Who are you?

Part 9

She tried to calm her racing heart, pulling back all her senses. If she lost control even for a second and let her emotions run wild, her chakra would fluctuate, and she would be found out.

She used her training to hold her chakra tightly, not daring to move a muscle at the same time. She took deep breaths slowly, worried about making a noise.

The man was wearing a hood that covered his face and body, so she couldn't tell anything about his appearance. He walked around a bit before settling down in the clearing.

He seemed to be meditating, which made it extremely dangerous for her. She hoped he wasn't a sensor. Her seals should be able to hide her presence, but if he was a strong sensor, she would be exposed.

She focused on keeping her presence small. Blending in with nature, she wasn't about to solely trust the seal. A few more minutes and nothing happened. She didn't let her guard down.

Something strange was going on. She didn't dare use her sensing but she could tell something was wrong. Half an hour later, the man rose to his feet. He dusted his robes and headed deeper into the woods.

She didn't dare follow. She had no idea of how sharp his senses were, and she wasn't about to find out. She used her binoculars to follow him as far as she could. He seemed to be hunting.

He was clearly a warrior, but she wasn't sure if he was a shinobi. His movements weren't like a shinobi. He also pulled a bow and arrow out of his hood.

She lost sight of him after a while, but she waited. He came back a few hours later from the same direction. He was carrying two rabbits with clear arrow marks on them.

He headed inside the cave and didn't come out again.

She kept the same routine the next days. Like clockwork, the man would get out, meditate, hunt, and go back. Once, he had a bag and shovel with him. he dug a deep hole at the edge of the clearing and dumped the contents out.

It was the unedible parts of animals he had hunted. He buried them deep and covered the hole again before meditating. It was the same routine again.

Shiori used the routine to her advantage. She spent the part of the day she was free to treat the villagers. It was good to increase her savings a bit. She was also listening to her patients and their stories to see if there was anything else to be aware of.

But today, it was time to act. When she was sure the man was gone, she sneaked into the cave from the same entrance as before. No need to risk a new path and hidden dangers.

The woman was in the same position she was at the last time. Shiori made her presence known.

"It's you again." She said, looking surprised.

"I promised I would come back, didn't I?" Shiori said with an innocent voice.

"But why?" She asked. Sounding so sad.

"I want to help people," Shiori said with a smile. The woman looked taken aback.

"You can't help me, child." The woman said. Her voice was lowered to a whisper.

"Why is that. You are just in a cage. I'm sure there's a way to break the lockdown." She said, looking around the cage for a lock or way to open it.

"No. There is no way, I'm afraid. I've been trapped here for years. He wouldn't let me leave." She said. Her voice was shaking with unshed tears.

"Can you tell me more?" Shiori said as she sat a little distance away from the cage. There was something about her voice. It had a musical tone to it, like a soft melody.