Wow...I was almost in tears as I was typing last night...it was so hard to type what I did though...hope you like the chpater, and as always, thank you kari2500 for the wonderful comments! Love ya!

He scooped her up and they went back to his room. Sai decided to go to bed as well. He needed to rest his mind before he did the same as Sakura did during their game.

Chapter 9 ------

Sakura was the first to wake up, and without bothering Sai, left the room. A maid was walking down the hall and asked if she needed anything. "No thank you," Sakura smiled and bowed. 'That reminds me, I should go rinse off,' she thought as she went out of the palace.

She went to her hut, which was surprisingly still standing and nothing had been touched. She grabbed her few things and went to the waterfall.

--

Sai had woken up now and was looking for Sakura. 'Where could she have gone? She said she would be here…' he thought as he got up out of bed.

--

Sakura came back into the palace. She went back into Sai's room and noticed he wasn't there. 'He's probably looking for me, I'm sure we'll bump into each other soon,' she thought as she was changing kimonos.

Sai had walked back into his room to see Sakura's back as she was slipping on her kimono. "Go…Gomen nasai!" he said before he shut the door.

Sakura looked over her shoulder. She hadn't seen anything and was a little confused. She dismissed the thought and finished putting her kimono on.

Sakura opened the door and there stood Sai. "Oh Sakura I thought you left me! Don't do that again!" he said in his childish voice as he grabbed her and hugged her.

Sakura laughed, "I wouldn't do that!"

He looked at her and smiled. "Let's go play some more," he suggested as he pulled her hand to the room they were in last night.

They tried to finish the game they had started, but Sakura wanted to start with a new game. They cleared the board and started to play a new game.

XxXxXx

A few hours passed before lunch was made. They went into the dining hall and ate lunch as if nothing was wrong. 'Sai can beat him…I know he can…' Sakura thought as she ate some sushi.

Almost everyone at the table went to the court where they were to hold the match after eating.

"Sai," Sakura said as they were about to part. "Hmm?" he asked; he was really serious. Sakura couldn't help but kiss him for good luck.

They looked each other in the eyes before parting.

Sai took his seat across the Go board from the other tutor. Sakura took a seat almost next to the Emperor himself.

The game started and was constantly even through out.

Sakura noticed a lot of people were there watching. Even some peasants were there to watch.

As soon she had turned her attention to the game, the other tutor had placed a stone from his stones to his captured stones.

Sai's expression changed, "You…you just…"

The other man got angry and stood up, "YOU! You placed a stone from your goke into your agehama! Didn't you?"

(A/N: Goke – cup with all the stones; agehama – bowl with captured stones.

"Wh…what? That's what you just did!" Sai said back.

"What a pathetic excuse! You took a moment of chance when everyone was concentrating on the board to place an extra stone into your agehama!"

"You're lying!" Sai pointed with his paper fan.

"Be quiet!" the Emperor said. Both Go tutors turned to him. "I don't even with to think such a despicable act has occurred before me. Continue the game."

The other man sat down and they continued the game.

Sakura got up and went to talk with the Emperor.

"Your Highness," she bowed as she sat.

"Yes?" he responded.

"The other tutor of Go, not Fujiwara no Sai, he did cheat. I saw him place a stone from his goke into his agehama," she bowed to him.

"Yes, or so I've been told. We shall see how the match turns out and I will decide from there," he said.

"Thank you your Highness," Sakura bowed again before she got up and left. 'There's still a chance,' she cried inside.

The match continued. Though Sakura couldn't see who had more territory, she didn't like the look on Sai's face.

Both of them stopped placing stones and started moving them around. 'Come on Sai…you can win…' Sakura thought hopefully before they finished.

Muahahaha...cliffhanger...but if you already know the story...darn you anyhow! Lol. Please review!