let's distinguish the eight man team that is pursuing Sasuke right now. Characters-- Naruto Sakura Kakashi Yamato Sai Hinata Shino Kiba (plus Akamaru) Sooner or later, the team will have to decide to split. There's no reason to keep a group so big in one spot to fight Tobi. And Kakashi had mentioned before the Sasuke retrieval mission started that they are going to act as a group of two small teams. Here's my guess on how they will divide and why. Hinata and Sakura (obviously) are both the healing teammates. So one of them has to go. Sakura's reasons: She could fight on equal and hostile terms with Karin who is also a Sasuke fangirl (disturbing, I know). And as the heroine, can reach her beloved 'Sasuke-kun' (I'm getting sick and tired of her calling him that). Naruto's bound to be in the team to get Sasuke because Naruto's like that. And if he's going then both girls would want to accompany him, but one of them (begrudgingly) has to stay behind for the other team. Hinata's reasons: Simple, if Sasuke's going to get the spotlight, Hinata will most likely be there because she's supposedly his beacon of light. And she can heal too and he'll be mostly likely be severely injured and yeah... The list is endless. However, if Sakura doesn't go, then Kiba will be joining Hinata. Both have superb tracking abilities: Byakugan and Kiba's tracking with scent. We all know he still has Sasuke's smell in reach and Hinata can go onwards with her Byakugan through sight. Both good choices to track Sasuke. The fourth member who will be joining them will have to be either Kakashi-sensei or Yamato. I think Kakashi because he has the sharingan which can be of help when versing Juugo (you know, because Sasuke quells his murderous intent with his hypnosis). And I think Yamato because he's the only one who could control Naruto's demon fox from taking over his body. No doubt with the intensity of the situation, he's gonna get emotional again. Just to keep him in check. Debrief. Group after Sasuke-- Naruto Hinata or Sakura Yamato or Kakashi Kiba Next, let me list reasons for the other characters and their positions. Shino and Sai are less important, yet they have purpose, too. Shino, the third member of tracking skills, can follow after the first group after if or when they defeat or retreat from Tobi. And Sai is an ANBU ROOT so he can fight pretty good. His presence wouldn't matter if he went with the team to Sasuke. Shino the same. Shino's ability can use his bugs to feed off chakra to slow Tobi down, and with the other two unknown members who will have to stay behind needs to be powerful (especially if it's Sakura) because then the four will be formidable against the Akatsuki member. They can't afford to take risks. Debrief. Second Group stays behind-- Sai Shino Maybe Sakura and Kakashi Note- I just realized, the scenes revolving Sasuke will be too complicated and chaotic if we had the original team (team 7) and Hinata bunched up in the same place, so it would be sensible if Kishi divided the important characters in half. So most likely, the second group will be Sai, Shino, Sakura, and Kakashi. And the first group will be Hinata, Naruto, Yamato, and Kiba. If Kiba is on the team, he will be able to face off Karin or something. Maybe Juugo because his ability is to communicate with animals. I can't assume any farther if Hinata and Naruto will go to Sasuke together, or Naruto has to stay with Yamato. 2-3 people have to stay together to fight Sasuke's teammates. Otherwise, it would be too dangerous to leave one person with the enemy. It's called being outnumbered. Suigetsu will be too preoccupied versing Kisame and vice versa. If I know their battle spirits well enough, the two wouldn't intefere with outside battles from their own because they're hot-blooded to the point to fight in an equal match. Possibilites-- Kiba versus Karin Yamato (maybe Naruto) versus Juugo together Hinata (possibly) is left to retrieve Sasuke. Abilities for the case: she can block tenkutsu(sp?) points and use her byakugan to counter genjutsu and hypnosis of the sharingan. Is that enough narrowing it down for you? All of these are purely my guesses. I want to re-speculate my theory. :idea: Recent manga events (chapter 394) invited a new idea to me. Now both Uchiha brothers collapsed from over exhaustion. Now we're finally getting back to Naruto and co. What if the group will split up AFTER battling Tobi? I realized Kakashi, Hinata, and the rest have to stay cuz you know why? --Tobi is one major role of the current events as it is. Makes sense for all the main characters to figure out his secret identity and special jutsus. Another thing. IF the group will split after the Tobi battle, most likely Team Hebi will be still where Kisame is and at some point Suigetsu and Kisame have to finish their one-on-one battling. Because remember, everything's all happening at the same time. While Sasuke and Itachi fought it out, Naruto and co. unleashed their combo attacks on Tobi and realized nothing worked. So the group watched the fight and Kakashi and Hinata narrowed down the possibilities of how Tobi's dodging act works. And now Shino's gonna verse Tobi. 8) Anyway, since I've summarized what they did... BIG BLANK (It means there's a huge alternate hole that could prove my speculations wrong or I don't have enough clues to determine things for sure.) ---Sooner or later, the group will reach Team Snake and that means a new formation is in plan. There's too many fighters as it is. It makes sense for a few to go ahead and find Sasuke. And the non-fighters can be-- Naruto (definitely; his raw determination to reach Sasuke and position as main character), Maybe Sakura (cuz she's the main heroine, yet I don't see any other logic than that besides healing.) Kakashi... same as Sakura. Hinata (because she has the Byakugan and can find him in the big mess of rubble and lightning storms and black flames. -.-') One searcher is enough and sight is best. Kiba probably lost Sasuke's scent by now because of the rain storm washing it out. Besides... Shino will be the first of three of Team 8 to fight. Most probable Kiba will be second to fight when they reach Team Snake. Last when the group moves again, Hinata's Byakugan is most useful under this condition to find their main goal: Sasuke. (And Hinata usually fights when her situation calls for it. Only if Kiba and Shino have done all that they could and she's left to do the rest). We should be well aware of the fact main characters can't always have the spotlight every time, especially when Kishi's most likely going to follow the logical reasoning of which character is best to do what job. When I think about it, maybe some members of the team will get wounded or maybe pass out from versing Tobi. I know for sure something's going to happen. ....................or Tobi would flee at the last moment and leave everyone hanging. 8) LOL :lol:

http://fortunereader.blogspot.com/2007/12/capricorn-predictions-for-2008.html Check this page out. 8) It's Hinata's fortune of 2008 as the Capricorn.

WARNING : SPOILERS AHEAD CHAPTER 395 Hm, I was reading the latest chapter, it was nice to have a lil humor in a intense fight... Go Kiba...! :> Well oh darn! But then, later in the chapter the plot thickens! Oh em gee! So Tobi has left the fight, perhaps going after Sasuke? -shrugs- Anyways, the Konoha Team now knows Sasuke is defenseless, being all passed out and all, the perfect chance to go get him while he's unconcious! BUT, maybe here the team will split into 2 groups. 1st group: Go after Tobi 2nd group: Go after Sasuke BUUUUT, ZETSU might try fighting them... Who knows? SO, if the people going after Sasuke includes Hinata, maybe something might happen? Here's something Danko Kaji said that made me think: Danko Kaji " The moment Sasuke re-opens his eyes, it will be a new beginning... LOL Is it just me or am I the only one who feels the person he will see first (either be it Hinata or someone else) is the one Sasuke will get attached to? XD " Any thoughts?

Now that Sasuke's spotlight has come and gone, now it will be Kakashi's turn!! ^^ And then Sakura... :roll: JulyWinter is right. :wink: Something must be up if Kishi even bothered to bring a whole big round up here. IT'S THE FIGHT FOR UCHIHA SASUKE!!! LOL XD

I'd like to see Shino fight Zetsu actually. Hehe, well you know the whole Venus Fly Traps loving to eat flies. And maybe Yamato will assist Shino, considering he's good with wood and such. As for our fav little Hyuuga, I get the feeling she's gonna be stuck with Kakashi considering he's constantly asking for her assistance. And well, if Tobi can "remove" body parts as guessed by Sakura, then wouldn't Hinata's gentle fist be very useful? I can't wait to find out what's next... :thumb

The suspence is to...nyuuu what's going to happen next >.< Patience...n___n;;;;

....................or Tobi would flee at the last moment and leave everyone hanging. LOL OMG LOL What I said actually came true! :P And he also captured the two Uchiha brothers to boot.

Well now we know Tobi has reached Sasuke before the group *sigh* Oh well, I'm not going to keep up high hopes for Team 8 since there has been alot of dissapointments, like when Chouji and Ino fought that guy...forgot his name XD and they didn't do much..ah well 'common give Hinata her time to shine kishi! Baka Kishi and his cliffhangers! T^T Is Sasuke's curse seal gone? I think it's either page 13 or 14 but his curse seal isn't there, so it maybe either indicates that Orochimaru is no longer in his body? Well Itachi sealed him and all...but eck it's making my head spin xD. Either way it doesn't really matter because Sasuke looked like a woman in his cursed form anyway XD

reading the latest posts here and the updating of theories I wonder what is going on in manga since the last time I read it. I think it was the chapter where Itachi fell down after their fight...