dude who smelled of blood hidden by smoke.

After one whiff, Toph decided that she did not like him.

At all.

Not one bit.

"Hokage-sama," Shikaku bowed slightly. "We have brought miss Bei Fong."

Toph blinked.

"Hello, Bei Fong," the Hokage said. She could almost feel the creepy warm, patronly smile creeping over his face. "I hear you've torn up part of my town."

Not an accusation. Simply a statement of fact. "It was in self defense."

"Who was trying to hurt you?" He asked.

Oh. A particularly dangerous dance, usually seen by Earth kingdom nobles and their merchants.

One that all noble and merchant children are taught.

Even me.

Let's see how good I am at this when it's for real.

She pulled herself from her usual slouching posture and lifted her right hand up to cover her mouth, just like her mother had taught her. "One who had hurt me before."

"And who was that?"

"Why, I'm astounded that you don't know," Toph pushed down her rising anger and continued with the delicate art of politely insulting someone to their face. "Do you not know all that goes on in these walls? Or is there no war in the ...city?"

She had to stop herself from adding, 'Ba Sing Se'.

She felt him stir, confused. "I am but one man. How am I to know all?"

"Not all, my lord. Simply the important happenings in the city. It is your city, is it not?" There. The topic was on him, now, and how incompetent he had been.

She felt Shikamaru staring at her, openly and awestruck.

Toph had to say, it felt pretty good.

"You're right. I do not know everything that goes on in these walls."

Wait, what?

"I do not know when sparrows fall and the flowers bloom," he remarked. "I do not know what goes on in my people's lives, for I am busy keeping them safe. And while I wouldn't mind knowing they were content and happy, there is one thing that I do not know that I wish to."

Oma and Shu.

"How did you come to the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

He had turned the conversation right back on her. She'd been rusty, and he had done this a lot more, a lot longer.

He had won.

Toph dropped the innocent girl act and placed her hand on her hip. "That's a shocker. I don't know either."

Shikamaru shifted slightly away. She heard the faint noise and felt the vibrations as his head met his hands with a quiet thwack.

"And call me Toph." Toph ran a hand through her bangs. "No more of this Bei Fong stuff. Thanks."

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This kid....

Shikaku watched her from the corner of his eyes as she and the Hokage exchanged words, elegantly and, well...