Disclaimer: "I don't own any of the Hikaru no Go characters or anything related to them. I'm just using them in my story."

Well, it has been a long time since I made chapter 4. I kept getting positive reactions, so for now, it will continue. If I can be passionate about this story again, maybe it reaches the amount of chapters it was meant to reach (which basically means it is a never-ending story). I thank all of you who have read this story and take the time read it again, I will try to deliver the same quality of work, but reading back, I wonder if I have it in me.

Time to go to chapter 5!

As Hikaru seated next to Akira, he saw the expression of the boy soften. He must have thought Hikaru wouldn't come at all, but seemed to relax now he was here. As the two boys watched the antique gravestone with a gloomy mood it was Hikaru who spoke first.

"Ehm, yes, I really want to… ehm" he found it hard to express himself, which wasn't a really surprise since he never told anybody about this magical connection he once had with the old go master Sai of the Fujiwara. Well, maybe the only one who suspected something was Toya Koyo, but the chances were slim his son knew anything about those conversations in the hospital. He took a deep breath and started his story to the young prodigy.

"Akira, what I'm going to tell you right now, might seem weird. You might not believe it and I don't expect you to do so. But please let me tell the whole story and you may say what you think about it afterwards."

Akira looked at Hikaru with a weird look on his face, but nodded. And so Hikaru began his story, from the moment he met Sai from his grandfather's old go beard, to the days in the internet cafe, and ending with the sudden disappearance of his friend. He tried not to forget anything and made sure he would explain it in a calm, rational way.

After a long period of talking and explaining, he tried to look at his rival's face to see a reaction, but all he could see was a gaze on the floor.

"S… he'… g..n.?"

Akira's voice was trembling and it seemed he would break down in tears. But he gazed at the gravestone and repeated, clearly now:

"So, he's… gone?"

Hikaru swallowed when he noticed the sadness in Akira's voice. At that moment he felt Akira, because of his weird rivalry with him, could understand the pain he'd gone through. It wasn't just the loss of a friend for him, no it was way more than that. It was a loss to the go world itself, the loss of the greatest player that ever existed. And Akira fully understood that the creativity and passion of someone like Sai would be missed intensely. With a sudden spark of brightness he understood that maybe on some level, Akira was already suspecting something like this. Of course he knew already that Hikaru wasn't Sai, but he could find in his play that Sai had taught him.

"Yes, he's gone Akira, and you can't imagine the difficult time I've had when he left, but I found something much more valuable in the past year. His life wasn't about making me stronger, not at all. It was about leaving the knowledge necessary to help the game of go evolve. That's why, I guess, if there was a go god, he chose someone like me. Because I had to start from scratch I learned everything the way it was meant to. But with teaching me, he spread the same knowledge to all the other promising players: you, your father and all the others I've already played against. It seems like it is the task of me and all the other go players around to just learn, study and play. So the god of go can be happy."

Hikaru laughed at the last sentence and added: "Sorry, I have gotten way to philosophical about this. The point I'm trying to make is that yes, he is gone. But by playing and getting stronger his play lives on and it makes us closer to the "divine move". It isn't about Sai anymore, it's about us. And that is why I have set my goals high: I've got to succeed Sai. But I don't know how to do that…"

Akira looked at his friend who seemed to mature with every minute, he felt at the same time intimidated and passionate.

"Well you could start with getting into the Kisei League", he said without blinking. "Because if it is really your goal to be better than Sai you will have to get your hands on some titles. But there lies one problem…" his voice trailed off.

Hikaru looked at him questionable. "What's the problem?"

"You won't get one title…"

"Why not?"

"Because at that time, I'll be the titleholder and I won't lose to you in any official match."

"Oh yeah" Hikaru shouted "how about all the matches I won at the go salon."

"That's why I said official, you dumbass."

"You just wait, mr. Bighead, I will win one rather sooner than later."

"Come and get me then! You can't afford to waste any time with such a goal, in fact, why don't we play a game right now?"

"You're on!" Hikaru looked around and saw the go salon not far away. "How about there?"

Hikaru was sorting his go magazines in his room. It was only four days ago, that he told the story to Akira. Since then, Akira seemed more fired up than ever before. He kept bugging him for games and even asked him for his cellphone number. Well, asking wasn't the right word. He persuaded him, to be more precise. His attention was caught by the radio which was on in his room.

"And in further news, the Japanese Go Association has decided to get rid of the oteai system and has introduced new rules about promotion. With this it is now possible to be promoted directly to higher ranks by winning a title or entering a prestigious league. For more information you can visit their website or listen to our broadcast on channel 2 with Ogata Judan. The weather for tomorrow…"

As expected, the phone in his pocket began to ring. He quickly accepted the call and shouted: "Did you hear that?!" The answer from Touya Akira was just as enthusiastic. "Yes! I can't wait until the new leagues will start, I expect you to work even harder, so we'll have to work out a new training schedule."

Hikaru yawned and put his cellphone next to him… no, he wouldn't get a chance to sort out his magazines anytime soon, better finish quickly.

And with that, another chapter comes to an end. I've kept it rather short and laid some foundation for future chapters. I hope you've enjoyed it and that I will find the motivation to not wait another two years before bringing out the next chapter.