Prompt two: Summer Rain/Thunderstorm.

"Sakura!"

Jerking up from her arms, she peered out from her shelter into the downpour over Training Ground Twenty-Seven. A mass of blobs were speeding toward her, running in a wide arc through the rain. She didn't have time to ponder why Kakashi summoned the entire pack before eight warm, furry, wet dogs were suddenly on her.

"Woah!" She jumped to her feet, keeping her back to the tree in an attempt to remain above the bodies. After her initial shock passed, she knelt down to greet each one. Soaking wet or not, these dogs were absolutely adorable. "What are you guys doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Rolling her eyes, she met the gray gaze staring down at her. "I was training."

"In the rain?"

She cocked an eyebrow at his tone. "A shinobi has to be prepared to fight in all conditions."

The two stared at each other over the pack of dogs. She wasn't going to back down on this. If he had something to say, then he can damn well–

Crack!

As soon as the lightning was gone, she was embarrassed to realize she had jumped at the flash of light and shrieked at the roar of thunder. Refusing to meet his gaze, she looked over his dogs. Each one was looking between the two, almost knowing what was going to happen.

"Sakura."

She winced.

"Look, it's okay," she heard herself say, looking anywhere but them. "I have to learn to get over it, or at least be able to deal with it. How can I expect to take missions if I'm stuttering over a stupid little fear?"

"It's not a 'stupid little fear'." His deep voice was in her ear, his presence was surrounding her, and next thing she knew, she was sitting down on the wooden platform braced against his side with his ninken surrounding them in a wall of solid, breathing warmth. "I'm sorry I ever taught him that."

She was pleased at his grunt when she jabbed her elbow into his ribs. "I don't tease you about your beauty mark, you don't blame yourself for his actions. Deal?"

When he remained silent, she craned her neck to look at him. He was studying the shelter, steadfastly ignoring her proposition. "Yamato?"

She narrowed her eyes, temporarily allowing for the change in subject. "Yeah. He has a couple of these formed throughout the training grounds."

"Good to know."

Another splinter of lightning flashed across the sky, and while her reaction was better than the first, the dogs pressed closer to her and his arm tightened around her waist.

"I didn't realize you were listening last night," she murmured, only to scoff at his snort. "Why should I? You weren't exactly taking the conversation seriously."

There was a shift in his posture, one that told her she was wrong before his quiet words did. "I had to make you laugh."

She almost missed it. "What?"

"I had to make you laugh," he repeated, those gray eyes staring out into the downpour. "It was the only thing I could think of that wouldn't seem like I was patronizing you."

It was through years of getting to know the distinct quirks of Hatake Kakashi that made that one confession ring right through her. He was right; the conversation turned dark and sad over their drinks. She had felt the shift in his aura when the Chidori came up, but was already too far gone to have realized what it meant at the time. Sharing the full history of his mask had not only taken her mind off the previous topic, but also shown her his trust. While it was lacking in the severity her newly-formed fear had, the truth behind his mask was just as personal.

She allowed herself to relax against him, taking comfort in the heat provided by his ninken.

"Everything's going to smell like wet dog."

"Probably."

"You're going to smell like wet dog."

"Most likely."

"You won't get that smell out of anything."

He hummed.

"The Hokage can't go to work smelling like wet dog."

"Are you volunteering to wash my dogs tomorrow?"

Eight pairs of ears perking up at the thought of receiving a bath from their Sakura-chan had her biting her tongue. She was going to regret that.