The Past is in the Past [Solo, Flashback Training]

A young Kojirama dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and dirty white pants stood on the playground of the Konoha Ninja Academy, the sun was setting and all the kids had gone home for the day but the short spiky white haired academy Senju had not. Forming a tiger seal, a determined look on the young boy’s face, he would quickly try and perform more seals in a rapid succession only to mess up and the jutsu he was trying to perform fail because of it. Screaming out in frustration and slamming his hands against the ground, small tears would roll down his face.

Suddenly a hand would touch his should and he would look up to see his father. “I got worried when school let out and you didn’t come home…I figured you would be here…Here...Let me help you with what you’re training. It’s still the body replacement technique right? You’ve been having trouble with that lately…” He looked at the object that his son had in response to the technique, it was a heavy tree stump. “Here…Look me give you something a little lighter, I know the seal knowledge will come with muscle memory but it also helps to start with smaller objects.” Kojirama wiped his tears away as he turned to look at his father as he went inside the academy and then a minute or so later brought out a small wooden log. Placing it on the ground next to Kojirama, he would then form a single tiger hand seal. “I’ll perform the handseals slow at first several times and then faster so you can see it at full speed.”

Sniffling and wiping his snotty nose Kojirama would speak. “But...what about the chakra conversion?" The father smiled. “They will come in time as well but first you must learn how to properly use the hand seals. Now come on, watch me and then I want you to do it.” Kojirama would then spend the next few hours training with his father, as stars lit up the night sky and the moon shined down on them both. They would eventually return home when Kojirama had successfully managed to perform the Body Replacement Technique several times in a row.

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The same young Kojirama could be seen rounding a corner in the village, a few running steps later however he would trip and fall. Before he could get back up three other ninjas rounded the corner and surrounded him as he struggled to stand one of the boy’s laughed and mocked him. “Look at the weak Senju struggling to even stand. Doesn’t look like that will of fire he always boasts about is helping him here heh.” The speaking boy then kicked Kojirama in his left side forcing him to drop lower to the ground, grimacing in pain as the kick landed. The surrounding bullies laughed before another spoke up. “Yea too bad he doesn’t know how to effectively cloak himself like us top grade students.” That boy then kicked the other side of Koji who had started to get up again, forcing him back down and grimacing in more pain.

Suddenly the voice of an older man could be heard by the academy students, all of the bullies looked up to see what would eventually be Kojirama’s future Jounin sensei. “Ya know…you really shouldn’t be picking on someone who could one day wrap you up in wood and turn you into a tree…This tree I’m in...It use to be a student just like yourselves until one dreadful day they picked on a Senju…the Senju didn’t forget that day…” The slightly shocked kids looked at what they thought was just a normal tree. The bully that was supposed to be the ‘leader’ of the group smirked and looked up at the Jounin. “Yea right…That’s just some story to try and scare us theirs no way that used to be a-” Sudden moaning from the tree below the Jounin silenced the speaking bully.  As the moaning got louder, two arms suddenly sprouted from the sides of the tree. This was enough to send the bully kids running from the area screaming. The Jounin smirked and looked down at the armed tree. “You were right...that was fun.” Kojirama had managed to stand up now and looked at the armed tree. The armed tree then took the front of what would have been a bark face and pulled it down, revealing the face of and soon body of a Shinobi. Kojirama recognized the shinobi as being one of his Senju cousins. The other Senju would then speak.

“I told you… It worked wonders for me when I became a chuunin. Even though I’m a Jounin, it never gets old to use that tactic.” Kojirama had now had enough strength now to speak up. “How...How did you do that?” The elder Senju smiled and spoke. “It’s actually an old academy technique. Cloak of invisibility is what it’s called. This technique allows a ninja to take a cloak or a piece of cloth to blend into an object, making them seem invisible. I can teach it to ya kid if you’re willing. It’s rather simple actually, even for an academy student.” Kojirama smiled as he held his side. “Sure but first...I wanna take a break. My side kinda hurts…” The older Senju smiled. “Sure kid Come on we’ll get you some medical jutsu to help with that down at the hospital.” Turning back toward Kojirama’s future sensei he would speak. “I’ll catch ya later man. It was fun hanging out again, we should do this more often.” Kojirama’s future sensei nodded and waved goodbye. After they visited the hospital, the elder Senju would begin to teach the young Kojirama the technique known as Cloak of Invisibility.

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A young Kojirama would be sitting in an academy classroom, the academy instructor going over one of the jutsus they as academy students had to master. "The clone technique… a ninjutsu that creates an intangible copy of one’s own body.   Now...this clown itself does not have the ability to attack, think of it as an illusion to one’s eyes, used best to distract an opponent. While it may appear to be an illusion it’s not a genjutsu because it is in the actual world. Meaning others can see it. Now...I want each one of you to come up here and I will teach you how it’s done. Make sure you watch carefully now..”

Kojirama would watch as the instructor performed a few hand seals and performed the jutsu as not one but two clones appeared next to him, one on each side. The real instructor would then speak again. “Now as I’ve said before the clones next to me are fake as shown.” One of the clones then would attempt to punch the real instructor however his punch went straight through him and the clone then dispersed in a white cloud of smoke. The instructor would speak once more. “Now…Just because they are basically illusions...it doesn’t mean they cannot interact with stuff and disperse immediately as such.” The remaining clone took his hand and slid it across the desk and didn’t disperse into smoke.
The instructor would then tell the academy students to start practicing; Kojirama would nod and then begin training. At first Kojirama had trouble with the jutsu however as the lesson went on and the academy instructor helping him he was able to finally do it in succession without a mistake.

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A young Kojirama was laid out on the floor in a crowded closet, his hands tied behind his back with some rope. As he struggled he grunted and grunted and tried to escape from the rope. “Arrggh DAAAADD!! Let me out of here!! I can’t do it and I have to go to the bathroooom!” A voice from outside the closet could be heard chuckling. “I’m not letting you out until you do it…his is one of the techniques a ninja must learn to do. You never know when you will be captured and tied up like this…It’s significant that you learn this while you’re young and not captured.” Kojirama groaned and wiggled around even more. “But I gotta peeeee…” His father outside the closest chuckled again. “Well you better hurry up then…Oh and mom is cooking your favorite dinner...it should be ready by now...if you hurry you’ll still be able to eat it while it’s hot.”  The father listened as Kojirama grunted and continued to struggle with getting out of the rope.

A minute or so later things got quite, and his father got a little worried. He didn’t pass out in there did he? Another minute went by without any sound and Kojirama’s father went to open the closet door, the door suddenly opened and slammed into his face as Kojirama went sprinting and sliding across their wooden floor “Pee food pee food Pee food!!”  As Kojirama’s father peaked into the room while holding his now red and bruised face, he saw the rope still in there, having been taken off by the boy. “Heh…I knew he could do it…”

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This was it…Kojirama stood in line in an academy classroom. It was hopefully his final day at the academy and all they had to do was pass the small test they were giving with the jutsus they had learned throughout the years. Kojirama rubbed his arm, as he was a little nervous. He was prettu sure he could do everything and he had already passed the written exam they had to do...now it was just the actual jutsus he had to perform to pass. The line moved up as a kid came out of the examination room with his hands in his face crying. Kojirama swallowed hard.

The line eventually dwindled down and soon it was Kojirama’s turn. He stepped into the examination room. Two academy teachers were in there with clipboards one was sitting down, and Kojirama recognized him a chuunin, the other stood up. The one standing up would speak. “Kojirama Senju? You need to show us three techniques as well as answer a few questions correctly to pass. Upon passing you will be instructed to go see a certain Jounin, one that will be determined upon completion of this exam. Is everything clear?” Kojirama slowly shook his head, he was clearly nervous. “Okay then the first jutsu I want you to perform is the clone technique. You have 60 seconds to perform it flawlessly, if failing to do so you will receive a negative for that mark. Ok…begin.”

Kojirama knew this jutsu.  Kojirama clasped his hands together and performed the correct string of seals as well as the correct amount of chakra into the technique. Not one but two clones spilt from his body in perfect form. The chuunin academy instructor would then write on the clipboard in front of him and when finished gave a signal to the standing instructor to continue. “The next technique is the body replacement technique. If you will look to your left you will see a normal sized wooden log.  Again you have 60 seconds to perform the jutsu correctly. Failure to do so will result in a negative mark….You may begin.” Kojirama nodded, looked at the log and then back at the talking instructor. Kojirama would then form another string of hand seals correctly and providing the accurate amount of charka once more. With a puff of smoke, the log was where Kojirama had just been and Kojirama was where the log had been.

Kojirama would watch as the chuun instructor wrote down something on his clipboard yet again and then gave the same gesture from before to the standing instructor to continue. “Okay Mr.Kojirama. When you start to see something is not right in the world you know that it has to be some sort of Genjutsu. What are your actions?” Kojirama swallowed and then softly spoke up. “When I see indications of a genjutsu I must use the tiger hand seal and the appropriate amount of chakra to surpass the genjutsu.” Once more the chuunin instructor wrote something down on his clipboard and gave the signal to continue. “And when you find this is not enough to break the jutsu or you do not have enough chakra to break out of it, what do you do next?” Kojirama slightly panicked as he began searching his mind for the answer. About ten seconds Kojirama had remembered the answer opening up his mouth with confidence would speak. “When that happens one must apply enough physical pain to themselves to break the jutsu OR another ninja must insert their own chakra into the caught person to release them from the technique.”

Once more the same instructor wrote down on his clipboard and signaled the exam to carry on. “Ok…the third and final technique you must perform is the transformation jutsu. Just like the first two you have 60 seconds to perform it flawlessly or you receive a negative mark. You may begin.” This was the jutsu Kojirama had had trouble with the most, having never fully been able to complete it successfully. Before he had went to school today however, his father had talked to him and showed him one last time how to properly do it. However Kojirama did not have time himself to practice it more. Thirty seconds passed as Kojirama just stood there, eyeing the standing instructor as he cocked his brow while looking at the timer he had in his hand. Kojirama was running out of time, he had to do it. He had to remember what he father told and taught him. Quickly forming handseals and then apply chakra, a puff of smoke would engulf the young academy student.

When the smoke cleared, Kojirama was not Kojirama anymore. Instead he was the image of his father, there was not a hair out of place and the jutsu was perfect. The eyes of the transformed Kojirama watched as the chuunin instructor wrote down on his clipboard once again and this time made a different signal to the standing instructor who leaned in as he listened to the whispered voice of the chuunin. As the two whispered back Kojirama just stood there as the image of his father, waiting to hear what would happen next. The two instructors finished their whispered chat and the chuunin instructor sitting down looked at the transformed Kojirama and spoke for the first time out loud. “Kojirama Senju…you have hereby…. graduated from the academy. You are to report to the Jounin Toshio Kenichi outside in the academy playground. He will be awaiting your arrival. Congratulations…from hence forth you are now a genin.” The Father of Kojirama disappeared into a puff of smoke as the young Kojirama appeared once more. Smiling and letting out a big sigh of relief he would exit the exam area, he was finally a genin.

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A genin Kojirama stood in front of a tree outside of the Konoha village. Standing a few yards off was his Jounin sensei Toshio. The Jounin would speak. “Okay remember now…you have to place the right amount of chakra on your feet this time… to little and-” Kojirama interrupted him “To little and I fall off, too much and I am pushed away and leave a dent in the tree yea yea I know. I’ve had both of these things happen so much! But today, today I’m going to get it right!! Today I am going to tree climb!!” Kojirama put a serious face on as his Jounin sensei watched from the short distance away. Okay Kojirama...you can do this...the right amount of chakra to your feet…you know the wrong amounts...all you need is the right amount…

Kojirama plantd one feet on the tree and then started to flow his chakra down to the single foot. Not to much...not to little.. As the sole of his black sandal grew blue with chakra Kojirama would athen start to concentrate chakra to his other foot, which was still planted firmly on the ground. Once that sole turned blue he took a deep breath and then quickly jumped and planted his other foot on the tree. It stuck! Now all he had to do was maintain the chakra on his feet and walk up the tree easy enough…..not

Kojirama pick up his right foot slowly and then planted it further up the tree. As it stuck Kojirama would then do the other feet. He managed to get halfway up the tree before he lost concentration when the top of the tree moved a little as a bird flew away. Kojirama fell through the air and landed hard on his back on the ground and with grunted with pain as he rolled over and grabbed his back he turned his other hand into a fist and slammed the ground. “Damnit! I almost made it to the top!! Stupid bird!!” He looked up to see where the bird had gone. His sensei had made it over to him and helped him up. “Don’t worry...you’ll learn to concentrate harder and things like that won’t get to you...you did good just then. All it takes is more and more practice.” Kojirama grunted, got up and nodded his head. “Yes sensei. Get back I’m going to go again.”

Kojirama would spend the rest of the day training his tree walking, his genin teammates showing up as well and trying there skill at it as well. Eventually Kojirama was able to get it down pat and help his teammates to where they could as well. For the Kenichi squad, it was a successful day.  

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Kojirama and his genin teammates would be standing near the river that flower through the village their Jounin sensei behind them. Kojirama would turn his head and speak first. “So…we have to learn to walk on water now? Is it easier or harder than walking up tree’s cause that was no picnic..” Toshio the sensei smiled. “A lot more difficult as the ever flowing water is always changing and thus you need to change the chakra you concentrate on your feet constantly. It’s not going to be a one time sand stick thing. Your chakra is going to have to be ever changing and flowing...just like water. Whelp, good luck I’m going to go get lunch.” The faces on the three genin were of anger and confusion combined. “WHAT?!?! You mean you’re not going to show us or stick around and teach us? You’re supposed to be our sensei!! You can’t just leave us here!! What if one of us drown!?!?” Toshio didn’t bother to turn his head around as he walked away. “If you drown then you fail it’s as simple as that. I’ll be back…eventually.  Something’s you just have to learn on your own.” Toshio then continued to walk away leaving the three genin there starring at each other.

“So….who wants to try it first?” Chou, Kojirama’s brown-headed female teammate said. Kojirama’s Uchiha teammate, who was also female, spoke up next. “Tch…I’ll go head and try it.” Kojirama would then watch as his teammate focused chakra on her feet and attepted to walk on the water. The first step worked...the second didn’t as he plummeted into the river. Kojirama and Chou quickly rushed to get her out of the river. Panting she spoke “Ok…this is gonna be pretty hard…” The genin’s would spend all day and even practiced through the night some, Kojirama was able to get halfway across the river with a slight job, and the others were not able to even jog. It took them almost another whole day after their night’s rest to master the water walking technique to well enough that impressed their Jounin.

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Kojirama the genin stood at the bottom of the Hokage Mountain next to his father, looking up at all the past Hokages he would speak. “So…you…want me...to climb that? How is that helping me train dad? I mean...you haven’t been around much because of all your missions lately…” His father smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “I know…but I promised you I’d help ya train when I was home and this…this is going to help your strength. To make it a greater challenge...you must only use one arm.” Kojirama’s mouth dropped wide open and he held it there in that pose for a few seconds before closing it and speaking angrily while pointing at the mountain. “You expect me to climb all of that with one arm!!!!!! That’s not even possible!!!”

His father smiled as he rotated his left arm around. “Heh kid I did it when I was your age, it’s not impossible. Now come on let’s do it together first one to the top gets a week free of cleaning duty. Now come on.” Both Senju’s would then take their strongest arm, for Kojirama it was his right for his father it was his left, and they then proceeded to difficultly work their way up the Hokage Mountain. It was a long and difficult climbing experience and had it not been for Kojirama’s father, Kojirama would have tumbled and possibly fell to his death many times. It took them half a day to finish the climb, with his father coming out the victor much to the dismay to a grumpy Kojirama who now had to do double the cleaning duties at home.

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A genin Kojirama would be seen badgering his Jounin sensei as the entire squad would be eating at a restaurant. “Come ooonn teach me please!!! That jutsu is used by sooo many people why won’t you teach me? Other genins I’ve talked to have already learned the technique!!! They said their sensei taught them within the first month of their training and yet here we are already a year in and I still don’t know it!! Come on Toshio-sama!!!” Kojirama’s Uchiha teammate chimed in. “Tch...he’s not going to shut up until you teach him. He’s been begging for three days now non-stop. He even did it on the entire return trip of our last mission…Just give in already…” The other female teammate Chou also chimed in. “Yea, I’m usually the passive one and the last to anger but even this is starting to get on my last nerves to where I wanna knock him out just so he’ll shut up for 10 minutes…” Kojirama poked his lip out and did small circles with his finger on the table they were sitting at and mumbled under his breath. “Pssh..Ima knock you out…”

Chou balled her hand into a fist as a vein could bee seen on her forehad before she turned to Kojirama and started yelling “I’M SITTING RIGHT HERE, I HEARD THAT YOU LITTLE WOOD PUNK!!!!” Almost immediately after that Chou grasped Kojirama in a chokehold and started to choke him as Kojirama struggled to get out. Their Jounin sighed as he took a bite of his food, swallowed it and spoke. “Fine…I’ll teach you the body flicker jutsu.” The choking of Kojirama stopped as both of the genins looked toward their sensei in slight shock. “Really? Heh...all it took was assault on a fellow teammate…Maybe there is something to this anger people are always having…” Chou said releasing Kojirama as he gasped for air. With enough air in his lungs he started speaking. “FINALLY!! YES!! When can we do it? Can we do it now? Let’s go do it now. Where do you want to do it?” Toshio Kenichi sucked up a noodle ash e held a hand up and spoke “Slow down there. I said I’d teach you I didn’t say when…You learn on my time or you can try to learn it by yourself on your own time take your pick.”

Kojirama sat back in his chair as he grumbled and spoke. “I guess I have to wait on your time then….” Toshio smiled as he continued to eat. “Good, we’ll start training on it tomorrow. I’m going to take a nap after we eat and then do some light reading.” He sucked up another noodle and went to pull a book out of a satchel he always carried the book was gigantic. The genins stared at the book; it must have been at least 1200 pages. “You…you call that light reading?” Chou asked. Toshio smiled and answered. “Of course. The usual books I read are twice this size. I’m about halfway finished with this one I hope to finish it today or early tomorrow.” The jaws of the genins dropped even more. The next day Kojirama would be taught the body flicker technique, like nearly all techniques at firs the had trouble but by the end of another full day of training he was able to successfully use it to quite efficiently.

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A genin Kojirama and his teammates sat down as their Jounin sensei stood before them in one of the many training grounds that Konoha had. With arms crossed the Jounin would speak. “Genjutsu…is the most underrated main ninja art. Not many ninjas have the talent to be great in this ninja art. The Uchiha’s sharingan and many Uchihas are known to be quite powerful in this ninja art, more so than probably any other clan in existence. Now the lesson here today is not how to use powerful genjutsu..no..the lesson here is how to defend against it. Kojirama stand up, you will be my test subject.” Kojirama nodded and stood up, obeying his sensei. “Now I’m going to cast a genjutsu on you, you as academy students should have learned how to stop it. The lesson here is to test that knowledge. Ok Kojirama get read-”

Kojirama watched in surprise as a kunai came from out of nowhere to land in his sensei’s neck, blood spattering everywhere as he watched in horror as his sensei chocked for words only to spit out blood and fall to his knees. Kojirama watched as his teammates next to him started to get up but were cut down by tons of shuriken that was also seemingly launched out of nowhere. As the blood splattered from their bodies Kojirama shook his head and formed the tiger seal with his hands. “Kai!” Kojirama would then try to assert enough chakra to dispel what he had thought was a genjutsu. Only…the technique didn’t end, his teammates were still there…laying on the ground…dying… Kojirama saw more kunai and shuriken come out from a bush, he managed to dodge and he himself pulled out a kunai from a pouch on his side and sling it into the bush only to see birds fly away.

Kojirama panicked…going through his mind he had not idea if this was real or not as another set of ninja equipment came flying in from behind him. An active Kojirama sened it from the corner of his eye and managed to dodge just enough to shed the equipment from hitting him. Wait...that’s it…taking another kunai out from his pouch he would star at more incoming kunai and shuriken...before taking his own kunai and slicing his arm having his own blood sprout onto the field. Kojirama watched as the kunai he eyed started to disappear and soon...he was back facing his now alive Jounin sensei and he looked at his arm and noticed the cut he had created in the now apparent genjutsu. His Jounin would speak. “Your enemies would not hesitate to lay on a strong genjutsu...I wanted to make sure you remember in the panic of battle what two options that you yourself could do…good job Kojirama.” The genin Senju nodded his head and covered his arm. “Kojirama, go get that cleaned up and meet us bck here while I train the other two.” Kojirama nodded again and left the training ground area to head to the hospital.

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A genin Kojirama stood in a typical fight stance, his left arm out in front of him and his hand open while his right arm low and his right hand close to his side ninja pouch. In front of him stood his father, who happened to have the same stance. Without any more delay the two would dash toward each other, both whipping out a kunai and holding it close to their chest. As they both reached out to strike, their kunai’s clashed against each other as the sparks flew. Each Senju would disconnect their clashing kunais and try to strike against one another only to strike in the same movements and areas where the kunai’s would continue to clash. As Kojirama decided they were getting nowhere in close quarters, he would jump back and sling his Kunai hoping to hit his father.

His father easily deflected the kunai with his own and then proceeded to toss his own toward Kojirama and then immediately after would do a single handseal. Kojirama managed to dodge the kunai for the most part, however it got the edge of his clothing and ripped it but left no blood showing how close Kojirama was to being hit. Kojirama’s eyes watched as his father sprouted two wooden spikes from his chest; took hold of them and charged forward. Kojirama was surprised as he had not seen his father use this Jutsus before and thus was caught off guard and at a standstill as his father slashed him across the chest twice with the sharpness of the wooden spike, forcing him to his knees in pain.

His father stopped and looked down at his son and spoke. “You have to learn to expect the unexpected Kojirama. Let the pain you feel now be that lesson.” Kojirama grabbed his chest and grunted in pain as he spok “What…what jutsu was that?” His father smiled and spoke. “Sashiki no Jutsu, the wood release cutting technique.” Kojirama grunted as he stood up, withstanding the giant cuts on his chest, and would speak. “Teach it to me...It’s time I start learning the release of our ancestors.” His father grinned. “Ok, but first let’s get those cuts cleaned up come on.”

After a few hours, Kojirama’s father and Kojirama would return to the very spot they were sparring and he would begin to teach his son the wood release jutsu. At first, Kojirama struggled with it, as he had not even learned any release jutsus at all. It would take nearly a week of training before Kojirama would be able to perform the technique to perfection. Even though the young genin had struggled with learning basically his first release…his senju blood would not let him down.

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A genin Kojirama stood outside his home, waiting for his father to return from a mission. He was set to return today and as the sun started to go down he smiled when he saw his father walking down the road. Kojirama raced toward him and gave him a giant hug and looked up at him. “I’ve been waiting for you to return for so long…Will you teach me another Senju jutsu? Pleaaassseee” The elder Senju smiled and patted his son on the head. “Of course, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. Your old man is pretty tired from his mission and journey and would love to sleep in his nice cozy home.” Kojirama smiled and hugged his father. “Okay...tomorrow then.” The two hugged each other as they walked into their house.

The next several days Kojirama would be taught the Ringusupaiku, or Wood release spikes ring. During the training he would question his father on the essence of the jutsu. “This jutsu doesn’t sound like it would do very much in a battle…You would definitely have to catch the opponent off guard and on the ground in order for it to work right?” His father smiled. “The task is not always to kill or beat your opponent…This jutsu allows for one to either by time long enough to escape or to capture a person and plan from then. It’s a very valuable jutsu young Kojirama. You would be best to head these words and remember it one day as it could save your life or that of another ninja’s.” Kojirama nodded, understanding the concept. Kojirama would then continue training with his father to learn the jutsu. It would not only be a just training for Kojirama but also a life lesson.

[WC Needed:2,600 WC Total:5,369]

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