-YukikoNanashi13: So here it is chapter 8. Well, I took some of the reviewer advice, and I decided to summarize only the small stuff, and have only a few big moment ideals. Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and faving everyone! Back to the story.

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Still Waiting Chapter 8

Sakura was still thinking.

What could it all mean? I don't get it, why the sudden interest in Sasuke, before now, she never even mentioned him, talked to him, or showed any affection for him! Maybe she's just a shy one... Pff, of course she's a shy one! But Sasuke?! And not to mention, Temari, Temari! How the hell does she fit into the picture?! Maybe Tenten... Even Ino, before Temari! In fact, she'd come to me first, what the hell?! This is too much, why can't Sasuke and Naruto come home?!

Hinata was lining up by the door with her teammates.

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"Hey Hinata, are you ready for the Forest of Death?" Kiba asked eagerly, he was just as excited as anyone would be.

"Hm.. Well, I suppose not."

"What, why not? The whole time in the Chunin Exams, you were acting all bold and anxious! What's up with you now?"

"Well, I suppose it's not my thing... I-I've been doing some thinking lately about it-" I've thought of other things too- "..And I know I shouldn't make my self a target. It'll put you and Shino-kun in danger, along with myself. Especially if we're in the Forest of Death..."

Shino intervened in the conversation. "That's really good thinking Hinata. Keep it up, we'll need it."

Kiba interrupted angrily. "Hey come on, we all need to pitch in, don't we?"

"Hai. Just remembering pitching in doesn't mean, killing us."

"Are you saying that I'm the weak point in our group?!"

Shino didn't reply as quickly. "I said nothing."

Kiba glared at him. "Yes you did! I demand you to tell me! You're lack of saying anything is found disrespectful, you bastard!"

Hinata looked in amazement. It seems my teammates are practically like Naruto-kun and Sasuke...

Her emotions towards Sasuke were no longer annoying her as much as they used to, Temari was there to block that out.

"Okay, come on, let's go!"

It was Anko, the lady from the very first Chunin Exams they ever took. She was just as loud as ever in her voice, she obviously wanted everyone's attention.

"Now listen, I don't want anyone out of their place, or bad things will happen!"

A ninja from the Otagakure spoke up. "What if we were to go out of turn?"

"What, like right now?"

"You can say that... I mean, I'm sure you've gone out of turn before yourself... Out of the your own village."

Anko looked at the ninja who spoke brusquely. She threw a kunai at his face, and appeared behind him.

"Listen, it's not like I haven't done this before.. Cutting a student, eliminating them from the Chunin Exams.. And since your disrespect toward correct authority is so horrible, you're out. Unless there is a major problem in the forest, you have been disqualified."

The boy's face was bleeding, and his pain was focused more on the cut, than being disqualified.

Hinata looked at him from afar. He's from Otagakure... He's a pawn of Orochimaru.. Could he be..? Could he have a connection to Sasuke?

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Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were outside the gates of the Chunin Exams. They faced Door #21, which was going to open immediately after Anko let them go.

"I'm so ready for this! Right, Akamaru?" Akamaru barked at his master happily.

Shino also looked anxious- Or at least on his standards.

Hinata, her shy appearance started to fade in more and more with each second. What was I thinking? I-I can't do this!

The sensei for the second part of the Chunin Exams looked at all the teams. Well, I can't say I expected anything less... But I did expect more..

"Okay... GO!"

Everyone zoomed in, the grass ninja especially. Hinata's team ran at an incredible pace. She kept the Earth Scroll. I can't fall for anything! No matter what!

"Okay, we're gonna do this the right way, right?" Kiba was yelling from the front.

"Of course we will. We have the advantage since we already took the exams." Shino sounded stiff, but a tickle of fear was found in his voice, at the slightest.

Hinata only looked worried. We must do this right!

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On their way to the castle, they ran into many obstacles.

The ninja from the grass would follow them almost everywhere they went. "Get them, get them now!" they shouted. "I don't want only your scroll, but as well your lives... either way, we will have both.." Hinata's eyes grew wide with fear. Her old self, the one who cowered in its own timidness was slowly fading in. Kiba was knocked out, and Akamaru only whimpered to spare himself. Shino was in his fighting stance, but his bugs were moving slowly, not to attract attention. Hinata remembered how much she was scared, and wanted to leave. Thankfully, Shino's bugs were the reason why they got out of there alive.

I was frightened, and I let that get in the way.. I must not let that happen again. Hinata thought in dismay, feeling guilty.

They only had two battles, one against the grass ninja, and another against sound ninja. "Oh look, you have the Earth Scroll, how delightful! We hoped, you in particular had it!" Hinata looked at them. Her hands started to move at a fast pace, chakra streaming out, and her Byakugan made her look furious, despite how scared she really looked.

During that encounter, they retrieved the Heaven Scroll, and made sure they sticked together. They left with several scratches, and they knew that more obstacles could be possible, even if they were at the castle already. Other than the crazy ninja battles they went through, the animals, plants, and water in the Forest of Death was totally unexpected to attack them as well. ("What the hell, what kind of plant eats you?!" Kiba exclaimed angrily.).

Other than that of course, their trip to the center castle went very smoothly.

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"Okay, let's open the scrolls, now!" Kiba snatched the one from Shino and Hinata.

He opened the Heaven Scroll, and tossed it to the ground. Smoke appeared around them, and a figure appeared, standing on top of the empty scroll paper.

"Yo!"

"Iruka-sensei..? You again?" Kiba looked at him, obviously fed up with the fact that he was his teacher, and sees him almost everywhere he goes..

"Doushite? Is there a problem?"

"Ano.. Nanimo nai desu."

"Good. Just go to through the doors."

Hinata smiled lightly, but she felt like screaming in happiness.

Kiba jumped in triumph. "Yes! So, what do we do with this other Earth Scroll?"

"Well, that no longer does anything, that's why you needed both."

"Wait, so you're saying that the reason we needed two is because the Heaven Scroll was the guide to the next level?"

"You can say that, but the Earth Scroll had something imprinted on it, that would allow you to get inside the castle."

"So that was the only reason?"

"Hai. In the past, people got through, but this time, we needed to make sure they got both scrolls."

"What..? It's.. A scam?"

He laughed at Kiba. "You can say that."

Such a crazy sensei..

At that moment, Iruka disappeared in smoke, leaving them behind.

They walked through the doors without another word.

A light shone on them, as they saw the large arena, the one they had been in before. Hinata had a lot of memories here, like seeing Shino win his battle, watching Kiba lose to Naruto, and fighting Neji.

I mustn't lose this time.. I just... Can't..

There were lots of people already there, including Temari and Sakura. Sakura looked back and waved to them!

"Hey! Over here!"

They all ran over to her, and lined themselves up in place.

Sakura was still waving at them, smiling happily as they went toward her.

One way or another, I'll find out what her deal is...

End of Chapter 8.

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-YukikoNanashi13: It's about time I got the second part of the Chunin Exams finished. The third part is going to be easy, all I have to do is write about Hinata's battle, and some small stuff about her teammates. Other than that, I can finally get to one of the major part of the SasuHina stuff. I've been putting it on hold for awhile, but like in two chapters, I can finally go for it! XD! Well, thanks for reading chapter 8, and chapter 9 will be put up, some point in the week, just not on Saturday(?). Also, I was so close to making this chapter 5 pages in printer length, I need to write more!