First off, two pictures... one fo Tafari, one of Naruto and Subaki... uhm, yes. Ok. I dotn own Naruto, I wone evryone else. Uhhh I dont own that line from LOTR I used, thats JRR Token. So yes. Dont sue me LOVE!!!

It was over an hour since they first saw the caravan in the distance, that a small black dot broke off from it and started in their general direction. The sound of distant horns and distorted voices calling out could be heard as they approached, though the caravan was still quite a distance way, it was close enough that the voices carried over the dead and silent land.

Earlier when they first spotted the caravan Naruto had asked her why they were going to see nomads; she merely replied it was for his training, and that they were old friends who owed her a favour. Apparently it had something to do with half a canoe paddle, some cherry snow cones, and a rattlesnake. Needless to say, Naruto didn't ask… well actually he did… repeatedly… but Subaki refused to tell him.

As the black dot grew larger with its approach it began to take the form of a person on a beige stallion. It was a man to be exact. Soon Naruto was able to make out distinct details of his face and clothing. The man's face, the only part of his body left uncovered, was dark. Naruto had never seen a person with such dark skin. Ok, so maybe he stared a little, at least until Subaki elbowed him in the ribs and told him it was rude to stare at people. He was drabbed in what looked to be clothes with many folds, made from thin linen cloth dyed to blend with the sand and rocks around them.

Subaki held up a hand in greeting as the man approached, now close enough for Naruto to see the features of his face. With soft cheekbones and a lean face the man gave off the impression of an old friend, even though Naruto had never seen him before. As the man dismounted his stallion Naruto realized he was actually quite tall. Taller than Kakashi, the last time Naruto saw him. "Ma havac." The man said raising his hand as Subaki had done.

"Ha Sahal." Subaki replied before smiling and clasping the man's arm in her own. "It is good to see you, my friend."

The man grinned back. "And you as well. To what do we owe the honour of a visit from yourself?" the man glanced over at Naruto curiously a moment before returning his gaze to Subaki. "He looks a lot like the last one you brought us." The man gave out a chuckle.

"Yes." Subaki smiled fondly. "Naruto, this is Tafari. Tafari, this is Uzumaki Naruto." Subaki extended her hand towards Naruto in a gesturing motion.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you, my young friend." The man, Tafari, grasped Naruto by the arm as he grinned. "Today is a great day for us to receive two visitors, the Gods must be smiling." Redirecting his attention to Subaki as he released Naruto's forearm." You will stay and feast with us, won't you? My father has missed you dearly since your last visit, Sabela too."

"Yes, I do think we will. There are matters I must discuss with your father. How is your sister, by the way?" Subaki asked as she walked over to stroke the mighty horse's nose.

"She is well. She's married now, to a young man from Suna." The man continued smiling while Naruto stood there feeling very out of place. "Grava misses you too." Subaki let out a sharp short. "He hasn't forgotten you, you know." She glanced at him in amusement before returning her gaze to the horse.

"Your brother is a fool who needs to be told what's best for him."

"Who's Grava?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"My youngest brother," Tafari laughed. "Who fell head-over-heels in love last time Subaki stayed with us. Come, you will meet him when we get back to the group." Tafari made to lead his horse as he walked with them before Subaki suddenly stopped.

"Perhaps you should go ahead of us and inform them of our coming, there are some things I must explain to Naruto." Subaki smiled softly.

Tafari paused momentarily, before nodding firmly and remounting. "Very well, I will speak to you there then." He smiled at Subaki, and then Naruto before turning his horse and riding back to the caravan.

"… Well… that was interesting." Naruto said awkwardly.

Subaki chuckled. "Naruto there are some things I must tell you before we get there. I suppose I should have told you earlier but I decided to wait until I could be sure we would find them. We were extremely fortunate that we found them this easily; it could have taken months."

"What? Months!?" Naruto squawked.

Subaki shushed him with her hands. "Yes, now quiet. Let me talk. The people here are very different then those you are use to. I brought you here because they can teach you things I cannot. Also, the sand spirits are often the easiest to talk to- they can be cruel and unpredictable when angered, but they are usually calm and passive."

"Really?! So you'll finally teach me how to use the elements?" Naruto yelled, while shaking his arms around a bit in excitement. (You know that thing girls do when they squee? He did that xD)

Subaki laughed at his antics. "Yes, here they can teach you how to survive in a desert, where to find things and how to find them, also how to hunt in a desert. So pay close attention, or else one day you may find yourself dead… then again you may anyways, with this Sasuke-saving-mission of yours." A sudden shout brought Subaki out of her lecture, and Naruto's death glare as she looked up to see a young woman waving her arms about as she yelled greetings. Looking back at Naruto she smiled warmly before ruffling his head. "Don't worry about it, in some aspects these people are like the spirits- lonely, in a sense. They love company." Subaki raised her arm back in greeting as they approached the caravan.

The woman who had greeted them as they approached grabbed Subaki's arm before smiling and saying "Come, my father is waiting for you."

Subaki smiled in return, before glancing over at Tafari, who was beside the woman who Naruto assumed was his sister… 'Crap, what was her name?' "Tafari, would you stay with Naruto and show him around a bit? I'll find you after I'm done talking with your father." Tafari dipped his head in acknowledgment before Subaki left, and was swallowed up by the crowd of travelers, who had begun to drop their bags and things to set up fires and pitch their tents.

Tafari watched them leave for a moment before turning back to the slightly unnerved young man by his side. "Well then," he said with his deep voice rumbling. "Let go find some food, huh?"

Naruto suddenly perked up at the mention of food. "Seriously? I haven't eaten in like, days!! Do you have ramen?"

"Ramen?" Tafari asked as he led Naruto to a newly built fire with multiple people loitering, curious about the newcomer.

Having successfully found food, and currently sitting on an upturned basket, Naruto was feeling pretty good. Turns out the Nomads didn't have ramen, but something similar, a sort of stew they called travec. Tafari had started laughing at Naruto's rapturous expression as he described his favourite food. Then Naruto laughed at Tafari's as he described travec. Needless to say, they got along pretty well.

"Hey 'Fari," Naruto called as he briefly interrupted Tafari's spoon halfway to his mouth. Tafari raised an eyebrow at the new nickname before reluctantly putting down his spoon and grunting in acknowledgement. "What did you mean when you said 'he looks like the last one you brought us.' You know, when you were talking to Subaki earlier."

Tafari shrugged before stirring his travec around a bit with his spoon. "Na, it was nothing. Just she and a white haired guy once brought a young man to us to train a long time ago. I barely remember it; I was really young, you know? Though I do remember he had yellow hair like yours. Just coincidence though, me mentioning it was more of a joke than anything else."

Just then a young woman ran up and gripped Tafari from behind before whispering into his ear and running off, casting Naruto a shy smile as she went. Naruto frowned in confusion at what she had whispered to him, it wasn't any language he had heard before, it sort of sounded similar to the greeting Subaki and Tafari had exchanged earlier. Tafari looked over at Naruto in an amused and expectant expression.

"Seems Subaki convinced my father into letting you two join in our festivities." A deep chuckle bubbled out of his throat as he stood. "Come along then, it's about to begin."
Naruto frowned in bewilderment as he stood and watched Tafari slowly walk away. "What's about to begin??" Naruto asked, as he ran to catch up with Tafari.

Glancing sideways at the shorter man Tafari let out a broad grin. "The celebration. I told you earlier that today was a great day for us to receive two visitors; today is a day of remembrance. We will feast and dance and sing until our feet fall off." Tafari explained, laughing as a grin of pure excitement took over his face. Slinging his arm over Naruto's shoulder he pulled Naruto's face in closer as he grinned. "This, my friend, will be a night to remember." (I'm so sorry for this. I didn't realize I was plagiarizing it until my LOTR fanatic obsessed beta (COUGH CASSIE COUGH) pointed it out and yelled at me after previously removing something else from LOTR in an earlier chapter. But I refused to remove this. So screw her. -This is beta here. I quit- +Liz again+ YOU CANT QUIT I OWN YOU!!!)

The desert is a silent and dead land, being filled only with the burning sands and occasional oasis. Although, once a year it fills with a burning fire, the canals of life spring forth and cover the land with a spirit of joy and ecstasy, as though this one night of celebration erased and freed the blight of hardships of the previous year.

It started as it always had, silence. Everything started with silence. Always. The deep inhale before the plunge. Naruto glanced inconspicuously around the great bonfire before him at the faces of the waiting people. Waiting. Everyone was waiting for something. 'Oh God, I hope they don't expect me to do something…' Naruto glanced around more fervently to see if anyone was looking at him. Just as he was about to lean over to Tafari and ask what was going on, a large man wearing robes of vibrant colours stepped into the fires circle.

The man was tall and broad, with a head and beard of grey hair and a tanned face filled with fondness. "My Children," he began, looking about to the pleasant faces about him. "Tonight we honour our great ancestors as we remember. Tonight we are not who we were yesterday. We are not who we will be tomorrow. Tonight we are one; tonight we have no names, we have no titles or ranks. We will be as we were when we were born, and as we shall be when we die, as the springs of life purge through us and cleanse away all that is ill. Tonight, let us remember, all that has past, and look without fear to what will come."

Naruto watched in fascination as the people around him began to change. The old and feeble grew strength and danced as passionately as those of half their age. The shy and timid grew boldness and bravery, those filled with arrogance and vanity released their pride and let go as if they were alone, the very thing that, before, had held these people back was thrown away and forgotten. All around him sickness, fear, and contempt were thrown off as the people merely rejoiced for the life that they possessed. Naruto stood slowly as he removed the bright orange jacket from his back. The material fluttered silently to the ground as he turned and joined in a night of, what would be remembered, as pure rapture.

Subaki had finished speaking with Imamu a few minutes before he left to give the introduction to that night's festivities. The spirit leader had been overjoyed to have her return with another student for them to aid in teaching. After walking around for nearly half an hour without finding Naruto, Tafari, or anyone who had seen them, she decided that she might as just find them after the party.

Sitting herself beside Tafari's sister, Sabela, she glanced up at the dancers only to gain a very large and obvious 'Omg… wtf…' face. Before her were the younger women of the tribe dancing very provocative dance swaying their hips and upper bodies at different rhythms, while weaving their arms through the arm at a slow and measured pace… And Naruto… was… too? Or at least attempting to… a woman in the purple seemed keen to teach him how through example… Suddenly a large belly-laugh erupted from the pit of her stomach as she realized how unbelievably bizarre this all was. The others watching this unusual performance seemed to find it just as amusing and enjoyable as she did, yelling hoots and good-natured catcalls up at Naruto, Which only seemed to egg him on, while laughing loudly at the attention he was receiving. 'Oh Naruto… I think our time together will be interesting… …I wonder if he's drunk…'

"JUST FOCUS!"

"I'M TRYING!!!! This is hard! I'd like to see you do it!"

"I can do it, now SHUT UP, AND FOCUS!!!" Needless to say… things were a bit tense… "FOR PETE'S SAKE, NARUTO! DON'T LOOK AT THE FLY! FOCUS!"

"I AM! BESIDES, IT LANDED ON MY APPLE! I DON'T WANT SOME HALF FLY EATEN APPLE!"

"WHERE DID YOU GET AN APPLE FROM, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKING DESERT!!!"

"I SMUGGLED IT FROM SASUKE'S BAG WHEN WE WERE FIGHTING!!!!" Were one to pay particular attention to the flap of the tent Subaki and Naruto were currently situated in, moments ago you would have seen Tafari open it, begin to walk in, pause in mid-step, consider his self-preservation, and quickly turn and run for the hills… but of course you weren't paying attention the flap you were paying attention to the currently frightening, frustrated, and possibly violent people arguing loudly over a fly.

"That was months ago, how is it not--- Just—" Subaki flung her arms in the air in frustration. "I'm going to go find some food. Stay here and focus, please?"

Naruto glanced over to see her rubbing her temples in annoyance. "Yeh, sure." Naruto looked back down at his opened palm as Subaki left him alone in the tent, then over at the pot of stew on the fire in the middle of the tent. With a roll of his eyes Naruto brushed the hair out of his face. "Liar…" Renewing his focus on the handful of sand in his palm Naruto frowned and began to concentrate on projecting his thoughts and emotions to the sand. His frown grew as the sand remained motionless and inanimate. With a yell of frustration he threw the sand on the ground as he stood and began to pace furiously in a tight circle. He then threw his arms in the air and rubbing his hands through his hair in aggravation. Suddenly something caught his eye, Naruto stopped pacing and stared fixated on the sand he had thrown onto the floor of the tent the nomads had lent Subaki and himself. Quickly crouching down beside the sand he slowly ran a finger through it, and watched in fascination as it slowly quivered and swirled around his finger, only to settle to the ground again. Scooping it up as much of it as he could, Naruto plopped onto his backside as he stared intently at the tiny grains of dirt. "Work… Please work…" Naruto whispered almost inaudibly as he focused on the sand before him. Tentatively, almost cautiously, the sand slowly began to swirl in his palm, as it slowly took indistinctive form of a kneeling woman before her image melted out of existence. "No, no no no no! Come back… Please, come back…" Naruto whispered quietly as he gazed at the slowly swirling sand. The form slowly returned, but clearer now, Naruto stared at the woman as she slowly stood in his palm and made a small bow of her tiny head. Naruto had to resist the urge to twitch his hand as her tiny feet tickled the creases in his palm. Leaning forward so he would not have to speak to loudly as to hurt the miniature woman's ears Naruto whispered gently, "I am Uzumaki Naruto, what is your name?"

Subaki watched from the half opened flap of the tent as the tiny woman's almost microscopic lips formed words only audible to Naruto, who was now leaning in even closer. A small smile formed on her lips as she watched Naruto continue talking to Abigail in the half illuminated tent. It hadn't surprised her that Abigail was the first to come forward to speak to Naruto; after all, the tiny woman was the child of joy3. Subaki slid the tent flap shut as Naruto and Abigail grew accustomed to each other; she knew how hard it was for Naruto not to go jumping around after the woman appeared, best not make it more difficult by giving him an audience.

Two weeks later Naruto and Subaki left the nomads with the promise that they would some day return again. Over the weeks they had been in the desert, Naruto and Abigail grew closer until he could call her with nearly no effort at all, and, as Subaki had once explained, Abigail spoke of him to other sand spirits, and before Naruto knew it, the sand around his feet twirled and clung to his legs as he walked, and indistinct words were whispered into the wind to him. Every time Naruto thought he heard something he would glance at Subaki to see if she heard it too, but her face always remained passive. Once Naruto asked if she heard it but she merely looked at him evenly and said that the words were for him alone and not her. Naruto stopped asking after that, as cool as this all seemed he was still hesitant around the sand, as the soft whispers reminded him of Gaara, and suddenly made him wonder if perhaps this is what the red-haired shinobi heard… what had driven him to madness.

After traveling a few days through the desert that did not seem quite as empty as it had before, Naruto found himself gazing upon a familiar sight. He was fairly sure they were called trees. Naruto and Subaki didn't make much progress that day for, after finding a small brook they decided to stop and spend the day in absent foolery.

Subaki was just making the beginnings of a fire when Naruto's sensitive ears picked up the rustling of the bushes behind him. Instantly he was armed with a kunai, crouching down in a fighting stance. From the corner of his eye he could see Subaki glance up at the foliage briefly before returning to her kindling. Frowning at her lack of interest he returned his gaze to the sounds before him. Muscles tense from anticipation, he was near ready to charge into the bushes rather than wait, when a wild mane of white hair pushed through the undergrowth. Naruto's eyes went wide and all thoughts of defense fled as he stood in shock and surprise.

"…Ero-sennin?"

Ok, so,

Tafari means "He who inspires awe"

Imamu means "spiritual leader" xDD (very coincidental and efficient for me, ya??),

THEY'RE BELLY-DANCING!!! XD

and Abigail means "my father is joy" (which technically I could have used anything for her name but I thought my father is joy was cool)

So… Yeh. Lol. I love naming people now XD Cassie gave me a great site with all these different names from different cultures and their meaning so if anyone is looking for it… here www . behind the name. Com

Also! Review me XDD It makes me happy and want to write more. IM sorry if this fanfic seems sort of Subaki oriented at the moment but trust me it'll get may more involved with other Naruto characters. Also, Cassie (my beta) has commented on how much Naruto gets done since he's trying to save his friend. (undertone sarcasm there) Well she's training him you just don't read it yet!! Ill do a flashback or soemthign else later when he's talking to the Konoha people!!! What's more, I've seen writers do this before… and it's always made me want to do it at least once… So here it goes.

Liz: HI GUYS!! How's it going!!

Cassie: Shut up and write the next chapter, Liz!!

Naruto: Where am I? o.O

Subaki: I believe they call this a desktop….

Naruto: Desk top? We're in a school!!! OMG NO!!!

Iruka: NARUTO SIT DOWN AND DO YOUR WORK!!!

Naruto: AHHHH!!!

Liz: Omg o.o Uhm. No. Wait... what??

Cassie: Bwahahaha You've lost control, Liz!!! Now you know how I feel because you're so superior to me!!

Cassie: Wait, what? No. I didn't say that!!! Damnit Liz! Stop editing what I say!!! YOU SUC----- ROCK!!!!!

Liz: Bwahahahahaha I am all powerful.