Before any sort of paw touching could occur, Kakashi Sensei had changed gears, seeming fully intent on continuing without any break, not even a puppy sized one. Sakura watched her silver haired teacher pull out a small weapon, a finely sharpening kunai and draw blood. She wasn't surprised, or even concerned. She had read enough about pacts and summoning to know he was about to summon more of his canine companions. He indeed summon the others. She could see a pit-bull, and several other shaggy sorts of dogs. One wore a set of bandages but before she could give them anymore attention, Kakashi had asked Pakkun to fill the others in.

Obviously there was something she seemed to be missing but she expected that. After all, she was an outsider and Kakashi and the other dogs had been working together for quite some time. She only hoped that she would be alright, since she felt rather outnumbered and not the least assured of what the next task would be. While Pakkun was off and the other dogs gave them distance, Kakashi approached her once more to offer some useful comments. He said briskly that the dogs would attack her, bite her, and she'd need to dodge them. He then asked her if it sounded easy to which she gave him an amused look. It didn't sound easy, nor fun. But Sakura knew training would rarely be easy and only sometimes fun, depending how you viewed hard work and bettering yourself. 

**"Not really."** She said honestly. Her tone wasn't flat nor ambivalent, it was more simple and honest than anything else.

The Jounin continued to explain further but she didn't need to hear his reasoning behind it. As a student, she had to trust him. But more so, she already understood his logic without needing help. Perhaps if she were a blond hyperactive moron, she would need explanation as to why he was doing what he was, and why he had created such a daunting task for her to overcome. It seemed simple, not easy, but simple. There was a pause which gave her time to soak in possible situations for evasion as well as execution. Since she was still beginning to grasp the jutsu, she couldn't stray too far from the water source. To her knowledge some people could use a water jutsu without actual water nearby. Surely Kakashi was capable of that but she was not and that was a weakness she'd need to somehow make out to be a strength.

Kakashi then continued to tell her that they would go for an hour but that she shouldn't push herself too much, that if she was at her limit, that it was alright. His further explanation helped some since she had at first thought he wanted her to go through the signs and execute the water jutsu. But for now things were going to be slow, which she understood. First she would need to run through the prep before they went on and tackle the actual jutsu itself. It made her reconsider her tactics if she didn't need to preform the jutsu, she didn't need to come back to the river but she knew it would be easier on herself now, if she pretended she would need it. In the next stage, she would so for now she told herself to work as though the jutsu would come into full focus, full form. **"I was wondering if I could use any tools or jutsu of my own to keep the dogs at bay."** She asked him at the directed time.

He told her that she would be able to use jutsu but he'd prefer her not to use tools if she could help it. Sakura considered it to be difficult to juggle kunai and shuriken while dealing with the hand signs. So she decided not to bother with them then. **"Okay, I'm ready."** She was going to ask how he would see if she had completed the signs but she remembered his kekki genkai and that he would probably have little trouble keeping an eye on her movements, even if she was hidden. Kakashi gave his signal to the dogs who were starting further away and they moved in formation, charging towards her. Her green eyes looked around, making note of where they were, trying to remember how many there were and what some of the distinguishing features were.

She had found most of the dogs, except for two.

Well, they'd find her soon enough so she decided to get to work. Sakura ran across the river and in one motion turned back around to see where they were. One was coming right at her. She ducked her head and rolled forward, teetering on the river's bank. She got to her feet and ran back into the forest, trying to calm her mind. Her heart was racing and it almost felt like she was back in the Forest of Death during the Exams. She shook her head. While that had been a turning point for her, she couldn't dwell on it. If she didn't focus on the present, she wouldn't be making any progress at all. She hid behind a bush and started off by doing the usual hand signs for clone jutsu. She then made nine other copies of herself, solid copies with her own capabilities.

Of course she didn't think they'd fool anyone but for now, they would be useful in buying her some time in doing the hand signs. Three of the clones ran out and charged out of the trees. Two stayed back and jumped along the branches, both going in opposite directions. Two other sets of clones, plus herself ran up three different large trees and perched themselves on top of them. That left two clones to stay hidden in the general area. The real kunnoichi looked out at the training grounds in front of her. She could have a useful vantage point and for now, she wanted to believe the dogs couldn't get to her when she was high up. Now she began to run through the hand signs when she got to the twentieth one, she heard a loud howl followed by barking. **"What?!"** She looked down and around but couldn't sense where the dog was. 

Just then she saw a dog sitting in a tree where one of her clones had been. She could already tell one three clones remained now, since the others had been quickly disposed of. That wasn't a surprise but it did take some of the security away from her. The bulldog lunge for her and she quickly slid down the tree's trunk. Waiting for her was none other than Pakkun who managed to bite her lower leg. It stunk but the skin hadn't been broken, just as Kakashi Sensei had explained. He then laughed and darted off. It seemed they had been clever enough to make a trap of sorts to get to her. As she got to the ground again and stood up, she had to collect her thoughts as to what to do next.

For the next 78 minutes she spent her time running through the trees while making the signs while trying to dodge the pesky dogs who were always right on top of her. For a while she moved from the forest to the open space because she hoped it would give her a good vantage point as opposed to putting herself in chaos in the trees, where the dogs could loom over her or get her ankles, which they had done. Doing her work in the open space by the river worked out for a while until they ended up surrounding her and giving her five nips on her arms and legs. She crossed over the river and created three clones but she would rather use her energy for running and moving, rather than using a jutsu which wouldn't do her that much good. Sakura was tired but she wasn't going to throw in the towel yet.

Her personal best was getting to thirty-six before she was bitten.

But the sun was rather high and making concentrating harder. Dealing with the elements wasn't something a shinobi could forgo, no, they had to take on snow, heat, rain, even sand storms. However, without a break, she was getting tired and she knew a tired ninja was one who made mistakes. As she pressed her back to a large trunk, she caught her breath. Finally. Sakura brought up a hand, wiping her forehead with the back before she then wiped it on her dress. If she was fresh out of the Academy, she'd be fussing over her looks but not anymore, she wasn't timid or silly, she was focused on the task at hand.

The woman moved away, not wanting to stand still for very long. She dashed up a tree, the very one Kakashi had been lounging in before. She knew he had been moving around, staying out of view on purpose, probably as to not distract her. Still, she could feel his eye on her as well as the other dogs. There were some marks up and down her exposed arms and legs but it wasn't anything serious, just bite marks and some bruising. Taking another deep steadying breath, she stood up and peered over the line of trees that separated the grounds from the heart of the village. She heard small paws moving along wood, padding along, bits of nail scratching against the bark. She turned around just as a shaggy dog had lunged at her legs. **"Whoops!"** She found herself laughing as she just casually dropped off the tall tree, she caught the branch with her hands and then let go of that.

Her evasion had been done on purpose but she had intended to land on her feet directly, not hang on. Because of that, the dog managed to bite right hand. It hurt, but that was because the nerves in the hands were more complex as well as sensitive than the main, but important, ones in the arms and legs. **"I think I need a break."** She finally admitted with a heavy chest. **"Kakashi Sensei, if I can walk to lunch on my own, will you treat me to some ramen?"** She called out to him, panting. She was worn out and she hoped some time off her feet would be enough rest for when they continued after lunch. Sakura stretched her back, twisting her arms together and reaching far above her head and rolling up on her tip toes. She then relaxed and saw the man reveal his latest hiding spot. While she thought she could do better, she thought for now, she was on the right track. 

**"After lunch, I'll get all the signs."** She smiled, mostly an affirmation for herself, than for her teacher.

It felt good to train this hard, to be challenged and not pushed to the side as usual.