The Never-ending Road: Chapter 3 – The Young Lioness Appears

Chapter 3 – The Young Lioness Appears

Fast-paced Go, now this brought back memories. As Hikaru placed stone after stone, Fuku responded with equally quick play. It was just like back in their insei days, always quick to move, and equally just as quick to finish.
Klak. Klak. Klak. Klak.
The stones hit the board again and again, and Hikaru could see that Fuku's skills had improved in the last two years. In fact, there might even be a few pros present, like Mashiba, whom Fuku could beat.
Klak. Klak. Klak.
Klak.
Sadly for Fuku though, he was playing Hikaru. With a grin Hikaru began to lead Fuku into a complicated game, something that he remembered Fuku had struggled with in the past. At first Fuku's moves kept their usual pace, but soon enough there were long pauses between moves as Fuku struggled to keep up.
Klak.
Klak.
Klak. Klak.
Now Fuku sat there looking at the board, sweat dripping down his cheeks and frowned. This was the longest pause he'd had all game. At first he'd been thrown off by how quickly Hikaru had played that last move after his own, as if he'd been waiting for him to do that.
Ton.
Hikaru had begun to tap his fan on the Go board again, and it caused a shiver to run up Fuku's spine. It was like Hikaru had just told Fuku that he was getting impatient. Should he resign now? Was there any chance left?
Ton.
Sighing, Fuku looked at the board again, and surmised his position. Black was cut off, and if he didn't act soon, would be separated in the center. There was still room to work in the corner, but it was close to the end game now, and that was an area he still struggled in.
Shhft.
Fuku glanced up, and saw that instead of tapping his fan, Hikaru had now opened it, holding it up to his face as he gazed down at the board, then looked up to give a sharp glare at Fuku, who quite literally jumped. It wasn't just Hikaru's skills that had improved, but his presence too… it was like Fuku's mind had gone blank. Hikaru was telling him that it was time to resign, that defeat was inevitable. The force of that glare, the tapping of the bowl, but more importantly the disparity appearing on the board.
Bowing his head, Fuku closed his eyes. "I resign."
Closing the fan to reveal a warm smile that totally belied the intensity and presence of moments before. Hikaru was back to how Fuku remembered him, as someone who loved Go and found the very idea of playing fun.
"That was a good game Fuku. Your reading of the game has gotten a lot better. When you played here for instance, it made my shape difficult to maintain."
"Yeah, but then you went here, and it got complicated. Do you think I should have gone here instead?"
Hikaru shook his head, "No, that was a good move, but after you went there, you should have gone here to force me to protect these stones. I think the only real problem you had was that while you play your best at that fast pace, you have to be able to slow it down when you need to as well. Rushing into here wasn't smart, it would have been better to make a hane here and then pull back. Even a light exchange would have been manageable. Your ability to read hasn't quite caught up to the speed at which you play, so you make moves like this one because it seems good at the time, but if you keep looking ahead it becomes a liability."
Fuku nodded. Then smiling in his usual way thanked Hikaru and began to put away the stones. "I was playing this new insei the other day. He likes to play fast too, or at least he does against me."
"Yeah, I played a lot faster than I normally did against you too. I think it's an advantage if you can throw off your opponent's rhythm, but speed Go is a specialty of mine so it was just a bad match up for you. So, how did you do against that new insei."
Fuku sighed. "I lost by two and a half points. He took them from me in the end game."
Hikaru nodded then began to look around. "Is he playing here today?"
Fuku shook his head. "No, he just got into A League so he hasn't gotten up the ranks just yet. He will though."
Hikaru cocked an eyebrow. "Really, is he that strong?"
Fuku nodded. Then glancing off towards another table, Fuku said, "I'm going to go watch Waya's game now." Hikaru nodded and watched Fuku walk off. A new insei that's really strong huh? Sounds fun, I'd like to play him sometime.
Standing up, Hikaru glanced over at the table across the way where Akira was playing. Many viewers surrounded it; Akira was always popular. One day though they'd watch his games with the same desire. Waya's table was also getting crowded, though mostly by the insei, only a few that he recognized. It'd never occurred to him that the ranks of the insei would change, that new players with the same desire as him would continue to arise. Even as he'd chased after Akira and the pros, so now were new players chasing after him.
Turning around, Hikaru looked over at the game going on behind him between Nase and Tajima 2 –Dan. It didn't take Hikaru long to surmise the situation on the board. As it stood Nase was currently ahead by a few points, although the game was still too close to call. It might even go all the way to the end from the look of things. Still, Nase was playing very well, much better than he remembered her playing before. And he didn't mean just by the type of improvement he'd just seen in Fuku either.
Tajima wasn't giving up though. His most recent move had been good, and now threatened black's shape. If black lost those stones it would spell Nase's doom, but if she could hold onto them, especially given the effort that Tajima was making to take them, she should win. Still, that stone was a problem, as it couldn't just be taken, but something had to be done.
Wait. Hikaru's eyes caught onto one spot on the board, and immediately read ahead. What if she…
Reaching for her bowl, Nase stretched out her arm and gently set the stone down right where Hikaru had just been eyeing. The expression now on Tajima's face said it all, and Hikaru grinned. So, she was able to see it too. Or was it just luck?
After a short pause, Tajima moved, then Nase followed suit.
Klak. Klak
Klak. Klak.
It was no use though and Hikaru knew it. Tajima had played a strong game, but his counter to Nase's move had been too timid. It had been quite obvious that Tajima had not seen that move, which meant that for at least that moment, Nase had been above him.
At last Tajima lowered his head and resigned. As the pair thanked one another, Hikaru commented, "That was a really nice game Nase. I'm very impressed."
Nase turned to look up at Hikaru and blushed. "T-thank you Shindo. I'm really surprised that I did so well. How much did you see?"
"Just the very end. This move here, I was especially impressed with it."
Tajima nodded. "Yeah, that was a very good move. I didn't even notice it until after she played it. It really threw me off."
Nase's face beamed. "Yeah, I was just looking at the board, I looked at that spot, and suddenly it occurred to me. Shindo, did you…"
A sudden commotion across the way halted Nase's question. As the trio turned to look, they saw it was coming from around Waya's table. Suddenly a thought hit Hikaru, and he muttered, "No way." He then walked over towards the table, followed closely by Tajima.
Nase remained in her seat for a moment, reserved, then finished, "Did you see the move?" Sighing, Nase got up and walked over to see what the commotion was about.
When she arrived, standing next to Hikaru who was now taller than her, Nase tried to see what was going on from around the people in front. Frustrated, she turned to Hikaru and whispered, "What happened?"
Hikaru leaned close to her and whispered back, "It looks like Komiya just defeated Waya."

---

"Damn it, I can't believe I lost!" Scowling in frustration, Waya took a bite out of his cheeseburger. All from one mistake. He'd nearly come back in the end, just a half a point shy. It was really vexing, losing to an insei in the first round of the tournament. This must be how all the pros that lost to insei felt.
Looking over now at the others sitting in the booth with him, Waya felt like he was in a flashback. Isumi, Honda, Hikaru and Nase were all there, just like they were during their insei days. Fuku was absent, but that was due to a bathroom break that he would shortly return from. "So, the rest of you won huh?"
They all nodded, and Hikaru added, "Fuku lost though."
Waya's frown only deepened. "Of course, he was playing you Shindo!"
Nase interjected, "But Waya, Fuku really has gotten a lot better since you were an insei."
Hikaru agreed, then added, "And so have you Nase. The way you played, you were certainly above Tajima today." Nase's face flushed and she grinned broadly.
"So Tajima lost huh? Which other pros lost?"
Honda answered, "I think Murakami 2 – Dan lost to Adachi. I don't know if anyone else lost to the insei, I haven't checked the first round results yet."
Taking a sip from his soft drink, Waya asked, "Now that I think about it, does anyone know how Ochi-"
"So Waya," a smug, superior voice interrupted, "I heard you lost to Komiya. And you call yourself a pro Go player?"
Fuming, Waya shouted back at the kid, "Shut up Ochi! I can still beat you!"
Ochi chuckled, then pushed his glasses back up and replied, "Heh, you only beat me once as a pro, and you couldn't beat me in the preliminaries for the Hokuto Cup. I guess this just shows the difference in our current skill."
"You Punk!"
"Waya, calm down." Isumi interjected. "He's just trying to provoke you. It's not worth it."
Waya glared at Isumi, then back at Ochi before leaning back in his seat and exhaling. Easy for you to say Isumi. You won your game. Ochi meanwhile just chuckled again, then his eyes fell on Hikaru, and his expression went taut with seriousness. Without saying another word, Ochi then walked off.
Watching him leave, Nase then said, "I guess that means Ochi won. I wonder who he plays after lunch?"
Hikaru took a sip from his drink then said, "Me."
Waya's face lit up with excitement. "All right Shindo, kick his ass, send Ochi to the bathroom!"
Smiling awkwardly, Hikaru replied, "I'll do my best." He then turned to Nase and said, "So, who do you play in the second match?"
Nase's expression went serious, and her eyes lowered slightly. "Honda."
Honda glanced up, surprise evident on his face. It seemed apparent that he had not checked beforehand to see whom his second round opponent would be.
Ten minutes later the group had made its way back to the game room, and they splintered off towards their respective game tables. Ochi was already waiting for Hikaru, and as Hikaru sat down Ochi sent a hard glare at his opponent. This was not an opponent that Ochi could take lightly. More importantly, if he ever wanted to prove how good of a player he was, he couldn't lose to Hikaru.
As the games started, Waya stood by Hikaru's table to watch. While he wanted to see Ochi get his ass whooped badly, watching Hikaru play was a sight all its own. Especially since returning from the Hokuto Cup. Waya hadn't been the only one to notice the rise in Hikaru's play either. Both Shirakawa and Saeki had made similar comments.
The game was progressing slowly. Ochi was using his time cautiously, something that Waya could sympathize with when it came to playing Hikaru. Of course Waya hadn't played Hikaru yet as pros in an official game; the match they would have played being a forfeit during Hikaru's stint of no shows. Another move by Ochi, and now Waya was fairly certain that Ochi had changed his strategy at least twice already. Hikaru was simply countering every move Ochi made, as if waiting for something while he continued to amass territory. Several of Hikaru's moves had made no sense to Waya at first, only to come to light five or six moves later when the purpose became clear with an attack here or there. Ochi was barely hanging on at this point, and the sweat dripping down his face told Waya that he knew it too.
The more Waya thought about it, the more Hikaru's moves began to remind him of the games he'd seen Sai play on the internet years before. He was certain that Hikaru wasn't Sai, but the idea that Hikaru might know Sai, might even be his student, was appealing. Then again, it might just be appealing because it would make the impossibility of someone like Hikaru, having only started playing Go three years ago, becoming a pro only two years later and reaching such a level with no mentor, existing seem more plausible. If it wasn't the case, then Ochi's favorite question became all the more intriguing, 'Who is Shindo?'
By now Waya was not the only person watching, Akira had joined in to watch as well. Having won again easily, Akira now seemed focused on observing his rival's game. It was one of the few times he could do so, given the lack of game records kept for the lower rounds of the tournaments. Watching would be a good way to measure Hikaru, even if his opponent was Ochi.
Glancing back to the board, Waya grinned, as it was now clear with that last exchange that Hikaru would win. Capturing that corner had gained him eight points, and with nothing but the end game remaining, it was unlikely that Ochi could catch up. Hearing something, Waya glanced over to Hikaru and saw him tapping his fan against his hand again and again.
A low growl traveled over the board as Ochi's fists tightened in anger and frustration. Finally, sweat dripping off his chin, he said, "I resign."
As Hikaru thanked Ochi for the game Waya caught Akira mutter under his breath, "As expected" before turning to leave. Waya however, did not appear to be the only one to hear Akira, as with a sharp yet defeated glare, Ochi stood up and took off, struggling to hold back the rush of emotions and tears.
Sighing, Hikaru looked up at Waya and said, "Well that was a good game. Ochi's getting better too, everyone seems to be getting better. Maybe I need to start looking out for everyone more." As Hikaru began to clear off the board, Waya just stood there watching his friend. Was he serious? Did Hikaru not realize just how strong he was? Surely he knew, yet there he was saying he'd have to watch out for Ochi and everyone else here. It was hard to believe that this was the kid whom he'd taken under his wing when he first arrived as an insei two years ago. Hikaru was like a little brother to him, but now here he was, having surpassed him and still saying he needed to look out. He was either very naïve or else very wise.
As Hikaru finished cleaning up, they both glanced over towards Honda's table in time to see Honda shakily lower his head. The pair just watched in shock for a moment, then Hikaru said, "Did Honda lose?"
The pair looked at one another for a moment then took off at a quick pace for Honda's table. They got there just as Nase was finished commenting on one of Honda's moves. Scanning the board for a moment before Honda ruined it by gathering the stones together, Hikaru had seen what appeared to be a very exquisite game. He'd have to get Honda to recreate the game afterwards.
When they finished putting the stones away, Nase got up and pulled out her cell phone so that she could call her folks up to give them the results. This was a ritual that both Waya and Hikaru recognized from before. As Nase walked off, Hikaru looked back to Honda and the board and asked, "I didn't see it for long but it looked like a good game. Did you open at tengen?"
Honda shook his head. "No, I opened up on the upper right star point. I started out strong and I thought I had a good position going into the middle game, but then she just started pushing and pushing. It reminded me of how you played me during the pro exam Shindo. I fought back, but then she did this move I didn't even think of and my center started to collapse."
Hikaru nodded, and glanced at Waya who was wearing a rather amazed yet worried expression. Hikaru however, was more intrigued than he was worried. "I saw her do something similar in her game against Tajima earlier. She saw a path to survival that a lot of the lower Dans might have missed. It was impressive. Still, I didn't get to see much of it."
Honda, sweat dripping from his face still, looked up at the two and said, "I'll say this, I played her on the third to last day of the Pro Exam, and beat her then by 4 and a half points. Now though…" He looked back down at the bare Go board, "She's stronger. She's gotten a lot stronger since then."