I'm in my corner again.

Richi-chan kept me company for a little bit but she's older and has other "responsibilities". I think she said she was learning a trade? She seemed happy so good for her.

Some kids were dangling something in front of me, they were trying to be sneaky but they weren't good at it. Heck, even without my game, they were giggling loudly. At least to me, it was loud.

I felt something wet and smelly brush my nose and the giggling got even louder. They're getting more annoying.

Honestly, I just want to go outside and play with my chakra some more. Ever since the first night I passed out -there've been multiple- it's getting easier and easier to mess with. I only pass out when I do that thing with the earth but even that's getting easier. The lead-up that is, I still pass out when I copy the earth. I've gotten in trouble every time they find me.

I tap the wood with a toe and felt my chakra do… something near my feet. I could vaguely make out the boy? In front of me. Ever since that night a few weeks ago my games got kind of boring. Counting everyone in the building and guessing where they are has gotten a lot easier, to the point where it's not really guessing anymore.

The giggling got even louder, my eye twitched. Usually, all I have to do is wait on an adult to see what's happening, but most have gone out to do whatever in the village and the only one that's in the building right now is two rooms over dealing with the babies with older kids.

Roro's usually here, but she has to take care of some things in the village every two weeks. She says it's to make sure the orphanage has everything it needs but I don't know what that means. I asked more but the answer was really complicated and hurt my head trying to understand it.

Whatever they were dangling in front of me brushed my nose again, I shivered at the smell. 'Okay, enough.' I snatched whatever they were using to mess with me -it felt super gross and squishy- stood up, and threw it across the room where it landed with a splat.

The giggling stopped.

The boy, definitely a boy, in front of me spoke really quietly like he was trying to be scary. "You shouldn't have done that." His voice was a little deeper and I think he was taller than the boys my age so he was probably a few years older than me. Seven, maybe eight?" I didn't recognize his voice cause all kids sort of sound the same after being around them for a while.

"Really?" I stood up straighter. Ever since I discovered how to mess with chakra I'd get angry easier. Usually, it's easy to ignore since I'm usually with Roro but right now I can't. "Maybe if you all stopped being so stupid it'd be easier but you dummies won't stop messing with me!" I started stomping outside to go relax, only to walk into a soft tower of pudge.

"What are you even talking about, creepy?" he pushed me down, hitting my head against the wall. "You aren't making any sense and you call us stupid?" I tried getting up, cradling my head but another person pushed me down again. "You're brains just as useless as your eyes!" That one sounded like a girl.

You know she looks kind of like that Hyuga kid, right? Their eyes look the same and all." My head was throbbing, it hurt. "They probably got rid of her once they figured out her eyes don't work." This one sounded more thoughtful than mean.

I sat there getting angrier and angrier as the kids made stupid comments about me. Pretty sure it was just four of them but I could tell other kids were just standing and listening. I was getting so angry, tears started welling up in my eyes. I hated this. They've never been this bad before.

"Listen up, Creepy." The lead boy said. "In the academy, the instructors told us that everyone should be helping the village somehow. That's why the Hokage himself said that he's proud of us cause we're training to be shinobi." I felt a shoe on my forehead, 'Is he stepping on me?'

"Hear that?" His shoe ground into my head. We're training to be Shinobi and you can't even learn to read. We're better than you, stupid." He laughed, along with the others, though they sounded different. More hesitant.

"Hey Gigi, you might be going too far." The girl sounded nervous.

"What? I'm just telling the truth." His foot pressed down harder, I wanted to scream and smack it away but couldn't. He was big and apparently I was already small for my age. "She's always acting like she's better than us just cause Roroshi-san feels sorry for her and gets to go around the village with that guy all the time." He lifted his foot and stomped on my head. My head really hurts now but Roro said to never cry so I'm not crying. "Plus it looks like she's always staring off into space with those creepy eyes."

"Yeah.. but you're hurting her." One of the boys said. "This isn't fun anymore." How was this fun to begin with?!

"You're done?" I spoke up. They fall silent. "Really? You're done? You pick on me and call me names and say you're better than me -You aren't- and now you're done cause he's hurting me?!" I do my best to use my big girl voice as Roro taught me. To keep calm but they called me stupid, they insulted Roro cause she said that she thinks I'm capable and she's not a liar, and they said they were better than me. "You're all stupid! You're loud and you smell and you're chakra's boring! And you're all just mean bullies!" I finished, out of breath. I could feel tears running down my cheeks but I didn't care. Roro's not here. "I don't even know your names!" Pushing his foot away, I stand and give my meanest face in their direction.

I felt three of them back off a little but the lead boy stepped forward and pushed me hard against the wall. "You still think you're better than us, don't you?!"

"That's cause I am, Stupid!" I pushed back. It didn't do much.

I felt something slam into my cheek and my head whipped around. "It didn't even hurt that bad but left me dazed.

"Gigi!"

The others pulled him back from me, I didn't care. I was too shocked. That shock was quickly turning into anger.

"Dude she's four!"

"So? She-"

I don't like being hit.

-Ochicho's POV-

I took a long slow breath, in and out. "What exactly happened?" I asked, despite hearing the story from the others first. Looking at the blood-spattered across the floor, then at the two children in front of me, one on the ground, whimpering, bleeding, holding a thick cloth where his ear used to be -it already is in my hand, wrapped in a towel- and the other, seemingly staring blankly ahead, blood dripping from her mouth and drying under her nails, her plain dress stained red.

"Gigi hit Toph then Toph went crazy," Rengi shakily said. He was sporting a few scratches two, a bruise here and there, likely from trying to pull Toph off.

"So," I began, trying to keep my voice level. "What you're saying is Toph, who is four years old, at least two times smaller than all of you, whom there were four of, and not to mention, blind, did this to Gigi?" They fearfully nodded, wincing from their injuries.

"And Gigi attacked first?" I asked. Again another nod. I let out a long sigh, "And none of you stepped in when a boy twice her age attacked her?" They just looked down, ashamed or scared.

"I see."

I faced Toph, the girl who I rocked to sleep as a baby, who used to be so energetic but slowly turned into this, who just brutalized a boy who was twice her age and had a year in the academy. The girl's face was blank, eyes staring ahead in her general direction, seemingly through her. 'She always knows,' I thought with a shiver. The girl always seemed to know when anyone was looking at her, and with those eyes… it was unnerving, to say the least. Right now I couldn't let that show.

"Toph, are they telling the truth?" Toph always tells the truth, despite what people think my disposition is with the girl, even I know this. Gigi, the other main perpetrator was in no state to speak anyways, along with his ear, his right eye was swollen and bleeding. He'd need to get to the hospital soon, I couldn't leave the orphanage in this state to take him. Everyone's scared, the blood needs to be cleaned, and I'm the only adult here. The older kids trusted enough to look after the others alone can't handle this, they might have to though.

The girl just blinked. "Yes," she said with that disturbingly steady l voice like she didn't have the blood of the boy whose ear she obviously bit off drying on her lips. "They were being stupid, then he pushed me, then he hit me." Oh kami, stupid could mean anything with this girl, but that wasn't the point. The point is that this four-year-old blind girl left a nine-year-old boy in this state. It'd be impressive, no it is impressive, despite the outcome.

I took another deep breath. "Toph you'll be dealt with later. Rina-chan, go clean Toph up." It's hard enough being around this child normally, the blood speckled on her person made it much worse. "Everyone out. This room is off-limits until we clean it." I picked up Gigi, he needs to get to the hospital. "Roroshi or Yuchi will be here soon. You all know the drill, Ru-chan is in charge until they get back." I started walking with the still whimpering boy in my arms. If anyone else is injured, especially you Toph, inform Rorochi-san or Yuchi-san when they get back." With that, I started to the hospital closest to us, leaving all the scared, panicking children inside.

Let's hope they can reattach the ear, his eye's probably a lost cause.

Toph's POV

I winced when Rina poured water over my head. Usually, she says when she's about to do it but she's been quiet the whole time she's been bathing me.

"Rina-chan, are you okay?" I kind of like Rina, she and Richi are always nice and never yell too loud.

The water sloshed, I couldn't but try to focus on the chakra but only got dizzy from my efforts. One of the amazing things about chakra is that it's everywhere, it just moves differently depending on what form it takes. Water's hard to focus on, kind of like the wind but slower, it's the hardest for me to wrap my mind around cause it can be steady one moment and erratic the next. Wind at least is steady, just super-fast.

"Toph-chan…" oops, I zoned out. "Why'd you do that to Gigi-kun? No, how did you do that? I wasn't there… You said he hit you but he had to go to the hospital." she grabbed my shoulders and turned me towards her. "You're only four."

"He attacked me," I said simply, "His friends and him were being really mean then he hit me. I got mad." Why did she sound scared? Biting off his ear might have been too much but he still hit me first, before that he even stepped on me.

"I-I know Toph," Rina sounds like she calmed down a bit but her voice was still shaky. "But you didn't have to go that far. You should have called for one of us, we were just in the other room." We both fell silent. I didn't like arguing, it's exhausting, but… did I do something wrong? Maybe I did if Rina sounds like that.

"Sorry…" The word was bitter for some reason.

The door opened, "Rina-chan, is Toph cleaned up?" Roro's voice rang.

"Yes, Roroshi-san. I was just about to finish up," Rina stood up, the scrubbing stopping.

"Thank you, dear, why don't you let me take over from here," Roro said while walking in. She's probably going to get mad at me too, she's going to get mad and start talking to me like all the others and she's not going to be Roro anymore.

"Yes-mam, thank you Roroshi-san," Rina quickly walked away, closing the door on her way out.

I felt Roro silently sit down on the stool Rina was sitting on. "Arm out," she ordered. This was the last scrub down before I dried off. "We'll need to clean your nails, I suspect Rina-chan missed them with her rushing " she tapped my other arm when my left was done.

I don't say a word. "-at least your hair is clean, I worried she'd have missed that too." She kept talking as if it were a normal day, as if I didn't scare Rina.

"-oh, I apologize Toph, I haven't asked about your day yet. How has it been? I've been away since this morning," she wiped down my back.

Today was bad. People were stupid, I got in trouble, figured out that blood tastes gross and ears feel weird, and now one of the few people I kind of liked is treating me differently. "Could have been better… I mumble out.

"Speak clearly Toph, don't mumble," she admonished, moving onto my leg.

"It could have been better," I said without mumbling. Why was she acting like nothing was wrong? Like it was just a normal day? When I was pulled away from that boy, Gigo? I think that was his name. kids were crying and sounded scared. Was it because of me? He hit me first though.

"Better," she accepted. I lifted my leg for her to dry off, stepping out of the tub when she was done. "Would you like to talk about it?" she asked while finishing drying me off.

I thought about it, she already knows what happened and hasn't talked to me differently so it's probably safe. "Kids were being stupider than normal."

"-More stupid." Roro corrected.

"-They were being mean, and called me names, and said they were better than me. Then one hit me, so I hit back." I finished.

Handing me a new dress -I could tell from the material- Roro responded, "You also bit off his ear, scratched his eye out, and injured three more children." She helped me get the dress over my head. "Gigi-kun will never see out of his right eye again."

I wish I could turn off my ears right now. I don't want to listen to Roro get on to me. "Why?" she questioned. I didn't answer, even as she kneeled to my level squeezed my shoulders. "Why Toph?"

I mumbled incoherently.

"Toph, do not mumble," she sternly ordered.

I broke. "Cause he deserved it!" I screamed, starting to tear up again, the fact it was in front of Roro made it even worse. "They were being stupid, and mean, and then he hit me and I didn't like that so I didn't want him to hit me again. And now Rina is acting weird and mad at me and I don't understand why!" I was breathing hard, sniffling like a baby. Roro said not to do that too so now she going to be even more disappointed.

"Toph," Roro tried to get my attention. I didn't listen, trying not to cry. I'm angry at the situation, angry at myself, angry because I don't understand what I did wrong.

"Toph!" she tried again, louder.

When I still didn't respond she lightly squeezed and shook my shoulders, "Toph!" I stopped, Roro never raised her voice that much at me. She gently pulled me into a hug.

"You did good." She whispered softly into my ear.

I could feel my eyebrows raise, 'What?'

She pulled away. "That boy insulted you, attacked you, and you responded with the appropriate amount of force to ensure he never will again. You made him an example Toph. Now nobody in this building will be mean to you again." She stood up.

I was still confused, "What about them all being scared of me? Rina-chan couldn't get away fast enough. I sent him to the hospital, I'm only four." I repeated what Rina said.

"And?" Roro inquired. "Toph, you're small, and at a disadvantage. If being scary helps? Be scary. Be mean. Don't let any who harm you get away with it. Do you understand?" I nodded. "And what does your age have to do with anything? Do you care what they think, Toph? You don't even know most of their names. They're just sounds to you correct?"

"Yea.." Kids' voices all sound the same, except for the few that I actually like. I can pick out their voices if I want to but it's easier to just let them fade into one. Still… what did it matter that they might be scared of me? Even if I like them, I don't like being hit or called names either, now that's not going to be a problem.

"Exactly," she took my hand in hers and started cleaning my nails, "If they're afraid, let them be afraid, they're weak. You did nothing wrong, so take comfort in the thought of everyone leaving you alone, and stop moping."

"Yeah," I agreed. Now I can play with chakra without distractions. Sure, some people are scared of me but they don't matter, it's better than them messing with me anyways. They'll finally leave me alone. I was getting more on board with the idea.

Smiling I said, "Okay Roro." I can't believe I was getting so upset, thankfully she didn't get onto me for being a baby. She helps me understand stupid people all the time, of course this wouldn't be any different. I'm not wrong.

Roro's always right after all.

That night

"Did you learn a lot today?" I asked Richi as she was getting ready for bed, having already gotten me settled.

"Yea, Dinto-san is a good teacher. She says that if I keep it up, she'll take me as an apprentice full-time." Richi sounded so happy I couldn't help but smile. Even though I knew she was getting closer to leaving.

"That's great Richi-chan!" I exclaimed, excited for her. She's taken over the repairs and patches for most of the children's clothes here and has a lot of talent for it She deserves this.

"Thanks, Toph-chan," her voice sounded warm. "Have you thought of what you want to be when you grow up," I heard her bed creak from sitting down, "You may be young but you're smart enough to think about stuff like that."

I didn't answer right away, but Richi knew that this was just me thinking before I responded. She commented about how cute I looked while "in the zone" one time, I didn't get it.

"I don't know yet," I answered carefully, "I might want to be a Kunoichi though." I never really thought about it before but why not? I always hear adults talk about how coveted shinobi are for the village, then they look at me and are mean because I'm blind, they say that I'm useless to the village. What if I'm more useful than them? Plus Gigo -pretty sure that's his name- said he and his friends were better than me cause he was training for it but he's weak. Shinobi are supposed to be strong right?

"O-oh," Richi cleared her throat, "Are you sure? Those guys die all the time you know, it's a dangerous job." Her voice sounded weird but I paid it no mind.

"Really?" I asked. "It doesn't really matter though, I'm four so I have years to decide." I absently rubbed my super-soft blanket she made me.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed suddenly, making me jump, "You can get a safe career! There are lots of things you can do even if you're blind. You like flowers right? I know a flower shop that would love to have you in a few years!"

My smile stretched even wider, this was why I liked Richi, she didn't care that I was blind and never talked to me like the others. It's nice.

Though I had to check something.

"Richi-chan, are you scared of me now? I wanted to check if she was like Rina, if I needed to add her voice to the others despite me really liking her. I hoped I didn't need to.

She paused mid-rant about how much I would love working at a flower shop and asked, "Hm, what do you mean?"

I pulled my blanket up higher, "You heard about today, right?" she said yes, "Well, Rina-chan is scared of me now, so are all the others. Are you scared too?" I spoke clearly and didn't mumble so she should be able to answer properly this time.

Richi moved was throwing her ball against the wall now, "Well are you going to bite my ear off?" I shook my head, "What about my eyes, are you ever going to go for my eyes?"

"As long as you don't attack me."

She laughed, "Then nope, I'm not scared of you," I let out the breath I was holding, "Besides Rina-chan just hadn't seen so much blood before, she was just a little freaked out is all."

"Oh." Well, that's a relief.

"Yeah, so relax. Now I'm going to sleep, make sure you don't sleep outside again, please." I gasped, I never told her I was going outside. "Don't act so shocked, you've been going out every night, you'll probably do the same tonight."

Clearly, I need to be more careful around Richi, even if her chakra's boring I'll make sure to memorize it.

Three days later

"Toshi-san, where are we going?" I asked absently, walking with my hand on the cart as usual, with the other fiddling with my ponytail. Richi said it was getting long. Now that everything on these deliveries isn't as overwhelming, and the newness has worn off, it's easier to concentrate. Usually, I'd use this time to find a new smell or sound but over the last two days I've been trying to 'exercise' my chakra by matching it to the earth's, not in strength, but at least in speed constantly. I got the idea from listening to kids talk about their exercises at the academy a week ago.

"It's a surprise," Toshi said conspiringly. I was interested but overall I was fine with waiting. We've completed all the deliveries for the day and we're in the more wealthy part of Konoha, but that's fine. I trust Toshi, Roro does too.

My chakra's gotten easier to control at least, at first I could only do it for fifteen minutes, laying down on the ground and focusing really hard, but now I can slow it down while walking easily, I can even change its 'flow' and speed it up if I want. I found though, that slowing it down and trying to keep it steady is best. I'll probably try and make it stronger tonight since it's getting easy.

I turned, making my body flush with the cart, narrowly missing the person that almost ran into me. I can barely feel people's forms now too, not just where they're at -I've always been able to do that in some capacity- but their shapes too. Like right before I pass out from trying to copy the earth but worse. By a lot.

"You okay there, Toph-chan?" Toshi fretted. He's been pretty quiet since that last delivery, "He almost got you there."

"Yes, I'm fine Toshi-san," My nose twitched. Now that I'm not focusing inward, I smell something good, it smells likemeat.

"Toshi-san, what's that smell?" I ask. Now that I'm paying attention I noticed we're not moving anymore, and that the smell is really strong.

"This is the Yakiniku Q." Toshi proudly stated. "I got permission from Roroshi to bring you here," he took my hand and pulled me into the building. Immediately, the aroma inside made my mouth water, it's so strong I could nearly taste it. I hear the sound of sizzling and chatter all around me.

"Table for two?" a pleasant-sounding woman asked.

"Yes please." Toshi politely replied. I'm lucky he was leading me by the arm otherwise I would have stood there overwhelmed by all the meat.

"Sit here please, your menus will be out shortly, would you like something to drink?" I sat with my feet dangling from the edge of the seat.

"Ah yes, two glasses of water please, and hold off on the menus, we'll both just take the special." Thank you, Toshi, menus are useless.

"We'll bring your order out right away," The woman walked off.

"So Toph-chan, what do you think?" Toshi asked, sounding smug.

I had to swallow the saliva that built up in my mouth, "Toshi-san… are we going to eat here?" Even I could hear the wonder in my own voice.

Toshi laughed, booming over the chatter in the background. "Of course!" he said still chuckling, "That's what restaurants are for."

I was still pretty amazed he's doing something so nice. "Are you paying for it? What about your cart?" I asked, I don't want anything to get stolen. That would be bad.

"Yep, and don't worry about it. There's no way anyone would steal around here," Toshi said heartily, "And if they're that good then they can have it, there's not anything worth the effort at the moment anyway."

"Amazing…" all around me I smelt food and felt chakra, some large, fast, and active like Roro's. Others were just plain. A few were really different though. Even some of the conversations I overheard were interesting. This is so cool!

"Toshi-san, what's that in front of us?" I asked referring to where I feel heat in front of me. "It's warm." I can feel the chakra doing something I've never felt before. I stuck my hand out It was like water but less slow and more sporadic like it had a mind of its own.

"That's the grill, Toph-chan," He told me, gently taking my reaching hand in his, "I wouldn't touch if I were you, the heat may feel nice but the grill itself will burn you."

Pulling my hand back I thought about it. What does a burn feel like? If the heat feels this nice, then it couldn't be that bad. Plus I want to know how the chakra feels on my skin. "I still want to touch it, Toshi-san," I said while reaching for it. Chakra has never hurt me before anyways.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya, the only way you'll learn anyways."

"Don't worry, I won't" I said absently, distracted by the chakra in front of me, what will it do once it touches skin? Will it change like water?

"Ow!" I snatched my hand back.

Toshi chuckled, "Surprised you'd never done that before, as curious as you are." I was still clutching my finger. I didn't even get too tough the source of the new chakra, it hurt before I got close!

I'm never allowed in the kitchen while food's cooking."

"Ah."

This is the day I learned chakra could hurt me, and that I should have listened to Toshi-san. I have no regrets.

Later

"Thish ish soo good!" I shouted, stuffing my mouth. Genuine tears were rolling down my face, I'd never thought food could be so tasty! Roro would get onto me for talking with my mouth full but she's not here right now. Hopefully.

"So I take it you want seconds?" Toshi-san asked. I could tell a few people were standing around the table. I think one was the guy who cooked it.

With a loud, unladylike swallow, I shouted, "Yes please!"

Later that night

I woke in my bed, my day clothes were still on.

I think… I dozed off while walking out of the meat place. Then Toshi carried me home? "Oof, what's this feeling?" I groaned, my stomach felt full.

"Hey Richi-chan, what time is it?" I asked, I got an incoherent mumble in response. 'Soo, late?' I surmised, hopping off the bed.

Stretching my arms above my head, I yawned. "Maybe I should go back to sleep…" I thought out loud. But then remembered that I was going to really mess with my chakra tonight.

Sneaking outside didn't much effort anymore, wasn't even that fun now. Just like my old game. "Ahhh, this is great," I whispered out loud while feeling the cool soil beneath my feet. Nothing beats nighttime.

Falling on my back, with a thump, I spread my arms wide and dug my fingers through the soil, and focused. My chakra is starting to vibrate pretty fast and flow quicker throughout my body on its own, but somehow it's kind of falling in sync with the earth's the more I do this.

Slowing it down to the right speed and letting it move naturally through me, I let my mind wander to when I burnt myself. Once I get into the groove it's easy to think about other things.' How many different forms of chakra are there?' I can still feel the sting of the heat with my finger. 'Can more of them hurt me?' I feel the earth pulse with energy, 'Can I hurt others?'

'Is this dangerous?'

I let those questions fade away to the back of my mind and got ready to push my chakra a little bit more, slowly making the vibrations stronger with every beat of my heart.

I noticed it was easier than before, that it felt good even, and that as I got closer to the strength and power the earth was beating with, the fuzzy critters I felt around me got a bit clearer and I could feel more.

I stopped when I felt a strain. Feeling everything in the garden, the plants, the bugs, the mouse, the snake eating the mouse -I only knew because I had grabbed each of these before, got in trouble every time- I grinned, this is nothing like when I pass out, but it's still pretty great.

I thought of all the questions I have, the ones that kind of scare me.

I found that I really don't care.

AN: Damn, 'childhood' arcs are hard. This is still fun as hell. I'm trying my best to not screw up the pacing I set for myself but I think this be over by chapter five. Then it'll get really fun.

I still got to edit the last chapter, but busy week and I wanted to get this out as soon as possible.

Toph is a child trying to piece together what she feels with chakra herself. That means she's a bit limited in her explanations atm. They'll get clearer as she gets older.

Let me know what y'all think!