The Never-ending Road: Chapter 26 – A Matter of Rank

By Leitbur

Placing his stone down forming an enclosure, Hikaru waited as his opponent pondered her next move. The game had seen very few moves so far despite the amount of time already taken off the clock, primarily off his opponent's clock. This was something he had begun to see more and more ever since he'd made it into the Kisei League. He now had a name for himself, he was known as a Kisei League member, and especially after his defeat of Kuwabara the other lower Dans had basically begun to fear him.

Megumi Inagaki 3 – Dan appeared to be no exception. She had shown great hesitancy in many of her moves, as if she were actually playing in a League match that lasted five hours. The fact that Hikaru was responding to her moves instantly was probably not helping her much either. Not that he was going all out, trying to crush her with the intensity he played with in the higher up matches, but rather because she took so long to play that he'd already thought everything out.

At times Hikaru had felt the urge to speak up, to try and find some words of encouragement to speed up the match, but he had resisted. After all, to be verbally encouraged by your opponent in an official match, he'd be kinder to simply crush her outright.

In many ways though, this probably wasn't entirely about him. This was, after all, the 3rd Round match of the Honinbo 1st Preliminary, an exciting place for many young pros to be in, and probably rather nerve racking as well. It was likely that Inagaki had made it out of a 1st Preliminary at some point in her career, most 3 – Dans had, but until making it out became rather common few lower Dans felt completely comfortable this close to the 2nd Preliminary.

Not that Hikaru looked past these games or anything, it was just that he had begun to get accustomed to what came next. That, plus he really didn't know what it was like to be uncomfortable in such a low level game. Even his first time through the Honinbo 1st Preliminary had found little struggle, save perhaps for the final match. Then he'd been preoccupied with the idea of playing a high Dan next and had lost some of his edge. It wouldn't be so this time, and the only discomfort he felt now was in the waiting. Placing his stone down for a hane as Inagaki finally played her own stone, Hikaru returned to his little game of waiting.

Ton. Ton.

Yep, this was certainly boring; he needed something to do. Continuing to tap his fan against the top of his Go bowl, Hikaru let out a soft sigh. So few lower Dans remained that were not afraid to come at him head on. Most of those players were his friends, people who played against him often for fun and knew his strength. If only the others understood that their best bet was to come right at him with their full strength and confidence rather than to worry about what he might do. Instead he got nervous, intimidated players who jumped whenever his fan hit the bowl. That was why it was best to get past this round, as it had already been decided last week that the winner of this match would play Ochi in the Honinbo 1st Preliminary Final. If nothing else, that game would be exciting.

Along with Waya, Ochi was the other person that he had become a pro with. Strangely, in all that time he had only faced Ochi as a pro once before, in the Young Lions Tournament last May, since he had stopped coming to Waya's study group before they had been scheduled to play in the Waya Cup. That game in the Young Lions Tournament had been fun, and he had seen Ochi's improvement since their insei days. Waya had improved too, having barely lost to Hikaru during the Waya Cup. Their Dan match back in July though had been harder on Waya, losing by resignation shortly after the lunch break had ended. Then again, Waya had always had difficulty with him going back to their insei days.

Insei days… Yeah, even as he played this match here and now, Nase would be sitting before a goban facing her opponent in battle. This was the sixteenth day of the Pro Exam, and Nase was still undefeated. Of course going into today so were the three other undefeated players, among them Sato. Nase had mentioned that Fuku had continued to hold on somewhat as well, holding strong lately since she handed him his fourth loss. He had to play Odachi today though, one of the undefeated players. His best bet would be to slide into the third spot with two players falling down from their undefeated position. It all depended on how the top players did when they started to collide.

That would be next week, when Sato went up against Komiya and Nase. If the standings meant anything, it would certainly be a very good match up, especially the latter one if Sato were to defeat Komiya. Not that it would be easy, he'd seen Komiya's game against Waya at the Young Lions Tournament and it had certainly held skill. Who knew how much strength he'd gained since then. Not that he'd be around to see that match, having to travel that day to Nagoya for his 2nd Round Meijin 1st Preliminary match. He'd be back by Thursday though for the match he was really looking forward to seeing, Akira's game against Ogata.

As for Nase, he certainly hoped that she would pass. After all, he might soon have an extremely hard time finding lower Dan players that weren't afraid of him, if his luck in the Kisei League continued that was.

Then again, Hikaru thought as the lunch buzzer sounded, if he continued to do well in the Kisei League, from what he'd heard about the new rule system in regard to promotions, he wouldn't need to worry about that for much longer. Still, he mused as he rose to his feet and stretched for a moment before he began to make his way towards the entrance to the room, next April was a long way off, and a lot could still happen. He had faith in Nase to prevail though, even if she had to face Komiya the Wednesday after her match against Sato. Really, it was a tough period for all of them.

Making his way out of the room and towards the lunch area, Hikaru turned as he heard a voice calling to him from behind. Spotting the owner of the voice, Hikaru grinned as he called back, "Hey Isumi!"

Making his way over to his friend, Isumi smiled back at his shorter friend and said, "So Shindo, what are you doing for lunch today?"

Shrugging, Hikaru replied, "I don't know really. I guess I was just going to find a snack and relax some before the rest of my match."

Cocking an eyebrow at this, Isumi responded, "Not eating on your break huh? Is it that tough of a game?"

Shaking his head, Hikaru answered with a slight scowl, "No, it's boring actually. My opponent is just taking her time with all of her moves. I'll lose by falling asleep first."

Chuckling at this Isumi then said, "Well then, want to go out for lunch? I'll treat."

His face coming back to life at those words, Hikaru replied enthusiastically, "Great! Let's go get ramen."

Laughing more fully now as he nodded to his friend and motioned towards the elevators, Isumi remarked, "You haven't changed at all, still always having ramen on your mind."

Giving a mock frown, Hikaru replied, "Maybe but you're still treating."

As they got onto the elevator Isumi commented, "Oh, I heard that Saeki finally broke 5 – Dan. Is that true?"

Nodding with a slight chuckle, Hikaru answered, "Yeah, but he's not feeling all that good about it. Apparently Ashiwara made 5 – Dan the week before that and Morishita-sensei was going crazy that someone from Toya's group had beaten Saeki to 5 – Dan. It was actually really funny to watch. Plus I think I heard Saeki saying something about having to take some girl out to dinner or something, but it was strange because he didn't seem too thrilled about it."

Chuckling himself now, Isumi replied, "Yeah, Waya was mentioning something similar to me about that, something to do with Morishita's daughter. I don't know why he's treating though, I mean Chi-chan treated me when I made 2 – Dan."

Blinking as they reached the ground floor, Hikaru then glanced up at Isumi and responded, "When did you make 2 – Dan?"

Smiling as he stepped out of the elevator, Isumi answered, "Last week. You weren't here, and Waya and I felt it better not to mention it while you were getting ready for your Kisei League match."

Understanding arriving, Hikaru grinned. "Well that's great then. So now you're the same rank as both Waya and me. Heh, I guess we better be careful or you'll pass us by."

Shaking his head as they exited the building, Isumi just responded, "Well that would be nice, but I think I still have a ways to go. Especially in catching you. Plus Waya might be a 3 – Dan next week if he wins his Dan match."

Making the turn at the corner, Hikaru replied, "Yeah, it'll be one of the final Dan matches he ever plays. The new rules kick in April 1st, and the Dan matches will be over by early November."

Chuckling at this, Isumi shot back, "Yeah, lucky you huh? Instant promotion to 7 – Dan for making it into a League must be pretty nice. Then again you can also make 7 – Dan by being the challenger in any of the major non-League tournaments."

Shaking his head with a grin on his face, Hikaru answered back, "It'd be easier to make it into a league then challenge for a title, especially in a single knockout format. There's always the Ryusei and Agon Cups as well. Win those and you're a 7 – Dan too."

"True" Isumi replied as they arrived at the Ramen Shop. Moving to take a seat, Isumi then continued, "Unless the rest of us though can follow suit with you and get into a league then it's going to be pretty tough on us to rise up in rank quickly."

Pausing as he turned to the waitress to place his order, Hikaru then waited as Isumi did the same and said, "By the way Isumi, do you know if they'll promote players that have made previous leagues? I mean someone who's not a 7 – Dan but made a League awhile back, or someone who's not an 8 or 9 – Dan but has challenged for a title too?"

Cocking an eyebrow, Isumi replied, "You mean are the new rules retroactive? I don't know really. I don't think it's been addressed in any of the articles on it that I've read. The Go Association won't be sending out any detailed information for another month or two. Why do you ask?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Hikaru took a moment and then replied, "Well, I guess I was just wondering if I'll make 7 – Dan whether I stay in the League or not. It'd be pretty easy still to fall out of the Kisei League."

Comprehension arriving, Isumi answered, "Well that's true, given that you only made it into the League this year, any tiebreakers do go against you. I suppose if you went 2-3 then you'd likely be knocked out of the League, but given that you're currently up with two straight wins I don't think it's likely you'll be knocked out. I mean, you're on a real roll right now."

Nodding, Hikaru turned with a slightly gloomy look on his face to see if the ramen would be arriving shortly. Catching this, Isumi inquired, "Does making 7 – Dan really mean that much to you? I mean it's not like you have to be a high rank to play in the Leagues, and even if you do get knocked out this time, I'm sure you'll make it into another League sometime in the near future."

Shaking his head as their ramen was delivered to the table, Hikaru answered back, "No, it's not really about that… well maybe a little. I guess I'm just tired of having players underestimate me because of my rank. Fans are like that at times too, thinking that just because I'm a 2 – Dan that I'm not as good as the higher Dans. Their opinions don't bother me as much, but the players who underestimate me… it's like I can't just play a true match like I want."

Chuckling slightly at this remark, Isumi took a few noodles in his chopsticks, and pausing before digging in responded, "Well Shindo, I'll say this; I'd trade places with you any day. If I was in the Kisei League right now, I wouldn't care how much people underestimated me because I'd be there playing. I'm sure Waya would agree."

"It's not about just being there or winning," Hikaru replied between bites of noodles, "it's about those players acknowledging my skills. Who wants to win a game where his opponent took it easy?"

Chuckling lightly, Isumi just answered back, "Wow, you're certainly fortunate. I mean, I hear you and all about your opponent taking you lightly, but really isn't that their problem? Sure, it feels great to win a match where your opponent goes all out, but it's not like you're forcing them to take you lightly. It's their choice, and if taking you lightly costs them, then they'll learn their lesson and never do it again. Personally, I don't care if my opponent underestimates me, I'll take the win however they want to give it to me."

Looking up at Isumi as he began to eat his ramen, Hikaru watched him for a moment and then smiling slightly said, "Well, I guess you have a point there. I just have to keep winning then and soon they'll start to take me seriously. Then the real games can begin."

Watching his friend as he dug into his ramen, Isumi set down his chopsticks and leaning back in his chair slightly said, "You know Shindo, sometimes I worry about you more than Waya or the others from our insei days."

His brow contorting, Hikaru replied, "Huh? What do you mean Isumi?"

Taking a deep breath and then exhaling, Isumi answered, "Well… you're not exactly like the rest of us; winning comes more naturally to you. You're skills are enough that you can sit back and whine about not wanting victories if your opponent isn't serious. Waya and I can't do that, neither can Ochi. It's like your talent is spoiling you some. I remember back when we were insei, there were times where you would have killed for a win, no matter how you achieved it. We both went through the Pro Exam, so we both know that feeling. Now though… just try not to forget that you're playing to win, not to win only if your opponent is worthy, okay?"

Frowning now, as he was not entirely sure what it was that Isumi had been trying to get at, Hikaru just nodded. "Yeah, I know, I need to take every game seriously. I do though, and I will continue to do that. After all, even if I'm new to the League, I still want that Kisei title. Sound good to you?"

Nodding with a mouth full of ramen, Isumi mumbled, "Yeah."

As he began to devour his lunch again now, Hikaru then commented casually, "I'm going to the NHK Cup match this Sunday."

Looking up from his bowl now, Isumi watched his friend for a moment and then replied curiously, "You're going to watch the match? Why? It's not like you usually go watch matches involving players you don't really know."

Swallowing, Hikaru answered, "My friend Akari got tickets and she asked if I'd come with her. I think she wants me to help explain the more complicated aspects of the game."

Chuckling to himself now, Isumi replied, "Well you just better be careful Shindo. If Nase hears that you're cheating on her… she'd probably slap you within an inch of your life."

Frowning, Hikaru shot back loudly, "NASE AND I ARE NOT A COUPLE!"

Laughing fully now, Isumi replied, "Oh, but the look on your face… priceless."

Frowning more deeply now as he returned to eating his ramen, Hikaru shook his head in frustration as Isumi continued to laugh. Where did everyone get this idea that Nase and him were dating? For that matter, what made Isumi think that spending time with Akari would be cheating? It wasn't like either girl really liked him that way… right?

It was rather strange really, but Hikaru would have thought that now that he was a professional Go player that sitting here in the auditorium seats watching a professional match would not have seemed so… dull. He'd been to a pro match like this once before with Kimihiro, that one being the NCC Cup. Back then the thought of becoming a pro had been practically void from his mind. He had just seen watching a pro match as a long boring pain, it being far more fun to play than to just watch. If it hadn't been for Sai's sake it was likely that he wouldn't have gone at all.

He would have thought though that after becoming a pro that watching other pros play would be easier. They were at his own level after all, or at least they were also pros even if the two playing seemed to lack some of the creative flair that both he and Akira possessed. Of course these types of games were different than those played in the leagues, being a hayago tournament and all. Lightning Go was not for everyone, and even some of the top pros struggled in these types of tournaments. Had he not been so focused on catching Akira in all the major tournaments than Hikaru himself might have tried to enter one of these. Well, there was always next year.

Turning his eyes away from the actual game and over to the large magnetic board where a pair of pros, one of them he recognized as Iwasaki 7 – Dan, were discussing the match, Hikaru chuckled slightly at the sight. So Iwasaki had been tapped for the discussion, taking the place that Hikaru himself had been asked to take with Akira. The Go Association had certainly been persistent about it, but thankfully for Hikaru Akira had dealt with the situation before he had tried. Akira had simply cited that his schedule was quite busy at the moment and that it would be too much of a distraction for him during the Kisei League and the Honinbo League.

With Akira's inability to commentate, the sponsors had apparently lost interest in having Hikaru join him, and for that Hikaru was grateful. After all, he was still on less than perfect terms with several of the Go Association staff members over his string of forfeits last year, even if that was beginning to die down. Not only that, but commentating and analysis, even if it was the main source of income for a Go player if not his primary occupation, were not things that Hikaru truly felt a calling to. He was a Go player, his life revolved around the placing of stones on a board, in the creation of his own universe upon the wooden tapestry. Teaching, lectures and the like, they were just distractions from his true calling, necessary evils even.

Returning his attention to the diagram, albeit begrudgingly, Hikaru let out a soft sigh. Maybe if some of the better pros were playing in this tournament, or at least someone he knew, it might not be so bad. After all, it was far easier to watch an event when there was someone to root for. These two players though, Kujirai 8 – Dan and Fujisawa 9 – Dan, he'd never played or talked to either one before. The latter seemed slightly familiar, perhaps he'd read his name in Weekly Go at some time or other, but it didn't matter much.

Many of Japan's top players were actually not even in Japan at the moment, Kurata, Ogata, Nogi, and Morishita had all left on Friday for Korea. They were, after all, the only Japanese pros still representing Japan in the Samsung Cup. The others hadn't made it passed the horde of Korean and Chinese pros vying for spots in the preliminaries. Different from most of the other prestigious international tournaments, the Samsung Cup was actually an open event, allowing even amateur players to enter. This had been how the one other non-pro Japanese player had entered, even if Hikaru just could not come to think of Koyo Toya as an amateur.

Still, it was certainly much easier for someone like Toya former Meijin to enter, not being burdened by the heavy schedule of the Japanese Go Association. Ogata for instance was currently playing in the Kisei League, challenging for the Meijin title, and next week the Honinbo League began. Adding in events like the Samsung Cup and it became hard to fathom how strong Ogata had to be to maintain his current level of play. Had Zama Oza not knocked him out of the Tengen Tournament last month it would have been even worse.

Now that he gave it some thought, other than the Kisei League all Hikaru had on his plate was the Tengen 2nd Preliminary and a pair of 1st Preliminaries for the Honinbo and the Meijin. No wonder he found the time to prepare for his Kisei League matches, they only took place basically once a month. Given all that, it was quite clear to Hikaru that he had yet to really feel the strain that being a top pro was all about. He wasn't there yet, but rather merely on a sightseeing tour.

Akira though, perhaps he was still different from Hikaru after all. Despite being taunted by his friend and rival, or perhaps even as a direct result of them, Akira had returned to the Honinbo League, showing that he likely still belonged as one of the top pros in Japan. Soon now he'd be playing in two separate leagues, facing the best in Japan on two fronts while Hikaru still battled it out on one.

Not only that, but by defeating Ookubo 9 – Dan in the Final Preliminary match, Akira had guaranteed himself something else, the rank of 7 – Dan next year. Even if he lost all seven of his Honinbo League matches, the League ran through April, and with the new rules taking effect April 1st, he'd be guaranteed the promotion. It was of course possible that he'd get it from the Kisei League too, whether he stayed in the league or that the new rules turned out to be retroactive, but the suspense that Hikaru carried did not touch Akira.

That meant that barring his challenging for or winning the Kisei title, effective April 1st Akira would become Akira Toya 7 – Dan. The rank fit him; that much was certain. As his mind continued to dwell on it, Hikaru chuckled slightly. Yes, 7 – Dan at least sounded like a rank that befit someone of Akira's skill, his genius. Whether or not it fit Hikaru as well was unknown, but Hikaru did know that on that day Akira's rank would finally reflect his skill.

In some ways, Hikaru even wondered if the instant promotion system had been set up just for Akira, a coronation for the young Go prodigy. Sure it allowed for ranks to better reflect a player's skill and would remove the number of 9 – Dan ranked players in the long run, but it just seemed that so many people in the Go world found it hard to think of someone as young and talented as Akira as a 3, now 4 – Dan. After all, Hikaru had never thought of Akira that way. In many ways rank meant nothing to him, even if he used it himself to judge the skill of those he'd play, at least on a scale of high Dan and low Dan. Taking a deep breath, Hikaru couldn't help but smile. 7-Dan, it sure has a nice sound to it.

"Hey Hikaru, are you paying attention?"

His mind springing back to attention at the whisper in his ear, Hikaru turned toward Akari and giving her a quick smile nodded. "Yeah, I'm paying attention."

Smiling back at him happily, Akari then whispered back, "Good, then can you explain to me why that last move was bad? The commentator isn't very easy to understand at times."

His eyes widening as he glanced over to the diagram board, Hikaru began to panic as he examined the position, trying to figure out where the last few stones had been placed. Damn, if only it wasn't a hayago tournament.

Author's Notes:

And that, as they say, is that. Yes, not much happened in this chapter, especially compared to the last few. But then I promised a lighter chapter, and I hopefully delivered. This chapter did provide a great deal of information though, most notably, as the title suggests, on the new ranking system. While some of you may already understand the new system fairly well, do remember that Hikaru and co. are still trying to figure it all out. That plus I felt that it was likely that the information on the new rules would be released in advance to their inception, so it would make sense that the pro players would be learning about it now.

I know that many of you are likely also returning to school shortly if you haven't already. I myself will be spending time tutoring along with working my normal job as well as making a few extra bits of spare change proofreading term papers in a couple months (I proofread papers better than most of the professors at the local universities grade them). Therefore let me thank all of you for putting your studies aside for a little while to continue to read my humble story. Shortly after the Akira vs. Ogata match (likely to be Chapter 28) there may be a slightly longer delay than usual. This will be due, sadly as many of you predicted, to the fact that the Nase Side Story will be featuring two quickly released chapters as the Pro Exam has heated up some. I will be trying to get parts of those chapters done in between my other works, so please bear with it.

Terms:

Ryusei Cup: A lightning Go tournament with four sections. Each section plays in a paramus tournament (For those of you who play fighting games, this is a tournament where all players in the section are stacked by rank order and the two lowest play, and then the winner plays the third lowest, then the winner of that plays the fourth lowest and so on.) The winner of each section along with the player who won the most games in each section then play in a single knockout tournament to decide the winner. Prize is 5 million Yen ($43,000). Yuki Satoshi is the most recent winner. Winning this tournament results in an instant promotion to 7 – Dan.

Agon Cup: More officially known as the Agon-Kiriyama Cup, it is a single knockout Lightning Go tournament. The tournament is a Pro Am, meaning that both pros and amateurs can participate. Also the titleholder does not wait for a challenger but rather plays in the tournament as well, making it hard to hold onto the title. The prize money is 10 million Yen ($86,000) and was called the Acom Cup until 1998 when the sponsor changed. Iyama Yuta is the most recent winner. Winning this tournament results in an instant promotion to 7 – Dan.

NCC Cup: Likely an homage to the NEC Cup, this tournament was created by Yumi Hotta in the Hikaru no Go series, and is the tournament that Hikaru attended with Kimihiro. It was a lightning Go tournament as demonstrated by the ten second count off after every move in the anime. If it holds true to the NEC Cup, then it is a 16 player single knockout where all the players are invited depending on who holds each of the seven big titles, the winners of the NHK Cup, JAL Super Hayago Championship, and NEC Shun-Ei, and the top finishers from the previous NEC Cup. The prize would then be 15 million Yen ($130,000). To note, the match seen by Hikaru previously was between Fujisawa 9 – Dan and Takada 7 – Dan with analysis done by Murase 9 – Dan and Yoshinaga 2 – Dan (I believe I promoted her at some point in the story to 4 – Dan).

Samsung Cup (redux): More now on this tournament, it is a Korean sponsored international tournament, and takes place in Seoul. The time limit is shorter than usual, running about two hours or so (this does change from time to time). Also, the preliminaries, which can make up over 200 players, are used to decide the 16 non-seeded players (players that were not invited to participate) who will compete with the 16 seeded players. Of the 16, two of the spots are reserved for female only preliminaries, guaranteeing at least two women in the main tournament. A majority of the non-invited players are from Korea, thus making it hard for foreign players to make it into the main event if they were not invited.

A note for those of you who do search for the characters I mention by name and rank, Megumi Inagaki 3 – Dan may be hard to locate since she is only listed by name on the name listing board (in kanji) as the other commentator with Ashiwara at the Go event in Volume 15, Chapter 123 of the manga.

Now, onto your questions. Yes, I do miss the ghost, given that Sai is my favorite character. Sadly, he will not appear again in this world as I believe that his role was completed. Still, he is always in our thoughts, and Hikaru's as well.

Nase against Waya, Isumi, Ochi and co. huh? Well, maybe after the Pro Exam is over, but right now she has to focus. Nase says though that she can beat their pants off and Waya told her to just try and do it so…

Don't worry about a lack of words in my chapters as 2,000 is usually my bare minimum. Heck, I struggle to write something that isn't at least that long. We will get to see some of Waya's struggles and his resolve to overcome the adversity, but he won't be the only one doing that. As for Ogata being the one to finally take down Hikaru… I can't tell you that, it's a plot point silly. Ichiryu isn't done yet, there will be more of him later on, I promise.

Her name is Hirumi, Hirumi Ichikawa. As for any romance with Akira, well you never know, although her first goal would be to get Akira to look away from the Go board long enough to actually catch his interest. As for Mitani, or any of the other characters that disappeared pretty much halfway through the story, it's possible, but only if the plot calls for it. Yes, I do possess a fair understanding of the human psyche, and even as a male, I can write emotions, even a girl's emotions. I've had practice with it, plus I have quite a few female friends who use me as a sounding board for their problems, so I have an idea what goes on in their heads. Mainly though, I've just read the characters enough to have a good sense as to how they think, talk, and act. It's just something I find easy to pick up on as a reader and writer.

To note, I have recently learned that a more correct spelling of Ko Yongha's name is as Ko Yeong Ha. As such, I have begun to move to fix any misspellings in this story, and in previous chapters. Sorry if this is confusing.

Next chapter I've decided to do something a little different. For the first time in this entire story, the next chapter will occur without Hikaru being in it. He may be referred to, or even talked about, but he will not physically appear. Instead we'll spend some time with another character, and we'll get to finally see a character that so far has been talked about, but not seen in my story. I won't say who though, but I think it will be good.

Hmmm, quite a few reviews again. You all spoil me so much, it's kind of sweet. They really do help get me in the mood to write though, so keep it up. R&R!