I've found my go-to 8-bit register - the 54ALS996. It has an 8-bit input for loading from the data bus. And the value can be read back on these same pins to be put back onto the bus. In addition, it has a second output port which can go to whatever other circuit like say the ALU. So it's like a two-port register with input and output on one port, and output-only on the second port. And it's an active chip. It's perfect. Thank you Texas Instruments for not obsoleting all of these old chips.

http://www.ti.com/product/SN54ALS996/description