CHAPTER 13: Gambling

''Toph! Will you please stop bouncing that ball all over the place? I'm trying to work!''

I caught the ball and peace reigned in our little apartment once again. Not for long.

''It wasn't all over the place,'' I told her, because I wanted to be clear on these matters, '' jus' the same spot on the wall and the same spot on the floor-''

''Working here!''

I shut up and began to fidget.

After about 5 minutes (which for me at that time was a personal record) I decided to resume communication. ''What're you doing?''

''Working.''

I tried again. ''Working at what?''

''I'm putting all my medical knowledge onto paper.''

''Oh.''

I couldn't think of anything else to say on the subject, so I started picking my nose absentmindedly.

''Toph..''

''Everyone does it!''

But I stopped. I started to rap my fingers on the floor, enjoying the noise as I steadily made it louder.

''Toph, it's way past your bedtime.'' Tsunade was barely containing her impatience. ''Try and get some sleep, will you?''

''I can't. I dunno what it is, but sometimes I can't fall asleep all night..''

''You don't think this is one of these nights?'' there was definite note of panic in her voice now. I just shrugged.

''Well,'' she said resignedly, clearing all the scrolls from her table, ''Seeing as I won't get any work done this night anyway, we might as well have some fun..''

''What kind of fun,'' I asked her suspiciously, already knowing the answer.

''Gambling, of course!''

I sighed. She had already frequented the gambling dens since our arrival, but she had never taken me with her before.

''Are you sure,'' I asked tentatively, trying to put it as delicately as I could. ''I mean, I've noticed.. well, you seem to lose quite a lot..''

''No fun, if there isn't a chance of losing involved.''

''A chance, maybe,'' I said, ''But you don't seem to do anything but lose.''

''Come on, you'll love it! I've been thinking of something you'd probably be able to do.. I want to try it out.''

So it was in that night I learned to separate truth from lies.

Tsunade told me that she had had the idea ever since she found out that I use the vibrations in the earth to see. She said only I could do it, because you had to wait and listen, and that's all I do. Wait and listen to the heartbeat of a person, to his breathing, wait for the physical reaction, which marks him as a liar.

I could do it, because I could use the neutral jiing.

I got the hang of it right away, and was so proud of myself that I couldn't help but smile self consciously all the way to one of the gambling dens.

''Take that smirk of your face, or people will get suspicious,'' Tsunade hissed as we entered the crowded room, full of smoke and the smell of strong spirits. She steered me over to the next table, where people were playing a dice game, where the best liar would eventually walk home with the winnings. Tsunade told them that I wasn't playing (obviously), but that I was interested and wanted to listen. They just shrugged. I sat down beside her, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Then the game started. Every time I sensed someone lie, I nudged Tsunade under the table with my foot. Sometimes she lifted the leather cup to reveal the dice, sometimes she didn't. She won the game in the end, and I thought we would go home now, because I was feeling more sleepy by the moment. But Tsunade went on to the next table, where they were playing another game.

''How can we cheat here?'' I asked her.

''We can't. But it's fifty fifty, I've got a good shot.''

She then preceded to loose all the money we had won, but remained optimistic to the last, never cutting her loses. And I wondered if all grown-ups were so stupid, even the ones that seemed clever.

She was also getting steadily more tipsy, slurring her words, as drinks seemed to be free for the gamblers here..

The last thing I remembered was her trying to borrow money from other people, assuring them that she couldn't possibly lose this one, before I finally fell asleep.

When I woke up in the morning, I was surprised to find myself in my bed. Tsunade was sleeping on the futon beside me, and jerked up groggily when I shook her shoulder.

''Did you bring me here, or did I dream it all?''

She cringed.

''Please don't shout so. Every word out of your mouth is an avalanche..''

''What?'' I asked, making her groan and put the pillow over her head.

''Kid, go to the medicine cabinet and get me some of the herbs..''

''What do they do?''

''They make the head feel smaller..''

I shrugged and got up, grinning. It hadn't been a dream.