Sorry about the ridiculously long delay on this chapter! . I have been so museless on this and the solution to how I am going to continue it just popped into my head today! ^.^ So here is the fun-ish stuff….

A humongous thank you to chocolatemud, RollInCream, lizifang (who was a very…er….forceful…and scary, reviewer…), bittersweetties, KakashiKrazed (your review made me feel like I was in heaven ^.^), Pancakes-x, Funky Bracelet Chick (whom, if I am not mistaken, has reviewed EVERY chapter since I started!), shiira29, and TemariHyuga-AndKaguyaEtc.- (not going to lie, I copied and pasted that cuz it's a long-ass name).

Soooo many names! I am on a cloud now. Hopefully I'll come down to write the next chapter sooner or later ^.^ Thank you so much everyone! I am so glad you are enjoying this!

Chapter 8: The Secret's Out

Over all, Team 7 hadn't seemed too put out to have training cancelled, but I definitely was. Telling an ex ANBU member that you had been lying to them was probably on the top of my list of things I did not want to do in my current situation. All the way back the Hatake Kakashi's apartment, I wondered just what the Hokage had told him, and what was expected of me. I was just hoping that I wasn't going to get kicked out of Konoha. Where the hell would I go? Not to mention that while I knew a lot about the Naruto world, I didn't have a fricken map of it in my head. I would be utterly lost on my own.

The moment we entered Kakashi-chan's apartment, overwhelming nervousness swamped me in a wave. I sat down heavily on the couch, unwilling to look up at the copy nin who had followed to stand in front of me. I put my face in my hands, not even wanting to see his feet. Seeing any of Kakashi right now was for once, the one thing I did not want.

"Hisoka-kun." His low, still bored voice penetrated the silence that I had tried so desperately to wrap around myself. I didn't want to deal with this! It wasn't even my fault that I was here!

Unfortunately, I wasn't a rude person, so my eyes drifted up to meet the silver haired ninja's single uncovered eye, "Yes, Kakashi-sama?" I said quietly, unable to read his expression.

Suddenly, and very unexpectedly, Kakashi went to his knees, so he was now on my level, "As I understand, you have been placed in our world by no doing of your own." He closed his eye for a moment, and then said, "That was all that the Third told me, he said you would explain the rest." His eye opened, spearing me with what I cautiously guessed as curiosity.

I looked down, embarrassed as I suddenly realized how close we were. Kakashi on his knees put us at eye level, as I was sitting on the couch, and while there was still a good six inches of space between my feet and his knees; I was still not able to get over the overwhelming presence of the ninja. I had seen him in action on the television screen too many times to count, and knew, that as this was all real, that the copy nin was a powerful force that could kill me without me even realizing that. Even so, I wasn't scared of him, I was just in awe.

"Will you explain, Hisoka-kun?"

Kakashi's voice made me look away from him, and I knew that my face was red. I had been staring at him without saying anything, embarrassing!

"Yes, Kakashi-sama." It seemed like I had said a lot of that lately, after that thought, I told him everything that I had told the Hokage.

We sat there for a moment, after a good ten minutes of me talking to him quietly, I somehow had not been able to raise my voice much, and then Kakashi looked around the room for a moment, then back at me.

"Well, obviously the powers that be decided I'm not going to blabber this to anyone." He told me blandly. I almost choked; Kakashi had just said the word blabber?!

"What?" I managed to force out, despite my complete and utter disbelief at what my ears were hearing.

He shrugged, looking around once again before letting his gaze settle on me, "'Cause you're still here and not floating around in limbo. I must not be one to talk about these things."

I sat there for a moment, wondering if he was trying to be funny, or if I should laugh. The silver haired ninja confused me, even at the same time that I was drawn to him through the same confusing charm. Damn, I was messed up. "I guess." I finally muttered, avoiding his gaze again.

He leaned back on his heels, widening the space between us. No! Stay close. No! I think better when he's further away! My mind warred with itself at his movement, and I ignored it as he spoke.

"So we need to find this Book of the Fire Clan, and then you can go home, to your world, right?" Kakashi said, a thoughtful look on his face.

I breathed in slowly, wondering if he was actually going to be okay with this, or if he was just pulling my leg. Who would accept such a crazy story like that? Uh, maybe super genius ninja who saw right through you at the beginning and know that you are telling the truth now. "Yeah." I said, as slow as I had breathed. Although part of my wants to drag this experience out a little longer…

"Well, I hope you are prepared to wait on you return for a bit." He said abruptly, although his tone was still equally as bored as always. It was just the words that jolted me.

My head snapped up, my thoughts from moments ago running through my head again, and I met his eye, "What?"

The crinkling at the edge of his dark eye gave a hint to the smile behind the mask, "You can't tell the team about this, but there is an important exam coming up." He leaned in to whisper to me ominously, "It's supposed to be somewhat of a secret."

My face heated at his close proximity, but he pulled away just as quickly as he had closed the distance, "The chuunin exams, you mean?" The words were out before I could stop them.

What I was absolutely sure was a seldom seen expression on Kakashi's faced flickered over it momentarily before the surprise reverted back to the smile, "Yeah. That will delay your going home for a bit." He told me, "But they are still a week away, I'm going to have to tell Naruto and the others soon. In the meantime, I'll be working with them on training, so your book search with have to wait."

I barely managed to keep my mouth shut. Kakashi has spoken three full sentences in a row. How the hell was this not in the book of world records?! The man hardly ever spoke! There was no way my situation warranted enough attention from the man who only spoke when necessary.

"But we can draft out our plan of action for when the time is available, hm?" Kakashi sat down on the floor, producing a scroll from his back of ninja equipment.

I nodded, joining him on the floor silently, making sure I was no where near accidental touching distance. After this morning, I wasn't sure I could handle any more of Kakashi touching me, not without reacting in a very embarrassing way. One that would probably end up with me molesting him in one way or another. I just wasn't that strong willed of a person, especially not when it came to men who wrapped their arms around me in their sleep. So I sat a safe distance away from the attractive, silver haired nin who was muttering under his breath about the whereabouts of a certain book, and tried not to think that it was wrong for a nineteen year old to be obsessing over a twenty six year old man. I shook my head, ignoring the look said man cast at me. I was being absolutely ridiculous. I forced myself to focus on the task at hand.

Author's Note: Gah! I feel like this chapter was short…but I have amazing plans for the next one, and this went by semi quickly. Well, I guess I shall have to wait to see if you guys liked it. *runs and hides in case readers are angry with her*