As soon as he had a hand free, Kakashi put his mask back in it's proper place. His face was only lightly dusted with a pink blush of embarrassment, but the very tips of his ears were burning scarlet, easily visible under the tufts of his silver hair. He hardly thought she should be praising him for letting go -- shouldn't she be scolding him for grabbing in the first place? -- but he nodded at her explanation, awkwardly getting to his feet.

Despite the momentary distraction and the vulnerability he now felt, Kakashi was as practical as ever, and he cleared his throat to drag attention back to the topic at hand.

"You're welcome," he said suddenly, so abruptly the phrase was almost forceful. "For the protection. But really, I was just following orders."