Of Blood And Sand

Written by: BloodySandGirl

Disclaimer: BloodySandGirl doesn't own Naruto. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto; all BloodySandGirl owns is Akane Tsukino and her family.

Aika Sakurano belongs to Ori Heartlyng/L. Eve respectively and BloodySandGirl has permission to use said character for Of Blood and Sand…~

Thanks: Thanks to DarkDust27, and wolfzero7 for the fav. Much love guys :)

Thanks to Ebony Sword, MisterioSaky and pantiesahoy for following! Much love to you all as well :)

Writer's Note: Whew, this one is a long one guys and I promise you'll see Gaara soon, along with some others of course. This is a lot of background on our girl Akane, so bare with please because it will explain her view point later down the road. :)

First Edit : Edit: Spelling fixes mostly, and some Grammar.

Playlist: Icona Pop - I love it ; Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

Chapter Two: Incoming Tsukino, Akane!

You would think growing up in a strange new world would be difficult, especially given that I had been an adult before this. Hell, I expected it myself based on the whole language barrier that was quite obvious even at birth. However it was much easier than I expected, although I am going to skip explaining to you all about being a baby and such. Talk about boring plus honestly I would rather forget the whole diaper phase and such because it was really just gross when you think about it. I grew up with my father, mother and elder sister all of whom doted on me quite a bit I'll admit. Ami my elder sister always made sure she had time for me even if I was several years younger, and I'll admit it was nice.

Mainly because I wasn't the eldest in this new life, even if I was weirdly now Japanese. My father and mother turned out to be wonderful people to, although just the fact that they were together made me very happy. The oddity of unusual hair made me a bit nervous as I grew up because I realized I wasn't in the same world anymore. Men did not have hair so pale a blonde it was almost white. Not naturally and my father wasn't the sort to get a dye job although I'm not even sure such a thing exists in this world. Plus his eyes were red, I'm talking a unnatural fresh spilled blood red and trust me I know what that looks like quite well.

It did not help my mother had dark pink hair, and I can verify all natural unless the carpet had been dyed too if you catch my drift. Her eyes were normal though a beautiful crystal blue much like my younger sister Aika, who was born a little over a year after I had been. Although Aika's eyes were a darker blue than our mothers, more of a sea blue. Ami was five years my elder who sported a shaggy pale pink mop, although her eyes were a vivid mix of both our parents making a beautiful violet shade I loved.

However, I learned to be happy as I suppose only a child could. It hadn't taken me long to understand that I was in a world of ninja, and not much longer to realize the world that Uzumaki Naruto was a part of. That fact alone made me set my course in this world, I would become a ninja or to be more precise a kunoichi. I was determined I would not be some victim of a shinobi war, or die because of the bastards who were 'villains' in this world. Orochimaru, Madara none of them would be my death if I could help it because I was determined to live this time even if it would be hard. I wasn't scared of pain or even a little hard work although I suppose that would be understating the situation. It would require a lot of hard work, I knew that but after dying once I guess I just simply couldn't muster any fear.

That is not to say I wasn't afraid, everyone has fears. I'll keep mine to myself for now at least though thank you very much.

I grew up in Taiyougakure, which was okay I guess and my house was obviously one of the larger ones even from my earliest memories in this life. My parents never really fought, my mother was a submissive you could say or well at least she was towards my father. That meant his word was always law in my home, which I didn't particularly like because that included even me. My initial world was very small or so it seemed until I learned to walk, and shortly afterwards talk somewhat articulately. It frustrated me to no end that speaking was a rather difficult hurdle, hell walking was too. I can admit I got frustrated a lot in those first few years, although my family seemed happy that I learned 'quickly'.

It wasn't nearly quick enough for me though, because being a child well let's just say it may be easy but there are a lot of rules. I knew though, that I would be labeled crazy or something if I said I was from another world and actually much older than they knew me to be. So I just kept my knowledge to myself, although I doubted my parents would have let anything bad happen to me. They were rather overprotective in that manner.

I can say while it was difficult it did give me time to read, something which I had always enjoyed. So I read everything I could get my hands on, or asked someone to read to me if it was too difficult. Several things I was interested in reading were difficult at first. Learning to read and write was by far my most difficult hurdle in those first years, I guess that was because it had been so natural before this world. However, as I grew I scraped every ounce of knowledge I could safely gather into my mind from every source I could. I did this because my father said I was too young to train as a ninja and so we compromised. I could tell at times my family worried, I was very much like an adult in a child's body but it was just said I was very much like my father.

So the years went by as I learned and adapted to my new life becoming a part of a new family.

~Time Skip~

"Kaa-san! I hate kimono's!" I was five years old today, and my mother just loved dressing me up almost constantly while I hated it. Even before this I had not been very inclined towards girly things and now I was even more so against them. My dream of sorts was to be just like my Oto-san who was one of our village's best ninja, the fact of my oft said words always made my mother seem to get clingy. I really hated when that happened, although my father promised he would start training me abet slowly when I was to turn five. The fact that today was the day I could start made me very excited although I was also really nervous for my father was known for being ruthless on students. Honestly I was already doing my best to learn from him and my elder sister as best I could by watching them when they spared.

"Akane! Stop, you are a beautiful young lady and you shall act as such." My mother rarely raised her voice above the soft tones 'a lady' was to use. My mother had been born in a noble home in Tsukigakure and being raised as a lady seemed determined at least one of her daughters would also be done so. My elder sister Ami was a genin now although she was taking the chunin exams at three weeks time although our village's methods of such were different than most.

I shook my white-blonde hair from my face in agitation, "Tsukino Akane!" I winced at my father's tone as I sheepishly ducked my head. I'd not expected him for a bit yet, and had been hoping my fit throwing would like usual get my mother to back off. No such luck though apparently.

"H-hai Oto-San?" I hated how he could make me unsure, and uneasy with just his tone of voice. It wasn't that he was abusive or anything, far from it really. Maybe it was my past, a past best forgotten that caused such unintentional quirks.

"Quit being difficult for your Kaa-San..." He paused here as he shook his head at me his own hair dancing about his face. I shifted nervously under his stare as he stopped before me and dropped into a crouch, I had come to love my family but my father had a special place in my heart. "Understood Akane?" I locked gazes with the large man before me who I knew would never cause undo harm to me, the man I favored in looks so much.

"Hai Oto-San..." I grumbled unhappily, I really did hate being dressed up all the time like some doll.

"Akane...just allow your mother to dress you. It is her wish, and you will not argue it." I just nodded as I inwardly seethed, I really hated being a child at times like this.

We had the same white-blonde hair, red eye's but everyone tended to call me Tsuskino Hiyashi's carbon copy. However where my father was a dusky tanned man in tone, I was considered as pale as snow even more so than my mother.

Like my father I was stoic, which had worried my mother a great deal when I was still a baby. I'd rarely cried or came off as child 'She does not play or run around like other children Hiyashi...' my mother's uneasy words rung through my head. I hid a small smile as my father tucked my small hand in his large one and I mused to myself at the hardness of his palm against mine. My father was an accomplished warrior, and my hope was to one day be even half as good as he was. I may have been a young adult before my re-birth but I felt like my father was invincible and to me he was a hero.

Unlike my father however I had a rather nasty temper that often left my mother exasperated and caused him no small amount of amusement. He seemed to think my temper was cute, which usually just made me angrier because I hated being looked at as cute. I was to be a kunoichi and that meant I was not cute by any means. However I couldn't really get very mad because his reactions usually ended in him scooping me up to cuddle me even as I got a playful scolding.

In fact lost in my thoughts I was suddenly airborne and couldn't help but squeak which only caused my father to chuckle. "Your so cute Akane~" My father's teasing tone only made me narrow my eyes at him as I smacked a fist onto his head before crossing my arms over my chest. After doing so I turned my head away from him with a loud 'humph'.

"Not cute." I mumbled which of course made him laugh as he started tickling me making me laugh wildly as I tried to wiggle away from him. Part of me, the old part that was Anna, was nervous he would drop me but the part knew he never would. After several moments he relented letting me breath even as I glared at him nearly pouting at the grin on his tanned face.

"Not."

"Yes...yes you are." I huffed at his words before I smiled, I never won these arguments, and kissed his cheek. His deep chuckle vibrated against my stomach as I tossed my small arms around his neck hugging him to me our faces smashed together.

"Agree to disagree?" I said softly making him laugh again as he hugged me back one big hand enveloping the back of my head.

"For now Akane..." His voice had a amused tone to it and I giggled as I ruffled his hair only to make a sound of complaint when he did the same.

" Hiyashi, we had best go soon." My mother's soft tone came and I glanced at her to realize she had changed cloths. "Ami will be waiting for us with her team...and Sensei."

"Nee-Chan's team is there too!" I wiggled with excitement, I loved her teammates. Probably didn't hurt that they spoiled the hell out of me but eh, who am I to complain?

"Yes, calm yours-"

"Haruka, let her have fun it is her birthday..." My father interrupted my mother and while I could tell she did not like it she said nothing. A moment or two passed before she sighed softly and nodded as my father sat me down. She fussed at my cloths for several moments making sure my kimono sat just so and I huffed softly wanting to already be on my way.

"There." After what seemed forever she finally stepped back holding out a hand to me seeming satisfied with my appearance now. I took her hand holding my other out to my father who winked at me before his hand enveloped my own again. I walked between them swinging their arms when we got to the streets of Taiyougakure.

Taiyougakure was a peaceful place now, with the third shinobi war a few years in the past now. A place I could admit was beautiful, and carefree at least on the surface of things. However if you knew where to look you could see Taiyou kunoichi and shinobi around the village at almost all times of the day protecting their home. Due to my tagging along with father and Ami I knew several of them well enough I was comfortable asking questions about all sorts of things. My father seemed to find this amusing and after awhile the nin had loosened up their unease enough to answer some of my questions. Well I suppose father or Ami had explained that I wished to be a ninja myself, so they answered the questions that were innocent enough. My more serious inquiries were hardly ever answered, I think mainly due to the safety of our villages higher ups.

However I suspected some questions were simply because they believed me too young or because I wasn't even in the academy yet was the answer. I can't say for sure of course but I wasn't exactly stupid even if I was stuck in the body of a child I had been a young adult. I still had that same mind more than enough to be curious about the world around me, and its inhabitants.

It didn't take us long to arrive at the small but well known tea house I had come to love, which I suppose is why my parents took me here for my birthday. Even my mother had been amused by my love of tea, as the first time I had tried it I had apparently 'lit up'. I suppose you could say that was an unusual thing mainly because I never had been a very emotional person. I hadn't seen any reason to change or act different than I was because I'd always been a horrible liar, so I didn't even try. There also wasn't any point to me, I was who I was and I couldn't see myself successfully acting different.

The tea shop was owned by a older couple Fukimori Iro and his wife Suri who doted on me as if I was their grandchild. They had a daughter and son although their son had died in the war, but Yuki worked here with them although she was unwed having also lost her husband. They had no grandchildren of their own as Yuki said she wasn't going to ever remarry and I rather enjoyed the attention. Yuki and my mother had gotten close when they had both been newlywed so the Fukimori's were a extended family of sorts. The shop was quaint enough in a very homey sort of way with its numerous sized tables, warm lighting and neutral tones I had come to love it. My mother had encouraged me to call them Obaa-san and Ojii-san which had surprised me at first.

As my parents lead me to our table I saw Ami and tugged my hands from theirs as she stood grinning crookedly at me. "Ah, Akane~" Her voice was in a sing song tone that made me stick out my tongue at her, my action made her laugh softly. "Hey! No need to be rude brat" Although her tone was harsh sounding I knew she was again playing, and my birthday was one of the few days I played back. Ami was a godsend most days, accepting my personality with no problems and having a generally carefree attitude herself.

"When am I rude Onee-Chan?" I asked my voice not quite playful but also not my usual quiet tone.

"Always little snow" Came her teammate Sendo Korumaru's voice as he slipped around me ruffling my hair. I smacked at his hand before I crossed my arms over my chest as I gave him my best indignant look. He was tall of course and built like a football player, he had meet Ami in the academy where they had initially butted heads rather frequently. He was a good guy at heart if a bit dense, but that was one of his charms and he often brought me here whenever he had the spare time. In fact he was quite right, I may have only been five but away from my parents I had a rather vulgar mouth at times.

Koru tended to enjoyed getting me to cuss him out for some odd reason, although I suspected it was because he also found me cute. He often called me such anyways, if not little snow due to my pale hair and complexion. Of course I didn't mind the banter, as he was usually a good sport having younger siblings probably helped that though.

"I'm not a child anymore Koru-San, so you can't treat me like one anymore."

"Oi, that's right. Akane-chan's five now Koru she's starting the academy this year with enrollment in a few months." I smirked at Kashiro Muramara her Sensei as he waved at me and I slid in beside him my sister moving to my other side with a smile. Around my father's age Kashiro-Sensei was playful yet serious, he usually joined Koru and I at tea on most days. Ami had told me once when in a fight he became a completely different person and I could sometimes see that barely there edge to him.

"Kashiro-Sensei is right Sendo-san" Garunami Taiosu gave me a faint smile across the table as he pushed his glasses back up. "I know you shall do well Akane..."

"Thank you Taiosu-kun" I grinned then, Taiosu had known me since I was a baby and had been a very big part of my life. Bookish with a lean build Taiosu had been the person who'd taught me to read and we had bonded over that mutual love. As the leader of team Kashiro, he was really smart being a strategic fighter who was well rounded in all jutsu. I have to admit I admired him, my sister teased me saying I had a crush on him but he and I knew the truth. He was one of the few people who rarely treated me as a child and that was one of the many reasons I enjoyed spending what time he could spare with him.

"Alright children!" Iro, Suri and Yuki swept up to the table placing a cake onto the table with five candles lit causing me to grin. I loved Suri's cake, she always made me chocolate with strawberry icing but the cake itself was really soft and almost gooey. When she'd found out I had a horrible sweet tooth, she'd started baking and bringing all sorts of sweets by the house much to my mother's horror. My mother tried to get me to eat things I did not care for all the time and kept very few sweets in the house. Although she'd been relieved to learn I loved fruit as well as chocolate and allowed the Fukimori's to spoil me a bit. So grinning I closed my eyes scrunched up my nose and took a deep breath before I blew out my candles.

My wish 'Let Lei be in a better place and not be suffering, I really want to see her but I just wish for her to be happy.' It was something similar every year, I would either live or I would die, again, in this world but I was determined I would be the very best I could.

Amidst the clapping and rah rah of our close knit group Kashiro-Sensei winked at me sliding a slightly bulky package into my lap. I knew instantly what it was, for I had hinted that I wanted a outfit for school but I had wanted a very particular one. I grinned widely at him as I pulled it to my chest with an excited laugh and my father chuckled.

"Muramara-San's gift I suppose?" His eyes twinkled at me the usually scary color seeming more like rubies than blood and I knew my own probably had a similar look in them.

"It's the outfit I wanted! For the academy, because I'll be a ninja and I needed clothes that were more durable!" I couldn't help my excited babble as everyone smiled, save my mother who wasn't happy about me getting accepted into the academy.

"Well open it Akane-chan." I needed no more encouragement from Kashiro-Sensei and tore into the brown paper quickly getting to the cloths inside. I stood up carefully avoiding tripping over my cushion as I did so and held the cloths out for the others to see. Done in mostly a muted black or deep red the outfit not only looked good I knew it would fit perfectly.

"Oooooh~ That color will look so good on you Akane!" Suri mused "Why not go into the back and change? I can not wait to see it on you child!" She beamed at me and I couldn't help my excited glance at my father who nodded even though he had a grin in place.

"I will Obaa-san!" I exclaimed rushing from the room towards the stairs leading to the living quarters above the tea house.

"Be quiet Aika is still resting!" Echoed behind me and I didn't respond to my mother's words as I was already dangerously close to my sleeping sibling. I scurried into the bathroom happily tugging off my kimono to start pulling on my new outfit with a grin. Pulling the fishnet shirt and pants on first over my underwear I couldn't help the happy bubble of excitement spilling from my mouth. The tight black top that had a dark red inner lining of a soft fur felt nice against my skin through the fishnets and the matching shorts soon followed. I then pulled the dress over-top the main color again back but the dress itself boasted the same red as the other pieces in swirling bold designs. My almost knee high boots followed after that as I tried to keep my balance the similar red fur making me smile, as it made what was touching me softer than anything I'd felt before.

"Ane..." I glanced towards the door to see a sleepy Aika her pale pink hair pulled back into a once simple braid hang sloppily over her shoulder now.

"Aika..." I touched her cheek when I walked over to her my smile now soft. "You should still be in bed..." She only smiled at me softly rubbing her eye's before she cuddled into me with a hug.

"Hai...but...Ane is five today..." Her voice was muffled against me and I chuckled ruffling her hair softly.

"Yes, but you're still sick and need your rest."

"I wanna go to the party" Her muffled response made me sigh in frustration, my mother...correction our mother would be furious if she thought I had woken Aika. I slowly but carefully pried her arms from around me to crouch in front of her small form. Aika was sickly, she had been so since she was born and that made our mother in particular overprotective.

"I'll make you a deal?" Blue eyes met my own red warily. "Let me go back down, by myse-"

"No!"

"Aika! Let me finish." My unusual harsh tone made her flinch and I sighed again brushing back her bangs as she hesitantly nodded for me to continue. "Let me go by myself...while you watch that clock" here I pointed to Yumi's favorite grandfather clock that mother had gotten for her a few years back. My baby sister nodded and although she was frowning her nearly dancing feet told me she was excited. "Five minutes...then you come down and act like you just woke up."

"We never had this talk" She grinned as she finished my sentence and I couldn't help my small grin.

"Exactly." I stepped away from her heading towards the door "Five minutes" I repeated and she nodded again before locking her eyes to that clock. I scurried back down the stairs into the tea shop grinning as everyone looked at me.

"Look at my girl!" Father's deep voice was the first as I did a quick turn about and I grinned at him as he smiled at me.

"Aika you look like a real ninja...seems Kashiro-Sensei did a good job this year." Taiosu's words made me look to the man in question who nodded.

"Taiosu is correct those suit you well..." Diplomatic as always, that was Kashiro-Sensei and I gave him a slight nod making a small smile cross his face for a moment before he glanced at my paling mother.

"A-akane ge-"

"Haruka." My father's voice was hard as he interrupted my mother who like usual bared it with only a grudging silence. "We will talk later..."

"Yes Hiyashi." She sighed and walked over to me a fake smile on her face as she slowly pulled me into a tight hug. "Just be careful Akane..." The words were said in such a soft whisper I myself barely caught them but I nodded against her shoulder.

After she released me everyone started crowding in with my presents for which I could only be thankful, after all I didn't want to hear my mother tell me I couldn't be a ninja yet again. I ended up getting a set of about three dozen senbon needles from Ami-San; Mother had of course gotten me my school supplies; Taiosu-kun had gotten my books alongside several he thought I would enjoy; Sendo-San finished out my ninja gear; the Fukimori's had gotten me several changes of my ninja attire; and my aunts had both sent different jackets I actually liked.

I had raised a eyebrow at my father's grin as he spoke "Let's dig into the cake and food. I'll give you my present tomorrow when we start your training." The prospect of training had excited me and so I had just nodded as Aika joined us.

"I missed it?! But I got Akane-Nee a gift as well!" She rushed into the room nearly running me over as she smacked into me but our father kept that from happening.

"Well...I can open yours now Aika." She grinned as she held out a small package, I already knew I would love whatever she got and so I playfully ruffled her shaggy pink hair.

"Hurry!" She bounced on her feet in excitement and I just laughed opening my final gift with gusto. Turned out I was right, but leave it to Aika to not notice what I did off the bat, it was a beautiful yin-yang pendant. What she hadn't noticed? It split into two individual pieces so I pulled it apart and quickly tucked the yang over her head as I crouched down. "Bu-"

"No buts, my present right?" She just nodded her eyes locked to the floor and I laughed making her look up shyly. "You're my Yang Aika, the light to my dark so I want you to have the half that shows that."

"I'm...the light to your dark?"

"Always."