Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Danzo: You Are Both a Gift and a Calamity
[Konoha News, August 3rd, Konoha Time:]
[On behalf of the Hokage Building, Konoha News issues the following statement on August 3rd, Year 51:]
[Konoha's military operations against Kusagakure and Takigakure have been a complete success! The plots of a small group of scheming conspirators have been thwarted, Konoha's dignity has been upheld, and the safety of Konoha's ninjas has been ensured...]
[Additionally, high-ranking Kumogakure officer, Jōnin Yugito Nii, has declared her defection from Kumogakure to join Konoha, officially becoming a "Kumo Defector." She aims to contribute her strength to the peace of the ninja world that Konoha pursues.]
[We promise to provide protection to "Kumo Defector Yugito Nii." At the same time, Konoha welcomes all ninjas who have been persecuted in other villages, who wish to contribute to the peace of the ninja world, and who sincerely want to join Konoha...]
The ninja world is ever-changing; the situation is always in flux.
Yesterday, the focus in the ninja world was on Konoha's crusade against Kusagakure and Takigakure. Today, no one pays attention to that outdated information, turning instead to the news of Yugito Nii's defection.
Ninja villages with slightly better intelligence networks all know who Yugito Nii is.
One of Kumogakure's two Jinchūriki, a ninja known as a hero of Kumogakure, has openly declared her betrayal?
Yugito Nii publicly appeared in front of the Hokage Building, announcing to the villagers of Konoha her departure from Kumogakure and officially joining Konoha to fight for the Will of Fire.
The situation suddenly became subtle and ambiguous.
Kumogakure had no response, seemingly choosing to ignore Yugito Nii, their former Jinchūriki. Among the people of Konoha, there were two completely opposite attitudes toward Yugito Nii's arrival.
One faction believed she was a spy sent by Kumogakure as part of a ruse; the other believed that Konoha, being a tolerant village, could fully accept ninjas from other villages who genuinely wished to reform.
However, how could the trivial public opinion of Konoha's commoners affect Lord Gojo in the slightest?
With a wave of his hand, he assigned Yugito Nii to his own guard unit.
When Yugito Nii saw the masked kunoichi who had always been by Gojo Kaigetsu's side remove her mask, she was shocked!
"You are... Pakura of Sunagakure?!"
Pakura nodded with a complex expression. "It's me."
Well then, now the once-heroic kunoichi from various villages had gathered around Gojo Kaigetsu. The last bit of unease in Yugito Nii's heart dissipated upon seeing this.
See!
She wasn't the only one; even Pakura had done it!
"Why even you..." Yugito Nii was puzzled. She had left Kumogakure for higher ideals and her own ninja way, but what about Pakura? Was it for the same reason?
Within Kumogakure's internal intelligence, Pakura had always been highly regarded.
The elder patriarch had even publicly declared that Kumogakure ninjas should emulate Pakura, and the training direction for the Anbu's "loyalty" should align with hers.
Some time ago, Pakura's sudden disappearance had drawn the attention of various intelligence departments. Ultimately, Kumogakure's Anbu concluded that Pakura had probably been killed by Konoha ninjas...
But now, such a kunoichi, stamped with a stereotype of unwavering loyalty in the ninja world, had appeared before her in such a fantastical way.
Moreover, from some subtle expressions and actions... Pakura and Gojo Kaigetsu seemed to have an inexplicable ambiguity.
Could it be... because of love?
"Pakura's situation isn't much different from yours~" Gojo Kaigetsu casually explained. "She was used by her village as a pawn to eliminate hatred between Konoha and Sunagakure, sent to Konoha to die voluntarily. However, Pakura did so willingly."
"I saw her resolve to sacrifice herself for peace... Peace shouldn't come at the cost of a hero's bones, so I took her in this way."
"Compared to Pakura, Yugito Nii, you're fortunate. At least you're still an active, living person in the ninja world, not a ghost wandering in Konoha."
So, she was also a pitiable person abandoned by her village.
As a ninja, such loyalty was beyond reproach.
"What a twisted ninja world..."
"Fighting for their village all their lives, only to be ruthlessly abandoned when necessary... The more of a hero one is to a village, the more tragic their abandonment."
Yugito Nii couldn't help but clench her fists, her gaze toward Pakura filled with sympathy and respect.
Her eyes reddened slightly.
Last night, Yugito Nii had thought she could be considered great, but she hadn't expected that there were even greater individuals beside Gojo Kaigetsu!
On this path to lighting up the ninja world, she was not alone!
The tragedies they faced in their respective villages could no longer be changed, but how they walked their future path was in their own hands; the road ahead lay beneath their feet! By dedicating themselves to Konoha and under the illumination of the Will of Fire...
Even now, the war declaration of Gojo Kaigetsu still echoed in Yugito Nii's ears, surrounding her in a three-dimensional, all-encompassing sound that almost drowned her, constantly reshaping her ninja way.
Though the weather was mild, a warm current continuously surged into her heart: "Is this the Will of Fire..."
"Since you'll be colleagues from now on, you should address each other as sisters."
"?"
"Ahem, enough idle talk. Put on your uniforms and masks. From now on, you'll be my personal elite guards."
"Let's go. There's still a lot of important matters to handle today."
And so, one man and two women set out.
Followed by two tall kunoichi in special uniforms as bodyguards, Gojo Kaigetsu's walking posture became more swaggering, his body swaying back and forth, exuding an air of "The world is big, but Konoha is the biggest."
Last night, he had only roughly handled some issues.
Today, there were still significant tasks awaiting—rebuilding the Uzumaki clan, researching Hidan, and dealing with the disloyal Danzo~
Gojo Kaigetsu led the two to a safe house on the outskirts of Konoha.
"This place is...?"
"This is Konoha's Forbidden Research Lab. Once you pass through this door, forget everything inside."
"Understood!"
Yugito Nii and Pakura responded in unison.
"Gojo Kaigetsu didn't lie to me; Konoha has truly accepted me."
Another warm current flowed into Yugito Nii's heart. This was the Will of Fire; this was... the feeling of being trusted.
Even though it was only her first day defecting, there were no expected loyalty tests; instead, Gojo Kaigetsu directly brought her to Konoha's research lab. If she harbored any ill intentions, the research could be destroyed or leaked...
Yugito Nii resolved to offer her heart to such a Gojo Kaigetsu and Konoha until peace was achieved in the ninja world!
Leading the two women to the final door, Gojo Kaigetsu instructed, "It might be a bit messy inside, so I won't bring you in."
"However, your permissions have been registered. If any emergencies occur, come in directly to find me."
After the instructions, Gojo Kaigetsu pushed open the door and entered.
Oh, inside were all familiar faces.
Obito Uchiha, Hidan, and Orochimaru dressed in a professional researcher's uniform.
Gojo Kaigetsu casually greeted, "Orochimaru-senpai, how do you feel about working in the research lab?"
Upon hearing Gojo Kaigetsu's voice, Orochimaru didn't even lift his head.
Wielding a scalpel, his eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge, scanning Hidan like he was gazing at a treasure trove. Behind him was Obito Uchiha, entirely bound like a mummy, his head drooping as he had clearly fallen unconscious.
Poor child; who knows what Orochimaru had done to him.
Even with Hashirama cells and White Zetsu cells, he had fainted.
"Ah, it's... absolutely wonderful." Orochimaru licked his lips like a child who had found a new toy.
Orochimaru used to be an atheist... but after experiencing the Six Paths Sage granting him nine Holy Grails, Gojo Kaigetsu brought him to the underground lab, and since then, his ninja way had been shaken!
The experimental projects he had been painstakingly pursuing already had living examples in the ninja world.
This... was the guidance given to him by the Six Paths Sage and Hashirama Senju!
He was on an incredibly correct path!
Look at Obito Uchiha! He's practically a miracle of ninja science!
The feasibility of Wood Release human experimentation, the miraculous White Zetsu cells, the chakra of the Mangekyō Sharingan... Everything made Orochimaru ecstatic.
For the first time, Orochimaru felt that even if his arms were sealed and he could no longer be a ninja, it didn't matter.
To explore the pinnacle of ninja science according to the guidance of the Six Paths Sage was such a beautiful thing!
And before he could fully enjoy it for two days, Gojo Kaigetsu brought him an even bigger surprise—the immortal Hidan.
Yes, someone who couldn't be killed!
Even if his heart was destroyed and his annoying head was severed, he was still lively, completely overturning Orochimaru's understanding of a ninja's vitality. The only drawback was that he lacked an auto-recovery function, requiring external help to reattach his body parts.
But that was already enough; it opened the door to a new world for Orochimaru.
The Wood Release human experiments that had yielded no progress and the path to immortality that seemed endless now showed a direction within a few days.
"Ah~ Praise the Six Paths Sage!"
"How is the research progressing?" Gojo Kaigetsu approached the gagged Hidan and inquired.
"This guy... has a very peculiar chakra in his body. According to him, it's a gift from the 'Evil God.'"
"But if there is a god in this world, it would only be the Six Paths Sage. The so-called Evil God is probably a variant of Senjutsu chakra similar to that from Ryūchi Cave."
"Orochimaru, do you even listen to yourself?" Gojo Kaigetsu thought wryly. Indeed, when an extreme ninja's path changes, they can go to another extreme entirely.
In such a short time, he'd become a devout follower of the Six Paths Sage.
"Senjutsu chakra?"
Orochimaru nodded. "Just as combining elemental nature transformations can produce Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta, the strange chakra in Hidan's body is likely a variant of Senjutsu chakra."
"Plus, he underwent extreme bodily modifications by the 'Cult of Jashin,' which led to his immortal body."
"But regarding this so-called Cult of Jashin, Konoha has no records, and even local accounts in Takigakure are just oral legends."
"It's hard to say whether this organization is a delusion of the madman Hidan."
"Through repeated experiments, when I extracted the Jashin chakra from Hidan and injected it into mice, I couldn't achieve the effect of immortality."
"However, when I inflicted damage on Hidan, the injuries were synchronized onto the mice."
Orochimaru pointed to a small white lab mouse nearby. It was somewhat regrettable that Gojo Kaigetsu had forbidden him from using Konoha people for human experiments; mice were barely acceptable but might yield different results compared to humans.
"It can be said that even if a variant of Senjutsu chakra can grant a ninja the possibility of immortality, enduring such bodily modifications... Hidan himself is one in a million."
At this point, Orochimaru's tone carried some regret.
If it were easy to use this mutant chakra by injecting it into ninjas to achieve immortality and create an army of immortal ninjas...
Even if only temporarily effective, relying on sheer numbers, they could level the ninja world in half a month.
No matter how powerful the Lightning Chakra Mode is, it would be useless against immortal ninjas; once their chakra is exhausted, they could be easily finished off with a kunai.
Unfortunately, the conditions were too stringent.
Orochimaru tested a hundred lab mice in succession, and without exception, they all died instantly.
After listening, Gojo Kaigetsu acknowledged the findings. Perhaps this explained why Hidan could exchange his life for another's—the Jashin chakra binds both parties, and if one side can't withstand the chakra's invasion, it leads to death...
Very scientific in the ninja sense.
"Now, I can only try to study this Jashin chakra to explore the secrets of immortality," Orochimaru said somewhat regretfully.
The Six Paths Sage spared his life, guiding him to live on and conduct research for Konoha to atone for his past sins.
Otherwise... with his mad scientist nature, he might have directly extracted the chakra from Hidan's body and injected it into himself.
Gojo Kaigetsu looked oddly at Hidan, who had been shaved bald and had his mouth sewn shut. His expression grew increasingly peculiar... This look was somewhat reminiscent of the protagonist in the last movie he watched before crossing over, "Deadpool."
"Ahem!"
Gojo Kaigetsu, always one to turn imagination into reality, immediately shared his idea with Orochimaru:
"Orochimaru-senpai, is there a possibility..."
"What is it?"
"Instead of transferring his immortal ability to others, we transfer others' abilities to him?"
Gojo Kaigetsu pointed at Hidan. "He can adapt to even Jashin chakra; perhaps he can also withstand other Kekkei Genkai?"
"As long as he can't die, we can modify him to death~"
"Even if there's a risk of losing control after successful modification, we can solve it with the Sharingan's genjutsu..."
Hiss—
Orochimaru gasped, as if a new world had opened up to him.
His thinking had been too conservative.
In terms of ninja science, Kekkei Genkai are essentially cellular mutations.
Why is the success rate of Hashirama cell experiments so low? It's because Hashirama's vitality is too strong; even after death, his cells remain active, assimilating and transforming other cells.
This explains why Madara Uchiha developed such a large face on his chest.
Everything has a reason.
Looking at Hidan again, Orochimaru's gaze changed.
Then... what if we transplant Hashirama cells into Hidan's body? And the Sharingan, White Zetsu cells, other Kekkei Genkai ninja cells—could we mix them all into Hidan like a hodgepodge?
Their conversation wasn't concealed at all; every word fell into Hidan's ears.
This young man who feared nothing and had a foul mouth seemed to feel fear for the first time. With his mouth sealed, he let out muffled cries and struggled desperately.
An immortal body.
It's both a blessing and a curse; he might not die, but he can still feel pain...
But as an experimental subject, Hidan clearly had no human rights. Soon, Orochimaru, brimming with enthusiasm, held a large syringe and plunged it into Hidan's arm.
Hashirama cells, activate—!
Air was expelled from the syringe, and Hidan's eyes rolled back, revealing empty whites. His body convulsed wildly like someone being electrocuted.
Gojo Kaigetsu watched Hidan intently, hoping for a miracle.
From a ninja's perspective, Hidan's strength wasn't overwhelmingly powerful; it was as if Kishimoto couldn't handle the plot and gave him too many inexplicable abilities.
Even if his body was blown to bits by hundreds of explosive tags and buried under rocks, he wouldn't die.
What is the "Evil God"? There's still no answer...
For someone so foul-mouthed and morally ambiguous, a pure embodiment of chaos, Gojo Kaigetsu considered him an experimental material.
Using a bug to break the game balance—nothing he liked more.
After a while, Hidan's body stopped convulsing.
They saw that the wounds deliberately made on his body for control experiments were healing at a visible rate. However, no large face of Hashirama appeared on his chest, nor were there signs of awakening Wood Release.
"Did it fail?" Orochimaru murmured subconsciously.
However, Gojo Kaigetsu remained silent.
Through his brilliant Six Eyes, he had already seen the emergence of Wood Release chakra within Hidan's body. Although extremely weak, it indeed existed.
His anxious heart finally settled, and a smile couldn't help but form at the corner of his mouth.
A monster belonging to Konoha had been created by his own hands.
Just as planned—!
Gojo Kaigetsu turned around and waved his hand:
"For the remaining experiments, Orochimaru-senpai, you handle them as you see fit. Follow the established plan to tap into Hidan's potential."
"Also, pay attention to Obito Uchiha's physical condition. In a few days, I'll bring his other eye."
"Konoha needs the presence of a third Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Understood."
After Gojo Kaigetsu left, Orochimaru stared intently at the data from the experimental instruments connected to Hidan's body. Suddenly, his expression became somewhat astonished, his pupils dilating.
Incredulously, he exclaimed:
"It actually... succeeded?!"
"Although the traces of Wood Release chakra are extremely weak, possibly even less potent than regular elemental jutsu, it has indeed appeared within Hidan."
"The Hashirama cells are eroding Hidan's body, but the Jashin chakra within him is constantly repairing it... The two forces are in a stalemate."
A miracle!
This was a miracle in ninja science!
Orochimaru's frenzied laughter echoed in the underground lab as he looked up at the white lights above.
"It must be the Six Paths Sage! It's the will of the Six Paths Sage~ It's He who is guiding my path forward! Such a monster has actually been created!"
Having or not having, strong or weak—these are entirely different levels.
Although the Wood Release chakra within Hidan was extremely weak and minimal, he indeed possessed Wood Release chakra and had some characteristics of Wood Release.
His body's regenerative abilities were enhanced, his total chakra was increasing... How many ninjas spent their entire lives unable to break through such limitations?
Moreover, if he could master Wood Release, then other elemental chakras should also be possible!
"The Sharingan... What if it's the Sharingan? Or perhaps, adding a Byakugan." Orochimaru boldly hypothesized: "A modified Hidan could become a war tool rivaling the Kage level."
Examples of transplanting the Sharingan into non-Uchiha are rare; for this, Orochimaru had been quietly observing Kakashi.
The rejection phenomenon of the Sharingan is obvious; non-Uchiha users consume several times more chakra, which is why Kakashi rarely activates the tomoe.
But... if Hidan, with a body enhanced by Wood Release, were to have the Sharingan transplanted, he could handle such consumption.
"Moreover, as Gojo Kaigetsu mentioned... the relationship between Wood Release and the Sharingan isn't as simple as one plus one equals two. Obito Uchiha is a living example."
"Apart from being used as a killing machine... he could also serve as a cultivation vessel. I just don't know his limits."
Orochimaru's gaze toward Hidan was filled with greed.
The reformed Orochimaru wasn't craving Hidan's body for immortality anymore; purely from Konoha's standpoint, such a Hidan could provide a steady supply of powerful Sharingan~
"Have Gojo Kaigetsu bring more Kekkei Genkai from outside."
"Ice Release, Crystal Release, Lava Release, Boil Release, Scorch Release, Storm Release..."
Orochimaru's voice, like someone reciting a menu, echoed in the underground lab for a long time.
❁❁❁❁
Shimura Danzo was still on his way back, riding his ninja horse.
Given his physical ability, a day and a half was enough for him to return to the village from Kirigakure.
But the natives of Kirigakure were eyeing the islands under Konoha's control. To maintain Konoha's overseas interests, Danzo had arranged everything, leaving most of Root's forces at the Kirigakure base.
He himself led his ten most trusted Root jōnin back to the village.
Not stopping for a moment.
During this time, news of Konoha's victory over Kusagakure and Takigakure, Fugaku Uchiha awakening Susanoo and successfully bringing back a survivor of the Uzumaki clan, and other such information reached his ears.
Shimura Danzo understood that the tide had turned.
He and the Uchiha clan were like two sides of the same coin in Konoha Village. When one side appeared in the ninja world, the other was bound to be hidden away until swept into the trash bin of the ninja world and completely forgotten.
When he was in power, he stirred up the ninja world with one hand, earning the title "The Darkness of the Shinobi." He became a nightmare in the hearts of countless ninjas, pressing Fugaku Uchiha into being a low-key police force chief in Konoha Village.
Now, he had lost his influence.
Fugaku Uchiha awakened the legendary Susanoo, slayed the Two-Tails, became famous in the ninja world, and his achievements overshadowed the Sannin... In this Konoha and even the entire ninja world, there would no longer be a place for him, "The Darkness of the Shinobi."
Moreover, in one day, he received four Hokage decrees from Minato Namikaze...
Gazing at the flickering campfire before him, Shimura Danzo's eyes were deep and profound.
This was a one-way road with no turning back. As the leader of Root, everything he did was unspeakable. This was an unspoken understanding in Konoha, perhaps also the reason why Hiruzen and the Fourth Hokage dared to use him all along.
After all, if the Hokage really wanted to investigate, he could grasp evidence against him at any time, and with such evidence, he could strip him of power whenever he wanted.
He was Konoha's solitary Root!
Being so urgently summoned back—even if he didn't die, he would be stripped of all political power in Konoha, imprisoned for life in the Police Force's jail.
He could roughly guess the thoughts of Gojo Kaigetsu and Minato Namikaze. Considering their actions in rescuing the Uzumaki survivor at all costs, Konoha's F2 wanted to use his life, Danzo's, to demonstrate a political stance to the ninja world...
"In the branches of the new era, there's no place for me, Shimura Danzo."
"The Fourth Hokage wants to use me as a sacrificial banner."
Danzo could easily run away. With his prestige, many outside villages wanted to kill him, but many also wanted to employ him.
After all, he was a ninja who had survived the chaotic times.
But he would never choose to defect; he had selfish desires, wanted to become Hokage, wanted to imbue the Will of Fire with new era characteristics, but his loyalty to Konoha was absolute.
"Then... should I obediently go back to face judgment, have my ninja abilities stripped, and be locked up like a wretched worm in the jail of my arch-enemy, the Uchiha's Police Force?"
Given the merits he had earned for Konoha and his relationship with Hiruzen, Danzo felt he probably wouldn't die—at most, life imprisonment.
But thinking that the Police Force was originally established by their teacher to leash the Uchiha, and now he would be imprisoned there... Danzo felt utterly disgusted.
"I will die as a ninja in battle."
"Hiruzen, should I kill you?"
This was the point Danzo pondered before the campfire.
He would rather die in battle with his gradually aging body than be locked up in the Uchiha's cage. Then the final choice was—"Operation Purge the Kage."
Leading ten trusted Root ninjas, he would launch an operation named "Purge the Kage."
Let his close friend Hiruzen Sarutobi come to stop him. In the end, the remnants of the old era would both die in battle, becoming nourishment for Konoha, allowing the new leaves to grow strong.
It wouldn't impact Konoha at all, yet both would die for their ninja way... This was the best ending.
"Hiruzen... Stripped of all power, you must also be waiting for an opportunity to die in battle, right?"
"If it's you, you wouldn't want to watch your body age until death; you also crave a chance to defend the honor of the 'Professor of Shinobi,' right?"
"I understand; I understand all your thoughts, Hiruzen."
"After fighting for half a lifetime, let me send you off with one final glory!"
"Hiruzen, you are both my gift and my calamity..."
The flickering firelight cast Danzo Shimura's old face into an increasingly frenzied expression.
Until—
"Who's there?!"
Thud!
A Root ninja guarding Danzo suddenly collapsed silently to the ground.
Danzo's eyes narrowed as he slowly stood up, speaking in a deep voice, "Who's there!"
Could it be someone sent by the Fourth Hokage to assassinate him halfway? No... Probably not. If he returned to the village tomorrow, they could rightfully judge him; there was no need to take such a risk, violating Konoha's laws to assassinate him halfway.
Why bear such infamy? For what?
Then... who could it be?
They were already within the borders of the Land of Fire. Which faction could infiltrate here and precisely execute a mission to assassinate him, Shimura Danzo?
Was it the brutes from Kumogakure?
Because of their defeat on the front lines, were they so eager to regain face by targeting a Konoha elder?
"If that's the case, they've really underestimated me~ It's laughable that after not taking action for so long, people think they can use me as a tool to regain face..."
"No matter who you are, you've chosen the path of death!"
"Heh... No need to be so tense, Lord Danzo of Konoha." From the shadows, a being wrapped in two large leaves slowly emerged, hands raised in front of his chest to show he meant no harm.
"I'm a good person, here to deliver information. It's just that the information is too confidential and not suitable for a third person to hear, so I killed the unnecessary person."
A good person? Information? And that strange attire...
Danzo gripped his shuriken tighter, not letting his guard down in the slightest.
"I'm here to warn you that if you return to the village now, you might be killed~ Even your former collaborator, Orochimaru, has disappeared without a trace; everything related to you is being quietly erased by Konoha."
"But if you don't return, you'll be labeled a traitor by Konoha and hunted throughout the ninja world. I think you must be troubled by this. Don't worry; I can help you."
Black Zetsu extended his hand toward Danzo: "So, are you interested in joining our organization? We can help you continue to accumulate power until you're strong enough to return to Konoha and stir things up."
"Retaliating against the village that betrayed you—that's thrilling just to think about, isn't it?"
Black Zetsu was internally frustrated!
First, Orochimaru disappeared; then he went to the Land of Rice Fields and back to Konoha, and Orochimaru was gone~
One after another, as if they were the most arrogant beings, declaring victory and refusing Black Zetsu's help. And then?
They turned around and vanished without a trace... It's really infuriating!
An angry Black Zetsu decided not to hold back anymore, giving up on these unreliable losers. He activated all his clones to search the world for suitable power... In just three days, the harvest was significant.
Although Fugaku Uchiha awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and could use the third form of Susanoo, which wasn't bad.
But Black Zetsu believed that compared to his own gains, Susanoo was still slightly inferior.
First, intercepting Danzo Shimura halfway.
This guy, ordered back by Konoha, if told that returning meant death, should surely submit to the organization and become a force to capture Tailed Beasts, right?
If Danzo joined, his effectiveness wouldn't be worse than that useless Orochimaru!
However—
"You're dreaming!" Danzo sneered, forming a seal with his hands, his face mocking: "Who do you think I am? The Root of the ninja world, the Root of Konoha! A man who has guarded Konoha from the shadows all his life, and you want me to become a traitor?"
"I don't even have the interest to infiltrate your organization as a spy."
"Next, I'll break your limbs, seal your chakra, take you back to Konoha, and extract information from you bit by bit."
"I want to see which faction is secretly targeting Konoha."
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere—!"
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