New Star Rising
By Leitbur
This is a one-shot side story to The Never-Ending Road, covering the events of the Shinshodan match between Kiyoshi Sato, who recently passed the Pro Exam, and Kuwabara Honinbo. The match is taking place on Sunday January 11, 2004.
This takes place after Chapter 53 of The Never-Ending Road and between Chapters 3 and 4 of Traveling a Chinese Road.
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"So, have you seen Sato today?" a female voice spoke curiously.
"Yeah," a male voice answered back, "I saw him for a moment coming in, he looked really nervous."
Trotting down the hallway of the Japanese Go Association building next to Eji Komiya, Asumi Nase lowered her head and replied, "Well I suppose that's natural, it's technically his first pro match, and to be playing it in the Yugen no Ma against the holder of the Honinbo title… Wow even I feel a little nervous."
Chuckling at that as they reached the elevator and stepped in, Komiya responded, "Yeah I know, makes you kind of wonder how much worse it will be when our turns come up. I mean you've got Ogata Judan, the two titleholder, and I don't even know who or when I'll be playing."
"True," Nase said softly, "but I still think Sato got the worst of them, I mean sure Ogata-sensei is a big name right now, and your opponent could be anybody, but there's just something about that title, Honinbo, that pulls you in."
Nodding, Komiya replied, "Yeah, I think it's because so many of the great old players have held it back when it was a school. Sansa Meijin, Jowa, Shuwa, the two Kisei Dosaku and Shusaku, the list goes on and on. Even the tournament itself is the oldest, everything about it screams respect and prestige."
Giggling, Nase then commented, "You know, that reminds me of when Hikaru was an insei and had no clue about Kuwabara-sensei, the Honinbo Tournament, or any of that stuff."
"What?" Komiya responded, cocking an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yeah you weren't there with us that time. Let's see, it was me, Waya, Isumi, Honda, Hikaru and… Fuku. It was right after the Young Lions Tournament, we were coming back from lunch and Kuwabara-sensei came out of the elevator. Hikaru just stared at him as he walked by, didn't bow or anything. We had to explain to him who Kuwabara-sensei was on the elevator."
Chuckling himself now as the pair stepped off the elevator and made their way down the hallway, Komiya replied, "Yeah that sounds like Shindo all right. Deep and insightful on one thing, completely oblivious to other things. I mean sure now he's better about it, knows a lot about the Go World and everything, but if it's not related to Go… well I doubt he'd be the first person you'd want to ask about it."
Frowning at Komiya despite knowing that his words did hold a slight truth to them, Nase sighed lightly. Hikaru was seemingly oblivious to a lot of different things, something that was rather frustrating for Nase and others at times. Still, he was brilliant in his own way, and his smile… you could just tell from it that he truly meant well, despite a certain lack of tact.
Turning a corner and spotting the door to the monitor room, the pair made their way toward it, and moments later Komiya opened the door allowing Nase to step through. The room was compact compared to the playing rooms, but there was still enough room for a dozen or so people. Off in the far right a coat rack sat, and taking the opportunity to do so, Nase removed her winter coat revealing a black turtleneck sweater, and making her way over to the coat rack hung up her coat neatly. Stepping back so that Komiya could hang up his coat, Nase scooted by him as best she could, glancing at the burgundy loveseat next to the rack as she did so. Beyond it was the corner table where a pair of boards sat for the people seated there to replay the match, or to play their own games if they chose. Of course the latter rarely happened since the room only found use during matches like this and other events that required the use of the Yugen no Ma. As an insei she and others had come down to watch the games from time to time, and the corner table had been quite convenient for avoiding the pro players at the main table.
Of course now she was a pro player herself, and while feelings of unworthiness had kept her away from the main table in the past, that would no longer be the case. Like Komiya beside her and Sato who was likely preparing for pictures outside the building right now, Nase was an equal to all the other Go professionals, regardless of skill. Granted, she didn't quite know if she'd feel that way if someone like Ogata, Hatanaka, Serizawa, or even Kuwabara were seated at the table just now, but than such a grouping of top pros would intimidate a fair number of professionals.
The main table was three pieces attached together with six chairs, three per side. Several small dishes and teacups had been set up on it along with a pair of thermoses containing what she assumed was the tea. Down at the far end of the table was set up another, smaller table with a Go board resting on it. A short distance from it sat the TV monitor, already on and showing the empty goban off in the Yugen no Ma, a pair of mulberry Go bowls sitting serenely on top of it.
Walking around the table to the other side, Nase pulled back the chair to the third seat from the door and sat down, reaching for a teacup and one of the thermoses as she did so. Pouring herself a cup, Nase then looked up at Komiya who was taking a seat across from her and said, "Would you like some too?"
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Standing outside in the cold while trying his best not to shiver, Sato stared straight ahead of himself in an attempt to stay focused. While arguably the toughest part was now behind him, as he was now and forever a professional Go player, several aspects of his life that would now be changing with that title had begun to hit him as of late. The first of which was the fact that he was suppose to play his first game in the Yugen no Ma, the grandest place to play a Go match in the entire country, heck, maybe even the world, and he had nothing to wear.
Certainly he was not required to wear a suit or anything, and in fact he was fairly certain that even if he'd shown up in rags they would have still let him play the game, but such an image was not what he wanted fans and more importantly his fellow pros to see as their first impression of him. His mother of course had felt that it was nothing to worry about, and that while appearance certainly did play a role, she then proceeded to turn his own words against him by pointing out that as he'd put it, the truly important thing was how he played. Given that this was a true statement it had been hard to argue against, but three days of arguing later he had gotten her to give in and take him shopping for something to wear, despite the family's tight budget.
The recession had hit his family hard, forcing his mother to take a job of her own cleaning homes. Even before the recession getting nice clothes had been difficult for him, making now something of an absurdity. Thus the best he could have hoped for from his mother was a trip to a second-hand clothes store. The result was a slightly faded gray long-sleeved polo shirt that was a size too large, though his mother insisted that he'd grow into it, covered by a red sweater vest that he wouldn't be growing into. One of his father's old ties was hidden underneath the vest, something Sato was grateful for given that the color did not match at all with his clothes.
He'd asked for a newer pair of pants as well, but at that his mother had been firm, stating that their budget was already tight and that his jeans would be fine. Glancing at the cameraman who was moving into position for the photos now, Sato was at least grateful that the hole in the lower hem of his jeans was not visible from that angle.
His appearance however was not the only reason he was keeping his gaze focused forward, the other was to keep from looking at the person standing next to him. After all, he was nervous enough as it was without the extra pressure of looking at the holder of the Honinbo Title.
As the pictures started to flash now, Amano stepped up next to the cameraman and said to the pair in front of him, "Yes, now how about you two turn and talk a little."
It took all of Sato's willpower to keep his groan silent. Oh somebody just kill me now. Pausing a moment, Sato then reluctantly turned his body and found himself holding his breath as he looked upon the exaggerated grin on the face of Kuwabara Honinbo. With a slight cackle to his voice, the aged pro said, "Talk huh? Wonderful, you know I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you."
Gulping, Sato answered, "Oh really?"
"Yes indeed," Kuwabara replied. "So how old are you young fella? Eleven or twelve years old maybe?"
"I… I'm thirteen. My birthday's next month actually."
Cocking his eyebrow at this, although the grin remained, Kuwabara continued, "Oh, almost fourteen are you? My, you look so short and thin for that age, do you get enough to eat? You know that a healthy body is a big key to being a pro player."
"Umm, I, that is…"
"Are you nervous? Don't be, against an old has been like me this should be a walk in the park. Sure you're the leadoff batter for this year's new pros, and your game will be used as a measuring stick for the others as to how successful they were, but that's no reason to get all worked up."
"Well I…"
"Growing young kids like you need to work up your stamina, so why don't I take you golfing with me one of these days. You can caddy for me and everything. It'll be great for your heart and help get you into shape. That along with all the other sports you play ought to keep you running strong for years to come."
Stuttering more now as the flashes of the camera began adding to the pressure that already seemed to be piling up upon him from his opponent, Sato foolishly stated before he had thought better of it, "A-actually sensei, I don't play any s-sports so-"
"No way! Really son? Well, you'll definitely have to come caddy for me sometime soon. Ichiryu and I ought to be heading out to play next month, there's this nice course on one of the southern islands I like. It'll be a great experience for you. Now…"
The next few minutes seemed like both a blur and an eternity for Sato, yet the next thing he knew he was making his way toward the Go Association building behind Kuwabara, pieces of memories floating about his head where he'd promised to do something or other for the Honinbo, although the details at the moment seemed hazy. It was strange, he'd spent the last few weeks running about trying to make himself presentable for this match, worrying about small little details and such that he'd forgotten to really feel excited or nervous about the game itself. It seemed however that those sensations were making up for lost time now, and before he knew it they were off the elevator and making their way down the hallway.
A quick turn and Sato spotted the door to the monitor room as he passed by it. Nase and Komiya were likely in there already, preparing to watch him play. Watch him play… No, he needed to concentrate… breathe, yes that was it, just take deep breaths and keep his mind calm. He had the first move today, he already knew what move he'd play and he had the advantage of a reverse komi. So there was no need to panic, everything would be…
Another turn and the sound of a door in front of him sliding open hit Sato's ears. This was it, he was here and everything was fine, he just… As Kuwabara stepped into the room ahead of him and began making his way around the scoring table, the Yugen no Ma became visible to Sato's eyes and he suddenly found his legs frozen in place. This room, even though he'd snuck a peek in here once before as an insei, entering it now was a whole different experience. There was a true elegance to the room that its simplicity just didn't account for, a sense of power, awe and mystery that left weaker beings struck with a serene grace. It was a Zen feeling, one that simply took one's breath away, and Sato was no exception.
The moment passed quickly however as Sato came back to himself and took a step into the room. Instinctively he nearly stepped back, only to suddenly realize that at some point along the way he had already removed his shoes, although he couldn't for the life of him remember just when. Hopefully he'd be able to find them again after the match.
Moving around the scoring table in the opposite direction that Kuwabara had, and slowly made his way to his seat. The Honinbo was already seated calmly, watching Sato now with a gaze that belied the exaggerated grin of a few minutes before. The power and intensity of this room, Kuwabara could certainly sense it too, and it seemed to be invoking his Go spirit as he watched his young opponent take his seat across the board.
Glancing about, Sato saw the time keeper and game recorder off to his right, and off next to them Amano sat while the cameraman kneeled down on one knee, preparing to take another picture. So this was what it felt like to be a pro, to play a game with the whole world watching, ready to applaud or question his every move. It was hard to imagine that someone could get used to such a feeling.
"Hey now, I told you earlier, don't be nervous." Turning his head back in front of him, Sato spotted Kuwabara still eyeing him, that wily smile back on his face. "After all, I hear you're going to beat Hikaru Shindo. When I played him last year he wasn't nervous at all, so if you're good enough to beat him you should have nothing to worry about."
Frowning despite himself, Sato cursed inwardly. Sure, easy for you to say, you've been doing this for years. And Shindo, of course he wasn't nervous, after all, he's…The words were held back from his mind, the potential sting of them too great to bear. After all, how could he ever hope to one day defeat Hikaru Shindo if he admitted that Hikaru was a far better player than he was?
Taking a deep breath, Sato reached out to the board and removed the bowl with the black stones in it, setting it down by his right side. Removing the lid and setting it gently down next to the bowl, Sato could only do one thing now… wait.
Several minutes or a short eternity later, a man to Sato's right said, "It's time to start."
Lowering his head, Sato said, "Onegaishimasu."
As his opponent replied in kind, Sato glanced up at his opponent, seeing the passive, quiet expression it held, and then took a deep breath. Yes, he would one day defeat Hikaru Shindo, and Ogata, Kurata, Hatanaka, Serizawa, Toya, all of them and more. The path to the pros, his path, it started here and now, with this first step, with this first move. Sato had studied many game records in his break after the Pro Exam, looked over many strategies and variations, and last night he'd decided on how he would open this game… just like his favorite player, Hikaru Shindo, had against this opponent.
Reaching for a black stone, Sato inhaled and reached across the board, placing the stone down firmly at 17-4, withdrawing his hand back in a smooth, crisp motion. Exhaling, Sato glanced up at his opponent briefly, a sense of relief filling his body. That had been easier than he'd thought; no unseen force keeping him from placing his stone, no bolt of lightning that would strike him down, just a gentle 'Ka-chi' like he'd played a thousand times before. Heck, he hadn't even noticed the flash of the camera, giving him the sense that he could indeed do this, there was nothing to it.
Ka-CHI!
A slight flinch shot up his body as Kuwabara brought the stone down hard on the 4-3 point, causing a tingling sensation to course up Sato's spine. Such force and power; with a slight hesitation Sato reached for his stones. Perhaps this wouldn't be so easy after all.
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Trotting down the hallway from the Yugen no Ma toward the monitor room, Amano turned his head back and commented to the cameraman walking behind him, "Did you get a lot of pictures? We may need them, I have a good feeling about this kid."
Nodding, the cameraman answered, "Yeah, I snapped a few extra, although I have to say Kuwabara-sensei was sure pouring on the pressure."
Chuckling, Amano slid his feet into the slippers on the ground and then replied, "Yes well he's always like that. At least Sato didn't jump completely out of his seat like Mashiba did when Kuwabara-sensei played that first stone."
Nodding in agreement as he too slid his feet into a pair of slippers, the cameraman then added, "I'm just glad it wasn't like that time Shindo-sensei played, twenty minutes for the first move and all, I was drained after that one."
"Yes, that game never made much sense to me, although Toya-sensei and Kuwabara seemed to become even more impressed with him after it." Reaching the door to the monitor room, Amano grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, gazing into the room as two pairs of eyes moved to the doorway to meet his. "Ah, hello Nase, Komiya. Looks to be an interesting battle today huh?"
"Yes, I hope so." Nase replied with a smile. "Sato's moves look calm so far, how does he look, is he handling the pressure well?"
Smiling back as he made his way over to the far end of the room and taking a seat next to Komiya, Amano answered, "Well he certainly looked spooked before the game when he was chatting with Kuwabara-sensei, but he seemed to have calmed down once the game started. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."
Sliding over from her own seat to the chair to her left so that she could help Amano set up the board position, Nase added, "Well Sato's a fighter, so I doubt he'll go down without at least throwing a few punches."
"Agreed," Komiya chimed in, his head resting on his folded arms, "I remember my Pro Exam match against him, I thought I was in a good position and then he just attacked me from out of nowhere, I hadn't even seen it coming. After that he just pushed his advantage and I had to resign. Kind of annoying really, my only loss in the Exam."
Chuckling, Amano commented, "Well the important thing is that you passed, and with the best score don't forget."
"Mr. Amano's right Komiya," Nase added, "we all passed, what our records were stopped mattering once that happened."
Scowling, Komiya replied, "Easy for you to say, you beat him. Well once we play again as pros I'll get my revenge." Glancing up at the screen Komiya lifted his head up from his arm pillow as he cocked an eyebrow. "Whoa, they're getting into it."
Turning to look at the TV screen themselves, Amano and Nase saw a battle opening up in the upper left corner. Given that they were a good twenty or so moves in, battling in the corner wasn't surprising in itself, but the shapes their stones were forming, they were… unusual.
As white filled a weak-point to prevent a cut by black, Sato's hand darted into view over the board and made a one-point jump in the upper right corner. A strong move, played by someone looking to invoke influence across the board. White then placed a stone at 3-16, taking the fight into the lower left corner, suggesting that a cease-fire had been called in the upper left. As the upper left now stood, it was hard to tell who held the advantage, although Nase's feeling was that it was Sato. Why exactly she wasn't sure, but as she'd just pointed out, Sato was a fighter.
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Frowning as he placed a stone down at 17-10 in an attempt to expand his territory on that part of the board, Sato scanned the board with his eyes. While he liked his position in the upper corners of the board, the approaches and now the cap that Kuwabara had placed in the lower left were frustrating to his stones there. From the looks of it the joseki that was forming down there was not going to be very advantageous to his strategy either. He'd likely get some territory out of it, but if he wasn't careful the group would become completely cut off from the rest of the board, holding no influence whatsoever. That was usually the trade, territory for influence and vice versa, but in this case the territory gained didn't really favor the influence he'd lose.
Ka-Chi.
Ka-Chi.
Ka-Chi.
Grinding his teeth, Sato closed his eyes, resting them a moment before opening them once more and returning his gaze to the game at hand. His best hope was likely to try and work the left side of the board and create a loose connection between his two groups. If he could do that then he'd have a strong position along the left and upper sides of the board, one that would allow him to force Kuwabara's hand. The reverse komi would play its part there, as Kuwabara would be forced to make a play for control or risk losing everything. All right, here he went.
Ka-Chi.
Ka-Chi.
Gazing at the attachment that his opponent had played to his pincer, Kuwabara chuckled inwardly. So that was the boy's strategy, clever, even if it wouldn't work. He was trying to force a standard avalanche joseki, and use it to slide down the side of the board. If the joseki had formed on the fourth line instead of the third it might have worked too, but as it stood he could deflect the attack away. Of course it would likely cause a small battle that might open up a charge on the center, but that might just be beneficial in the long run anyway.
Ka-Chi. Ka-Chi.
Ka-Chi.
Still, this boy was certainly interesting. It was just another little confirmation that Ogata's new wave was arriving. Ever since Akira Toya had come on the scene the new pros showing up had been quite interesting. Shinichiro Isumi, Kiyoharu Yashiro, Kosuke Ochi, Yoshitaka Waya, not to mention Toya's true rival himself Hikaru Shindo, and now this boy. With this youthful infusion of talent the game was certainly becoming interesting. When his time to fall would come Kuwabara couldn't tell, such a thing was not truly up to him, but he couldn't help but wonder if it would be one of these young rising stars to do it, to take away his title, or an established veteran. Well regardless of who, it was certainly going to be fun.
Ka-Chi. Ka-Chi.
Ka-Chi. Ka-Chi.
Ka-Chi.
Cocking his eyebrow as his opponent placed his stone, Kuwabara stared down at the board as a slight grin slid across his face. Well that's an interesting move.
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Leaning out of the seat of his chair, Amano stared at the TV screen a moment, then turned to look at the board in front of him as Nase placed the appropriate stones down. "So black's response to white's deflection is that?"
Scooting a little closer to gain access to the board, Komiya replied, "Yes, it's a rather bold and interesting maneuver, using three knight's moves to connect the left side to the upper right corner. Sato's trying to swipe up a chunk of territory in the center of the board while expanding his position in both corners."
Pointing to the position on the board herself now, Nase added, "Yes, but it's dangerous. If he doesn't shore it up his position will deteriorate quickly, not to mention that Kuwabara-sensei might try to use the opportunity to take more territory on the right side, or even set up his position in the center."
"Not to mention he had to play them over Kuwabara's stones here, so he could lose significant territory on the upper edge if Kuwabara can make this group live." Komiya shot back, not wanting to be outdone.
Checking the screen and placing another stone where Kuwabara had responded, Amano then inquired, "This group here, couldn't Kuwabara-sensei use it to expand out here to attack this position?"
"No," Nase replied, "he doesn't have the proper thickness for it, he'd just end up getting them netted with a play here and here."
"Couldn't Kuwabara respond here though?" Komiya interjected.
"But then Sato would play here and cut him off." Was Nase's reply.
As Komiya was about to suggest another move the door to the monitor room opened, causing the trio to glance back. Smiles slid across the faces of the two young pros as they spotted the new arrival. "Fuku!" Nase called out, waving him over to them, "it's good to see you again. Come on in, the game's getting good."
"Hello Nase, Komiya," Fuku answered with his usual energy, "yeah I just finished up my game upstairs and made my way down. I think a couple others might be coming down shortly too."
Nodding with a grin on his face as Fuku slid into the chair next to Nase, Komiya then inquired, "So, how'd your game go?"
"I won!"
"That's great!" Nase replied, giving her friend a wink. "We're both cheering for you, along with the others."
Placing a black stone onto the board, Amano then returned his attention to the new arrival and said, "Well Fukui, you came pretty close in the Exam last year, should I be expecting to see you in that room next year?"
"I sure hope so," Fuku responded, "everyone else is passing or leaving, since Waya and Shindo left it hasn't been half as much fun, and now that Nase and Komiya are gone too…"
Nase nodded. "Yes, well then you'll just have to pass this year. I'll give you a hand."
"Me too," Komiya added.
"Wow thanks."
Turning their collective attention back to the screen, Amano blinked and then said, "It's moved into a ko battle now."
Gazing at the position, Komiya then said, "Whoever wins that ko battle is going to have the advantage. If white wins it'll disrupt black's play for control of the upper edge, and if black wins then the game will likely be over."
"Wow," Fuku replied, "that looks really complicated. I was never able to win ko battles against Sato."
"Here," Nase offered, "I'll replay it for you from the beginning. As she said this Nase cleared the stones and began to place them one by one onto the board as Fuku watched on.
As Nase replayed the game, the other two watched the still progressing battle intently. Then Amano pointed to the screen and said, "Now it's become a two-stage ko."
"It'll turn into three soon," Komiya replied, "just watch… there it is. Man, what a major headache."
Glancing up herself as she finished replaying the game, Nase scanned the screen and made the necessary additions to the board. "Yeah, but a three-stage ko sounds just like something Sato would play for."
His brow contorting, Amano then replied, "But won't this give white time to sweep in and take territory on the rest of the board?"
"If he can play with it and survive long enough yes," Komiya answered, "but that's no easy thing to do. If he places his stones elsewhere one time too many, or makes a miscalculation, white will be crushed."
Fuku then added, "What about here though, couldn't black use the time to link up this group and take the rest of the center?"
Turning her gaze to the other half of the board, Nase pondered Fuku's suggestion for a moment, then replied, "Yes, that might work, but then black would risk losing the ko battle, and if that happens the territory gained might be negligible. It depends on how much black could force white to duel him at the top of the board; whether that would work on Kuwabara-sensei or not I don't know, but Sato will likely stick to his strengths in this battle. Now if he-"
Before she could finish however the door to the room swung open again and in darted a pair of short insei, a short-haired girl and a rather scruffy-looking boy; both apparently out of breath. Inhaling and exhaling heavily, the girl said, "Did we miss it?"
Chuckling at the sight, Komiya smiled and said, "Don't worry Oka, the game's still going on. Have a seat, you too Shoji."
Nodding, the two young insei made their way over to the other table in the corner and sat down, removing the Go bowls from the board as they did so. Giving them his usual smile, Fuku got up and moving over said, "Hey, I'll replay the game for you."
"Thanks," Shoji replied, "man I've been waiting to see this match. Sato's so strong!"
"Yes," Oka responded, "he is very good. Last year in the Pro Exam he forced a resignation out of me inside a hundred moves."
Chuckling at that, Shoji retorted with a smirk, "Well that's what you get for studying all of those Akira Toya game records. If you want to succeed, study Hikaru Shindo's games."
"Hey!" Oka shot back, "Toya is way stronger than Shindo! After all, when was the last time Shindo beat Toya!?"
"Well then why does Sato want to play Shindo and not Toya? Face it, Sato recognizes just like I do that Shindo is better!"
Shaking her head, Nase sighed. So those two were still going at it about Hikaru and Akira. It never went anywhere, and really the debate was pointless presently. As she opened her mouth to point this out to them again however Amano piped in, "So, you two are fans of Toya and Shindo? Those two are great friends and rivals, I've interviewed both of them a lot. Seeing young players chasing after them is quite nice, it gives me even more hope for the future of this game. So are you two rivals as well."
In unison Nase and Komiya answered, "Yes."
Following up right after Oka replied, "No way, I'm so much stronger than him!"
"You wish," Shoji retorted, "You're ranked 10th in A League, I'm ranked 12th!"
"That makes me better!"
"It's about the same." Shoji shot back.
Scowling angrily, Oka then turned to Nase and said, "Nase, you've played them both right, tell this loser that Toya is way better so we can be done with this silly fight!"
Sighing once more as all eyes turned to her, Nase answered, "Actually, with those two it's really a toss up. If you really want to know what they're like though, come here next week for my game. Hikaru's going to be coming to watch so you can talk to him personally about it."
At those words the two young insei gasped. While it seemed that they were quite happy to argue and debate the topic of superiority at a safe distance, the prospect of actually coming face to face with one of the two young princes of Go was something they had not been prepared to consider.
As the pair struggled to find their voices however, Amano, now intrigued, inquired, "Shindo's going to be here next week? Why's that?"
"Well," Nase answered, squeezing her fan tightly as she was a little embarrassed at the unexpected curiosity she'd just created, "he's a friend. We were insei together and we both go to Waya's study group, and he wanted to show his support. Waya and Isumi are coming too."
"Oh come on," Komiya blurted out, a slight irritation in his voice, "he basically trained you for the Pro Exam, that's why he's coming. I study with Waya's group just like you, but I bet Shindo doesn't show up for my game. How often do you go over to his house to study anyway?"
Before she could answer Amano interjected, "Shindo helped train you to take the Pro Exam? He never mentioned this to me in any of our interviews. Hmmm…" Amano then opened up his notepad and began jotting down several new angles he might want to use for next week's Shinshodan match depending on the outcome.
Turning her head away, Nase glanced at the TV and gasped. "Look!"
Heads jolted around to the screen as several jaws dropped. Komiya then said, "Sato's move there was too soft! Kuwabara's going to…"
"There!" Nase called out, all thoughts of the conversation of moments before now gone. "Sato didn't see that move at all. With that white should live on the upper edge."
Komiya then added, "Look at that group in the lower half of the board, if white plays it right black will be demolished down there."
As the moves continued to come, Amano, who had been scribbling down notes like crazy since the tide of the game had turned said, "If white can secure its position here won't it-"
"It'll be all over." Komiya interjected.
"Even without it, I don't think-" Nase began.
Amano however cut in and said, "There, he's resigning!" Pausing to reflect for a moment, Amano then continued, "So after a brave effort and nail-biting action, Sato falls short and starts off his pro career with a loss. Well, let's go get some pictures and hear the discussion."
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With his head lowered in frustration, Sato replayed the sequence again in his mind. Where had he gone wrong, at what point had it all fallen apart? Had it been when he'd placed that one stone, or had it been coming even sooner than that? He had wanted to win this game so badly, to demonstrate that there was a new force coming up the ranks to contend with, but in the end he'd come up short. What would the others say about the game, it would be published, so everyone could look at it and see his loss.
Never before had he played a game that was officially recorded. Sure he'd written down his game records when he'd taken the insei exam, replayed matches for other people to see, but never before would people he had never seen, with no choice of his own, be able to see one of his games. Would Hikaru Shindo see this game? Sure he would, if not in Weekly Go then from someone in the Waya study group. What would he think, would he laugh at his pitiful attempt at victory? He had been telling his parents for some time now that he had talent, that as a Go pro he could not only survive, but thrive. He'd envisioned his rise to glory and fame a million times, but if this was what he could expect, defeat even with a handicap…
"Hey, kid," Sato heard Kuwabara call out. Lifting his head to look at his opponent, Sato waited as Kuwabara continued, "what's your name?"
"My… name? Um, it's Sato, Kiyoshi Sato sir."
"Kiyoshi Sato huh," Kuwabara repeated, as if musing the name over in his head. Then with a grin he added, "I'll remember that."
A sense of sudden pride and wonder rose up through Sato at those words, his doubts of moments ago a mere flickering thought lost in this warm spring breeze flowing into the room. Kuwabara would remember his name… he was… being acknowledged as someone worthy of being remembered by the aged titleholder. It was more than he could have hoped for, given everything that had happened. "Thank you, sensei."
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"Quite an interesting match, huh Amano?"
Turning to view the aged figure of the Honinbo titleholder making his way over, Amano nodded, happy to take this opportunity and replied, "Yes, a very good beginning for Sato I'd say. Even though he lost, he showed great skill, everyone seemed impressed."
Cackling, Kuwabara responded, "Yes he's got talent all right. He may not be Hikaru Shindo yet, but he's certainly got some potential. It'll be interesting to see how this new kid turns out don't you agree?"
"Yes Kuwabara-sensei, this year's group seems very promising. Actually though, given your interest in Shindo I sort of wish we'd given you next week's new pro, but Sato's goal of surpassing Shindo made us give you him instead."
"Oh really now," Kuwabara said with intrigue in his voice, "Why do you say that?"
Scratching the back of his head, Amano answered, "Well apparently the girl playing Ogata next week, Nase, I guess Shindo was helping her train for the Pro Exam, and they study together quite often. Oh well, I suppose Ogata will be fine, he showed interest in Shindo too after all, and it's really not that big a deal I suppose, I mean your match with Sato was great and that's what's important. Regardless of the stories behind it, the purpose is to introduce these new pros."
Nodding his head with an exaggerated grin, Kuwabara replied, "Yes, that's quite true, and I certainly had a lot of fun today. You said that girl, she'll be playing next Sunday?"
"Nase?" Amano answered, confusion in his voice, "Yes, next Sunday. I guess Shindo will be coming to watch too. Why do you ask?"
"Oh no reason, no reason…" Kuwabara replied mischievously. "Well I should be going, it was nice talking to you Amano, very interesting indeed." Kuwabara then turned and made his way off toward the elevator, letting off an amused cackle as he left.
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Author's Notes:
Wow, what a long… story. Almost said chapter, but since this is a one-shot there's really no reason to call it that. Still, a lot of words, probably longer than any chapter from The Never-Ending Road, but then with TNR I have the option of going to the next chapter. I considered breaking this down into two chapters, but I figured that'd just be a hassle and I'd have to come up with chapter names as well, not something I wanted to really do.
So Sato's big Shinshodan introduction has come and gone, and sadly he did not prevail. But if you think about it, neither did Akira and Hikaru, and they both turned out just fine. Now I know that a lot of this was rather technical, with a lot of Go terms being thrown around, but if you look back at the other two Shinshodan matches in the manga they were both the same way. Given that, I tried to have them describe everything in a way that gave you some sense of what was happening, even if you aren't that knowledgeable about the game. It's also why a lot of the moves were left in English so as not to be completely foreign. For instance, I originally referred to the two-stage ko battle that was so integral to the game as a nidan ko, but went back to change it so that it made more sense. I also had to change back the nadare joseki to avalanche joseki, one you might remember being explained by Hikaru in Chapter 10 of TNR.
Since they were never mentioned in TNR, I will term a few things.
Terms:
Honinbo Dosaku: The fourth head of the Honinbo school, Dosaku was in a league all his own. Born in 1645, Dosaku learned to play Go at the age of seven. At age 22, he took over as head of the Honinbo school, and in 1668 at 23 years old was named Meijin, the title given to the player who was undisputedly the best in Japan. Dosaku was so strong in fact, that it was estimated that he was at least two stones stronger than his closest rival (this means that to play evenly against him with a 50 percent chance of victory, his opponent would need to put down two handicap stones). He pioneered the use of the pincer in combination with the 3-4 point, laying the foundation for modern opening theory. He also invented the tewari-analysis (it involves ways of determining if and how stones work together), and is considered to be the great tactician in an era filled with great tacticians. Thus, Dosaku in his time was considered an untouchable player, and the first to be named Kisei, or Go Saint.
17-4 point: Sato mentioned that this point was the same one that Hikaru played in his game against Kuwabara. Some of you might remember that in that game (Chapter 16-17) Hikaru is said to open at the 3-4 point in the upper right corner. To clarify, 17-4 is 3-4 in the upper right, it's just the official exact placement of the stone on the board. To say the 3-4 point is to refer to a corner position without recognition of which corner, and is often used to describe fuseki and joseki. To remove the confusion this caused in the past, I now give the full board positions.
Thickness: Describing a number of things, it can refer to a strong formation of stones that often also exert a great amount of influence outward, or more commonly a lack of defects in an overall group of stones. It's a very advanced concept, and is a very important skill to use in high level Go if you want to be successful. Most often, positions that wield great influence are comprised out of groups of stones with thickness.
Net: This is a simple, basic tactic used to surround and capture stones. It basically works by playing stones at a short distance from the enemy stones in an attempt to cut off potential escape routes instead of actively capturing. Once the escape routes are cut off, a player may, if necessary, move in to capture.
Nidan Ko: Also known as a two-stage ko, this is when a ko is created, the move also causes the creation of an atari and potential ko on another stone. This second ko must be resolved before the first ko can be. Confusing I know. Ok, imagine this, I capture one of your stones, and in the process of doing so I set up a chance to capture another one of your stones next turn. Now because of ko, you can't respond immediately, but if after I capture the second stone, if you play away in a manner that forces me to respond, you can then you can recapture the second stone, and then subsequently take the first stone the turn after. Basically it's a tug of war with both sides going back and forth until one ultimately sets up and succeeds in taking the position. A diagram would make it so much easier. For further reference, it's the technique Hikaru used in his Hokuto Cup match against the Chinese player to get back in the game, although the one he played was far more complicated than the one in this game.
The three-stage ko, or sandan ko, is the same as above, but with three consecutive captures possible both ways. Playing it is an extremely nasty headache, and usually requires strong close in tactical skills.
Note: The game between Sato and Kuwabara is based off a game from the Pro Best 10 between Kato Masao 5 – Dan (Black) and Go Seigen 9 – Dan (White), played on 11-02-1968. For those who are wondering, Go Seigen is one of the founders of modern Go philosophy, and played what many consider the greatest game of the 20th Century in 1934 against Honinbo Shusai. Note, Honinbo Shusai is the last head of the Honinbo School, and after him the title went to the winner of the Honinbo Tournament.
Oh, wondering about the two insei, Oka and Shoji? For those of you who never read it, there was a pair of summer specials that were released after the manga series ended, the second of them dealing with a pair of insei named Oka and Shoji. They're in the fifth grade, and Oka idolizes Akira while Shoji idolizes Hikaru. The two are bickering over it in the special, and when the Young Lions Tournament arrives, Oka is paired in the first round against Hikaru and Shoji against Akira. After the pair get crushed, they discuss how they want to be pros, and Kosemura asks them who they think will win in the next round, Hikaru or Akira? At this point Oka now believes Hikaru is better and Shoji believes Akira is better, and the two start arguing again.
Since I had not read this special myself at the start of TNR, my Young Lions Tournament went differently, and without Oka and Shoji. Desiring to rectify that, I have included them here, and they will make a few appearances in TNR as well. Since in my story they never played Hikaru and Akira yet, I have chosen to keep their initial opinions intact.
Well since this is a one-shot I suppose I won't be able to answer any questions or comments on it, so I'll transfer them to the next TNR chapter instead. Thus feel free to review as it may affect how much we see some of these characters. After all, it was fan encouragement that has raised the amount of screen time of Sato already (he originally was not going to pass the Pro Exam) and if his popularity continues to soar, I will find more opportunities for him to show up where the plot allows.
I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and don't worry, I will diligently continue writing TNR. First we'll be heading back to China to finish up that side story, then back to TNR for Nase's Shinshodan match, which ought to be a doozy.