The Plan (12)

"No?" Yamamoto asks, his brows furrowed in confusion as he tries to confirm what he just heard from Akiko. He couldn't believe that she would turn down his offer so easily.

"Yes, Yamamoto-san. I said no," Akiko repeats firmly, her voice unwavering. She was determined to stand her ground and not be swayed by Yamamoto's charisma. "But not forever."

Yamamoto's brows furrowed at her addition. "Yet? What do you mean by yet?"

Akiko's resolve seeps through her eyes as she meets Yamamoto's gaze. "I still want to take the test you gave me," she declares. Despite the destroyed forest around them, she remains focused on her goal. "It's the perfect opportunity to showcase my strength and prove that I am ready to become a ninja. If I can't even pass a simple test, then I am not fit for the job. And certainly not fit to be your disciple, Yamamoto-san."

Yamamoto couldn't believe what he was hearing. This girl in front of him was just an ordinary civilian, yet she possessed the determination and resilience of a 16-year-old ninja. He couldn't help but feel proud of her. As he looked at her, her image merged with that of his own son, who he had always admired for his stubbornness and strong will.

"You remind me so much of my son," Yamamoto said, his lips now curved into a smile. Akiko's confusion turned into realization as she finally understood what he meant. She let out a small "ohhh" as she connected the dots.

"He was always so determined. When he set his mind to something, he never wavered. Just like you," Yamamoto continued, his words causing Akiko to be taken aback. But then, she noticed something that she had almost missed.

"Wait, are you saying I act like a boy?" Akiko exclaimed, her face scrunching up in a pout as she turned her back on Yamamoto, pretending to be a woman who had just been called fat by her boyfriend.

Yamamoto couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. He was happy to see her so lively and full of energy. He tried to stand up, but suddenly felt a dryness in his throat and noticed his body becoming more wrinkled. Steam started to come out of his sweat pores, making him realize that something was wrong.

"Ak..I..Ko, Wa..ter" Yamamoto manages to say steam coming from his mouth his tongue starting to dry up

Yamamoto's body trembled as he hit the ground, sweat pouring from his pores like a waterfall. His wrinkles deepened, evidence of the strain the jutsu had put on his body. Akiko's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Yamamoto in such a state. She quickly ran to fulfill his request for water, hoping it would help ease the effects of the jutsu.

As Yamamoto lay on the ground, he couldn't help but think about the jutsu he had used. It was a new and powerful technique, but it was still incomplete. He realized now that there were serious consequences for using it. "This is what happens when you use an unfinished jutsu," he thought to himself, his mind still still thinking about the technique he had used against the Shimura clan ninjas. Feeling his vision getting increasingly blurry, Yamamoto knew he was in danger. The side effects of the jutsu were taking a toll on his body, and he feared he may not survive. But despite the danger, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction knowing that he had come up with such a powerful jutsu in battle.

As Akiko ran towards Yamamoto, her heart was racing with fear and worry. Seeing him in such a sorry state, her tears only flowed harder. She knew she had to act fast, every second counted in this situation.

Without hesitation, she gently placed Yamamoto's head on her lap, despite his skin burning her. She knew she had to be strong for him. She quickly poured half of the water from the cup into his mouth, hoping it would help cool him down. But when she poured the rest of the water on his body, she realized it wasn't enough.

Panic started to set in for Akiko. She felt helpless and didn't know what to do. Tears continued to stream down her face as she berated herself for not being able to save him.

useless!!

Why can't you help him when he needs it.

he is going to die at this rate.

But then, a spark of an idea came to her mind. She remembered a lake nearby that could potentially help Yamamoto. She knew she had to act fast and save him.

"Dont you dare close your eyes, Yamamoto-san. I'm going to save you," Akiko said with determination as she noticed his eyes slowly closing.

Yamamoto, hearing her words, couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry, I still have a lot of years ahead of me. I'm not giving up now," he replied with a weak smile.

Akiko didn't waste any time and immediately piggybacked Yamamoto, despite his large and heavy frame causing her discomfort. She slowly made her way towards the lake, with every step causing both of them immense pain.

The sound of sizzling and burning could be heard as Yamamoto's skin continued to burn Akiko's clothes and skin. But she gritted her teeth and focused on getting him to safety.

As they got closer to the lake, Akiko's body was in serious pain. Her breathing was irregular, her skin was red from the heat, and her vision was starting to blur. But she refused to give up, not when the only person who had shown her kindness was in danger.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the lake. But the distance was still considerable, and Akiko's body was giving up on her. Her legs had already given out, and she was now crawling on her knees, leaving behind trails of blood from her injured knees.

But still, she refused to let go of Yamamoto. She knew she had to get him into the water to cool down his burning skin.

Before Akiko could feel happy her body betrays her, without any prior warnings she falls to the ground completely with Yamamoto rolling to her side, he had already passed out a moment ago, his body heat going pass what was humanly possible

"No,No,No,No,No,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO" Akiko shouts as she tries to move her body only to fail as her body won't listen to her, tears already streaming down her eyes at what was happening, memories of her time with yamamoto flashing in her mind

"Damn it, I'm the cause of all this, I should have just listened to my father, I shouldn't have escaped, I'm sorry Yamamoto-san I have failed you" Akiko says her vision starting to fade and her energy slowly sipping away

As she lay there, defeated and on the brink of giving up, she suddenly noticed three figures approaching her. However, her eyesight was failing her and she couldn't make out who they were. But in that moment, she didn't care about their identities. She couldn't afford for Yamamoto to die, whether they were friend or foe. As she struggled to stay conscious, she mustered all her strength to plead for help. Her voice was weak and barely audible, but she managed to utter the words, "Please...help him...please..." But her energy was quickly fading, and she could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. In her last moments, she heard someone say, "Looks like we made it just in time. Hurry and save the girl too." And then everything went black as she passed out, her body completely drained of any remaining energy.