After agreeing to teach him, and telling Sasuke what she wanted to be called, Toph smirked and stomped her foot, causing a boulder to jut out under where he was sitting and propel him ungainly onto his feet.

"First things first." Toph said as Sasuke stumbled, "Shoes off buddy."

"Why." He answered, both in question of her statement against his footwear and her unnecessarily rough manner of getting him up.

"What did you call me?" Toph asked.

Sasuke furrowed his brow in confusion. "…Nothing."

"Humph." Toph muttered. "That's what I thought. I told you to call me all-powerful master sifu Toph sensei at all times. Did I make myself clear?"

Sasuke rolled his now useless eyes. "Yeah."

"I said, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?" Toph roared.

"Yes To-," Sasuke was cut off by a rock bent at his stomach. Toph was a little disappointed he didn't fall over. "Oof." Sasuke gritted his teeth. Looks like he really would have to say the stupid name if he didn't want rocks thrown at him all the time. "I mean, yes… all-powerful master sifu Toph sensei."

"Took you long enough." Toph groused. "As punishment for your earlier slip up, you're gonna run around until sunset while I attack you. Don't stop unless you want a face full of rock pie. And take off your shoes since you can't feel the ground right when you wear them."

Sasuke obliged and ran.

"Hey, you call that running?" Toph taunted, "Pick up the pace lazy! Give me a better target!"

"I'm not lazy." Sasuke retorted.

Toph crossed her arms after hitting him with another rock. "Then what are you? A masochist?"

"No." Sasuke scowled. "I'm being cautious."

"Of what, stubbing your toe?"

"Of falling." Sasuke admitted with a scowl. It wasn't easy to acknowledge his weakness.

"Then don't fall." Toph said mercilessly. "Stop being such a crybaby, it's annoying." Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration, but sped up, no longer being careful where he stepped amidst the rubble from his battle, ignoring the way the rocks and shards of concrete bit into the soles of his feet. "Besides," Toph continued, "if you do fall I'll laugh my butt off at you so if you want to keep any sort of pride then you better not…" Toph trailed off as she began to pick something up with her seismic sense. "Why are you limping?"

"Should I not?" Sasuke grunted, then added sarcastically, "All-powerful master sifu Toph sensei?"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Just answer me. Oh, and you can stop running."

"My feet are bleeding."

Toph stopped mid attack. "What? Why is that?"

"Maybe because you won't let me wear shoes." Sasuke answered.

Toph sighed. "Damn. I forgot you shoe wearers have soft feet. All right I'm going to give your pampered peds some rest. They're the most important part of the body so you need to take care of them. Let's get out of this wreak and make camp in the forest. The dirt will be easier on your tootsies."

A certain masked figure watched as the duo made their way out of the rubble, one significantly more gracefully than the other. This was definitely a setback to his plans. No matter, having Sasuke under his power would have only been a benefit to this battle. He was merely the blank canvas Madara intended to use for Itachi's eyes. A new host could be found and although it would take a non Uchiha longer to remaster the powers of the implanted eyes, it would be made up for by their inevitably higher cooperation and obedience than the arrogant Sasuke.