Prologue: The Boy in Midst of Red Lotus

May 5th 1999

Kuwabara Honinbou was minding his own business at his residence when it was raining cats and dogs outside. A cup of tea and delicious baked sweet potato were perfect companion of his afternoon. Today was boy's day, and his grandchildren were running around with koi flag at his daughter's house. There was no way he wanted to be part of that hyperactive festivity in his daughter's house, so he chose to spend it with relaxing in his own house.

His heart almost jumped out of his mouth when he heard the sound of something heavy fell to the water with a splash. It was coming from the pond of his garden. He cursed the fact that the housekeeper was out to buy cleaning supplies and there was no one in the house aside from him. He stood up reluctantly from his seat and went to his cupboard to retrieve his old shinai. If it was a thief, he would show them that before he became a Go pro, he was a 3-dan kendo athlete! No one mess with old Kuwabara!

With shinai in hand Kuwabara walked slowly towards the sound of the splash, sound of rain muted slowly as the heavy rain mellowed to a gentle shower. When he reached his koi pond, his jaw was in danger of unhinged and his eyes widened in a size of dinner plate.

On the pond, surrounded by his koi fishes and favorite red lotuses was a boy dressed in Heian era jo-e in yellow color, brown nubakama and dark red inner kimono. His long black hair fanned around him on the water surface, the boy's lips was blue because long of exposure to cold water just like his pale skin.

He looked dead, but Kuwabara's old eyes were good enough to see slight raise on the boy's chest. So he quickly pulled boy out of the water, his back almost gave up because the boy was heavy. The boy had small stature but his clothes absorbed a lot of water. He pressed his hands on the boy's chest and started to pump up and down. When he thought it was too late the mysterious boy coughed up all the water on his lungs.

"Oi! Kid! Stay with this old man, will ya?"

"Ha… Ah… Sa… Sai-sen…sei… ani… ue…" The boy rasped out, "Please… don't…" Then the boy passed out again and old Kuwabara cursed when he realized he had to drag the boy to his house to treat him alone.

That day the housekeeper was shocked to find her employer had the worse back pain of the year, and they had to call Kuwabara's personal doctor to treat a mysterious boy who almost died from pneumonia.

The boy wake up few days later and Kuwabara was excited to talk with the boy. He didn't know where the long haired boy came from but he was very pleased when he saw the boy's hand, calloused with flat nails that a tell for a Go player.

"Thank you for saving my life, Kuwabara-sama…" The boy said as he gave the lowest bow he could give with his sitting position on futon.

Kuwabara smirked, "Nah… I am glad this old man is still good enough to save young un's life!" He cackled, "So, what's your name boy?"

The boy smiled benignly in return, "Hikaru… My name is Fujiwara no Hikaru, the fifth son of Fujiwara family and disciple of Emperor's Go Tutor, Fujiwara no Sai…"


Chapter 1: Honinbou's disciple

January 2000 (National Children's Go Tournament)

Ogata narrowed his eyes at the long haired boy dressed in hakama that had followed Kuwabara-Honinbou around like an over-excited puppy. He had heard that Kuwabara Honinbou last year took a disciple around Akira's age but this was the first time he saw the boy. He had a very long hair that reached pass his waist, healthy tanned skin and deep green eyes. He also dressed in hakama and getta, the very image of a traditional Japanese boy.

The boy suddenly stopped on a particular goban where two children were playing, his eyes were wide with childish glee before he continued following his teacher.

"Shishou! Shishou! There is an interesting tsumego problem in that goban!"

"Is that so? Show me later, kay?" Kuwabara droned as he pulled his cigarette and lighter from his pocket.

"Hai!" The boy said as he snatched the cigarette and lighter from Kuwabara's hands and threw it to nearest trash bin. Considering that trash bin was at least ten feet away, Ogata almost thought the boy was a basketball player instead of Go player. "There are children here, Shishou…"

"Brat! I am going to light it once I am out of here! And you can save it for me instead of throwing it to trash bin!" Kuwabara protested.

The disciple crossed his arms, "You shouldn't smoke in the first place, Shishou… think about your health… "

"I am alive and kicking!" The old man protested again stubbornly.

"Not for long if you keep inhaling that poisonous substance!" The disciple shot back, "Shishou! You should know better! You're not illiterate; you could read the warning of what that nicotine stick could cause you!"

"I am fine!"

Then much to Ogata's shock and Kuwabara Honinbou, the boy burst to tears. "I just don't want you to die Shishou! Hic! Hic! Sob! Sob!"

"Damn it stupid disciple of mine! Don't make it sounds like I am dying! Fine! I will quit! I will quit smoking!"

Ogata gaped at the Honinbou who swore off cigarette on the top of his lungs to shut his disciple up. It seemed he didn't have to fear the Honinbou would die of lung cancer before he could push Kuwabara off of his Honinbou throne. Then as if that was not enough Kuwabara started haggling on sake consumption he could take with his disciple. It seemed the Honinbou's disciple was obsessed to cut his teacher's unhealthy consumption and keeping the old crone alive as long as possible.

The pair quickly left the premise after a nervous institute employee told the Honinbou in the politest way as possible that they were making commotion and disrupting the tournament. The boy looked chastised while Kuwabara loudly tell how the kids won't mind the noise if they had good enough concentration on their game. The boy had good enough sense to drag his teacher out after apologizing profusely to the staff.

Ogata went to see the game that caught Honinbou's disciple's attention, his eyes widened in shock when he saw the dying black cluster on the upper left. This was a difficult life and death situation and the boy remarked it as interesting?

It seemed there were more to the young disciple of Honinbou, and if his hunch was correct… Akira was not so alone in his generation after all.


This is another HnG story that I WILL NOT update as fast as Hikaru no Monogatari... although in a sense I think this one perhaps is a more original idea. Worse case I will just ask if there is anyone who is interested to continue this for me?

Bear in mind the fast update is because I was on hols, now the school is starting so the update will get slower! Now... if only other HnG authors started updating maybe I will be more motivated to do the same.

BTW I suddenly have an inspiration to turn this to fem Hikaru fic, it seems to be a bigger challenge as it's difficult to write a gender bender story and not making the said character Mary-sue. Should I or should I not? Nah... let's decide that until the next update of this story.