Scenario: The Bamboo Forest Encounter

Setting: A tranquil pond deep within a bamboo forest, far from the White Lotus Clan home.

---

Mai stood in her father's study, her fists clenched with frustration. The scroll in her hand detailed the latest atrocity by the Black Widow Clan—a village attacked, few survivors.

"Father, we must retaliate," Mai urged, her voice steady but fierce.

Her father, the Master of the White Lotus Clan, looked at her with sternness. "Mai, we must be wise. Our clan’s survival depends on strategy, not revenge."

"Strategy? While innocent people suffer and die?" she argued.

"Yes," her father replied calmly. "We must think before we act."

Frustration boiling over, Mai stormed out of the study. She needed to clear her mind. She ran through the compound, her long dark hair streaming behind her, darting into the bamboo forest. She moved swiftly, driven by the need to escape.

Finally, she came upon a secluded pond, its surface reflecting the pale evening light. She collapsed at the water’s edge, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The stillness of the pond calmed her, and she mumbled to herself, voicing her frustrations.

"Why can’t he see? Why doesn’t he understand?"

A movement on the other side of the pond caught her eye. Startled, she looked up to see another figure—a ninja—sitting by the water’s edge. For a moment, they stared at each other, the silence stretching between them.

Mai studied him cautiously. He had sharp, angular features and dark eyes that mirrored her own intensity. His presence was unexpected, yet strangely calming.

Breaking the silence, Mai decided to speak. "Tough night?"