Maku's water element training

Maku set out in the evening to the waterfalls of Takigakure.  Maku had been studying and it had occurred to him that a second elemental affinity would be of great assistance.  Packing up his provisions in the morning, Maku planned to spend several days out at the waterfalls near the water.  Maku had long felt that his second element would be water.  His laid back attitude fit nicely with slow gently  waves, and his passion to become stronger fit with the crashing waterfalls of his village.  Intent to learn the ability to get the water element by his side, he knew it would be a lot of work.  For a genin to have two elements, it was a fairly rare thing.  However, Maku was certain that he could figure it out given time, and plenty of effort.
 
                At the water fall Maku practiced much the same way he did when he was a student wanting to gain control of earth.   By holding water in his hand Maku would infuse chakra around and attempt to make it move. Being proud of his chakra controlling abilities, Maku was disappointed when nothing happened during many of the first attempts.  Having not failed at a jutsu in some time it was odd to him to fail.  Maku pulled put a cup and filled it with the clear water rushing down from the waterfall.  Pushing his chakra into the cup, and trying to focus the water into doing something.  Not working Maku decided to try a different approach.
 
                Instead of just focusing his chakra, through something, Maku decided to go to the source.  By wading into the water and submerging himself, Maku attempted to push the water that way.  He thought he could feel it move slightly but wasn’t sure if that was his abilities or simply the current.  Maku knew that he didn’t need to move the water but manipulate it.  This would be a trick, making water clones or anything was out of the question for now, but it would come now that Maku had set his mind to it.  Maku had heard of the water prison jutsu, and was familiar with how it worked, and this was his basis for his training.  Using the spike jutsu Maku had a spike of earth grow from the ground out to him in the water.  Snapping off the end he held the fragment in his hand.  Now with one had he held the rock and with the other, he attempted to manipulate the water around it.  Over the course of 30 minutes Maku was just able to get the water to get the rock wet but nothing more. 
               
                Maku attempted to saturate his skin in chakra, and in this way have water cover his whole body.  Attempting to make the water stick to him and form a sort of outer skin.  It was in this way that Maku would try to infuse some of his chakra with water, thus speeding up his affinity for water.  Maku wasn’t sure if it would work, but to him the logic seemed pretty sound.  Attempting to hold the water to his body was more of a workout than he could have imagined.  After time, Maku worked on holding the water to him with nothing but his chakra and then walking out of the lake he was in.  The further he walked away the faster the water dripped off of him.  Trying to hold the water, Maku would then perform stretches and exercises while holding on the water.  In time Maku could do a couple lunges while keeping all the water on him.  A snail’s pace was the description he would use for his training.  Most of the time Maku was confident that a week or less would be enough to gain his abilities.  However this time, Maku wasn’t sure he’d be able to master this one. 
 
                After this skill, Maku went back to trying to encase the rock in water.  Even after using all the water he still barely got it wet and covered.  Because of his lack of success Maku went back to the village.  He had planned on spending several days out but after all the failure; he just didn’t feel up to staying out.  Maku was normally very persistent, but being alone so much made him tired, and weary.  When he got home, Maku set out to sell his house.  This was actually a pretty easy deal because he didn’t care for the low price.  Opting for an apartment on the edge of town, with the money from the house he had rent paid up for awhile.  Using his new apartment, Maku was able to easily go into the safe zone of the jungle to train, and come and go as needed.  Maku returned to the pond that he had trained at previously and tried to work out his water jutsu.  The beginning was much the same.  A lack of results, filled with frustration.  Going back to covering himself with water, Maku simply chose to meditate covered in the water that he soaked in his chakra.  Once again Maku had no idea if it would help, but he was sure it couldn’t hurt, and getting his chakra wet would have to help. 
 
                Even after all this though none of it seemed to help him out.  It was getting to the point that Maku was concerned he wouldn’t be able to even learn how to use the water element.  Though his ability to at least get the rock a little wet, kept him from giving up for sure.  Persistence  was key, was his motto for this training.  On and on it went, boring as hell.  But in time things picked up.  Maku could almost get a bubble of water formed around the rock, and he could hold the water slightly longer than yesterday.  This was what he had to look forward to.  Maybe little by little this would get things done.  Meditating with water all around him, he could now push the water away from his body about a foot away.  Of course this wasn’t in anyway a damage and wasn’t even effective at watering plants but it was something after all. 
 
                Heading back home, Maku couldn’t help but still felt disappointed.  At home Maku would still focus on water, moving it in cups holding it with chakra.  Overtime Maku thought in time things would fall into place.  Even if it took a month or two he would figure out how to use water.  Maku wasn’t even sure why he wanted to use water element, it just felt right being from the waterfall country.  Perhaps he could create a salt water jutsu using earth to get the salt and water to make a potent combination.  With the salt water he could use a smell style genjutsu, or a corrosion technique form the high salt levels.  The possibilities were there, but not until he could get water mastered.  Maku couldn’t help but think on how people born into powerful ninja clans had it so easy.  They simply had to be to get elemental power, while Maku had to work hard and suffer through failures to get there.  But perhaps this would make him more powerful in time.
                Maku continued over the next week or two to get the water element to work for him.  However this did not seem to work.  He had only made slight progress.  Traveling was more and more on his mind at this time.  Maybe by traveling he would have better oppurtunities.  There was a chunin from Yukigakure in the village, and he was interested in perhaps meeting her.  Maybe he could travel with her if they got on alright.  Snapping out of all his day dreaming Maku attempted to do one last training exercise.
                With a mouthful of water, he would attempt to spit the water across the room, a good 10 feet.  Inufsing chakra in his mouth he hoped to give it the added power.  To his surprise it worked, he even managed to scratch the paint some.  Though now he had more work to do, it was pleasing to see the fruits of his labor.  Though he knee a great deal of training was still required, it was his first step in the right direction with concrete proof.  Maku now knew he had to continue his work on the water style, and perhaps meet some people.  This is how he would grow, and this is how he would spread the name of Takigakure.
 
(Word count = 1422, 7 stat points, 14jp, 1422/4000 words towards getting the water element.)

Approved unless another staff member sees something.