Mirror of Beyond: part I: Sand
The young blonde woman tapped on the door to the Kazekage's office. As the head of the Sand Village, the Kazekage was always very busy and usually very tired. She could just walk in, but she always liked to knock to make sure he wasn't seeing someone important, or so she could give him time to quickly get back to work if he was staring into space. He was only a teenager, after all. One of the youngest leaders of the shinobi villages.
Her tapping received no response, though she knew he was in. She slowly opened the door and stepped inside. He was sitting at his desk, his head lowered, his reddish-brown hair shining in the light of the sun as it poured in through the ceiling windows. Paperwork was scattered all over his desk.
Grinning, she walked over quickly and stood behind him. She started to rub his shoulders and he awoke with a start.
"Sleeping on the job, Gaara?" she asked.
He tilted his head back and looked up at her grinning face as she gave him a shoulder rub. He looked a little confused after waking up so fast, but quickly grasped the situation when he saw the paperwork waiting for him. He sighed deeply.
Suddenly the door opened again and another young man walked in. He was slightly older than Gaara, with the same hair and a bulkier build. Unlike Gaara, who was dressed in his blue Kazekage robes, this young man wore simple jeans and a casual shirt.
"Temari," he said as he walked in. "Stop spoiling him or he won't get any work done."
Temari ruffled Gaara's hair. "Don't worry, Kankurou," she grinned. "I love both of my little brothers. I'll come tease you just like I tease him."
"Hmph," Kankurou smirked. "You're both slackers. I came to tell Gaara about the excavation site."
Gaara looked up with interest. The villagers had found something not far from the village, and eager explorers from the village were there everyday trying to figure out what it was.
"There are seals all over the place out there," Kankurou said. "Seals, wards, traps, everything. Old Baki called for the teams to stop working for now. There is definitely something there that we weren't supposed to find."
"But it's so close to the village that we have to figure out what it is," Temari insisted. "It could be dangerous."
"I think it's more than dangerous," Kankurou said. "There are inscriptions in the area too. Ancient ones. And we can't even make out half of the seals. But there appears to be a very strict seal structure at the site. Baki says it's the type that you'd find if you wanted to seal something really big and really dangerous… like a demon, or worse."
Gaara glanced from the paperwork to Kankurou and back again. The choice was obvious there. He quickly stood up and went to his brother. Temari followed and together they made a trip out into the desert.
It was actually very relaxing. Kankurou had dressed for battle before they left the village, and Temari had equipped her fan. It was all a safety precaution, but they didn't speak to each other as though it were time for fighting. The walk was easy and pleasant, because no matter where they walked, Gaara made it so the sand didn't bother them or shift under their feet or blow in their faces.
It was a very long walk, and they finally got around to sprinting there, their chakra allowing them to move at lightning speed. All the while, Temari teased her little brothers endlessly, and mentioned to Gaara that even he was working too hard lately. Kankurou then proceeded to tease Temari about a certain lazy young man from the village of Konoha in the Fire Country, which sent her into a fit of rebuttals.
Gaara was smiling on the inside the whole time. Sometimes he didn't know if he was smiling on the outside. He wanted to, but sometimes he wasn't sure he was doing it. Or he just wasn't sure anyone else could see it. He tried to smile in the mirror, and sometimes it worked. But often when he crossed his reflection there was no emotion there no matter what he was feeling.
He started to wonder when his body had forsaken emotions. Perhaps it was because the demon that used to live inside of him took advantage of emotions. But Shukaku was gone now, and Gaara was happy to learn to live without him. No more feeling unstable, no more pain, no more nightmares, no more overactive armor of sand covering his body when he didn't want it to. And learning to live without the sand being so strong was one of the best parts. Showers never felt so good. He could turn the water temperature up as high or low as he wanted, and his body adjusted to the heat or cold rather than trying to wrap a shield of sand around him. And the sunlight, that was nice too. He could get a sunburn and enjoy the pain when he focused on keeping the sand from his skin. When Shukaku was around, Gaara hardly ever felt physical pain, and now he was testing his body, seeing how much he could endure. It was exhilarating. It was true the sand shield was still very subconscious and ingrained and quick to react, but it didn't overprotect him now. Gaara was very slowly learning to keep the sand from protecting him when he didn't need it, though the process was very tiring. He felt a kind of freedom he had never known.
"There it is," Kankurou pointed. "See, everyone is keeping their distance."
When Gaara arrived at the site, he had to hold his hand up to signal that people should keep working or resting. Almost everyone was ready to bow or stand or show their respects. Growing up, Gaara had gained respect because people feared him. He wanted to rid himself and those around him of this feeling. At his signal, everyone resumed what they were doing, and he quietly made his way around the site.
In the center, there was a large crater where his people had been digging. With a wave of his hand the sand beneath his feet shifted and then rose into the air. He was now standing on a large, thick slab of sand, and with his chakra he controlled it so that he could hover directly over the pit. When he looked down he could see what looked like a giant stone door with seals and wards all over it.
"Do not wake the dreamer," Gaara read softly. That is what the large characters said on the massive door. The language was very ancient, and he wasn't sure that everyone below him could read it. In fact, he wasn't sure that they could see the characters from the ground. "The dreamer keeps his resting place to maintain all of time and space. The dreams of nine, they come to him and come together at his whim. If one you bring, don't still his breath, because inside is… the same as death…."
"What do you see?" Temari called up to him.
"An inscription," Gaara called down to her. "Could anyone see it from the ground?"
"No, Lord Gaara, nothing," a few men called up to him.
Gaara looked at the large door again. It must have taken ages to make a door so large and heavy that opened to the ground. When the object was first found, Gaara made a point not to use his power because it might damage whatever people were digging. But now he didn't see the harm in it. As if reading his mind, Kankurou and Temari had the many teams move back a good distance.
Gaara focused his chakra and started to push the remaining sand from the door while remaining in the air. Obeying his will, the sand moved away as easily as liquid until the entire door was exposed. And there was more to the inscription now.
"This door is sealed and opens not, but unlocks on this very spot. If one you bring, his chakra give, so he may die, and you may live." Gaara blinked as she stared down at it. "…His chakra… give?" Finding the words eerie, he stopped channeling his chakra through the sand.
"Gaara!" Temari yelled at the top of her lungs as she ran towards the crater. She was pointing below him. He slowly looked over the edge of the block of sand he was standing on, and there, from directly beneath him, came long, snake-like streams of pure white energy. This odd chakra was coming from the door… shooting straight through it to get to Gaara. He felt as if he were being pulled backwards and realized that something had caught his sand gourd. It would have been risky outside of the desert, but since he was surrounded by sand he could take the risk of being without it. He swiftly undid the straps to the large gourd and it was ripped from his body before he could be pulled down by the energy. He heard the gourd hit the surface of the stone door below.
Quickly he brought the block of sand to the ground and stepped onto the land again, narrowly avoiding the energy that was now writhing in the air as if looking for him in the spot he was just hovering.
"Everyone back to the village," Gaara said.
People quickly obeyed and started to move away from the site. There were many, of course, who would not leave until he did, so he started to back away slowly, watching the streams of energy while still moving away. After a few moments, the unique chakra slowly descended back into the pit.
"Let's go, Gaara," Temari whispered. "We'll have people check it out when it's more… docile here."
Gaara nodded and turned to leave, but his siblings saw his eyes widen in shock. He looked down to see a tendril of bright white chakra energy protruding from the ground, wrapped around his ankle. Before anyone could react he was yanked back towards the crater with great force. He fell on his back hard and was pulled with great speed towards the pit. By now dozens of people were running towards him, trying to free him.
"Stay back!" he yelled to them, and with his power a wall of sand shot up between him and the villagers. But he hardly had the concentration to keep it solid as he was suddenly surrounded by the snaking energy, streams of it surrounding his body and drawing him to the door.
Temari, Kankurou, and the others who followed reached him before he was pulled into the massive pit, and Temari dived forward to the ground and grabbed his hands. Others made it too him and wrapped their arms around his body, trying to hold him as Kankurou and several others attempted to destroy the streams of chakra with seals and kunai and whatever they could find. To find chakra this solid and material was nearly unheard of.
Gaara felt the pressure as the energy gripped tighter, nearly crushing him. And as though they were all nothing but rag dolls, Gaara and everyone around him was suddenly pulled forward toward the pit again.
"Let go!" Gaara ordered.
"Gaara, we can't just let you--" Kankurou began, but he was cut off when he was knocked back several feet by a wave of energy.
And then the world was spinning as Gaara, Temari, and everyone else who refused to let go were pulled into the pit. They all felt as though they were ripped from each other, and everyone except Gaara hit the stone door with great force. Gaara was held midair, directly above the door. He tried in vain to use his chakra to manipulate the earth around him, but he felt as though his energy was being drained. All he could do was struggle. He knew this thing wanted him, and he wasn't going to make it easy.
Below him he could see people's jutsu failing them. Unlike him, their chakra was working for them normally, but no technique could rid him of the snaking chakra.
The door started to glow, the incantations burning with white light.
"One of nine you bring," roared a voice in the ancient tongue from under the massive door. The voice echoed loudly throughout the area. "One of nine, to know darkness for an eternity!"
Gaara heard his people scream as the tendrils of energy wrapped around him and cut off his air. They could only watch as he was pulled with lightning speed straight through the surface of the door as if it weren't there at all. But when they ran to that spot, it was solid. The white chakra was gone, and the incantations were no longer aglow. It was as if nothing had happened.
Except Gaara was gone.
He woke up with a start, his head aching and his body feeling heavy. It had been a long time since he had such a vivid nightmare. Gaara groaned and tried to roll over in his bed. But there was no soft bedding there… only the roughness of sand. He sighed deeply and sat up, dreading what he'd see. Sand all around him. He was in the desert, but the door wasn't there. There were no teams digging and exploring. What had happened?
He stood up and dusted himself off. He realized his robes were shredded and torn, and he knew that what he had experienced was not a dream. He shed himself of the blue robes, his blood red shinobi outfit underneath. A little dizzy, he willed the sand to lift him into the air so he could look around, but he didn't have the chakra to do it. Sighing again, he started to walk towards his village, feeling slightly naked without his sand gourd with him.
It seemed as though hours passed, and at the pace he was going, they probably did. He started to see familiar landmarks that only someone from this village could recognize. An oasis, certain trees, the presence of certain wildlife… Gaara was close to home. He made his way over some large sand dunes and was ready to see his beloved village shimmering there.
He stood at the top of the last dune and stared forward. Then he felt himself walking faster toward the village. Towards those stone pillars and sandy walls. He started to run. Everything… broken… crumbling to dust…. He was sprinting there as fast as his body would allow. In a panic, he burst through the deserted front gates and nearly collapsed to his knees at what he saw inside.
Broken, torn, destroyed… his village was gone. Deserted and in ruins. He dashed forward towards the Kazekage building, his building. He looked for Temari and Kankurou. But there was nothing! Skeletons… masses of them…. Skeletons and ashes….
He put his hand to his forehead slowly and shut his eyes. No, don't panic. This was all nonsense. None of it made any sense. He had to stay calm.
Slowly he composed himself and took a deep breath. He entered the Kazekage study and looked up. So, his picture wasn't there. He wasn't leader here… wherever here was. He refused to believe his village was gone. Something had happened at that door in the desert. He tried to think of the incantations again. Time and space… dreamer… death… there were too many possibilities. A little frustrated, he took a deep breath and left the building, then the village. He started to walk out into the desert again, his body feeling weak. He had to find the door again. He had to get back through.
"Halt!" someone yelled to him not far from the village. "State your name!"
Gaara turned slowly, but didn't respond. He was a little shocked to see someone in this nonsense world.
"Your name!" the man said again, his voice very familiar.
Gaara took a good look. The person was wearing robes and cloth over his face to protect himself from the sand, but he knew who it was. From Konoha in the Fire Country, it was Naruto's sensei, Kakashi.
"Gaara," he replied, making sure not to mention his origin. He waited for Kakashi to recognize him, but when he didn't, Gaara offered no more information.
"Weird choice of tattoo ya got there, Gaara," another man said, walking up from behind Kakashi.
"It's suspicious that you're out here," Kakashi said. "Surely you realize that. You, standing here, in front of a fallen village in the middle of no where."
"Which village sent you?" a woman asked. She had just made her way over a sand dune behind him.
"No one sent me," Gaara said. "I was taken prisoner and left here to die." It was the safest lie he could think of. Gaara made a point never to lie, but he needed more information about what was going on. He held his head, which was really throbbing now.
"Where are you from?" Kakashi asked.
"My village was destroyed," Gaara replied. "I have no home." He felt so weak. So tired.
"I knew it…" the second man said. "Sorry to tell you, but the Wind Country has been completely destroyed. The remaining towns were wiped out weeks ago. We've been finding hostages like you wandering aimlessly in the desert for weeks now."
Gaara started to sink to the ground, and he felt someone catch him.
"Let's take him with us," the woman said as she held him. "We can't leave him here, and we need to get going."
"I don't trust him yet," Kakashi said.
"You never trust anyone," the other man said. "Let's just take him and go. Not like he stands a chance if he wants to try anything. We can interrogate later. It's too damn hot out here."
"For once, Obito is right," the woman said.
Their words became muffled and mixed, and soon Gaara slipped into a dreamless sleep. Occasionally he would slip into reality again, and felt himself being carried swiftly though the land until the desert was a memory.
It was a three day trip to Konoha, and with everyday that had passed, Gaara felt more and more uneasy. The third day was almost unbearable. He realized that time was passing normally, and this place, no matter how different, really was real. There was no trick to it. The details, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the people… all of them were real. But the air tasted bitter with tension, and everything felt wrong.
He was glad to see Konoha's gates. By this time he was walking and running on his own. Obito and the woman, Rin, had taken a liking to him, believing that he really was from a small village that was destroyed in the war that was tearing the countries apart. Kakashi, on the other hand, didn't seem to want to get close to anyone. He was much different from the Kakashi Gaara knew. The Kakashi who had helped to save him from the Akatsuki. That Kakashi was warm and kind and relaxed. This Kakashi was cold and hardened and tense. (Also, this Kakashi didn't have Sharingan in one eye.) But as far as Rin and Obito were concerned, Gaara had provided enough plausible information about his village and people for them to trust him. Little did they know that he knew so much because he made a habit of getting to know the country he had such a huge influence over because he led its shinobi.
Obito also joked that his body wasn't fit for a ninja position. Gaara knew he was short, but Obito didn't have to go that far…. Rin thought he was "adorable," so that made up for it. A little.
They took Gaara to be checked for records, to be identified and filed, to be placed into Konoha's care. Gaara was a little surprised to find that there was absolutely no record of him anywhere. All ninja levels were checked, and there was nothing about him. So… he had no counterpart that anyone knew of here. Considering how he might have turned out under different circumstances, this comforted him.
It wasn't until this long process was over that Gaara took a good long look at Konoha the moment he stepped outside with Obito. The Leaf Village, once so beautiful and lively, looked positively dreary and still. It was almost uncomfortable to be there. Storm clouds rolled in above them and blew the leaves from the dying trees. The people in the streets seemed overworked and stressed. Gaara could hardly bare this, though as usual, his expression remained the same.
"Let's go," Obito said with a smile. "We've got housing for people like you."
Gaara followed as Obito led the way through the cold, desolate streets.
"Very quiet…" Gaara mentioned.
"Yeah…" Obito said. "The war, the work, the lack of rest… people are tired."
Gaara said nothing, but continued to follow. He wondered which villages had started the war, and what caused his to be so utterly obliterated. He continued to look around as he thought, his eyes wandering until they hit something that made him freeze in place, his heart sinking. His eyes had .landed on the mountain with the faces of the village leaders, the Hokages, carved into the stone. The first three were as he remembered. But the forth face seemed to glare down at him from the mountain side, taunting him with darkness and superiority.
"Orochimaru…" Gaara said softly. "Your current Hokage is Orochimaru…?"
"Hm?" Obito blinked as he looked up at the mountain. "Oh, yeah. That's him."
The way Obito said it Gaara knew instantly that he wasn't pleased, and he knew that the village was so eerie because Orochimaru was the head.
"So anyway," Obito said, changing the subject as he ran his fingers through his short black hair. "I'm going to take you to your new place."
"I'm sorry to trouble you," Gaara said.
"It's no trouble!" Obito smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. "I don't mean to sound morbid, but of all the people slaughtered in your country, we found very few of them. And you're the only one unharmed. It's not like we're taking in masses of people here. I'm glad you're okay. And I'll be around if you need me. Ask for Uchiha Obito."
Gaara stopped walking and looked at him. He realized that he hadn't heard Obito's family name until now.
"…Uchiha?" Gaara said. "The clan with Sharingan?"
"You've heard of us?" Obito smiled proudly. "Yeah, that's us alright!"
Gaara started to walk with him again in mild shock. The Uchiha clan had been slaughtered in his world. To know they were all alive was… fascinating. He wanted to ask about Sasuke, but thought that might seem suspicious.
"Charity work again?" a deep voice asked.
Obito and Gaara turned to see a young man leaning against a wall. Long black hair in a ponytail, emotionless black eyes. The one who slaughtered them all… Uchiha Itachi.
"Hey Itachi!" Obito said. "Yeah, we found one, and in good health for once! Oh, and while you're here, could you send Sasuke to Gaara's place?" he asked, pointing to Gaara. "Kid needs some people his age."
Gaara was beginning to wonder how old he looked… but decided that it was alright if Obito was able to realize that he and Sasuke were in the same age group.
"I will send him," Itachi said, taking the address after Obito copied it down. He left soon after, looking as emotionless as ever.
"He looks cold," Obito said, "but he's a really nice guy."
Gaara didn't know whether to smile or look horrified.
They continued walking until they reached a tall building that held many apartments. They didn't look big, but that didn't matter to Gaara. He wouldn't be staying long anyway. He would collect more information and then go back home. It was as simple as that.
"I've gotta go now," Obito said, ruffling Gaara's hair like a brother. "I'm later than I thought I was. Kakashi never buys my excuses. Anyway, make yourself comfortable, and hopefully Sasuke… that's Itachi's brother… will be by soon."
"Thank you," Gaara said with a nod. "I really appreciate this."
"Not a problem," Obito said with a smile before he turned and left.
Gaara watched him go, then closed the door and sat down in the nearest chair, thinking. He was seeing people from his world, yet their lives were completely different. Vastly different. And time was passing at normal speed, to his knowledge. There were no distortions in anything he saw. No abnormalities regarding his surroundings. Even if he got back through the door, there was still the unsettling question as to what exactly this place was.
He sat thinking for what seemed like an hour. But his thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking at his door. He remembered that Sasuke might be coming by, and he opened the door slowly.
"Hi!" said the cheerful young man behind the door. "I'm Sasuke! Obito told my brother to tell me to come see you!"
Gaara's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, but he kept his composure. He was almost positive that nothing he would see any time after this would shock him as much as this bizarre Sasuke. It wasn't as though the person himself was bizarre, but to see someone who looked like the Sasuke he knew, with added smiles and bright clothing, was incredibly strange to him. His mind didn't want to process it. That darkness that always surrounded Sasuke was gone, and with it, his powerful presence.
Gaara numbly moved out of the doorway. "Please come in," he said.
Sasuke smiled brightly and walked in. He still had the same spiky black hair and black eyes. But his T-shirt was bright orange and he wore jeans. The smile on his face would have been infectious if Gaara had been anyone else.
"You probably don't have anything," Sasuke said, looking around, his eyes shining. "We should get you some clothes, food, and anything else you need."
"That would be nice," Gaara said. "Thank you." He realized he was staring longer than he should. But it all made sense. With Itachi here and the Uchiha clan alive, Sasuke had never traveled the bitter path to revenge. He hadn't been hardened by life.
When the two went out to get Gaara what he needed, Gaara couldn't help but envy him.
A few days passed. Everything was like a blur. Obito and Sasuke came to check on Gaara, finding him stoic as ever. Gaara was anxious to get back, but just as anxious to figure out what was going on in this world. He would stay longer and gain stronger friendships, then he would use the resources of Konoha to see if there was any information regarding the door.
He stood on the grass of a hillside one night, thinking of the possibilities. He was wearing a blood red T-shirt and jeans, much like Sasuke, but much less bright. It felt a little odd to go so casual, but here he was neither Kazekage nor a ninja of any kind.
It was very late and very quiet. His body was used to being up at night, and since he could sleep without horrible nightmares now, the night seemed very beautiful and he didn't mind staying up.
Suddenly a sharp cry hit the air but was silenced as quickly as it came. Gaara knew better than to create a lot of movement and draw attention to himself. He stood where he was and scanned the area, only moving his eyes. The night was very dark, but he saw something down by the trees, just before the forest began. He thought he could make out a familiar hint of bright color in the darkness. He strained his eyes a little more just as some moonlight was released from the clouds above. He was nearly sure of it now. Sasuke was down there. Curiously, he started to move down the hill to get to him.
He was still very far, but as he moved closer he realized that Sasuke wasn't alone. And then he felt a chill down his spine, and his insides felt heavy with dread, though he wasn't sure why. As he got closer, the feeling increased.
Suddenly a hand grasped his shoulder from behind. Gaara spun around quickly and found himself staring into a pair of white eyes.
"Don't go down there," the young man said.
Gaara knew him instantly. It couldn't be anyone else. That long, dark hair that fell past his waist, those piercing white eyes… Hyuuga Neji. But Gaara had to pretend not to know him.
"I thought I saw someone I know," Gaara said, looking back down towards Sasuke.
"There is nothing you can do for him now," Neji said. "Besides, they're done."
"Done?" Gaara asked.
Suddenly a white face flashed in the darkness from beside Sasuke, and it was looking straight at Gaara. A feeling of dread coursed through him. Dread and fear. It was Orochimaru.
"What is he doing down there?" Gaara asked, making a move to go down.
Again Neji put a hand on his shoulder. "What do you think you can do against him?" he asked. "Stay up here."
"I thought I heard Sasuke cry out…" Gaara said, looking to Neji.
"Sasuke is Orochimaru's favorite," Neji said. "This isn't the first time, and it won't be the last."
Gaara looked at him for a long while, not understanding. Neji suddenly smirked at him.
"You must not be from around here," he said softly as he glanced over Gaara's shoulder. "Orochimaru knew you were here," Neji added. "He always knows. He just doesn't care because no one can do anything about it. I'm surprised Sasuke can sit anymore."
"I have to help Sasuke if he's hurt," Gaara said.
"Orochimaru is already gone," Neji shrugged. "Do you think Sasuke wants you to go down there and see him like that? Let's give him his last shred of dignity and move away so he doesn't know we know."
Gaara took a good look at Neji again. This Neji wasn't tranquil and kind like the one he knew. The one he knew had a kind ofquiet strength to him. This one was cold, and his white eyes held a large degree of mischief and even cruelty.
"I'm going," Gaara said before he turned away and ran down to Sasuke.
Sasuke was on the ground when he got to him, barely conscious as he lied on his stomach, his cheek pressed against the cold grass. He had vomited on the ground nearby. His shirt was ripped away and his pants were torn.
Gaara quickly knelt next to him and put a hand on his back.
"Sasuke," Gaara whispered. "I'm going to help you."
Sasuke's eyelids fluttered as he made a weak attempted to look up at Gaara. But with no fight in him, he nodded slightly. Gaara pulled Sasuke's pants up and started to help him to stand. He had an arm around Sasuke's waist with Sasuke's arm draped around his shoulder when someone suddenly took Sasuke's other wrist and guided it around his shoulder as well.
"Do you always play hero?" Neji asked as he helped Gaara support Sasuke. "Come on, I'll help you take him home."
Itachi opened the door and frowned at the three. Sasuke stood between Neji and Gaara, supported by them and looking like he'd been beaten up in a fight. Without saying a word Itachi reached out and took his brother from the two, pulling Sasuke's arm around his shoulder and holding him tightly around the waist. As if sensing his brother's presence, Sasuke seemed just a bit more alive, and he rose his head just slightly.
"What happened?" Itachi asked finally.
Gaara didn't know what to say. Sasuke looked up at him with desperate eyes and shook his head just barely.
"He messed with this guy," Neji broke in. "Got roughed up pretty bad. Good thing hero-boy was around," he smirked, looking to Gaara.
Gaara was still adjusting to this new Neji. He really liked the other one better. This new Sasuke, on the other hand, was a vast improvement. He also had to assume that this new Itachi was much better than the one in his world for obvious reasons.
"Neji," Itachi said, glaring at the long-haired young man. "Gaara is new here. Try not to drag him down into your troubles with you."
Neji looked to Gaara and a sly smirk crossed his face. Gaara didn't have time to guess the meaning, because Neji turned and left immediately. Gaara looked at Sasuke once more before saying goodnight and heading to his new apartment.
---To Be Continued---
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