Warnings: Spoilers for the entire series and mature language
Notes: There is disturbing content in this chapter, so if you're not comfortable with violent scenes, skip the second section.
Full Summary: Hikaru has no time or interest in Go, especially since he has to contend with failing grades and a violent father. Sai is a Go professional in the modern age, his only goal searching for the Hand of God. What simple coincidences bring these two together as teacher and student, mentor and mentee, project and creator?

The Untitled Project

by The Honorable Arik Novak

History wasn't so bad, Hikaru had to admit. Once he knew what was going on, and once he got some restful sleep, paying attention in class was easy. In fact, it was kind of interesting. So when his sensei asked an easy question, he had no trouble raising his hand to answer. It didn't really occur to him until he was practically teaching the class about the beginning of the Edo period that Sai had taught him far more than he needed to know for his test. He was actually a few weeks ahead of the class, he figured.

"Shindo Hikaru, please stay after class,"

Hikaru groaned as he heard his teacher call his name. What did he do now? He awkwardly waited at the teacher's desk, all the while noting his classmates' snickers and eye-rolling. Once most of them had left, Hikaru glanced at his teacher warily.

"Shindo," he said as he lowered himself into his chair, "let me just say that I was very impressed with the grade you got on your last test." The teacher smiled at him, a rarity. Usually the man was shouting at him to wake up or sending him out to the hall.

"Uh, yeah." Well, what else could he say?

The teacher gestured at a student desk in front of his own. Hikaru hesitantly sat down. It felt like the times when teachers would hold him after class to talk about his behavior or scold him about not bringing his homework. Except this was the complete opposite. How long would this take anyway? He had to meet Sai soon…tell him that he couldn't show up as often. Hikaru wasn't looking forward to the conversation.

"I called your mother, and she was equally impressed. I must say, Shindo, that your participation in class has also gotten better. Whatever you're doing, keep at it."

Hikaru returned the man's smile and waited for him to continue. He wouldn't have suggested sitting unless he was planning to have a longer conversation. "Yeah, I got some help." And his dad had been gone for a while. That had helped.

"Actually, that was what your mother told me. Though she didn't know your tutor's name. I wish to recommend him to other students who are struggling."

Was that okay? Would Sai make the same deal with others as he had made with Hikaru? For some reason, he really hoped not. "He's very particular. I'm gonna have to ask him first." He paused and in a very ostentatious gesture, glanced at his watchless arm under the tabletop. The man couldn't see that he wasn't wearing a watch since the teacher was seated on the other side of his huge desk. "Actually, I'm supposed to be meeting him right now—"

"By all means," the teacher stood, that grin never leaving his face. "Remember to ask him, okay?"

"Got it!" Hikaru slung his backpack over his shoulder and rushed out as quickly as he could. Today was a playing day, not so much a studying day. Sai would get more annoyed that their time was cut shorter. Not to mention that his dad would be getting home today.

The train ride to the park felt longer than usual, but Hikaru chalked it up to nervousness. He had to suggest something that he knew Sai wouldn't like. So when he saw the long-haired man sitting on the grass in perfect seiza, he gulped. "Yo, Sai."

"Hikaru, you are late!" he said, more out of concern than in exasperation.

"My teacher had to talk to me. He wants to know if you want to tutor other kids." Hikaru really hoped not.

He could have jumped up and whooped when he saw the look of consternation on the man's porcelain face. "I—I really do not think that is a good idea." Instead, Hikaru breathed a great sigh of relief. Not sure why he was nervous in the first place.

"In fact, you ought not to tell others who I am," Sai continued. Now that was kind of weird, Hikaru thought. Why didn't Sai want people to know he was tutoring him? He was going to ask why, but the Go professional snapped his fan closed and pointed to a point on the board. "If black went here, where would you, white, respond?"

The rest of the afternoon passed in much the same way. Sai set up problems, and Hikaru solved them. Then once the sun started to lower, they prepared for a game. Sai was once again white and Hikaru black.

"Hey, Sai, I uh…I need to tell you something." Sai wouldn't like it, Hikaru knew. Sai wouldn't like it at all.

"Yes, Hikaru?" Sai was so focused on the game that he didn't even lift his head as he scoured the goban.

"I think we should meet less often."

Ku-chi-chi-chi

Sai's head snapped up. "Why?" He looked back down and realized he had dropped his stone onto the board. Onto a useless point. It wouldn't be the end of him and it basically gave Hikaru an extra stone. The younger boy was already on the losing track anyway, so it didn't make much of a difference.

"Well you see," my dad would get pissed and take his anger out on me if I was home too late or missing everyday like I have been for the past two weeks. "I beat Mitani. We don't need to be so intense anymore." Though he really, really wanted to keep playing Go with Sai. "And I'm light-years ahead of everyone else in history." Though he could always learn more, since Sai made it so interesting.

"Oh," Sai simply said. There was silence, one that neither was brave enough to break.

Eventually, "It is your turn, Hikaru."

Hikaru blinked a few times before he realized that Sai would say nothing more on the matter. He was kind of relieved that Sai wasn't making a huge deal out of it, but he also was a little unsatisfied with the man's reaction. Shouldn't he be sadder? Or arguing or something?

He grabbed a stone and clacked it onto the board. "So, yeah. Maybe two times a week?"

"But before we met thrice!" There was the indignant response Hikaru would rather have. Sai was always rather petulant. A resigned Sai was a weird Sai.

"Yeah, but I know my mom wondered where I was all the time." Though maybe his father would be more lenient since his last test was so great? It was a hopeful thought, and Hikaru had long ago learned not to hope too much. If indeed his dad wouldn't be impressed, as Hikaru predicted, then it would be better to be home more often. He couldn't stay out too late every day, knowing that his mother was there, practically defenseless.

Sai pouted, and Hikaru smiled at him. Sai's pouts were cuter than puppies.

"An A, Hikaru," Shindo Masao said apathetically, putting dried dishes away. Hikaru had come home mere minutes ago to see him speaking with his mother, and then turning on the kitchen faucet for warm water. Hikaru wasn't sure what this new piercing calm was, but it was starting to unsettle him. His dad was still facing the sink when he took a breath. "An A in History. Do you understand, brat," he snarled, "how late in coming that grade is?"

He took a step back. The menacing gleam only looked more malicious than before. But it made no sense. He did it, he got an A! It wasn't fair! Another cautious step back.

"What about your other grades, huh, Hikaru?" the man hissed, advancing on him.

He was being cornered. "They'll come up too! I swear!" Hikaru would do anything to avoid this fight. Even promise the enraged man something impossible.

"No, I think you need proper motivation. After all, you promised me an A before, but look what happened then." He positioned himself so that he was completely blocking the only exit.

Hikaru's throat was dry and he was all too aware of the running water in the already half-filled sink. The water! It must still have been hot…he walked until his back was up against the counter. His hand fumbled behind him for the half-rinsed dishes and latched onto what he hoped was the large cooking pot. His father growled and seemed to spring toward Hikaru with all the agility of a rattlesnake. Hikaru made a last ditch effort to get away, swinging his arms forward and splashing as much hot water onto the man as possible without losing his grip on the pot's handle.

It didn't seem to slow him down at all. He should've thrown the metal pot instead. "How dare you!" Maybe it would've knocked his dad out.

The man grabbed an iron hold over the hand that held the handle, killing Hikaru's grip on it. He felt the hot metal land on his foot and he flinched, but he was far more horrified at what his father seemed to be doing. The man yanked the faucet to its hottest setting, pulling Hikaru forward.

"We'll see how you like it, huh?"

Hikaru struggled to get away, getting away his only goal. But his foot must have been blistering already and he felt the pain blossoming from his hand as his skin was submerged in the scalding water. He could feel it, blistering, boiling, burning! With a whole new effort, he screamed and pulled and scratched and bit and even tried to swing a punch with his only free hand. He felt tears rise unbidden to his eyes as his voice caught in his throat and he could swear that his skin would burn off and his whole arm would turn necrotic from the pain and the heat. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll do better, I swear," Hikaru pleaded but his entire hand remained underwater. He could feel the metal of the bottom of the sink against his palm, hot but not burning as the water was.

"Pleasepleaseplease, I'll do better!" he finally screamed as his voice cracked.

There was one last rough shove back into the water. "I'll hold you to it," his father simply said, letting go of his forearm and leaving Hikaru to fall limply to his knees. Hikaru would have cradled his burnt arm close to himself if simply touching the skin did not feel like burning all over again. He needed…he needed a first aid kit, yes. Then sleep.

But he didn't want to stand, to do anything. He glanced at his arm and marveled sickly at the glove of burnt flesh that was forming. It was hideous.

How did you treat such a thing? The pain was white, he thought, if pain had a color. He figured he should do something about his hand, but he could barely stand, let alone go searching the house for a first aid kit. No, lying here was good enough for now. Maybe he'd just go to sleep and never wake up. It sounded like a good alternative for now.

"Oh, Hikaru, what happened?" Akari asked when she saw Hikaru a week later. The park was supposedly neutral territory, so whenever Akari wanted to hang out with both her friends and Hikaru, they found themselves there.

Hikaru didn't hesitate to don his affected cloak of cheerfulness and smiled to ease her concern. "Aw, it's nothing. I was trying to get something at the bottom of the sink, and I didn't realize the water was still hot." He laughed and moved his bandaged hand from her sight.

"You're so thoughtless, Shindo," a friend of Akari's laughed. "Yeah, you should be more careful."

But Akari didn't seem satisfied. "What was so important?"

"Nothing really, I was just trying to find my chopsticks cause I wasn't finished eating."

"Let me guess, ramen?" another of Akari's friends laughed. Most of these people were kids he knew at Haze middle school but never got close to. Back then, he and Akari were good enough for each other. Without him, it seemed Akari branched out and was doing quite well for herself. Hikaru nodded and laughed with all of them, wondering if they really thought him so simple.

Relieved, Akari smiled at him since he was brushing it off like he always did. Smile, laugh, and scratch your head like a monkey. That's what they all expected.

"Hey Shindo, I heard from a guy at your school that you quit soccer."

Hikaru wasn't sure where this inquiry was going, so he just cautiously said, "Yeah, so?"

"Just wondering why, I mean it's not like you need the extra time to study, and you don't have any other extracurricular stuff. You used to love soccer."

Should he just tell the truth? Akari already knew the gist of it, and only her opinion mattered to him. It seemed harmless enough. "I got a tutor to help me out. I mean, just because I don't know if I want to go to college, doesn't mean I should completely kill that route, ya know?"

"That's a smart idea, Hikaru."

He gave Akari a real smile this time. Her approval meant a lot to him.

"Hey, guys!"

"Yo, Mitani-kun, 'sup?"

Hikaru's mouth dropped open as his eyes latched onto the redhead. "What're you doing here?" He asked, none too happy. He hadn't intended to ever see the swindler again.

Mitani shrugged. "Hanging. Like you. Turns out, Akari and I share some friends, so I figured I'd join you all."

"Oh," he simply muttered. What else could he say? "Akari," he said thoughtfully, "You saw him at the salon. Did he seem like a good person then?"

"Hikaru!" she scolded him. What did he do now?

"Yeah, Shindo. You played one game against Mitani-kun and suddenly you can tell if he's a good person or not?" one of Akari's friends protested. Two games, actually. Both in which the little brat tried to cheat. And then there was the first game, which was really just Mitani's ploy in order to hustle him.

"Mitani-kun is our friend, and he can hang out with us if he likes. You know, how you're Akari's friend." Hikaru was Akari's friend. He wasn't a friend to anyone else there, but Mitani Yuki...Mitani went to their school. He knew all of them, including Akari. The redhead managed to waltz in and take their affections. Including Akari's.

"Why are you using your left hand, Hikaru?"

Hikaru placed his stone and self-consciously rubbed the bandages wrapped around his burnt right hand. Last time, they had agreed (well Hikaru had told him and Sai reluctantly allowed it) to meet every Tuesday and Thursday. Except he had skipped the entire week (to be fair, he had missed a day of school too) and this was technically his first day back since he had told Sai of the new schedule. It had been a while since the kitchen incident and he had taken off the hardcore bandages by now, but it still looked...not pretty. "Uh, I dropped something in the sink and I really needed to get it out. Except the water was really hot." At least he had it bandaged a little; then he could say it just looked worse than it really was and people would leave him alone.

But Sai frowned. "Human reflexes would force you to pull out if the water was hot enough to damage your hand." He slowly laid a stone. He looked doubtful.

"Ya see, I was playing around and my mom's favorite whats-it-called, her favorite necklace fell into the sink when she wasn't there. I didn't want her to know I was being reckless so I kind of had to get it out." Hikaru faked a laugh. "I can't remember what I told her I dropped…" He added, just to give credence to his story. He hoped he wasn't giving too much detail. Too much or not enough detail could break a lie.

"Does it still hurt?"

Hikaru wasn't sure why he was so surprised by the question. Maybe it was because he hadn't expected it. From anyone. "Eh, sometimes. Don't worry though, it'll get better."

"Well, I should hope so..." Sai said, like he couldn't decide to be suspicious or concerned. He didn't acknowledge Hikaru's clumsiness or irresponsibility, probably because it looked like he wasn't convinced by the half-baked fabrication. Hikaru wasn't sure why, but he felt a bit grateful that Sai wouldn't believe him. His teachers had.

Hikaru shrugged, a genuine smile now adorning his face. "Sai, how are you with Trig?"

"Quite competent, I should think. Mathematical thinking helps in Go. Why? Do you have a test?"

"Yep. Stupid triangles. Oh, and on Wednesday, I have a chemistry quiz on stuff I have no chance of understanding," he pouted. Was he lucky enough to have a history tutor who was also good at science?

Sai grinned and clacked down another stone, effectively killing any chance Hikaru had of winning. "Of course! It is all just memorization and little calculations. I will help you out, and in return you will go to a tournament this Saturday." It seemed Sai had been planning something while Hikaru had been skipping.

"I resign." Hikaru then leveled a weak glare at him. "I thought the conditions were that you get someone to play with and I get a tutor?"

Sai shook his head and started dropping the stones back in the go-ke. "That was for history. This is more." At Hikaru's unamused stare, Sai adopted a sad face. "Please, Hikaru? For me? You do not even have to participate, just at least watch! Maybe you will enjoy it. You have enjoyed playing, yes?"

Hikaru contemplated it. Watching a tournament wouldn't be too bad. "...will you be there the entire time?" he inquired.

"No, alas, I will not be able to watch. I have Go-related prior engagements." At least it seemed like he was truly disheartened at not being able to go.

"No way," Hikaru decided, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. He peeked a little, and saw Sai's resigned face. But it wasn't the kind of face that one adopted when accepting defeat. No, this was the kind of face that a person had when he had to resort to something he didn't want to do.

"Then have fun failing Trigonometry," he said with a sigh.

Hikaru stiffened.

He couldn't fail Trig. He just couldn't. He wouldn't survive the anger directed at him, should he get less than an A on his next test. For a second, Hikaru hated Sai for putting a Go tournament above Hikaru's continued survival. But Sai didn't know what would happen if Hikaru didn't pass all his classes, and he couldn't blame him for something he didn't know about.

And really, what was an afternoon watching other kids play? It wasn't studying or working, and if he really didn't want to go, he could just not and say he did. He could bring some manga along and sit in a corner or something.

"I'm sure you'd be able to figure out trigonometric identities without my help," Sai continued, as if his words earlier hadn't been enough.

Hikaru let his shoulders fall in disappointment. He really thought Sai was his friend. "Okay, fine. I'll watch your stupid tournament."

Sai was still frowning, but Hikaru could tell that he was a little more satisfied. "If you must attract attention, do not let your identity be known. The Go world is not quite ready for you." What did that mean? "And do not let them know that I am your teacher, do you have that?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes. Was it really such a big deal that Sai had to remind him again? People had seen him at the Go Association with Sai. He filed the weird warnings away and settled for glaring at the rambunctious man. Because as soon as the cryptic advice left his mouth, the man was as giddy as a two year old. Go was to Sai as catnip was to a kitten.

Notes: I doubt any future violence will be worse than that. I have a general idea of what's going to happen, but after a few chapters, I'll be writing without a plan in mind. :(