Genma looked at her with a new respect. "An assassin, huh?"

"Yeah, a useless one. Not like I can work anymore." Her good mood seemed to have passed. "You must be tired. And I am too."

Genma took the hint. "Ok. I'll be back in the morning if you want?"

"It doesn't matter." Her voice was flat and emotionless as she stared out the window into the dark night.

Genma watched her, his heart breaking for the pain she felt but he knew there was nothing he could do that he wasn't already doing for her. "Well then, it won't matter if I'm here anyway. I'll see you then." He slipped out the door leaving her to react however she wanted to but he was certain he had seen tears forming in her eyes.

Genma knocked quietly on the door to Emi's room and slid it open to peek in. He didn't want to disturb her if she was sleeping but as he slid the door open she shifted her gaze from the window to him and smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better. Much less pain. Thank you."

"Well I guess our impromptu dates will stop now. I'll have to figure out others ways to spend time with you." He smiled around the senbon pin hanging from his mouth.

"You don't have to." Her voice sounded sad. "But I'd like it if you did."

"Me too." He hoped that this crack in her armor would widen and let him in a little. "So, when did you decide to become an assassin. Or were you told you would be one?" He didn't doubt the possibility.

"I chose it. And I was good at it. But I chose it for the wrong reasons."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I chose it to impress someone with what a badass I could be. I just wanted to be close to him and have him notice me."

"And did it work?"

"Yes and no. He noticed me but for all the wrong reasons. I was just a distraction to him, he never intended to get close to me." She looked back out the window as the memories flooded back over her.

"Emi, I'm so sorry." He hated the idea that she'd been taken advantage of.

"You didn't do anything wrong. If anything you did the opposite. I practically threw myself at you and you turned me away. At first it really hurt but laying here and thinking has helped me to see that you are a better friend than he ever was to me. I was taught young that my value lay in my fighting ability and then later in my gender. You showed me otherwise."

Genma sighed. "Thank you."

"No, thank you." Tears threatened to escape her eyes as she looked at him.

Genma rose and sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand. "So will you have the surgery that Lady Tsunade offered?"

"I think I will."

"Good. We never finished our hike up the mountain so I expect you to make good on it."

She smiled up at him through the tears. "I'm looking forward to it."

So here he stood, dancing with the most beautiful redhead he'd ever laid eyes on, their bodies swaying to the beat of the song playing. They'd climbed the Hokage mountain today and she'd gasped at the beauty of the view it provided of Konoha.

He smiled down at her, letting his hands rest on her waist. She in turn shifted her hands from his shoulders to his waist and pulled herself close to him. As she did so she tipped her head up and let her lips meet his in a tentative kiss. This kiss was so different from the first one she had offered him, it held promise and confidence. He returned it, gently and carefully. He knew she still had a lot of healing to do but he was glad for the invitation to walk with her through it.

AN: so that's it. I know, it leaves it hanging but the story was really about Emi and not the romance between her and Genma. Although a romance with him would be amazing...in my opinion anyway. LOL. Perhaps I'll write a part two but I don't know. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for reading my work!

Love,

The Lady