Shiori was instantly alert, but she didn't pick up any weapons. She didn't have any on her person since they'd changed her clothing, and if she wanted one, she had to lounge for her bag.
Of course, there was always the option to use chakra scalpels. But she didn't want to pick a fight if the other party was not hostile. So she stayed seated.
The man who entered the room was tall and lean, probably in his mid-thirties. He had long, flowing hair the color of midnight, which cascaded down his back in soft waves, and black eyes. He looked beautiful. His features were more feminine and soft.
He wore traditional robes adorned with intricate patterns and symbols, reflecting his role as the head of the Raven Temple. He wore a simple pendant around his neck, which was barely visible as a bump under his clothing.
Shiori stayed silent, analyzing him. His hands were in his sleeves, so he couldn't say much about him. His skin was pale, so he must not spend a lot of time under the sun. There was also no spotting on his skin due to the sunlight.
Someone with his skin tone should be more susceptible to it since she doubted he would be a fanatic about sunscreen. His posture was very relaxed, and he screamed with confidence.
He must have known she at least had some shinobi training, so leaving himself so relaxed meant he was confident he could take her down easily if she made an attempt. It also meant that she had to be cautious.
His eyes were definitely those of a worrier. He was trying to keep his aura open and friendly, but Shiori could feel something dark underneath it, fighting to get out. She did not want to anger this man. His chakra was very strong. Even though he was holding it back and hidden, and she could barely sense it, it was very refined and steady.
Tsunade-sensei once taught her about it. Shinobi may be able to hide their chakra and make the amount of their reserves undetectable. Still, there was another indicator that could give them away if they were unaware.
Using chakra would strengthen your pathways, so the flow of chakra in your body would become smoother and steadier. A person with no training may still have large reserves, but their flow is shaky. There would be waste and sparks, especially in the tenketsu.
But someone who trained their chakra regularly didn't have the same problem. Their chakra would flow more smoothly. Of course, chakra control was also a factor, but density and flow were also critical.
This man had a heavy and smooth flow. It was like a high-quality honey or syrup if she had to make the comparison. It also seemed lazy and curious at the surface. A curiosity about her as if he was aware she was assessing him and waiting for her reaction.
The only thing she could think of was that he probably had the letter Tsunade-sensei gave her. It was in her clothing, after all. So he was either the person she was looking for or at least knew why she was there. It could be the reason he was so relaxed around her.
When Shiori didn't do anything, he decided to come closer and sit in front of her. Shiori immediately noticed that she hadn't heard a single sound as the man moved. No footsteps can be explained by some shinobi training, but she also didn't hear the fabric of his clothing make a single sound as he sat in front of her.
His movements were smooth and calculated. He seemed in control of every little movement. Shiori felt slightly uncomfortable. She was sure that if this man wanted anything from her, he would have no problem getting it. She had no chance against him.
Shiori was sure that he could see through any act she may put up, so she decided to be honest. After all, it was easier to withhold information from the whole truth than to make a lie.
"So, little one. Tell me about yourself. What are you doing here?" he said. His voice was not very deep, but it clearly confirmed that he was not very young. It had the deepness that comes with age but no roughness.
"I'm not sure where here is. I remember entering the fog but not much after it, so I don't know how I got here," she said calmly, letting her emotions bleed into her voice.
She needed to be as open as possible. If she needed to hide something later, it would be easier for others to believe her as an honest and open person.
"My apologies. I am the head priest of this shrine. You can call me Akira. Yesterday, I found you at the edge of the shrine grounds early in the morning. You looked quite roughed up from the travels, so I brought you here." The newly named Akira said with a kind smile.
Shiori found his introduction strange but put it in the back of her mind. "I am named Shiori. Thank you for helping me. Can I assume that this is the raven temple?" Shiori asked. She needed to be sure before giving more information.
"You will be right, little one. I am glad to have found you when I did. There are dangerous creatures lurking in the dark here." Akira said. He frowned very briefly, but it was hard to be specific since it had happened so quickly.
"I was sent here by my sensei. Her name is Tsunade Senju. She told me that someone would be waiting for me here. She also provided me with a letter. I have it in my bag. Let me go grab it." Shiori said. Akira beamed at the mention of the name, so he must know her sensei. Shiori handed him the letter. He took it gracefully and opened it up.
Shiori used the opportunity to assess his hands. There could be a lot said about people from their hands. His skin looked soft and smooth, so he probably didn't perform a lot of manual labor.
There was also minimal scarring. His fingers were long and elegant. His nails were short and almond-shaped, which was not very common for a man. His finger pads were the only part that looked a bit more rough. His role must include a lot of reading and working with brushes. She could also barely see ink residue on his fingers. While it was clearly cleaned, there was a bit of residue here and there.
He read through it for a few minutes before handing it back. "I see. You seem to be in the right place. I am the one you were looking for. Tsunade-chan has sent me the letter, but I wasn't sure if you were the one I was looking for since she didn't tell me you would be so young."
"I can help train you and find the root of your problem. You can stay here as my guest. You've already proven yourself worthy of being here by passing through the challenges." Akira said.
"I would appreciate it. But if possible, I would like to contribute somehow. I don't want to take your generosity for granted. So, is there any help I can provide to compensate for the lessons?" Shiori asked. She hated being indebted to people, especially strangers.
"That will not be necessary, but if you insist, I can help you with some tasks to do around the temple," Akira said kindly. Shiori's stomach decided on that moment to make her hunger known by rumbling loudly.
Akira looked surprised but then chuckled lightly as Shiori turned red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, little one. I'm not used to having many visitors. Follow me. I can show you around after we eat together." Akira said as he got up. Based on the position of the sun, which she saw when Akira entered the room, it should be too early for lunch.
"I'm sure I can wait. You don't have to eat early because of me. We can…" Shiori tried to say, but her stomach rumbled again.
Akira offered her his hand. "I think your stomach has already decided that for you." He said as he chuckled again. Shiori wanted to melt into the ground.
Akira guided him to the dining room, and he pointed out different rooms to her. Her room was in the guest area, which only had a few small rooms that shared a bathroom. Since there were no other guests, she could have the bathroom to herself.
Then there was the servant quarter, which she wasn't allowed to go to since privacy was vital in the temple. Akira's room was in a separate space from others where she wasn't allowed to since it was in a private area with essential documents and artifacts she wasn't privy to.
Most of the common areas were near each other. The dining room for guests was separate from the servants and staff. They ate in the room next to the kitchen, which she could visit for a snack at any time, but the guests and visitors ate in a separate room next to it.
There was a public library, where she could read anything she wanted, and some more rooms, which she wasn't that interested in.
During the meal, Akira explained things more to her. Since they were so isolated from the rest of the world, they had to be self-sufficient.
They had their own fields for growing most of their own crops, and once a month, someone more senior would go out to buy what they couldn't produce themselves. They also hunted animals in the forest and sold or traded their hides for goods.
But their most important trade was medicinal herbs. They had a huge greenhouse and produced many chakra-sensitive herbs and medicines. Unfortunately, she wasn't allowed to go in since the plants were chakra-sensitive and needed rigorous training before being allowed to go near them. However, she was allowed to read the notes and documents they had for training, and if she could pass the training, she could visit the greenhouse.
This immediately set a goal in her mind. Akira decided that, for now, her schedule could consist of training with him in the mornings and helping the servants afterward with tasks that would arise.
She was also told that she must always return to her room before sundown and not come out before the sun is out. She knew that this was a temple, so she accepted the rule without much complaint. In addition, there were a few more rules she had to follow, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Not making loud noises, not leaving messes, always being respectful, and so on. A strange one was that most servants were wearing face covers, and she wasn't allowed to talk to the ones who were wearing them. he said that it was due to religious practices.
So she was only allowed to talk to the few head servants who weren't wearing them. Shiori did not care much for the rules. They were easy enough to follow, and she had her own problems to focus on.
By the time she was familiar with everything, Akira had left her at the library at her request, with the promise to meet her for dinner. He was insistent that they should share all meals with each other.
Shiori put it to the fact that he was trying to be a good host and didn't argue with the sentiment. She busied herself in the library. Akira already told her that she could borrow any books or scrolls. She just needed to write down what she took in the records book so everyone knew who the books were with in case they needed it.
There was also an indexing book at the entrance where she could find information. She decided to look through the medical section. She saw a book about acupuncture that interested her.
She decided to check it out. She could always revisit the library for more books, so there was no point in checking out multiple books at a time if she didn't need to read them simultaneously.