Secrets of the Cloud

"I wish I could learn them all." he said sadly, while she put the food away to keep warm.  It was going to be much tastier since he helped make it, that was always true of any cook. 

He listened to her as she made what looked like a desert, and was more than happy to add water when asked.  But still, it was something that he admitted kinda depressed him.  Why couldn't the human body handle all the elements?  Why couldn't one learn to control the different styles of chakra?  Why was he limited by what he could do?

She suggested testing his weather abilities, and Arashi looked at her with a hint of confusion, until she explained what she wanted him to do.  He nodded, but then stopped.  "Wait mom.. let me get my water." he said, dashing out to the living room where his water satchel was sitting against the wall.  He remembered that until he started to master it, the nikutai was very much taxing on his body, and he needed a lot of water. 

"Hey, Arata!  I'm gonna use weather in the kitchen!" he called out to the seated boy, while he grabbed his satchel and pulled it on, dashing back into the kitchen.

"Okay, I was told to use this until I was able to handle it on my own.. and I don't have someone to judge that anymore." he said, reaching around to make sure he was able to pull the water out.  Next was the fun part.  Arashi stood in a stance and let out a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.  When he opened them, his deep blue eyes because swirls of blue and white as the kumonikutai was activated.  He did a few signs to weave his chakra and then held the last sign, as the water came from one side, and wind from another.  They met in front of the young boy as they merged together and swirled, and then shot forward, wrapping around the bowl.  As the two elements merged the blue turned white, and the bowl rotated a little as it was moved around.  Arashi tried to picture how water cooled, remembering that it was the wind carrying away the heat, and he pictured the temperature dropping. 

The outside of the bowl and its cover were almost immediately wet, and the water droplets just seemed to move around with the wind, almost as if the bowl was floating on water.  But slowly the bowl was slowly covered by condensation, giving it the obvious look of a cold drink on a warm day.    Arashi's hands also seemed to turn white, as he was weaving the chakra from his own body, as well as the water satchel. 

His eyes began to bother him again, as he started seeing a couple of tiny flashes around his peripheral vision.  He blinked again, trying to wipe it away, and finally he had to stop, letting go of his hands and the kumonikutai.  The bowl was cool to the touch, however, so if anything it was a success.  Arashi was rubbing his eyes to get rid of the ache in them.

(w/c: 530)

The kunoichi was just about to remind him to check in on Arata as he rushed out when Arashi beat her to it. She could hear him telling his brother he was going to create weather in the kitchen and right on cue, she heard soemthing clatter to the floor outside, probably whatever Arata had been playing with. It was two pairs of feet that rushed to the kitchen, Arashi running in with his water satchel and Arata in his wake, a look of excitement on his face.

"Mommy, nii-san wants to make weather,"

"He does indeed," Akihana confirmed with a bright smile before pulling her youngest aside to give the older boy a clear shot at the bowl. She hadn't cooked or down anything in the kitchen with a wind user since Echo had helped to wash and then dry her dishes but she had faith in Arashi's ability.

"Oh wow," Arata let out a whoops as the chakra mixed and merged in the air in front of his brother, forming into another element entirely before it enveloped the custard bowl. It was clear that the technique was a success, but once it was over, the blonde finally noticed Arashi rubbing at his eyes.

"Go check if the bowl is cold won't you?" she encouraged Arata who happily bounded off to feel the evidence of the magic his brother had just accomplished, and while he was off inspecting it, Akihana turned to Arashi with a concerned look on her face. "Are you alright sweetie, do you need another shot of medical ninjutsu?" She wasn't very familiar with how his bloodline limit worked, soemthing she'd have to look more into now that he was her responsibility but the blonde had a feeling this was a direct result of over exertion.

"Do you need to sit down?"

"I... I don't know." he admitted, trying to hold back the dull ache.  It was something he didn't know about at all, nor something he could honestly handle.  And it bothered him a bit, especially since he didn't know what to say to his mother.

He fluttered his eyes a few times and turned those deep blues to Akihana, the edges of his eyes showing signs of wetness that gave away what he was feeling.  While the swirling blues were fading for is normal ones, there were small little flashes in the irises for a moment, before they also vanished.

"Tired... I think.  Maybe I did too much.  I never felt something in my eyes, though.  But, I think I can handle it." he said, reaching up to rub them again.  He took another breath and turned to where Arata was with the bowl.  "Did.. did it work?" he asked, trying to shrug off any worry. 

(w/c: 156)

"Here, let me look," the young woman offered, motioning for Arashi to lean against the work station as she peered into his eyes, her golden orbs shimmering gently as they observed his own clear blue gaze. Even as she examined him, a hand lit with healing chakra hovered near his temple, taking away any pain he might be feeling though he hadn't complained. The kunoichi resolved to study the bloodline more carefully in case Arashi was developing something in relation to it. She would need to know how to properly take care of a growing Tekiatsu.

"W'll have to figure out what's causing this," she murmured under her breath as she let him go. He seemed to be all right now and she didn't want to scare the boys with possibilities that may not come to anything. So when Arashi called out to Arata to ask if it had worked, she grinned brightly.

"Of course it did, we had the best ninja on the job."

"Hey, I thought I was the best ninja!" Arata called out with a mock pout before letting out a peal of laughter. "It's okay Arashi nii-san, you can be the best ninja. But when i grow up I'll be the best one okay?"

"Well you're both going to help mommy set the table now," Akihana informed the boys, pointing to the oven with the stir fry and the bowl of custard. "Plates and glasses in the dish rack, Arashi, make sure you brother handles the cutlery properly. I'll be out in a minute with your drinks. What kind do you guys want?"

Arashi did what he was told, but struggled keeping his eyes open.. not because of Akihana, but because his eyes didn't want to cooperate.  But the relief came quickly as she relieved the ache that grew there.  She mentioned needing to see what could cause it, and the boy didn't have the answer immediately.

"I'll try to leave the scroll open... do you know how to remove a seal?  Its not like its going to leave the house." he said, trying to offer the information that she probably needed.  Luckily, she knew where to go to cheer him up.

The boy sat up to see what Arata was doing, and grinned when Akihana called him the best ninja.  He stuck his tongue out at his younger brother, but when Arata said he could be the best for now, Arashi changed his tune.

"I have a better idea, Arata and Arashi, the best ninja brothers in history!" he said, shooting his hand up in a triumphant post, as Akihana called them to get ready for dinner.  Arashi gave a fake whine, stomping twice into the kitchen before laughing and walking to the dishrack, handing the lighter stuff to Arata.. including the knives.

"Nii-chan, hold them like kunais and point them at the center." he said, helping his brother out while laying the settings around.  She asked what he wanted to drink, and Arashi only shrugged.  "I'll have what he's having." he said, pointing to Arata, as he finished the placing of the table. 

While his mother was in the kitchen, Arashi was watching Arata, realizing that the headband he wore wasn't just something his mother gave him.. it was official.  He smiled, as he climbed into his chair.

"Arata, if you want to be part of the best ninjas, we need to see what you can do.  Remember what they said jutsus are made of?  Shape manipulation and element manipulation.  And if mom has amazing talents.. and I am amazing talents.. you probably got some too." he said with a wink, hinting that he wanted to see what Arata could do some day.

That... and he loved his mother enough that every so often he would have to tease her with Arata, right?

(w/c: 372)

When Arashi confirmed he would have whatever his brother was having, Akihana nodded. "Strawberry milk for both of you then." It was one of Arata's favorite drink if not his all time favorite, and one he had gone to vast lengths to assure her he didn't like because of the yucky pink colour. His six year old pride couldn't deal with liking something made up of a colour associated with even more yucky girls. In a way, Akihana was glad that he now had Arashi to play and roughhouse with. She had never had to worry about the lack of male influence in the past year for her son but now it seems Arashi was slowly taking the spot Yaju had held in the boy's regard.

collecting the drinks and pouring them out, Akihana carried the rest of the food to the dining area, walking in on the two just in time to hear Arata say "What, mom isn't cool. She thinks cake is a battle strategy. Do you know she makes cake and gives it to all the bad guys?" All this was spoken with wide, unbelieving eyes, not necessarily impressed eyes either.

"Yes and they say thank you, because that's what you do when someone is nice to you," Akihana offered as she set the tray down. "And when they say thank you, you can say that they aren't really that bad." Arata was too young to know what went on in the interrogation units of the ANBU but he had been right, she did bring cake. Akihana always preferred to start out her sessions with kindness as opposed to scare tactics.

"Yeah right," Arata replied, rolling his eyes as he reached for his plate. "We're going to be the best ninja brother team ever!" he added, his bright smile back in place. "You'll see mom, we'll make all the bad guys go away, and save the world, and-"

"And finish your vegetables, I know you're trying to hide the peas," the blonde finished for him with a laugh, making his small face fall slightly at being found out. "Learn from your brother, if you want to grow up to be big and strong like him, you have to eat all your vegetables," she instructed, pointing to Arashi's plate.

Arashi laughed at the boy's accusation of his mother's coolness, or lack thereof, even after she went ahead and lectured him on his assumptions.  While Arata was being talked to, Arashi had started eating, not afraid to eat what he was given... like the stirfry he helped make.  

When she was finished defending her cake strategy, Arashi chimed in to help her a little.  "Arata.. I heard that one of the great ninja of the past used food in his jutsus as well.  It was said he used pastries to lull enemies in a sense of security, and then BAM!  That cake turned into the greatest weapon in a fight.  That, and the time the land of snow was covered in mountains of cakes and buried in blizzards of frosting.  They said you could eat your want from the north to the border!" he said, completely making it up but trying to help her, especially with a wink from across the table.  

When she pointed out that he was eating what Arata had hidden, Arashi gave a sheepish grin, and leaned over.  "I used to do the same thing... you get used to the yucky parts after a while." he whispered, before leaning back and continuing to eat.  "Besides," he said, between bites.  "Mom and I made this with just jutsus, the kinds that you can use against others.  Its about control.  Plus her method taught me how to use lightning... so be nice to her." he said, holding back from his real thoughts.  Like be nice to her, you never know when you're going to lose her.


The boy sighed, and instead started talking with Arata, playing with him and using competition to see who could finish first.  Finally desert came, and Arashi was more than happy to see the fruits of his labor.  He reached to the bowl and saw that it was cold.

"Whoa... I didn't know I could do that.  It's still cold!" he said, as he took some for his plate and began eating.  It tasted good, just like he knew it would, and he kept watching to see if Arata liked it as well.

After they were done, Arashi volunteered to help with the dishes, against using his water control to clean each one, and then his wind to dry it.  A couple of time he felt the aches in his eyes, but he ignored it the best he could.  They would probably be able to deal with it much, much later.  Right now, it was about home time with his adopted family.  Which was really the only reason why the boy wanted to do any kind of chores at all.

Finally, they had enough time for the small family to spend time together, which Arashi tried to fill with jokes and stories with Arata.  All the while the boy stay curled against his mother, enjoying the fact that he had someone who loved him.  He spent every night since the first one vowing that he would protect his family to the best he could, and this night was no different in the least.  

Time flies when you are having fun, and this one was no different, before he knew it, it was late, and that meant the nighttime ritual of mom saying it was bedtime.  Arashi did what he was told and helped Arata get ready, and then the two had gone into their room to sleep.  Arashi laid wide away, however, listening to the slow and steady breathing of his brother, and rubbing his eyes.  There was one more thing that he wanted to do.  

The boy every so gently crawled out of bed, and picked up the family scroll he had brought back into his room.  Slowly, he walked out to the room where Akihana seemed to still be up, and he went over to her.

"Mom, here, I think you should read it.  Even if you can't learn the jutsus, to me you are as much a Tekiatsu as anyone in my family.  and you deserve to know everything about us.  About me, I mean.  You just taught me things in ways I never expected.. if anyone can help me learn all of the clan jutsus, its you.  So, here." he said, presenting it to her and unlocking the seal.

"If you know how to break the seal so you can open it at anytime, you can use it.  I don't mind.  Alright, I'll go back to bed.  I..... I love you, mom." he said, giving her a kiss goodnight, and walking back, with a smile on his face.

"I love you, mom."

(w/c: 773)

[Exit Arashi]

After admonishing Arata slightky for not eating his vegetables, the blonde sat through the rest of the meal in relative silence, preferring to hear the boys talks instead. Arashi's hilarious accounts of a fictional ninja who won battles by baking kept his brother well entertained not just through the meal but up until bedtime, the little boy demanding more details of the cool culinary ninja. Of course when some hero in the past did it, it was cool. The correlation between his mother and coolness didn't exist for Arata at that age and she didn't really mind it.

"Alright guys, time to turn in." As expected, the remark was received with groans of displeasure all around but still the boys were ready in twenty minutes and all tucked in with Akihana wishing them sweet dreams. Once it looked like both of them were down for the night, Akihana exitted the room and headed towards her mending basket. Two little boys meant lots of buttons to be sewed on, rips to mend and socks to darn. In a while, she too would have turned in had Arashi not found her.

"Is everything alright?" The blonde was on her feet in an instant, worried that his eye condition might be acting up again. But when he explained how he wanted her to read the scrolls of his clan, the kunoichi relaxed.

"I will go through them and we'll figure this out together okay," she reassured him, giving him a firm hug. "But you need to sleep now. We can talk in the morning."

Dropping another kiss to his forehead, the blonde wished him goodnight once more. "Love you too sweetie, now please get some sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

It was a promise she had every intention of keeping.

[ Exit Akihana ]

Total Word Count: 6317

Claiming:

Lightning Element (2K)
Rising Water Slicer (2K)
Medical Ninjutsu (1K)
Jibashi (1K)
+31 stats (6.2K)

Approving Arashi