Go? But I'm a Soccer Player!

Summary: Hikaru was a MVP regional soccer player when he met Sai. He took up go on the net to appease the hopeful ghost. Three years later, Sai left and Hikaru got an offer to the B-leagues. Now, a year a half later, Hikaru one again encounters the go world by chance.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go and never will no matter how much I want to own it.

Since a lot people says that they can't tell when someone is speaking or when one is thinking so:

"Speaking"

"Thinking"

Turning the fretting boy, Akira glared, he thought, 'Who are you Hikaru Shindo? No "no good amateur" as you claim yourself to be could of seen something like that. Countless pros have looked at that game, at least in passing, yet none of them was able to see that. Who are you?' taking a deep breath, he calmly stated, "Well, that's a very interesting point that you brought up. Many pros, my father, Ogata 10-dan and even Kuwabara Hon'inbo-sensei have studied that game, yet none of them was able to see that. It's quite amazing that you had managed to do so. Can you tell us how you get so good?"

Seeing the information-hungry faces of the reporters, Hikaru froze. "Uh oh," he thought, "How am I going to get out of this one?"

"Umm…" Hikaru stuttered not wanting to give any reporter the chance to ask a question, "Well, I suppose it's all a matter of… of the point of view. Most pros have a… an established preference in their style of go. My… my mentor had mentioned once that… um… sometimes amateurs will see something that most pros don't… since… since their style changes around so much…. That's why sometimes … one can say that … an amateur is a better player than any pro." Hiker trailed off.

He knew that he did not sound convincing. Sai did mention something similar when he was lost in though one day. However, he never quite explained it to Hikaru saying that Hikaru was not ready to find out yet. But right now, Hikaru couldn't care what Sai had meant, if it can stump people for a bit, it was good enough for him.

Chuckling nervously at the looks of complete disbelieves on the faces of the go pros and insei, Hikaru blurted, "Well, look at the time! I gotta go, or I'm going to miss soccer practise!" he them ran for it before anyone could realize what he was trying to do.

As soon as Hikaru was two blocks away from the Go Association he sighed with relief, 'Finally,' he thought, 'thank god that was over. Why did I even agree to the interview anyways? I hope coach doesn't yell at me for ditching the interview like that.'

Little did Hikaru know, but his coach's reaction was going to be the least of his worries.

The next day…

It was seven o'clock in the morning and the Shindo house-hold phone was ringing. As both of his parents has already left for work, Hikaru reluctantly got out of his bed to answer the phone.

As soon as Hikaru picked up the phone and mumbled a tired, "Hello?" His grandfather's excited voice rang through, "Why didn't you tell me that you were interested in go?" Hikaru's grandfather demanded, "How come you never told me that you were so good in go? How…"

Processing his grandfather with confusion, Hikaru managed a "Huh? Wha'cha talking 'bout grandpa?" while yawning.

"You don't know?" Heihachi asked, "Hikaru, quickly turn to the sport channel."

Sensing the urgency in his grandfather's voice, he quickly turned on the TV. He looked in horror at the footage of his interview yesterday as the announcer calmly stated, "When Toya 7-dan asked for the reason behind Shindo-san's surprising skills, Shindo-san gave a rather blurry an unconvincing explanation before hurriedly stating that he had soccer practise and had to leave early. However we have received information from a reliable source that Shindo-san had been given a week off of training due to the recent negatives…"

Turning the TV off, Hikaru raced downstairs to retrieve the daily newspaper that his father subscribed. To his horror, at the first page of the sports section, the head line in bold letters stated "Hikaru Shindo – A Hidden Go Prodigy?" the subtitle stated: "The Unknown Skill of a Soccer Star!"

Running back to the TV, Hikaru flipped through the channels and found to his shock that the interview he did yesterday was all over the sport and entertainment channels. Even the strict news channels had briefly reported the stunt he pulled yesterday.

The phone rang again. Hikaru groaned and hoped that it was not a reporter phoning. To his relief, it was only the secretary of Kaio High. The secretary told him that the school has decided to allow him a couple of days off in light of the recent events so the student body can calm down.

With no school or practise and the impossibility of going out without getting hounded by reporters, Hikaru decided to visit Netgo to get away from things. Logging into the account that he created for himself after Sai quitter playing Netgo, Hikaru moaned. The entire Netgo community was talking about the interview, especially the point that Hikaru pointed out on the infamous Sai vs. Koyo Toya game.

Not wanting to hear anymore on the game, Hikaru logged on to a Chinese go site as a guest. To his horror, he saw in the Chinese Netgo forum, he recognized the kanji of his name. Although there weren't as many as the Japanese Netgo, but the number wasn't few in amount either.

Falling back into his chair Hikaru could only sigh.

All around Japan, and in the go communities of China and Korea, Hikaru's interview was being passed around. (It was supposed to be a joint interview with Akira. However, Hikaru was the main person from the beginning and with the surprising skills he showed, most people seemed to have forgotten Akira's existence for once.)

Hikaru's A-league soccer team mates huddled around their coach, reading the paper. "Wow!" one of Hikaru's team mates exclaimed, "Dude, I always knew that Shindo's different, but man, knowing go? That's totally unexpected."

Another one of Hikaru's team mates asked in a confused voice, "What's go anyways? Who are… Sai and Koyo Toya? What's so special about the move anyways?"

Most of the players shrugged. None of them could really understand the commotion that the single interview has caused.

However, Hikaru's coach wasn't as ignorant, having searched up the go world before the interview. Had he known the commotion that the interview will cause, he would've probably never suggested it. Sighing he thought optimistically, 'Well, at least the parents aren't going to complain about Shindo corrupting their kids into brainless joke anymore.'

At the Go Association reception desk, every phone is ringing off the hook. Never had they received so much attention from the general public. Since the morning news came out, there was a quadrupling amount of inquiries about lessons, games and general information from all sorts of people.

To them such a thing would only happen in their dreams. It seems that overnight, go had gone form a game that no one outside of elder generation would particularly care about to the new it thing. The Go association even recieved calls from the managers of some semi-famous celeberties and sports stars who are suddenly interested in the game that they would have labled lame the day before.

The whole reason that the Go Association agreed to the interview was to spread out the name of go. However, such good results were totally unexpected. While all the workers of the Go Association were focused on taking care all the inquiries from everyone, all the pros were discussing the point Hikaru pointed out in the game.

Two floors above the reception, Ochi, Yashiro, and Isumi were surrounded by player wanting to know more about the interview the day before. Everyone seemed much more interested in what happened it the interview yesterday than the results of the games that were played today.

Ochi was all red. 'First Toya, now this Shindo." He thought angrily, 'No matter how much I try, no one has ever recognized me this way. Toya I can understand. But this Shindo, how did such a player pop up from no where? How do we know that he didn't just pull the move off by a fluke? Just one move, and now he is suddenly an important person. Just wait, one day I will prove that I'm not one to be ignored.

Yashiro wanted to scream. He was woken up at 4:30 in the morning by his Go Association friends from Kansai asking about the interview. For the moment he stepped in to the Tokyo Go Association for his final day in Tokyo, he was surrounded by people who wanted to know about the interview and right now he just couldn't take it anymore. Knowing he will be hounded again once he gets back to Kansai, he seriously considered to just shove all the other pros away so that he could go to the hotel and rest before taking the train back to Kansai. He clenched his fist and cursed his sensei for making his promise to be polite to everyone in the Tokyo Go Association. He knows that right now that he should worry more about Hikaru Shindo than the pros surrounding players, but his head hurts at the mere thought of the Blond banged soccer player.

Isumi nervously scratched his head at all the curious younger pros and wondered once again asked himself that why he hadn't stayed at home like Waya. After all, he did not have a game today and there wasn't even going to be a interesting game today. This reminded him too much of last night when he phoned Yang Hai. He came to the Go Association in hopes of avoding Yang Hai's calls, but now he realized that he had dug himslf into a even worse situation. When Isumi told Yang Hai what had happened, the Chinese was shocked that a soccer player managed to see a turning point in the Koyo Toya vs. Sai game, when he, a 8-dan and self-claimed know-it-all of Sai had not. When he had finally snapped out of his shock, he had more or less forced Isumi to repeat the interview word for word. Isumi could only smile as he remembered his friend's reaction. He was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts by another pro who wanted him to explain what happened during the interview. He really regretted to not have stayed home.

The fifth floor of the Go Association is usually reserved for important games. (AN: I made it up, I don't know if it's true.) One must have a very high level in go in order to set foot on this floor as a player. However today, the players on this player are discussing the same thing as the player on the floors below them.

Kuwabara Hon'inbo chuckled as he read the "Weekly Go" while listening to the other high-dans' discussion. 'It seem that Toya's son might not be so unreachable by the young generation after all. Who would have thought that young Toya's rival would come in the form of a soccer player?' he mused, 'Well, well, well, Hikaru Shindo, I guess that I will have keep a tighter eye on soccer now.'

Glancing darkly at his chuckling opponent for today's Tengen game, Ogata scowled. While he was angry that his opponent seems to be ignoring him in favor of a mere soccer player, Ogata can't help to feel intrigued by the said boy. After all, he had been after Sai ever since that fated internet game and he had studied that said game for no less that twenty times. However, he had not seen the point that a soccer player had somehow managed to see.

For away outside of Japan in the Korean Go Association, a certain Go tensai was replaying the Koyo Toya vs. Sai game. Staring at the game Ko Yongha smirked, 'It seems,' he mused, 'that Akira Toya might not be the hope for the future of Go in Japan after all. This soccer player, if this move is indeed thought out by him, will become another pillar for the Japanese go world and yet another challenge for me. I have a feeling that things are about to get very intersting soon.'

Around the other Korean players stared at him. None of them have seen Ko Yongha this happy since his game against Akira Toya. Having seen the younger Toya's skill even those who did not know of Hikaru's interview had all decided to look up exactly what had the calm go player get so exited over.

In China, the same game is recreated by Yang Hai surrounded by all the team that participated in the Hokuto Cup. After receiving the call form Isumi, the game was all that Yang Hai could think about. He had studied Sai possibly deeper and earlier than anyone, but this move that the soccer player found, was something he had never thought of before. Or rather that he did not think that it was possible for anyone other that Koyo Toya or Sai himself to find a loophole in such a… what seems like a perfect game.

Hikaru Shindo was another mystery. While the others might not see it, but to Yang Hai, Hikaru Shindo figuring out this move is very different form any other go player figure out this move. Yang Hai has been following the soccer World Cup and he had seen Hikaru Shindo's performance in the Japan vs. Germany game. Although it can't be denied that it was a stroke of luck that he was able to even participate in the game, his performance was not below a few of the starting players of team Japan. For someone with such an insight in go and be so good at another completely different sport to Yang Hai seems quite scary.

Back in Japan in a small apartment Waya looked at the Sai vs. Koyo Toya game for the nth time. When he first heard about Hikaru Shindo, he had thought that Shindo was just a normal jock. The interview shocked him to the bone. He was probably one of the very first Sai fan in the world and he had studied all of Sai's games thoroughly and had at least studied the Sai vs. Koyo Toya game at least 100 times. He didn't even think about the spot Hikaru pointed out.

For the first time, Waya felt scared of someone's go skills. He had justified that all the elder pros and title holders are better than him because of their experience, and justified Akira Toya's skills on the fact that he had a famous go player as his father and had started to learn go so early in his life. However, Hikaru Shindo was completely different. From what Waya heard in the interview, Hikaru Shindo did not even know what go was until he was twelve. To Waya, he couldn't imagine the skills of someone who had managed to obtain such a high level at go in just four and a half years while playing soccer enough to secure a position on the national team and score a goal in the world cups. Such a thing didn't seem quite possible to him.

Waya also did not like the fact that Hikaru Shindo seems to know more about his idol Sai than he himself does. He was after all the only person that Sai had replied to. Suddenly Waya gasped, 'Sai!!' he thought, 'The summer four years ago, that's when Sai first appeared, that's when Shindo said that he started to play go. Wait, if he just started to play go then, he couldn't possibly have been that good. That's it!' Waya jumped up form his seat, 'Shindo's mentor; the one he seems to be avoiding. His mentor left when he joint the B-leagues, that's around the time of the Koyo Toya vs. Sai game! Could it be? Could Shindo be Sai's student? That would explain his insight into the game and all the Sai's kifu that he claims to have.'

Slowly, Waya sank back into his seat, shocked by the conclusion he just came to.

At the Toya household, things are not so well either. Akira had locked himself in his room going over the move Hikaru pointed out. Yesterday for the first time in his go-devoted life he felt an excitement he had never felt before with any other player his age. When the Go Association first informed him about the interview with Hikaru Shindo, he had been sceptical and had thought that the whole thing was going to be a waste of time that could be used to study go. Now, he was glad that he did push off the interview.

In that interview Akira had found a new push for his gradually diminishing interest in go caused by the lack of a worthy opponent his age. True, there's Ko Yongha who he had lost half a moku to in the Hokuto Cup, but he Korean player had not manage the fulfil Akira's longing for a rival. While all the other young pros are jealous of Akira for his skills and position in the go world, Akira was jealous of the other young pros for having a goal to work toward. Although many were envy him for making it into the Hon'inbo finals, Akira wishes that he never participated in it. The better he became in go, the lonelier he lost interest in the game he once loved. For him having his father as a rival was not enough, he needed someone else, someone his age, and yesterday, he found that someone.

Also, unlike to others, to Akira, Hikaru's stuttering explanation for his skills made sense. In fact, Akira thought that it was a great eye opener. Having grown up with go and have established a style preference in go very early on in his life, Akira had never noticed how some of his moves in different games were so similar. Akira had never thought that these similar moves could be a problem as all players who reach a certain level will have a certain style and preference therefore would have these similarities in their games. However every style has a weakness, and that's why no one has reached the legendary "Hand of God". Hikaru's words gave Akira an inspiration. If a pro can be good yet not have a certain style that they have to stick to therefore no longer being vulnerable to the weakness of that style… 'Could this, could this be the breaking point of the Hand of God?' Akira thought excitedly

Akira also knows that a solid style is the very thing that separates a pro for an amateur. Giving up one's own style to attempt another style can completely ruin a go player's future. However, Akira was different for all the other players, he was still young yet he was higher in ranks than many others who are far elder and more experienced than him. He unlike all the others had time. He was in a position to take a chance without having to risk his career. To Akira Toya, the interview with Hikaru Shindo could not have happened at a better time.

On the other side of the Toya Household, Koyo Toya smirked.

Akira had told his father about the interview and the move Hikaru made as soon as he got home from the interview. Koyo Toya had stayed up all night to ponder on the game. Musing over explanation that Shindo gave to explain his skills, Toya couldn't help but to wonder just who was Shindo's mentor to have come up with such an idea. He himself had thought of it before. (Unknown to him that his son just came to the same conclusion,) he had once thought that the idea could be the door to the Hand of God. However, he was at that time at a peak in his career, having just won the Meijin title for the first time, he was unable to convince himself to take the risk. His recent retire was also, for a small part, to pursue that idea.

Although he told no one, he also saw the point that Hikaru pointed out, but not until days later. In his last obligated game against Ogata for the Jyuudan title, he had attempted to try something different. He ended up loosing the game, but the sense of fulfillment he had gotten from that game exceeded even what he felt when he won his fifth title. From then on, all the travelling and playing against players of other countries, it was all for finding that sense of fulfillment.

He was lost in thought until he was interrupted by the phone ringing off the hook. Akiko told him that the calls were from reporters form Go magazines and otherwise wanted to hear his opinion on the move that could have changed the tides for him in that fateful game. The calls given Koyo Toya an idea. Although he was no longer a title holder, he was still a very influential person in the go world. With a single call he had managed to get Hikaru Shindo's address and phone number. If he remembers Akira's account for the interview correctly Shindo had promised to allow him to borrow his collection of Sai's kifu. It was all the reason he need to pay a certain soccer player a visit.

Some of you might have noticed that I changed the part that Akira said in the end of last chapter into thoughts. Well, due to a lot of people's suggestion that Akira would never say such a thing in public, I decided that I would change it. Now I think about it, Akira really doesn't seem like the type of person who will say such a thing.

Also, someone mentioned to me that at the beginning I said that Waya is a 3-dan and then changed him into a 4-dan. To clarify matters, currently Waya is a 3-dan, I just wasn't careful enough with my typing. So if I confused anyone there, I'm sorry.

I want to thank anyone who is still sticking with me and I really apologise for the extremely late update, but right now my number one priority is school and it isn't about to change anytime soon. Depending on whether or not that I can find a summer job, updates could become much more frequent during the vacation.

To be truthful, I'm actually quite disappointed in this chapter. I feel that I'm making Hikaru too much of a perfect person in all the other go player's perspective. I do promise that the real Hikaru in the story will not be as perfect as all the characters seem to think he is.

I mentioned in the first chapter that this was a spur of the moment thing, so I haven't planned anything pass the first chapter. This chapter was also very heavy on characters, with is my weakest point. Since I saw so many people waiting I decided that I'll post this chapter as it is. Depending on the reception I could end up replacing this chapter. So if you are really unhappy about it, feel free to voice your opinion and give me suggestions. I haven't had time to think much about this story, so it could still go a lot of different ways. So anyone with any suggestion, please feel free to tell me. I'll thank you in advance.

As for all my beta volunteers, I'm sorry that I haven't had the time to reply to anyone, but if anyone is still interested, please PM me with an edited version of any part of the story. Also please label you PM with the word "beta" in it so I won't delete it y accident.

Once again, I apologize for the really late update. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me to now.

So, tell me what you think!