Ka-chi.
As Kuwabara's fingers left the stone, the observers in the room let out silent gasps. It was a well played move, and quite deeply thought out. It was too bad that it couldn't save him that corner, although it would minimize the territory Hikaru would eventually create there.
The buzzer sounded, yet as the game clocks were stopped both players remained motionless, studying the board as if nothing had happened. Eyes moved this way and that, examining each stone, the shapes and even the placement. Then at last Kuwabara rose from his seat followed in kind moments later by Hikaru. Stretching, Hikaru then walked out the door in silence, his fan held tightly in his grip.
Standing from their seats as well now, Serizawa and Nogi moved over toward the board and stared down at it. A few moments later they were joined by Hatanaka who studied the board with some concern. Shindo did well not to jump in there. Most young players would have charged in and not seen the trap until it was too late. Still, something about his position seems…off.
Serizawa meanwhile turned from the board along with Nogi and commented to the older titleholder, "It's still early, but maybe Shindo isn't as big a threat as we thought."
Catching the comment as he had reached the door, Kuwabara turned back and chuckling casually responded, "Think that all you want Serizawa. That boy hasn't shown his full strength in this game yet. I would have thought someone like you could have seen that."
Cocking an eyebrow, Serizawa replied, "What do you mean?"
"The kid's unsure, hesitant, playing cautiously. Like he's trying to figure something out. He's not playing to his strengths. Eventually he'll figure it out though and then the real game will begin."
Watching the Honinbo carefully, the three Kisei League members found themselves rather taken aback. Here was Kuwabara Honinbo, the wily veteran player who always talked about the younger players as if they were children who needed to be taught a lesson, even put in their place at times, complimenting a fifteen year old 2 – Dan and saying that his full strength hadn't yet appeared in this game? It was unthinkable, and yet here he was, saying just that. As if reading their thoughts, Kuwabara continued, "Don't worry though. I haven't shown my true strength in this game yet either." Cackling, he then added, "Should be an interesting second half huh?"
###
Despite having ordered lunches like these many times before, Hikaru and Saeki were having trouble eating them this time. Instead their minds were on their respective games. "I tell you Shindo, Touya is persistent. He won't let up, and then I played a stone a little too timidly and he jumped on it. It's going to be difficult to hang in there."
Nodding, Hikaru took a sip from his drink and replied, "Well, that's Touya for you."
As Saeki continued to describe to him the match against Akira, Hikaru found himself listening halfheartedly, his thoughts elsewhere. There was a nagging feeling in his gut now, the kind he would get when he and Nase were reviewing a game and a stone seemed out of place. It just seemed to be eluding him, as though the answer was so obvious that it was on the tip of his brain. It was quite vexing.
Noticing the frustration on Hikaru's face Saeki paused then said, "Hey Shindou, are you all right? Something going on in your game that's got you bothered?"
Sighing, Hikaru answered, "I don't know, it just seems that something's off in it is all."
His curiosity piqued by those words, Saeki replied, "Off? What do you mean? I know that Kuwabara-sensei is strong and all but-"
"That's just it though," Hikaru interjected, "I can't tell if Kuwabara-sensei is weaker than I thought he'd be or if he's extremely dangerous. I've always been able to figure it out before, but with him… I don't know. That's not all of it either. The way the game is being played out just seems wrong, like something's missing."
"Like what?"
Shaking his head, Hikaru answered, "I don't know. I've been making moves to secure the corner and then he played a tenuki and let me have the corner. I've been taking my time and watching out for his traps. Not too long ago I might have rushed right into a few of the traps he set, but this time I played it more cautiously. The way the game started out, with psyche out tactics and everything, I thought it'd be a hard hitting slugfest, but we both seem to be dancing around, unwilling to engage."
Exhaling, Saeki replied, "Wow, you must be really focused today. I mean from the sound of it you haven't even attacked yet, and that's like unheard of for you. I guess even you have to play more territory oriented games against someone like Kuwabara Honinbo."
At those words Hikaru's eyes widened as realization hit him like an oncoming train. He hadn't been attacking, or even making pushes in this game. Saeki was right, it wasn't just uncharacteristic, but rather it was completely against his own playing style. His moves felt forced, strange, because they were defensive, cautionary. More importantly though, there wasn't that fire behind his moves, that passion that he carried as he would dive in to take the jugular. He was playing scared, timid, just as he once had against Sai when he had begun to see the tip of the blade. Sai had told him that those fears transferred into his games, and so they had once more.
Sai was no longer around to give him courage, to remind him to channel that fear. This was his first game against someone of this level, Sai having played all of those games previously. Never had he personally faced a titleholder, and his fear was beginning to eat away at him. That would have to change. Epiphany came on top of epiphany as the tenuki and all the other moves like it came into focus. Kuwabara had realized this; he had felt the caution in his game and so had begun setting up for the end. He had to attack once play resumed, but with that stone there, and that one too, it was going to be difficult. He was going to have to thread the needle if he wished to survive this ordeal.
###
Now this was more like what the Honinbou had been expecting. The game had picked up since the lunch break, and Hikaru had come right out with an attack on his shape in the lower left corner. Not only that, but the fire that he had seen glimpses of in the opening of the game was now back in full force, and Kuwabara was finally beginning to feel Hikaru's push. Despite the stakes, Kuwabara couldn't help but grin inwardly at the Go that was now being played. His blood raced and churned, and the atmosphere was tense. This was what he lived for.
Too bad that the recent attacks weren't going to be enough.
Ka-chi.
Pausing as Hikaru's finger left the stone, Kuwabara stared down at the board suspiciously. That was certainly a strange move. He'd just have to wait and see what this kid did next.
He did not have to wait long as Hikaru's next move came down fast and hard with the torches in his eyes burning bright. He had obviously been waiting for it. As his finger left the stone Kuwabara stifled a chuckle. So that was the kid's plan, to attack from there. He had to admit, the strategy was quite impressive, but sadly, Hikaru should have played that cut on the next move. It would have been harder for Kuwabara to see as well as counter. That mistake would cost the boy dearly.
Ka-chi.
There, that stone ought to throw a kink in his plans. He'd have to play it carefully, but assuming it went as planned, the young upstart's lead would soon belong to the Honinbo.
Ka-chi.
Ka-chi.
Once more Kuwabara found himself staring at a stone that made no immediate sense. The game had progressed as expected after he'd taken the lead, and the lead had remained steady since then. Still the game was far from over, and this new move of Hikaru's seemed to stand there defiantly in an attempt to remind him of that.
Rubbing his chin, Kuwabara examined the board once more, reading deeper and deeper into the position. Then he saw it. Once again Hikaru had come up with an intriguing ploy to take back control, but now that he saw it, there was little hope. While he would be unable to capture that floating group now, he could cut it off from the position he was looking for, and that would suffice.
Ka-chi.
Ka-chi. Ka-chi.
Ka-chi.
Ka-chi.
Blinking at the last move, Kuwabara found himself intrigued. The boy had taken much longer on that last move, thinking it through critically and then played a tenuki instead of solidifying his group's position. Had he not realized the danger in leaving it open, did he think he'd have time to protect it on the next move, or was he just being reckless? He'd certainly had time to think it over, and yet this was the move he'd come up with. Well there were certainly many possibilities in this game, but at this level no opening was allowed to go without being exploited to its maximum. This was a lesson he'd have to learn, and Kuwabara was quite willing to teach it to him.
Ka-chi.
By this point the number of observers had increased, as Akira Toya had joined the group of Kisei League members now watching, and had just finished glancing over the game record. The beginning had been unlike Hikaru, that much was certain, but he'd come around midway through the match. Perhaps it had been first game jitters, or something else, but what mattered was that Hikaru needed something amazing now if he wanted to win this match. He needed something… Sai-like.
Unfortunately, as Hikaru played his next move, Akira didn't think that was going to happen. The game was getting into the later stages now, and there would soon be little room for Hikaru to mount a comeback. It had been an impressive game, no question about it, but his most recent mistake was going to cost him too much. Once Kuwabara captured that group it was over, and Hikaru had to know it. Sighing as Kuwabara played another stone, Akira lowered his head as an ache began to form in his chest, dread of the reality of it all sinking in. Hikaru was going to lose.
Ka-chi.
An audible gasp broke the silence of the room, causing Akira to lift his head up as a new and different energy began coursing through the room. As his eyes caught the board, Hikaru's fingers drifting back away from his stone, Akira froze, his face going white. That move… it was… it was just like the move Sai had played against his father. Images of that fateful game rushed to the forefront of Akira's mind, and his eyes widened. Yes, it was so much like it. Not the same obviously, and the circumstances in this game were different as well, but the two moves did seem to resemble one another, especially in their effect on the center of the board.
Before, Akira had been sure that the center would go to Kuwabara, but now, with that one stone, the center that had been Kuwabara's was now anyone's to take. That single black stone, just sitting there, it was nearly impossible but take if Hikaru played it right. More importantly though, while it seemed like a desperate and courageous ploy at first, once played it was…
Moving his eyes off towards his rival, Akira gazed at him with intense focus and admiration. It was no longer hopeless. Hikaru had found his Sai-like move. Hikaru, just who are you? Why do I see Sai in you right now? Until when do I have to wait for the truth?
Staring down at the board, Kuwabara felt the beginnings of a sweat drop forming across his forehead. What an unexpected and completely brilliant move. While some might have questioned if a boy of his level would have even realized what he'd done, Kuwabara was not fooled. This was the reason that the boy had not protected that group, so that he could set up and break the sente that Kuwabara had been pushing for some time now. He'd have to respond to this stone now, or else he'd lose the center before he could finish capturing that group.
That move though, it had seemed so well placed, so perfect in its position once on the board. He hadn't seen it at all, and it would likely cost him if he wasn't careful… and a little lucky too.
Ka-chi. Ka-chi.
Ka-chi. Ka-chi.
So the boy had already seen through this little battle, his moves were coming right on top of Kuwabara's own. There were no mistakes in his moves, each placed with astounding insight. Yes, this was the hidden talent he'd been searching for. Scanning the board, he also realized that the game was now even.
Ton. Ton.
Glancing up at Hikaru, Kuwabara gave an amused grunt. The boy was sitting there, face calm and stoic, yet there it was in his eyes, that burning fire, an intensity that would have likely reduced lesser players to mere cinders. He was not a mere player however, and even if he had to admire this play, he would not give in so quickly.
Ka-chi. Ka-chi.
Ka-chi. Ka-chi.
Glancing up from the board once more, Kuwabara held in a chuckle as he saw that Hikaru had now opened his fan up, covering all his face save his eyes that were scanning across the board now with sensational vigor. This wasn't vanity though, not from those eyes. Was he trying to distract him from something then, something that could be dangerous? Returning his eyes to the board, Kuwabara searched along the lines, instantly calculating and recalculating the shapes and positions, points gained and lost. Well, if it was there, he didn't see it.
Returning his eyes now to that one stone, the stone that had turned this game on him, Kuwabara grinned. For one move, this kid had surpassed him, and today, that was all he needed to pull the game from the pits of despair. His moves since then had merely been an extension of that first brilliant ploy, matching Kuwabara's moves in an attempt to secure the board. For one move that hidden talent had appeared before him, and it was as satisfying as he'd hoped. As he flexed his long fingers, Kuwabara felt the tingle still lingering in them, the feeling gained from facing true genius, even if it was only for a single move.
It was clear that Hikaru had seen through to the end of this game; his mind calculating just like his rival's did, with the speed and accuracy of a high Dan. All that remained was to see if the kid had made up the difference, and if the end game would let him hold it. Recalculating now, Kuwabara began chuckling lightly under his breath as the drop of sweat slid down his cheek.
Sitting across the room next to the scorer's table, Nogi Tengen watched on with sweat dripping from his face. That attack, it had been so well-timed, so… beautiful. It only worked if it was commenced at just the right time, and if the opponent saw it coming it would have failed, but once sprung the game would change. Nogi hadn't seen the move, neither had Kuwabara. It was plainly clear from everyone's reaction that only one person in this room had been able to see it, and with a slight shiver running up his spine, Nogi watched as that boy played his next move, and it was certainly powerful. All that Kuwabara can do now is…
"I resign."
At the sound of those words a silence spread around Hikaru's ears, and he found himself feeling slightly light-headed. It was like being in a dream, one that he was sure would end any moment now leaving him with the dull weight of disappointment and depressing cynicism that a return to reality from the joys of slumber always seemed to bring. Or at least, whenever it was a good dream anyway. He had won, defeated the holder of the Honinbo Title in his first Kisei League match. As his heart rose up, swelling with delight at what had just occurred the last doubts of dreaming left him, leaving behind only Hikaru basking in the pure ecstasy of the moment.
As the exuberance and burning jubilation of victory reached the summit of Hikaru's being he turned his head and his eyes came to meet and hold on his rival, who was eyeing him with a peculiar focus. It was that move, the one he had played, that had caused it. During the game, all hope had seemed to disappear and his mind had been ready to concede. His heart and gut though had refused to allow it, stabbing his consciousness with the idea that there was a way, a way that he knew Sai would have seen. It had been quite some time since he'd used the tactic, to place himself in his opponent's place and mind and imagining his teacher's coy smile before pointing to the one spot on the board that, despite all logic, would steal the game away. A move closer to the Divine Move than anything Hikaru could reach for himself.
That had been how he'd found that move, and Akira had recognized it as being Sai's as only Akira could. No one else had played against Sai and himself the way Akira had, shown the depth of understanding and the stubbornness to search for an answer that was too unbelievable to fathom. Yet he had come closer than any other living soul to discovering that truth, even as the absurdity of it tormented his mind, and that was how Akira knew that move. The two continued their gaze, faces calm and void of thought or emotion, yet eyes speaking volumes, not of intensity, but of comprehension and understanding. The rest of the room mattered not, was of a different time and place for them, a fleeting thought from a world long gone. Words were not needed here, their eyes said it all, acting as visual oratory to their little tale of cognizance. Finally their gaze broke and the world around them returned after both a moment and an eternity of absence.
###
The other people in the room had begun to surround the board now, eager to discuss the game. As they did so Hikaru turned his gaze forward looking across at his opponent who was beginning to chuckle lightly to himself. Finally he returned the gaze and said, "Well, wasn't that an interesting turn of events. I look forward to our next game kid. You'll find me a far greater challenge when it's my own title you're coming after. I'll be waiting for you, so don't disappoint this old man now. Oh, and one more thing. You can caddy for me anytime."
With that Kuwabara rose to his feet and, cackling to himself, began moving off. Yes, the next time would be far more interesting. For the longest time the newcomers had not been impressive at all. Even players like Kurata, Hatanaka and Serizawa weren't what he had once faced. Sure they might win a title here and there, but holding onto that title, no they weren't there yet.
One day he too would fall to one of these younger players, it was a fact as inevitable as the coming of the dawn. Life after all was merely a series of moments stitched together on the flowing currents that was the river of time. His reign as Honinbo was one such moment, glorious in its beauty and fulfillment, but time, as it always did, would pass by and the moment would be gone, fading into memory as the next moment and the next Honinbo arrived to replace it. That was fine of course. After all, no one could stay on top forever; sooner or later the next generation would arrive to claim its own glory, its own little place on the long, never-ending path that was Go. It had happened countless times before him, and would happen countless more after he was gone. It was the Way of the Go player, and for him personally, it was his Way of the Honinbo. Whether it happened next year or the year after that, or the year after that, he would be succeeded by one of these up and coming stars. When that happened though, he wanted to make sure that it was to the right star, to someone capable of holding onto the legacy he was leaving behind as a Honinbo. Someone who could see it as it truly was, not as a mere title, but as a way of living.
That boy, Hikaru Shindo, he might just be such a star. Of course he still had a lot to prove before that fact was certain, but there were two things Kuwabara did know. No matter who or what, he would not surrender his title easily, even if it were to one such as Hikaru; that it would have to be ripped from his fingers against all his effort and will to the contrary. That, and it would be quite fun to see it happen.
