Ch.1 – Returning Home

Emmy Chou jogged to the main gate to Konoha village with her backpack resting on her shoulders as she grinned when Kotetsu and Izumo stopped her, "I know, I know...The name's Chou Emmy and I'm returning from a trip," she said with a grin, making a peace sign to them. She was glad to be back home after what felt like so much longer. Emmy watched as her best friend, Yuko, walk to the main gates to retrieve some paperwork for Tsunade from the pair. As the older female arrived, she saw a girl that she knew all too well. "Emmy," she asked with a friendly smile.

"Hey there, Yuko," Emmy nodded over to her friend with a small smile as she pulled her long brown hair free of the ponytail. Emmy was slightly surprised when Yuko hugged her and asked how the trip was, looking down at Emmy since she was a tad shorter than the older female. The younger girl returned the hug and gave a light shrug, saying that it was alright and asked where her parents were as she looked around for them.

"Tsunade-sama is at her office as always and Jiraiya is at the club," Yuko gave a reply and slowly pulled away from the hug. Emmy nodded, "Alright, tell father that I need to talk to him when he's not busy," she stated with a smile and vanished to the office, knocking on the door. Hearing mother's greeting, Emmy walked in with a large grin as she saw the blonde woman look up from the paperwork and shut the door. "Good to see you again, mother," Tsunade smiled as she watched her daughter enter the room, "Emmy, you're back. How was your trip," she asked with maternal concern. "It was ok, I got a few things from the trip," Emmy gave an answer as she pulled out a coin necklace from her pocket and handed it to her mother. "It's for good luck since you need luck on your gambling," Emmy said with a teasing grin and giggled as she saw Tsunade's eye twitch a little after she thanked her for the present, saying that it was pretty.

"True, true. Have you talked to your father yet," Tsunade asked to change the subject as she crossed her hands together. "Not yet, I plan on stopping to visit him after this. Have a good day, mother," Emmy gave Tsunade a quick hug with the affection returned before she vanished to the dance club. Tsunade gave a thought that it wasn't "healthy" for her daughter to be in Jiraiya's club.

Emmy fixed her gaze into the glass and saw that she still looked fine in her fishnet undershirt, green floral shirt with off the shoulder sleeves, red leggings and typical ninja shoes before she walked into her father's latest dance club. She fidgeted her top into place and saw Hokata, he managed the bar. "Ah, Emmy-chan, you're back. Looking for your father," the man asked with the familiar politeness. It still astounded her that her father was friends with such a friendly man as she answered, "Yeah, nice to see you too, Hokata-san," she smiled up at him and then looked around the latest dance club. "He's in the back, making the last adjustments to next week's show," Emmy thanked him and walked into the back room. "Hey father, I just got back," she stated with a happy lilt in her voice.

Jiraiya looked up from some paperwork and looked over at Emmy as he heard her, "Emmy! How's my dear daughter doing," Emmy giggled when she heard his voice raise a few octaves, "I'm alright, you seem exuberant as usual." "Well, of course! Why wouldn't I be," Jiraiya asked with a chuckle and continued his question, "Can your father have a hug?"

"Always, father," Emmy answered and hugged her father tight, glad that he hadn't changed and hugged her back. "Do you know where Yuko is? I need her to try a costume for this weekend's show," Jiraiya inquired to his daughter. Emmy shook her head and responded with that Yuko was delivering some papers and that she'll tell her friend if she was seen. Then, to a normal parent's dismay...

Emmy looked away with her face a bright red color and asked to join the club. Jiraiya blinked and looked at his young daughter with a raised eyebrow, "May I ask why?" Emmy gave her reasons to have more exercise and him or Yuko can watch over her better when free from missions. Jiraiya agreed and smiled at Emmy as he said that she can help in the bar. Emmy crossed her arms over her average bust and also arched her brow, "I'm only 15. Mother will skin you if she sees me behind the bar." Jiraiya accepted his daughter's debate and pointed his pen at her as he said that Tsunade would kill him if she knew their daughter was a dancer. Emmy wasn't through with the mild argument and felt a sweat drop form behind her head as she continued, "She raised me to uphold the laws and that means to not be behind the bar until I'm 20."

Jiraiya pursued his case and said that dancers had to be 18 or older, then compromised with Emmy serving drinks to the customers without working in the bar. Emmy gave a little growl and also pursued her side, "Father, it's not like the dancers take their clothes off and, yes, I'm still arguing." Jiraiya gave a weary sigh and stated that he knew the dancers didn't strip, but they wore very little. Emmy debated with that she's seen younger girls than herself struggle to live when she was traveling with a sadness in her blue eyes as she shook her head.

Jiraiya pointed out that his daughter didn't have to do so and that she was only fifteen years old and that Tsunade would skin and then kill him if she knew Emmy was a dancer. Emmy gave a sigh of defeat, "Fine, when do I start," "You can start on Saturday, then you can go here with Yuko," Jiraiya thought out as he tapped his pen to his chin.

Emmy agreed and walked to the door, looking back at her father, "If anyone decides to touch me or do any filthy offers, I will be showing my strength." Jiraiya barely bit back a smile and chuckled and said he wouldn't expect anything different and went back to his work for the show.

Emmy walked the distance over to the training grounds and set her bag down on the grass when she saw Sasuke, "Eh, what are you doing here," she asked him with slight confusion. Sasuke looked at her with one midnight black eyebrow raised and gave an answer that he had heard she was back and he wanted to see her. Sasuke's answer had made Emmy blink in confusion, "Normally you don't care what I've been doing." He gave a shrug and gave a rhetorical question about acting, taking a step towards her.

Emmy held her bag in front of her, trying to get her weapons without delay, "Why are you really here, Sasuke," suspicion laced her voice as she pulled that question out of her mouth. Sasuke then got more arrogant, "I already said that, Emmy, I'm here to see you. And just drop it, I'm faster than you, you won't be able to hit me with your weapon," She had flashed behind him and hit at his back with her open palm and then back flipped away from him for a good measure of distance.

She was shocked as she saw the tell-tale signs of smoke, it had been a clone. She barely stifled a gasp when the real Sasuke appeared behind her and chuckled, "I'm not that easy, Emmy." Emmy swung a high kick at his shoulder with a punch. Sasuke easily dodged said attack and grabbed her wrist, then her other hand and pinned Emmy against a tree, "Why are you so hostile?" Emmy was angered by his dumb question, struggling against him as she felt her heart work overtime, "Why the hell would you care?!," and she tried to knee her leg against his valued Uchiha assets, she didn't want to be around him.

Emmy actually swallowed back her fear as Sasuke moved his head closer to her, his black gaze almost searing her to the spot, "I just do," he whispered in that enigmatic voice of his. Thank whomever when Yuko appeared, crossing her arms with an arched brow as she wondered aloud what was happening. Emmy used her chakra to help her push the tall male away from her and she ran with her bag in hand.

Yuko yelled for her friend and ran after Emmy, watching as she fell to her knees. Emmy had slumped onto her legs, trying to catch her breath. She looked up to see that she was in front of the Uchiha compound which made another appearance of a sweat drop when she really wanted to yell, "You've gotta be kidding me." Yuko caught up with her, standing next to her as she asked Emmy what had happened at the training grounds. Emmy had no idea how to tell her friend that the one and only Sasuke Uchiha had come back to Konoha village for her. Yuko gave a sigh and commented that Emmy looked as if she didn't like it at all. "I didn't like it at all, but...Why am I crying and blushing at the same time," Emmy whispered loud enough for Yuko to hear as the brunette placed a hand on her heated cheek.

Yuko was kind enough to help Emmy up from the ground, "Maybe seeing Sasuke after all these years ticked something in you," The beautiful pink-haired shinobi had suggested out loud. Emmy had piped quiet as she heard someone tall walk closer to them. Yuko had looked back as she felt someone's chakra and Sasuke stepped from the darkness. Emmy and her were in front of the Uchiha residence after all, so it wasn't weird that he would show up here.

Emmy felt another low growl escape her throat and looked in a different direction from the male. Yuko tried to guide Emmy out of the scene before Sasuke started talking again, but it didn't work. "I'll be fine, I need to pick up some food anyway," Emmy had said as she gently pushed Yuko off. Her friend gave a nod and looked at Emmy as she walked away, giving a silent sigh and teleported to the training grounds.