The Final Test

Arashi was taken from the village to his family's secluded home.  Behind the Tekiatsu Healing Hot Springs, his clan had their personal compound, where the family perfected their abilities, and created the chakra water that was used in the springs.  It was a retreat he had been to from a young age, but hardly came back when he was older.  Now he knew why.

The retreat was a training ground for those who were allowed to learn abilities under the Tekiatsu Clan. And it was the testing grounds for young people like Arashi.  Which was exactly what he was doing.  Having just learned Wind elemental chakra, he now had to be trained in the rather dangerous art of merging the two into the Cloud release element.  It was a big undertaking, and he had to be completely prepared for it.  It was hard than one thought.

Arashi arrived across the cold, misty lodge, and knocked on the door that held his family's crest.  The hollow sounds echoed through the quiet air, and for a moment, Arashi felt more alone than he ever did, even up on the mountain.  A small breeze picked up, and then he heard the click of a lock, and the massive door swung open, showing one of his elder uncles at the door. 

"Arashi, it is about time we saw you at our door." he said, gesturing the young boy inside.  The halls were dark and completely wooden, with portraits of other members of the clan long since past.  The smell of old wood filled the air, mixed with a hint of pine.  Arashi was led to the center room, where a large dining table was already set with food.  It would seem that he arrived at dinner time.  He was brought to a seat at the table and he kneeled down to join the rest of the family.

"Arashi, it pleases the family that you have finally joined us up on the mountain.  You are the most recent in the line of our family stretching back generations, and the first and only of your generation to have reached this point.  But before you can take on the mantle of the kumonikutai, you must proved that you can take the responsibility and danger that comes from it.  Unlike other families, ours is one of the biggest risks in this ninja world.  You must prove yourself to the head of the clan, your grandfather.  He will be here in two days for your test.  Which means you have exactly one day to activate the kumonikutai and master it's affects.  Are you ready?"

Arashi sat and listened, only mildly scared.  Risky?  Dangerous?  It made a lot of sense why it was so closely restricted, but it almost sounded like they were giving him one last change to return to a normal ninja.  Arashi said nothing for a long while, and then nodded his head.

"Very well, then tomorrow, you will learn.  Tonight, however, is a meal in your honor, so eat, rest, and be ready tomorrow."

The next morning, Arashi was able to wake up on his own accord, and the sun was supposed to have risen hours ago.  Where they were, however, was cloudy and shaded, meaning that the sun would not peak over the mountains until near noon, and even then, it had to pierce the low clouds.

The young boy got up, and put on his clothes, leaving his gear inside.  He was then escorted to the interior courtyard, where members of his family stood around, ready for anything.  Arashi went to the front entrance to the courtyard, but was stopped before he could step into it.

"Arashi.  Your headband." his Uncle asked for, holding out his hand.  Arashi took it off, but looked back at his family.  "Why?"

"Because, before you can truly be a kumonin of the Tekiatsu clan, you need to prove yourself.  Once you are done, you will earn this back." he said, taking the headband.  Arashi nodded and talked out to the courtyard.

There stood his great uncle, another uncle, and a distant aunt, all wearing headbands that bore not the cloud symbol, but the clan symbol.  It was his great uncle who spoke.

"Arashi Tekiatsu, youngest of the Tekiatsu line.  You have achieved ninja status in the Cloud village, and you have proven the ability to wield chakra of wind and water.  In your blood flows the secret to the kumonikutai, the cloud being blood limit.  We are of the clouds.  We are more of kumo ninjas than the Raikage himself, however we are only of the cloud, we are not the cloud itself.  Heed this difference.  We will never go against the cloud village.  We may lead it, we may guide it, but our loyalty is to the village.  The kumonikutai is unlocked with the Cloud release.  The cloud release is formed from two elements.  Wind."

His younger uncle did a few signs and summoned his chakra, circulating and creating currently around him.  He then summoned his chakra and sent it out to the center, until a ball of air swirled between him and his aunt.  His uncle, a step back from it, continued on.

"and Water."

Now his aunt went into action summoning water from a nearby water source, and sending it to the middle ball.  As the two collided, they became turbulent for a moment before turning white, and then into swirling clouds.

"We turn out bodies into this, the cloud.  With it, we can diverge into healing, black ops, or intelligence.  But each one of us had to start from where you are.  Arashi.  Step forward, and summon your primary chakra."

Arashi did so, remembering what he did with Kaos, and summoned his chakra into swirling water, causing streaks of water to coil around him.  He opened his eyes to see the water swirling around, and his uncle smiling. 

"Very good, now without losing the water, summon your wind."

Arashi nodded, and did so, causing an obvious conflict around him as water and wind fought for supremacy.  Arashi could barely hear his uncle as he used his strength to hold both.

"Now, condense them!  Merge them together!"

Arashi closed his eyes, and tried to force the two elements together.  Slowly they closed on each other, the ball of chakra he had shrinking, but it wasn't in balance.  He stomach started to churn and he was wracked with pain, and finally he collapsed, causing the two chakra to burst out, sending mist around the family.  Arashi was on the ground, and already his distant aunt was there checking his body.  His great uncle, however, was not as concerned.

"This is to be expected.  We must have a higher amount of chakra, and what we are doing are forcing two elements into each other and finally into ourselves.  When your aunt says you are good, stand up and try again."

For the next couple of hours, Arashi got closer and closer, bringing the chakra into him as much as he could before it was too much and it exploded back out.  He was getting better each time, and slowly even the pain was subsiding as he was overcoming the conflict between the two elements in his body.  As the day started to wane, Arashi was once again in the courtyard, the first time his great uncle came out since this morning, as Arashi seemed to be ready.

"Very well... begin."

Arashi nodded, and brought his hands together, calling up first the water, and then quickly the wind, to the stunned looks of his family.  They were turbulent immediately but they were being noticeably forced into each other.  As his great uncle took a step forward, the ball of chakra shrank, lower and lower, as it went inside the young boy.  Farther and farther, as his uncle came closer, until the ball of chakra was completely white and only swirled around his chest. 

"Bring it in, and when you feel it, release!" he said, and Arashi did just that, shrinking it to the center of his being and feeling the change inside.  He opened his eyes and they had turned deep sky blue, with swirling clouds in the irises.  His skin rippled from his head down his arms and legs as his new chakra pushed into every cell.  This was it, this is what he needed.

"Release!" he shouted, as he literally exploded into mist and cloud, leaving no physical form there.  He stood suspended in the air for a minute, and forced himself back together, feeling himself after it happened. 

"Very good, you will master it in time, but you are ready for the final test." he great uncle said, bringing him in for food and rest.

The next day was the more important for Arashi.  He had a few hours to train one final time before his grandfather showed up.  And he used that time to perfect his new element, and his new ability to shift. 

When his grandfather was ready, seated with his own parents, Arashi was brought in to face them, he walked to the center and got down on his knee and bowed.

"Arashi.  You come before us to prove yourself a wielder of the kumonikutai, and ask for the right to be a Tekiatsu Kumonin.  Do you understand what it is that we wield?"

Arashi nodded.  "We wield the very clouds that shroud and protect this village.  In doing so, we are the ones that shroud and protect our village.

"Very good, and do you understand the dangers of our strength?"

"As the clouds in the sky, we can form and disperse, but the longer we hold our suspended form, the more we lose of ourselves and the harder it is to come back."

"Are you prepared to take that risk."

Arashi looked up.  "Yes sir, I am."

"Are you ready to join your family in the protection of Kumogakure?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then Arashi, my grandson.  Show me your nikutai!"

Arashi brought his hands together in the sign of the serpent, and felt his chakra swirl around him, slowly at first, and then faster.  He closed his eyes and then shot them open, showing the telltale blue eyes.  He held himself together, waiting for his grandfather.

"Now, Arashi, dissipate!"

Arashi began to disperse into the air around him, slowly from the head down.  When his feet vanished, his grandfather called out.

"Form!"

Arashi reformed himself, a little faster than before, and when he was done, he was shaking a little.

"Congraduations, my grandson.  You have earned the right to learn and master your heritage, the kumonikutai."  I am very proud of you, my grandson. You may now once again don your mark of the village."

The boy was breathing heavily, but smiling, as his parents came in with a hug and the family joined in with a celebration.  The youngest cloud user, and unfortunately for the family, the only one of his generation who was able to use it.  He still had a lot to live up to, but for now, Arashi was finally on the road to becoming the ninja he wanted to be.

(w/c: 1863)
(Claiming: Cloud Release, Kumonikutai Level 1, +9 stats)

Wow.. you were fast, I wasn't finished XD

And thanks, I updated it.