Rippa moved along the streets as the sun began to rise on the horizon. A scroll held carefully in his two hands in front of him in a reverent manner. His white hair was tied back with a black ribbon as his robes were a dark blue almost midnight blue. His sandals were dark with black socks and around his neck hung the usual silver angel wings necklace. A single guard walked behind him to his right by ten paces as they progressed down the street in silence. Both of them dressed in black but only the guard was armed or wearing a headband. Throwing knives dotted his konoha vest as was his specialty but still he didn't seem nervous. He was alert but he was guarding a sannin and a captain of a division. If anyone sent someone to kill him they would obviously be designed to be a match for him. Still the guard kept looking at the broad shoulders of the man in front of him and wondering why he was coming out this morning to pay respects to the dead again. Perhaps someone he knew had died? It was more likely that the deaths of the shinobi since his own graduation weighed heavily on Rippa. Even as a sword saint captain he had always excelled as a medic and his morals led him to blame himself for every death as a personal failure. The guard thought it a waste of time and energy but he could still respect Rippa for his dedication to the people.

Still as they began to exit the village heading across a bridge over a flowing stream the street lamps began to flicker out. It was late enough in the day that the auto shut off was happening yet it still seemed dim. The cloud cover was seeing to that even though it wasn't supposed to rain today. Still Rippa's sky blue eyes lifted to look to the sky before he smiled and moved passed the bridge and onto a path towards a specific area. He was walking to the monument where the fallen shinobi were honored. It had begun as a single black stone but now was a wall of black that stretched in rows across an open field. Rippa would look upon the sight of so many names and sigh as if it was another weight upon his shoulders. Still he would move across the grass towards the monument and come to a stop a few feet in front of the first wall. Kneeling down on one knee and then the other he would unroll the scroll and lay it out in front of him. Slowly he would form one hand seal with his right hand and touch the scroll with his left. A subtle series of smoke puffs would sound before fading away with the cold breeze. Now on top of the scroll was four cups and a large tea pot with green mint tea. He always prepared for if others came to join him but for now he would begin alone as his guard went and sat against a tree some way off. He wouldn't bother anyone paying their respects unless Rippa came under attack. For now Rippa reached down and picked up the tea pot and carefully poured some tea into a cup for himself. Steam rising off the top of the liquid before he set the pot down and picked up the cup in both hands. Raising it up to honor the fallen before taking a sip in their name. So was his ritual to honor them all.

606

It was a trip that Amaya made specifically three times a year: once when her friend had been born, once to mark the day that they had met, and then lastly to mark the day that they had forever been parted: today was to mark the day that they had met. Ashi Inuzuka had been taken from her nearly a decade ago but it was hard to lose your best friend and first love and not to feel the need to mourn. She was moving on in life, her family nearly whole once more, but that didn't mean she wanted to forget - it didn't mean she could forget. They had fought side by side, they had protected each other, that was a bond you couldn't just pretend never existed.

So, this was why Amaya now walked the streets, heading toward the monument. Amaya had changed from her usual shinobi attire into something she felt was more respectful and fitting: an outfit that Ashi had loved. It's style was that of an Ao Dai. The top, which went down six inches past her knees with slits up the side ot her waist and with long sleeves, was an olive green in color with decorative gold trim surrounding the cuffs, neckline, and down the sides of the two slits and finally along the bottom border. Paired with this was a pair of pants, flowing in traditional style, and gold in color. A pair of flats was paired with this, olive green with the same gold trim as her top. Her long white hair was wound up in a bun at the back of her head with two chopsticks sticking out of it on either side gold in color to help hold it in place.

As Amaya reached her destination with her casual stroll she noticed two individuals nearby: one of whom seemed to be having a cup of tea while the other was further away. Not wanting to disturb the other two individuals at that exact moment Amaya's red gaze then shifted onto the wall itself as she walked closer to it in silence. She folded her arms across her chest and stopped about ten feet from the wall itself, staring at it. Her lips parted slowly and a soft sigh escaped her.

Amaya, her face normally so perfectly a mask of emotionless expression, allowed for once that perfection to drop and a longing and sadness to show: the very emotions she was feeling at that moment. She reached forward, as if longing to touch the wall, and yet her fingertips never even came close. It wasn't the wall she was longing for, but the person whose name was there, the person whom she hadn't had a chance to see in years upon years. After several seconds Amaya simply dropped her hand and folded her arms once more across her chest, hands tucked in at her elbows to keep her from reaching forward again. "Ashi...", she whispered softly, her voice like a ghost on the wind, a gentle caress.

Word Count: 511

Rippa would drink the rest of his tea slowly. Savoring the taste in his mouth before setting the empty but moist cup back down. The tiny little bit of liquid one can never seem to fully get settling and pooling at the bottom. He would look into it as he would see his own reflection and consider how much he had physically grown as of late. He had been a frail young man before but now he was a sannin of all things. His jaw was well set and framed his face while his neck and chest were fairly thick muscles with a flexible nature to them now. He had survived the edge of the blade more than once and a couple bodies that laid here had died during those events. Soldiers who answered to him no longer responded after death took them. No amount of medical could reverse death once the heart and brain stopped functioning. He could heal a man nearly cut in half but only if he reached him in time. The dead were well beyond his reach though and that was a thing he deeply regretted. What good was a medic that could not save his own men? A sword that broke rather than protect.

Still his blue eyes were drawn upwards as his ears twitched at the sound of approaching foot steps. They were light in nature, a small man or a petite woman...but they were not here for him. Their steps were carrying them off to the side a short distance from himself. Another mourner it would seem. He was just glad she was not standing in front of the monument with the names of his fallen men on it. He was selfish enough to not wish to have a mourning mother or angered lover there with blame in their eyes. He was the captain so he shouldered the responsibility of many along with the Kage but he disliked it. Still it was better he share the burden than leave it to the Kage alone. He wasn't willing to just step to the side and let others fall into battle without him though. Still this may be an opportunity to learn the story of another here. People were usually willing to share good memories of another. Unless it was simply to personal anyway. He would have to take that chance and see if he could be a company of comfort for the day. See if he could help someone.

Quietly he would pour another cup of tea for himself and another one into one of the remaining three cups. Steam rising off of both as he would carefully but smoothly rise to his feet without the use of his hands. The liquid didn't slop once and he was thankful for that. Scalding hot liquid may have led to a choice set of words even here. Still he would move over towards her holding both cups before stopping next to her and bow his head properly. An educated individual it seemed. Still he would smile a warm smile that met his eyes as he rose and hold out the second cup of tea to the woman before he spoke to her. His voice calm and collected as he used his practiced bedside manner.

"Might I offer some hot mint tea? Drinking in the fallens memory is a tradition not many keep but I do. "

1178

.oO(OOC: Sorry for the wait I got hit with a very nasty case of the flu.)

God, Ashi... why did you have to die? It's been so long and yet I still feel so empty inside, as if there's a piece of me that's missing. A piece that I cannot find. Amaya was allowing her thoughts to drift from her in the quiet. Perhaps it was this general quietness of the area that drew her here so many times year: it was a place she felt she could finally allow herself to feel the loss that she did. A place where she could acknowledge the ache and the pain and not be judged or it. Anyone who came to this wall knew loss, knew the pain of it. They wouldn't judge her, right?

Amaya's mind was spinning away from her proverbially as she stood there with her arms olded and her hands tucked in. She wanted to touch the wall, to brush the tips of her fingers along the name Ashi Inuzuka as if she could once more touch her best friend and lovers face - yet she wouldn't. Some would see it as disrespectful and she wasn't about to cause an issue. So, she stared, stared so hard without blinking that she could feel her eyes beginning to sting. Not wanting to tear up she finally blinked and then forced herself to look away and toward the male approaching her.

She watched as he bowed his head politely, a gesture she herself returned, before offering her one of the cups of tea he held. Normally Amaya had an issue with taking things from people she didn't know, but perhaps it was her unstable emotions that allowed her to reach forward without hesitation and accept it. "Thank you. Mint's one of my favorite flavors...", she would respond in a voice as soft as a whisper. Drinking tea in honor of Ashi's memory, of all of the fallen's memories, was something she could do with ease. The least she could do, if she were to be honest.

"Normally I bring something to offer them; flowers or a trinket of some kind... A way to show them they're not forgotten..." She was grateful for a chance to ofer them something, even a toast in their name and honor, and grateful for the individual who was making this possible. "I'm Amaya by the way.. Amaya Uchiha." The least she could do was to introduce herself and be polite. She would then focus her gaze back onto the wall, waiting or this other individual to speak; her gaze locked once more on Ashi Inuzuka's name.

Wordcount: 446 + 511 = 957

Rippa stood before her as she accepted the tea and with her he drank his tea as well. Her fallen was one of the few he was not familiar with that seemed more recent but still he drank in her honor all the same. There was something comforting about having someone else grieving at the same time you were over a lost one. Especially when the death of the individual was not either directly or indirectly your fault. His greatest moments had been few and far between. Battles were won but the best laid plans rarely held true once any fighting began. Casualties were to be expected he had been taught by one of the older swordsmen who had studied tactics and as a commander he should accept that. However Rippa could not fully release himself from that guilt. He was the one who sent them in and even though he too went in more often then not he had proven more capable against the enemies than his men sometimes. After all he was a sannin of the village which may lead even himself to believe not many matched up to him in sheer power. His weapons were what really set him apart but his medical skills were up there as well.

Still they finished the tea and Rippa held out his hand to accept the cup back from her and should she hand it back would stack them cupped in his left hand. Still it interested him that she usually brought gifts to honor the fallen. Another tradition he supposed. However had he bought a flower for each name he felt responsible for he doubted anyone could see the monument floor. Perhaps if he gave each name a day of the year....Either way his attention was brought back to her name as she introduced herself. Still staring at a name on the wall or two...he couldn't tell which just by following her gaze since there were so many. Defending the village was a truly costly endeavor and the cost was almost always lives. Still her name surprised him. He had seen her as small and perhaps fragile in comparison to him but he knew that name. She was the same rank as himself and sister to another past sannin. He was surprised to see a warrior before him that could easily run wild and decimate her opponents in a moments notice. Perhaps she was simply as fragile as himself now. Regretting the past. Knowing that the way the world worked they were doomed to repeat it. Amaya Uchiha. Not a name to be taken lightly.

Still he opened his mouth as his blue eyes looked to the woman before he was abruptly cut off as an older woman's voice tore across the grass from the main road. He winced as he heard it and a sadness entered his eyes. "Captain Chi Rippa, Head of the Tenshi branch of his clan, great sannin of the village and murderer of husbands and children." All of it had been said with some level of sarcasm as two women garbed in black marched across the grass. He knew them as he knew the families of all he had lost. The young wife or now widow and the grieving mother who had shouted of the late Jin Karisuma. A practitioner of the bow. He had fallen in battle recently having taken a spear to the back on the other side of the battle field from Rippa and was dead before Rippa could reach him. Still they marched right up to him and a hand flashed out from the mother and smashed across his face in a resounding slap. She winced but was too angry to nurse her hand from the equivalent of hitting a brick wall. Still Rippa did not budge as she continued. "How dare you step foot here to mourn anyone! How dare you!" She burst into tears as her hand began to swell but he doubted it was in pain. Quietly he reached out and with a single touch to her hand the swelling stopped and reversed itself before the hand looked fine again. She cursed him under her breath and the two marched off to find their name before he sighed and touched his cheek. Ashamed once more.

1900

Amaya's red gaze shifted back to the monument as she sipped at the liquid within the cup in toast to those who were now nothing more than memories and names. Amaya was no stranger to life and death, she was a medic who was good at her trade yet she couldn't save them all, but it never ceased to amaze her just how many names there were. So many fallen, so many who had died in defense of their village, died off on missions, or in the field. It once more made her think of her Ashi: Ashi had given her life in defense of Amaya - she had taken an attack meant for the pale skinned Uchiha and had died as a result. Amaya had tried to save her of course but it hadn't worked out. In the end she had had to be dragged away by her brother so that Ashi's body could be attended to. It had been one of the few times the full brunt of Amaya's emotions had been visible; one of the few times the emotionless mask she so often wore had slipped completely and shattered.

Amaya blinked suddenly, realizing she had allowed herself to be sucked into the haunting memories of the past once more: thankfully it hadn't been more than a few seconds. She handed the cup back to the male as she waited for him to introduce himself. Once more her reddish gaze left the wall and shifted to him. She saw him open his mouth as if he were going to respond only to be cut off by what was clearly an elderly female voice. Her own gaze shifted once more, this time to the new arrival who had spoken along with the companion with her, as eyebrows rose in curiosity. The woman's words were harsh, filled with all kinds of blame and heavy with sarcasm. This man definitly wasn't a person this woman liked, but why? Murderer of husbands and children? Surely not. Surely she would have known this man's face and name if that were the case.

As the two females made their way closer Amaaya took the time to get a good look at their appearances: to her they were dressed like those in mourning. It was then the words began to make more sense: they had likely lost someone, someone whose name had freshly been carved onto the wall, and they were blaming this male for the death. Amaya watched, slightly shocked, as one of the women slapped Rippa who didn't budge, all before chastising him for setting foot here.

Amaya's gaze, as she remained silent and simply watched the scene unfold in front of her, shifted to the woman's hand which looked hurt. Before she could move to try and help Rippa fixed the issue himself. It was then his name chimed within her mind; she had heard of him sure enough, even with how wrapped up over the past few years she had been with her own private affairs and issues. As the two women left she shifted her gaze once more onto Rippa. "The job description never fully details the burden that has to be bared by leading or sending others into battle..." Amaya said softly. She wasn't going to just Rippa due to what she had just saw, she herself had been in the same position many times before at the hospital. "It's easier for them to blame someone... it makes their grieving process go by all that much faster.... How little they realize the very heartache we carry ourselves."

Wordcount: 600 + 957 = 1,557

Rippa calmly stood there as he looked after the older lady and her daughter or daughter in law. He wasn't sure to be honest as he wasn't exactly invited to the homes of his warriors for lunch. Not that he was eager to really get to know the families of those he put in danger. It was a harsh reality but they were the first and last line of defence for all of konoha. Their were other capable shinobi but the sword saints were considered the most combat capable division. He took the harder missions himself when he could but the work load was too much and he had to decide to send some men to places without him and without enough knowledge of what they were getting into. Truth was resources were spread too thin and if he had to be honest with himself he wasn't sending enough men to some locations. He wished there was more he could do to prevent death from happening but as soldiers they had to accept that was part of keeping the country safe. It was hard on him truthfully but he could not let it show or really affect him. He had to keep making hard choices even if his numbers dwindled.

Still his emerald eyes turned back to the woman across from him as his own guard came over to check on him. She was one of the individuals known for being powerful when he was still just an academy graduate. Likely she had some talents and experience with it all though based on where he had met her it was not the best of experiences. Still he nodded to his guard as he tapped him on the shoulder and seemed to assure him with that nod that he was fine. Handing the cups to the man to go and reseal. He couldn't stay for more than a couple more minutes but something else intruiged him about her showing herself now. A terrible time for sure but not one he would allow to resist his minds ability to see good in dark. Not to mention that she was rumored to be a better medic than himself. A true pioneer in the field. However what she was more known for was some more violent medical techniques. Not many knew any truth to them but rumors suggested she could pop a man with a brush of her lips. Not that Rippa intended to try and steal a kiss any time soon. Still that level of chakra control even if half true was impressive. He could barely control his own blood. Still the red mark on his face was already fading. Even as it did he smiled to her and spoke up a little more cheefully.

"I must admit I am not likely to educate them to such either. It is better to let them mourn instead of pleading a case they have no need to hear. Truthfully Konoha has changed while you were away. The greats have seemed to fade into retirement during my carreer and often I find myself thinking I am the last of us. None like yourself or Naota have risen recently, Nothing like Kenta or Takao, Star or Mitsuhide. Even the more recents of my generation such as Tenzo or Lamya have left their duties and in doing so increased my burden. I wish I too could leave it behind but it is not in me to abandon anyone. I suppose in truth the only way I will ever fade away as they have is by having my name join others on these walls. It would be fitting I suppose...:"

2515

Amaya nodded in agreement with Rippa's comment about not educating them. It was definitely easier to let them mourn their own way - even if it sometimes meant they tried taking their anger out on those who were still alive. The job of a shinobi, the life of one, was not easy. But, that was not exactly something everyone saw or knew given their naturally secretive and stoned face ways. Perhaps it was even better for them that they got the chance to mourn how they were: if anything they would hopefully find peace again or at least enough acceptance to be able to move on with their lives.

It was something Amaya would never have. Every fallen comrade would haunt her until the day she too died. But, that was not what she wanted to dwell on at that exact moment so instead she remained focused on what Rippa was saying.

"I'll admit I had to step away for quite a while. I not only lost the love of my life but my unborn child, too, when things went wrong. It... broke me in ways I didn't think I could break anymore." It was hard to admit, but she felt Rippa deserved the truth considering the burden he had had to shoulder alone recently. "But, fret not, I realize the state our village is now in and I have no intentions of continuing to sit back and allow it to continue. I'm not longer the broken person I was: if anything I'm stronger due to it all. I want to see our village filled with great and powerful people like it once was." It was all true, too. She wanted Konoha to full strength, she wanted Konoha's enemies quaking in fear and its allies proud to be called such. That was going to take some work though, she knew it and she was willing to do whatever was required of her to help.

Amaya fell silent for a moment, giving Rippa a chance to speak if he chose to. It also gave her mind a chance to wander: her first order of business was going to be trying to get a squad of genin together to take on as her own. The best way to raise great people was to give them guidance and education and the best way she knew how to do that was through taking on a squad. It would also give her a first hand view of how well the Genin were being trained, especially those freshly out of the Academy. If she knew where things stood then she figured she could do her job even better. The best way to make a great nation after all was to start building from the ground up: a firm foundation would lead to a firm structure in the end.

Wordcount: 2,031

Rippa Stood there and folded his hands in front of his person as he listened to her speak. She had nodded in affirmation to his views on not educating others on his hard choices. Truly it was a bit of a depressing conversation but he was happy to have the company of a peer. Even if she had once been and possibly still was superior to him ultimately he had risen high enough in the ranks to consider just about anyone but the hokage on a similar level to him. Pride was riding the edge of that thought a little hard but being humble didn't get him far. Still she spoke of her reasons for leaving and he bowed his head respectively. Losing a loved one was hard enough but he had never come close to having a child of his own so he couldn't compare his situation to hers. He could feel for her as a doctor but only on a professional level. Some part of him knew he wouldn't understand the deep pain one feels when losing a child. Still she continued to reassure him of her choice to return and change the village from its current state. Part of him felt a ping of irritation at the thought that he understood that meant he wasn't doing a good enough job in her eyes but he brushed that aside just as quickly. He knew she understood that the village was bigger than one person and no matter how hard he tried he wouldn't be enough on his own to change things.

Still he waited for a moment in silence as he looked over the monuments to those lost. He breathed in a slow and deep breath through his nose before breathing out his mouth. He could feel the morning still brisk on his skin as his blue eyes turned to look at the woman standing next to him seemingly lost in thought. Her returning was a blessing to the village and he had not intentions of arguing his position when there was no argument being made against him. He was calm and intelligent enough to know when he was being insecure. Still he turned and looked back the way they came. His blue eyes looking as more people were arriving with flowers and dark suits or robes. Another group of mourning individuals coming to miss the fallen. He didn't intend to see if they blamed him for those lost as well so he turned his attention back to the woman Amaya standing with him. She was being very open while he was hesitant he supposed. Had he not been smacked in the face he may never had revealed his troubles to her. Still he offered his arm to her as he spoke and smiled warmly.

"I feel for you and all you have lost Ms. Amaya. That said perhaps you wouldn't mind if I walked you to your next destination where ever it may be? Others have begun to arrive and I avoid them with reason. Perhaps we can discuss filling a position in the medical division? The captain was someone I knew but she has been gone for some time."

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Amaya's red colored gaze shifted over to the newest arrivals and she frowned slightly: she didn't like seeing this place quite so busy: not only because it was a reminder of all of the people who had lost loved ones and family members and friends, but because she rather preferred her own peace and quiet when visiting Ashi's name. While she didn't mind Rippa's company she wasn't in the mood to see anyone else let alone risk the chance of getting attacked, slapped, or whatever else could possibly occure by some more angry mourners looking for an outlet to take their angry and frustration out on. No, perhaps it was best to leave now and come back later on if she so choose to. Especially because Amaya's own emotions were to raw due to her recent honesty with Rippa for her usual complete and total control she exercised over them - no, if someone approached her wrong she was liable to say or possibly even do something she would later on regret. There was no point in risking it, it was simply best to leave.

Rippa clearly seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her as far as leaving went. He offered his arm to her, a gesture she had not seen in quite some time and which made her smile gently before taking it. He said that he felt for her and what she had lost, and then inquired about walking her to her next destination which she didn't mind in the slightest: she had to get back to the hospital before she was missed and see if her help would be required for the rest of the evening before the night shift came in. "The hospital was my next stop after this, actually...", she would explain. She was quite hoping she'd find the hospital without need of her skills for a night so that she could have a break, but she was a realist who knew that the chances of that happening were quite slim. Still, she was hopeful.

Her mind would then turn over the rest of what he had said: discuss filling a position in the medical division? That... well, she was perfectly okay with that idea. "A spot in the medical division? Well, you certainly have my complete and undivided attention...", she said with yet another smile; she was glad for the change in topic and the distraction, as well as the idea itself. Amaya could feel her emotions shifting from sadness and loss to excitement and curiosity. If he was being honest with his offer... well, it would be too good a chance to pass out, and an opportunity she wouldn't turn her nose up at. It would be more work added onto her busy schedule, but she had dealt with such before when Kenta was Hokage so it wasn't anything she wasn't used to already.

Were Rippa to begin to lead the way from the monument she would keep pace with him, her attention mostly on him save for the usual glance around to not only ensure she wouldn't stumble or fall, but for the usual checking of danger she was so accustomed to having to search and look out for.

Wordcount: 542 | 2,573

Rippa would walk with her as she took his offered arm and moved away from the small group coming in. He could almost feel the tension in her from so many being so close. A small smile would play on his lips as he quietly wondered how stressed she was in the hospital or if it was just her comfort spot. She was a renowned medic ninja but he wasn't sure if she was mostly so for her healing abilities over her bedside manner. She was gentle and kind enough in his opinion but she felt so nervous under his touch. Still they gradually left the monument as they entered onto one of the side streets leading to the hospital as she replied to him. He mostly let her guide him as he casually followed her general body gestures whenever they needed to take a turn but still was like a warm presence to be near. Rippa was a wonderful healer but he was not so strictly because of his medical ninjutsu. He worked with those who came to him outside of the hospital as a free clinic and his bedside manner was his focus. Everything about him from his sky blue eyes to this smile to his touch was warm. Still he would speak with a gentle tone in normal conversation. Perhaps it was surprising to see a member of the sword saints, their leader no less with such a calm demeanor instead of some hulking samurai with muscles and scars and one eye.

"Since you have been gone a few divisions have been either formed or reformed in that time. All under Sousetsu when he was still more involved. The medical division which runs out of the hospital and pretty much makes any decision regarding the majority of the medical supplies and med nin in Konoha. The Sword Saints which I lead which are our first line of defense and almost constantly at war with the surrounding riff raff and some more organized bandit groups. The Shinobi police force which a student of mine named Tenzo was leading though he seems to have faded into the shadows. And the Sealing division which suprisingly isn't popular as of yet. It has some members but mostly book worms and scholars. No Captain as of yet. Sousetsu's lover was the head of the medical division but no one knows where she is or what happened to her. I personally suspect whatever happened is the reason the Hokage is so removed. Either way the medical division without a captain has begun refusing to send med nin into battle with the sword saints. Not willing to risk their own I suppose. Although rumor has it that the leading influence behind it are a couple of doctors that are still irritated with me for ignoring my title of Doctor and choosing instead a different division to lead. I doubt they could refuse you though...Ah here we are!"

Rippa hadn't realized he had talked at length through the entire walk. It was a little shameful for him to blather on about it all but he had been happy to speak to someone that was a legend in the field and provide her reason to join the fight again. Still he would listen to her reply before his guard would come and whisper in his ear. He would nod before smiling and bowing to her formally. Having released her arm upon arrival. He stood once more before speaking. "However I must be off as duty calls. It was a pleasure meeting you Dr. Amaya. I hope you choose to rejoin us soon. It would be a comfort to know we were not fighting the good fight alone." With that he would wait just long enough for her to reply before turning and heading to the sword saints compound. Change was in the wind and he hoped it was for the best. The village needed a win.For now he would need to provide a defense that continued for the villages benifit. Another attack was underway and the sword saints were being called to action. Never a dull moment it seemed.

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