"Welcome to the Country of the Eternal Hunt!" Rita exclaimed as the gates opened and their carriage drew inside.
Ishiaki marveled at the massive gates, feeling the overwhelmingne
ss of their size. He was fully briefed on the village and why the need for the massive walls and gates, but still, to be in their shade was a thing of awe.
Akane was high in the sky, being quite antisocial. Her stomach still had pains from eating those tablets too fast. She let the wind coast her over the wall, not yet feeling comfortable lowering herself.
"I'd love to make a puppet from one of those logs" Oita muttered to himself as he watched the tall wooden entrance getting closer and closer. There were a few marks on it... scars even, quite high up. He wondered what could have made marks like that....
Aside from the walls and monstrous beast Kami felt there seemed to be great similarities between this place and her home. She saw men and women working together with their neighbors and felt a small pain of homesickness. However, she was forced to stifle a laugh when Akane propelled herself over the wall.
Once the gates were opened entirely, the carriage resumed it's journey into the walled city. It stopped moving up reaching the town square, where Rita exited the carriage. Town guards immediately surrounded the man, saluting him clearly as a superior officer.
Ishiaki slid down from the top of the carriage and chuckled as Rita was swarmed, "I do believe the farce is over, m'lord." He stated, bowing his head to the man.
"Farce?" Oita asked carefully. Had he been right? It was only a little idea, something he'd cooked up when fighting, but he'd had no reason the mention it. It was time to see if he was right...
Kami was unsure what that word meant, but the way Oita had said it didn't sound very good.
Rita chuckled softly and nodded. "I do suppose it is, swordsman." He turned to look at the genin. "I am not just a diplomat, young ninjas." His eyes settled on Oita. "I do believe you had some thoughts on the matter, puppeteer?"
Ishiaki couldn't help but chuckle. He was eager to see what his students thought about this little surprise.
"Diplomats aren't usually the focus of such powerful attacks" Oita said slowly as he kept his gaze locked on Rita "I believe you are much higher status than you lead us to believe. I do not know... FULLY how important you are, I am not that intelligent, but for all these people to come meet you, that ferocious attack and the sheer determination of those people to claim your life... I'm guessing a ruler?"
Kami's eyes widened and she bowed before Rita. "Honorable Daimyo, please excuse us for our behavior on the mission."
Akane was still away from the group, sulking a bit from her upset stomach. After she had expelled a bit of gas buildup, she felt a little better, but the soreness was still there. She somewhat felt like Kami gave her that water on purpose, knowing the consequences. Lowering herself, she perched in the tree top near the group, not wanting to be here anymore.
"Indeed, you are correct. My name is not Rita, which was a charming play on words by your sensei. It essentially means hidden ruler." He smiled politely and inclined his head toward them. "My true name is Hantao Sentaku, and I am in fact the Daimyo of the Eternal Hunt."
Ishiaki stood back and allowed his highness to explain the situation, it was after all his idea to hide his identity for this mission
"Trust me, not many things would have changed if we had known your title" Oita said, bowing to Daimyo as well, but his seemed more out of necessity than actual respect. Still, it was difficult to see his expression through those glasses.
Akane stayed perched on an extending branch, keeping herself as light as a feather. She had her toes curled around the branch and her knees bend to keep herself low. She couldn't really hear what the group was talking about, then again- she didn't exactly care to pay attention.
"Is that so?" Hantao asked Oita with an arched eyebrow. "Would you have spoken so boldly along the journey had you known how influential an ear you had sitting with you?"
Kami felt a bit uncomfortable. She didn't know what all he and Oita had spoken about but Oita had an odd way about him and she could only guess what sort of things he may have said.
"I am a socially inept, emotionally stunted, hollow figure of a boy Daimyo, forgive my honesty, I don't see any reason to be anything but." Oita said with another small bow "I am what they call... an occupational hazard of working with puppets."
"So, Daimyo, how would you say they fared on their mission?" Ishiaki asked him, trying to save face by changing the subject. "You have arrived in a timely manner and in perfect health. I do believe those were the specifications you asked for from the Council?"
"Indeed, swordsman." Hantao told him with a polite nod. "They have truly performed to all of my specifications." He smiled and looked towards the gate. "Now, come my friends. Let us feast while we await the other test to come to an end."
Akane still could barely hear the group, but when they started to follow the transport, she dropped down and followed. She kept a distance not because of her stomach ache, but because of her frustration with everyone
Kami hung back a bit as the group started off again. She felt a bit bad about Akane's misfortune and wanted to ask if she were alright. Though she made sure not to sound as if she was concerned. "How do you feel?" She asked. "Discomfort, pains? We are going for food it seems, I have herbs to counteract your current situation. I would rather us not disgrace ourselves any more than we already have in front of the daimyo."
"The other team are on a mission? You must be expecting one of us to fail" Oita said as he walked along closed to the Daimyo, expecting him to lead towards the food "Though I wonder... which team had the tougher task..."
Akane gave Kami an odd look, "Disgrace ourselves, what are you talking about? We kicked ass."
"Not that." Kami told her. "The argument. I would prefer to save face in front of the Daimyo."
The Daimyo smirked, "I dare say that the other squad had the more difficult task. I chose one that was particularly impossible to achieve. They should return alive, but it is doubtful that they will succeed."
"The what now?" Akane asked, not having heard the passenger's confession earlier.
"I do not want to look like a fool in front of the daimyo." Kami hissed at her. "It would do us both well to at least pretend as if we do not hate one another."
"Oh is that how you really feel?" Akane asked, a bit offended. Did Kami really HATE her? Sure she annoyed the shit out of Akane, causing her to bitch and pout- but she never thought she hated Kami.
"Is that not how you feel?" Kami said stopping to look at Akane. "You belittle and judge me constantly and act as if I am a burden to you, when I had only ever tried to befriend you. I learned very shortly after joining this squad that you would rather have nothing to do with me."
"Well sorry I didn't pour myself into you." Akane said, a bit irritated that she would say that about her. "It gets a bit tiring to have to explain EVERY. SINGLE. THING. to you. ...about common household objects!"
"Such things are not common among my people." Kami said walking again. "We hold sacred the natural world. It does not excuse you to treat me as you do and I might add that you very nearly killed yourself with common food pellets. Something all ninja are accustomed to."
"Please- I come from a small village in the middle of the jungle. Don't sit there and tell me that I'm not close to nature, missy! I live among snakes six times your size. Not to mention- I nearly died from eating YOUR stupid food pellets!"
"That was your misfortune." Kami told her. "Everyone knows food pellets expand in your stomach. My village may not have indoor water, but we are smart enough not to kill ourselves with food!"
"We don't eat pellets! We don't need to... berries, nuts and meat hold us over just fine. It's why we meditate! Which have been interrupted numerous times by YOU!" Akane argued.
"I'm not even in the house most of the time!" Kami said rounding on Akane. "I unlike you have a job! I am in the greenhouse when you are home all day meditating. When I am not at my employment I am training. What is it that you do other than flit around on the wind whenever your not meditating?" The way Kami had said meditating made it sound as if she didn't believe that's what Akane was doing at all. "Oh, and one does not snore when they meditate..."
"You got that job this week! Don't act all high and mighty!" Akane said, poking a finger into her shoulder to push Kami back. A small gust spun around Akane's feet as her anger lifted. "What I do in my spare time is none of your business! Every aspect of what I eat, sleep and breath is ONLY because I want to be the best that I can be! And if that means beating your ass, then so be it!" she threatened.
"Interesting... Though with all these different minds coming together for this challenge it could accomplish some surprising results." Oita said thoughtfully before looking around "Excuse me for a moment will you?" He reached back into his pack and brought out a smoke pellet. He weighted it in his hands... he'd probably not hit them from here like this. He spun some chakara around the ball, whipped it like a catapult and shot it straight between Akane and Kami with deadly accuracy, sending out a cloud of white smoke around the two.
"You've a long way to go then if that is your goal." Kami said as white smoke rose up between them. Oita was trying to distract their attention. He was a good friend and Kami knew he didn't like it when they fought.
Akane's wind stirred up the smoke, but when she lost eye contact with Kami, she grit her teeth and stormed forward in a huff.
Kami had lost sight of Akane also and felt her plow into her. She stumbled back, shocked that Akane, for one wasn't sharp enough to deliver a comeback and two, had actually made physical contact. "Whyyou-" And she lunged, tackling Akane.
"Ah...dinner and a show!" Hantao declared as he watched the battle ensue, across the courtyard, between the two young ladies. He smiled and turned to Ishiaki, "Perhaps you should put a stop to this?"
"If I do, how will they settle their differences?" Ishiaki asked him curiously. "I have warned them of the consequences of such actions..." He sighed and shook his head. At the moment, they had yet to put any real threat behind their punches. The moment one of them attempted to use a jutsu, he would stop them.
"URK!" Akane grunted as she was tossed forward and forced onto the ground. "HEY!" she shouted, wrestling with Kami.
Kami had had enough of Akane and pulled back and punched, feeling Akane's face connect with her fist. Kami's wrist didn't like the action and she felt it twinge, that didn't stop her from trying to take Akane's head off.
Akane fell back against the ground from the hit, but dragged Kami down with by a handful of her hair.
Kami's ankles and wrists might not be as strong as a normal ninja's but she'd trained ferociously in taijutsu before learning she was a lightening type. She swung back when Akane grabbed her hair and lifted a knee to strike Akane in the side. She then scissored her legs around her shoulders and swung her down aiming another punch directly at Akane's big fat stuck up nose.
Akane opened her mouth and bit down onto Kami's thigh. In the same motion, she swung her legs up and tried to hold back her arms.
"AHH!" Kami shouted and lowered an elbow into the back of Akane's head, three times to try and make her let go.
Akane released on the second blow and planted her feet on the ground. Jerking her hips up, she flipped 180 and landed on her knees, still with Kami's legs around her shoulders. At least she had a better chance in this position. "Fuck off!" she shouted.
Kami arched her back, changing Akane's center of gravity and pulling her back with her with her knees clamped on ether side of Akane's head. She planted her palms on the ground and pivoted, bringing Akane up and flipping them both over so she slammed Akane into the ground behind them.
Akane got a face full of dirt, but she wasn't done yet. Planting her hands on Kami's legs, she forced them open, releasing her head from the thigh lock. Hurrying forward, Akane straddled Kami's lowerback while still gripping onto her legs behind her. Jerking forward, she forced Kami's legs up and around her, challenging her flexibility.
"Ahhrrr!" Kami groaned, she was pretty flexible, but Akane was stretching her muscles. She couldn't get out of the hold without a little extra help. She summoned her chakra and pushed from her lower body, hopefully knocking Akane off balance enough to break free.
Balance and grace were some of Akane's specialities, but it did her no good to be rolling around on the ground like this. Kami surely had the upper hand. With the shift in direction, she released her legs and moved to plant her toes on the ground to gather her barrings. It wasn't long before she shot herself at Kami for an attack.
Kami scrambled up, she almost didn't have tome to evade Akane's attack, but she used the momentum of her brushing by to help spin her around and land a foot square in Akane's back.
Better on her toes, Akane was able to loop an arm around Kami's leg during the kick, taking her off of her feet. As Akane was kicked forward, she whipped Kami with her, releasing her in another direction.
As Kami flew threw the air she landed on her toes and supported by her left hand. She felt a twinge in her ankle but darted forward, ignoring it. She'd always been fast and zipped towards Akane throwing a fury of punches and blocks directed at her face and stomach... though mostly at her face.
Akane felt sore all over. She wasn't good at hand to hand... at least not in this manner. Her bones were so brittle that the a punch too hard in the right spot could seriously injure her. Keeping her golden eye on Kami, she readied herself with an array of blocks and darts.
Not all of Kami's strikes landed but she was fast and managed to get another powerful right to Akane's jaw. Her wrist twinged again, but she tried to ignore it, relying on her slightly less powerful left now. She threw her feet into it also, careful not to let Akane sweep her legs.
Akane's only eye was blurred from the punch earlier. Already it had swollen up and allowed for an easy hit to the jaw. Akane flew back and hit against the ground. She skidded back, scrapping her head against the dry dirt before finally dropping.
"Yield!" Kami shouted at her. Her fists were clinched in front of her, ready to defend herself if Akane came for her again. The wraps of her right fist stained with a small bit of Akane's blood. Her top knot had been jerked out completely when Akane grabbed her by the hair and it hung down her back in a river of ebony. Her clothes were dusty and some of the stitching in her skirt had come apart. She looked like she;'d stepped out of a tornado, but there was a healthy dose of fight left in her eyes and shoulders.
Blunt force was definitely one of Akane's weaknesses. With bones as brittle and hollow as a bird's, she couldn't hold herself up after a blow like that. Her eyebrow was swollen and her nose was bleeding. Her stomach and hip burned as well from earlier blows. Even now as she laid there, her brow got more swollen, hurting her view even more. "Go die!" she cursed.
Kami wasn't a monster. She could see the damage she'd done to Akane. As far as she was concerned she'd already proved herself. She wasn't some witless savage to be barked at like a dog and she was certain Akane could see that now, but she wouldn't attack, not unless Akane made a move do so. Though she was putting up a strong front she'd be limping the rest of the day and she needed to ice her wrist. If she continued punching with that much force she could do lasting damage.
Seeing as the fight had clearly been put to an end, Ishiaki turned and darted over to the two young girls. He had his sword out and slipped it in between the two of them. "If anyone makes another move, I will put an end to it here and now. I hope you've finished proving yourselves both to be savages. This is not the way to behave before a Daimyo."
Akane rolled onto her side, slowly trying to get herself up. She stopped when she got to her knees, needing a moment. Refusing to make eye contact with Kami nor Ishiaki, she kept her gaze low. Her eyebrow was swollen and her nose and lip were bleeding a bit.
Oita was standing there with his hand over his eyes, beneath his glasses, rubbing the ache that was slowly developing there. "I would appologise for their behaviour, but that would mean that I have accepted them as someone I wish to be affiliated with" he said to the Daimyo as he stood next to him.
Kami turned her eyes on her sensei, a little angry that he'd just referred to her as a savage. Considering he'd said the same of Akane was of little consolation. She wanted to say that Akane had attacked her first, but there was no use in making any excuses. She bowed her head to Ishiaki and said "There is no excuse for my actions sensei." She told him. "I have dishonored myself by letting anger cloud my judgment."
Akane forced herself onto her feet. Her tongue slid out and lapped at the cut on her lower lip, cleaning the blood a bit. She could hear Kami sucking up to Ishiaki sensei and making her look bad...as usual.
"You both have done that." Ishiaki slowly sheathed his sword and 'looked' at the two of them. "I pray you are done with the dramatics for now? Daimyo Hantao may have enjoyed this little spectacle, but you have both injured yourselves now over nothing. What if we were to fall under attack now? How well do you truly believe the two of you would perform? I am still weak from earlier and have not the energy to dispel a major assault at the moment. It would fall entirely upon the shoulders of your teammate, Oita. Is that fair?"
Kami kept her head bowed, his words felt like tiny needles against the back of her neck. He was right, not only did she disgrace herself but she had made herself a liability. She still didn't believe that she had started the fight, but a small part of her, apart from the one that felt disgraced, was glad that she'd stopped it.
Akane placed a hand on her working eye, but flinched as she felt how sore it was. She had really taken that punch hard. Kami sure had an arm on her.
It was at this time, a small ruckus was beginning near the gates to the village. The other ninja squad had finally arrived. Their appearance was not what was causing such a stir, but rather what they brought with them.
Tsu was grinning, trotting along with a smile wide on her face. Oh how proud she was of her boys, the people here seemed to be happy at the very least. To a surprising degree actually.
Hantao rose from his seat elegantly and peered toward the gates. A broad smile crossed his face. "Ah! It appears that the other squad has just arrived. Marvelous!"
Akane rolled her eyes and tried to massage her swollen brow down a bit. As if getting punched out by Kami wasn't embarrassing enough- now she would have gawkers soon.
"And now" Oita sighed softly "More embarrassment for my team." He shook his head and closed his eyes, stroking his forehead slowly as he wished to disappear into a hole in the floor.
Hinji has waited for the rest of his team to arrive outside the gates. As he walked in, he had his bucket hanging on his staff over his shoulder. He looked around at the city and the walls, "Seems the sacred beasts don't hold much regard for those that hold them in such reverence."
"Perhaps that is why they are held in such regard?" Kano offered with a strange hint of insight on his part.
Akane was more beaten up than she had been from the ambush! This was so pathetic. Lifting her arm, Akane wiped her bloody lip with the crook of her arm.
"Still, if the creatures are such a threat to the city's safety it should be dealt with." Hinji said with little caring in his voice. It seemed the most logical thing to do to him.
Kami faded into the background behind her team. She peered between their shoulders, spotting Kano.
El had been the second to leave and the last to arrive. His bucket was less full than everyone else's from having sloshed a bit while he;d been running. When he reached the gate he placed the bucket down and dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.
Ishiaki turned to face the gates and smiled. It was true, the other team had returned safely. He wondered if they had completed their mission or if Hantao had been correct and they had failed as he assumed. He could only wager that none had ever accomplished what he had set out for them to do and that is why he was being so smug about their assured failure
"Not" Tsu interjected into Hinji and Kano's comments "if the animals kept them much safer from something else, Hinji. This land is ripe and fertile, many people would have tried to take over this place if it wasn't crawling with massive animals. Now" she held out her bucket "One of you carry this, I'm going to give El a hand."
Hinji took Tsu's bucket and placed it on the other end of his staff and put the staff across his shoulders, he then placed his arms around the staff to keep them steady.
Tsu vanished in a soft whirr, then arrived next to El, smiling and holding a hand out for him to take "Come on, they'll have comfy beds and some food hear. You've done enough for today."
El smiled weakly. "For that I am glad." he told her. "Perhaps there may be some pretty girls for which to play for."
Akane straightened up a bit, hoping she didn't look too bruised. She really should study up on some more hand to hand combat. Her crane-style needed improvement, that's for sure, even though she really didn't get to use it.
"You'll be the star of the show just for putting that thing to sleep, you'll be revered for your bedding prowess" Tsu gave him a small wink and picked up his bucket for him "Come on, almost there." She held a hand, waiting for El to take it and pull himself up.
El smiled at that and took her hand to stand. He didn;t mind going out on these missions, he didn't even mind playing till his fingers blistered. The only part he didn't like was the long distance running.
"Tha's my lad" Tsu chuckled, patting El on the shoulder gently and turning to march back into the compound, her cat ears bobbing on her hat.
Akane didn't really feel up to go to this festival... or whatever the hell is was. She wasn't hungry and her pride had been hurt. Akane just wanted to wander off and be alone for a while, perhaps meditate.
Ishiaki looked at Kami and Akane. "Go clean yourselves up. I don't care if you don't want to go to this feast or not, you will attend. And you will be hospitable. Is that understood." He wasn't really asking them, he was telling them.
Kami bowed. "Yes Sensei." And did exactly as he asked, looking for a place with running water where she could clear away the dust and slak her swore wrist and ankle.
"Yes sensei." Akane said, obvious resentment in her voice.
Kami tried very hard not to limp as she walked next to Akane.
Akane walked with Kami to the water fountain in the village without a word or glance to one another. Stepping around to the other side, Akane scooped up some water and splashed it onto her face. The coolness felt good on her swollen brow and cleaned dried blood from her lip.
Hinji spotted the two as they moved towards the village fountain. "There are a few of our classmates from the other team." He pointed at them so Kano could see them.
Oita waved to Hinji and Kano as they approached "Yes, yes there are two of them there. And one of them right here. We had our own mission." He sighed softly and looked over at his retreating team mates.
Tsu waved with one hand towards Ishiaki and the leaders of the Country as she walked alongside El "Ah! There we are my friends! We pulled it off Daimyo!" She grinned and swayed the bucket in the air, lucky it was half full "We have several buckets for you for your feast!"
<hr.
El felt a little guilty at having lost some of his milk, ut there was at least half a bucket full...
Kami splashed water into her face and onto her arms to get rid of the dust and dirt she;d picked up when they were rolling around. The water was cold and inviting. She poured some over her sore ankle and dipped her right hand in, cursing the weakness of her underdeveloped limbs.
Kano looked at Oita in surprise. "From the same people? That's a bit strange. What did you guys have to do?"
Ishiaki could help but smile smugly as Tsu exclaimed they had the milk. That was sure to shock all of the residents here.
The Daimyo nearly fell from his chair when the small leader of the second squad proclaimed success. Success! Inconceivable! He coughed lightly and put on a smile before opening his arms and cheerfully responding. "Wonderful! Come bring it here so that we may revel in the Essence of the Sacred Beast!"
"We had to protect the leader of this place from a massive attack" Oita said, sounding a bit proud of himself "We must have defeated a hundred attackers to get here. My team mates are a bit... roughed up however." Just a little white lie.
"Alright, you heard the man boys!" Tsu called out to her squad, hoping they were paying attention "Lets take the milk to the feast! It'll be the toast of the town."
"Dude all we had to do was get some milk." Kano replied, down playing how difficult it really was. When Tsu called, he looked up. "Well, duty calls and all that man. So what kind of feast are we talking about here anyway?" He asked of no one in particular as he started heading toward the Daimyo's table
Hinji nodded to Oita as they departed and moved over to where their sensei stood. "What other kinds of feasts are there? It will be a large gathering of the town's inhabitants with large amounts of food and drink."
Kano looked over at Hinji with a look of sheer doubt. "One does not throw a feast just for visiting ninjas. No, a feast is thrown with a reason behind it. In my village, we held 4 feasts per year, and that was it. One for each of the seasons." He explained as they walked. "A feast is a form of celebration where I come from, much like a carnival or festival."
"Where I am from we refer to them as a fiesta." El commented. "And after, sleep, which is called a siesta... Both go well together."
When she was finished cleaning herself up, Akane stepped away from the fountain, sending Kami a death glare before turning her back and going nearer to the group.
Kami returned her glare as Akane left. She let her foot and wrist sumberge now that the wind rider was gone. It eased the swelling and the pain she was currently experiencing.
"Are you done?" Oita said as Akane came close, not frowning, not actually sounding cross; he just seemed to ask her. His glasses shone in the sun as he looked up at her, reflecting the sunlight off of the thick glass straight at Akane.
"Piss off Oita." Akane said, obviously upset as she stormed past him. She didn't usually lash out at Oita like this, but being beaten by Kami was an overwhelming blow to her ego, not to mention her face, shoulder and stomach.
Kami's eyes widened when she unwrapped her foot and saw that already a black and purple bruise was beginning to swell her foot... curse her weak joints. She wrapped it again and looked at her writs, which felt like blazes, but looked fine. She wrapped this again too and stood, trying very hard not to limp as she rejoined the others.
"and you, are you done?" Oita asked Kami as she came over to them, using the same emotionless, dead pan voice that only someone who has gone long periods of time without talking to people can pull off. He showed no anger, no betrayal, he was just speaking.
"Well that fact that they are going to use the milk for the feast shows that it is not for us. It is probably some highly sacred event that happens yearly." Hinji said, adding to his answer to Kano. "I think everyone sleeps after a feast, El. Especially if one eats enough."
Kami didn't answer Oita. She sat and placed her hands in her lap, trying her very best to remain emotionless. After all, Akane had attacked her first.
Hantao smiled as the ninjas brought forth not one, but four buckets of milk from the boar. He clasped his hand in front of his chest and beamed down at them from his position upon the throne. "Well done! Well done!"
Ishiaki watched the others carefully, it would be interesting to see how they react to the news that Hantao was being quite careful to not reveal.
"So the others got to see a battle, and we milked a gigantic boar...it doesn't seem fair." Kano told his teammates, quieting himself as the Daimyo spoke.
"Here you are" Tsu said happily, walking up to the throne holding her own bucket, standing to attention right in front of Hantao "We milked the great boar as requested. Are four pales enough? I'm afraid that is all I thought wise to take."
El slipped into the seat by Hinji and Kano and sighed with fatigue. He wasn't nearly as smart or as strong of ether of them and he'd wasted half his bucket of milk on the run over. Tsu sensei had bade him feel better, but he still felt like a wretch for being the worst ninja in their group.
Hantao could not hide his enthusiasm. "More than enough, truly. And the boar is unharmed, I trust?" He asked her, his eyebrow arching up carefully. The sacred boar was the symbol of their nation
"Annoyed, maybe a bit dirty, but unharmed." Tsu reassured "It was our first priority, do not harm the boar. But thanks to our team work and some skill we managed to pull it off."
"That is good to hear." Hantao told her with a smile and nod. "To be honest, this mission was a test to see simply how well you could follow orders. Never before has anyone managed to milk the Sacred Boar. We do not even know if it's milk is edible."
"Well..." Tsu said, wondering what they were now going to do with four buckets of sacred Boar milk "Where would you like us to put it?" She looked around at the others, four buckets of possibly inedible milk, such a weird test.
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