Chapter-121
"So how did the idea of transforming yourself into a woman come about?"
"Well... I felt very alone as a child, and I always saw the children in the park with their mothers, so I thought that with that transformation... I would know what my mother would look like."
"…"
"I also wanted to know what it felt like to have breasts,"
"…" Toph couldn't help but laugh, both she and the ninja boy were on the river bank, getting their feet wet, "If you think those are childhood traumas, I once felt so alone, that I made statues of other children so that "They were my friends"
"Oh…"
"Yes, it was difficult to do different voices and act so that my friends would be funny."
"Hahaha!" The thought of seeing the blind girl, making voices and acting with earth statues giving them life, was sad, but also funny.
"If you laugh, at least I don't have a mother complex and a fetish for big tits."
"Hey, I don't play like that." Even though Naruto said that, he was still smiling, amused by the strange talk.
"Now tell me... What is the strangest thing that has happened to you?"
"I kissed a boy by accident"
"…" Toph stared at him for a while in disbelief, then burst into laughter that made her stomach hurt and her eyes blurred with tears.
Naruto didn't get upset about that, he already had to overcome that trauma and the first thing was to accept that it happened, and he never thought he would see the blind bandit almost cry from laughter.
"Don't feel bad little boy, but let me tell you that I have it worse." Stopping laughing, Toph controlled herself and sat down next to her friend again, "When I was eight and I ran away from home to go to the mountains, I used to meet with the moles who taught me earthbending, that same day I had witnessed something rare"
"Rare?"
"Yes, two hot teenagers canoodling in the bushes, apparently they went a little way from their village to 'have fun'' She had never witnessed something as strange as that, they touched strange areas and made a lot of noise, "But it seemed fun."
"…"
"And I thought that was a way to show affection, and well, I always felt very attracted to Mr. Rock."
"Mr. Rock?"
"That's what he called one of the moles." She found the water flowing at her feet very interesting as she continued telling her story. "I... that day I gave my first kiss."
Naruto's neck almost broke when he turned around and looked at the girl. He didn't have to think too much to fit the pieces together, "Your first kiss... Was it with a giant mole?"
"Yes"
"Hahaha!"
"Yes clearly, repeat."
"Hahahaha!"
"Well, stop laughing now."
"Hahahahaha!"
"Stop laughing!" She screamed, already angry at how the boy wouldn't stop laughing. He was the first person she had told, and it was very embarrassing.
Especially for the part where Lady Mole chased her away from the cave; apparently, the duo of moles who taught her earthbending were a couple.
Months passed before they let her live with them again.
"Oh God, I haven't laughed like that in years. You're unique, Toph."
"Unique in what sense?"
"That you are the best friend I always wanted to have."
He never had much luck with making friends of the opposite gender – Ino, Sakura, Hinata; he saw them as friends.
But did they feel the same way? He didn't know; he didn't interact with them much, just like Toph.
Toph stayed quiet; she didn't expect the boy to say that out of the blue. It gave her a strange feeling in her chest; no one had ever said something like that to her.
"You're my best friend too," he said quietly.
"Ahhh~ how cute."
"Go to hell." Slamming her hand on the ground, Toph sent the boy into the river, splashing painfully on his face.
"That hurt!"
"Mission accomplished."
"And mine too."
"Hey!" Toph didn't wait for the boy to grab her wrist and pulled her to the river. This made her cling to the boy with all her might. "Take me to the shore, you fool!" she ordered, wanting to hit the boy until he was like a tortilla.
"Quiet." Naruto calmly swam across the river, letting the girl wrap her arms around his neck. "I got you."
"Go to hell, take me to the shore."
"Come on, Toph, don't you want to learn to swim?"
"I don't want to."
"Come on, I promise I'll never let you go."
Knowing the boy wouldn't leave her alone until she agreed, Toph loosened her grip and relaxed. She slowly began to kick and imitate the movements of the ninja boy, who continued to hold her firmly to make her feel safer.
In the distance, a smiling Katara watched the interaction between the two boys, who seemed to be getting closer every day; it seemed very sweet.
A few steps away was Aang, sitting on the ground meditating and holding his staff; his eyes opened slightly to look at the shinobi.
Flashback:
The headache was overwhelming, and the dizziness meant I couldn't even lift my head.
It took Aang several seconds to get his bearings, to realize he was in one of the sandbox speeders, which were taking them out of the desert.
"Are you okay?"
"…" Aang felt something cold touch his head and looked up to see the shinobi offering him a bottle of water. "What happened?" he asked, still somewhat lost about everything that had happened. "And why does my head hurt so much?"
"You went crazy, and I had to knock you out."
"Did you... hit me?"
"Yes." Naruto stood firm with his arms crossed. "You almost threw a mountain over the sandpits; I had to stop you."
"…" the monk said nothing; brief fragments of his memories returned, and he could remember the terrified look of the sandmen. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry." The blonde dropped to sit next to the airbender. "You were angry, for a good reason, but killing them wouldn't have solved anything."
"…"
"I asked them who they sold Appa to, and I sent several clones there; they had to be a little rude to the sellers, but in the end, they told the truth. They sold Appa to a traveling circus that usually goes to Ba Sing Se these days."
"Ba sing se?"
"Yes, apparently our luck is on our side; we will go find Appa and deliver the information to the king of Ba Sing Se."
"…" the monk felt much calmer, but he would not be completely calm until his friend was at his side.
"I promise you that we will find him, I give my word Aang, and I never break a promise." Giving a final supportive squeeze on the monk's shoulder, the shinobi stood up to let him rest; he still had to reach the edge of this desert.
"Naruto…"
"…?"
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me; it's what friends do."
End of flashback: