~0~0~Reviews~0~0~ I can't thank you enough for insightful reviews as they help keep my thought floating. I SO LOVE CRITICS when they based on the actual info and not bias view (not that any of you are biased) SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Even though some of you only wanted to encourage my writing speed and more update. I feel very grateful.

reesessweetie: I decided to give 'the Ghost' a complete opposite personality from Sai. More like the origin of Hikaru's rudeness but he'll be fun to read. And I know how you feel about the die hard fans of Akira. That boy needs to tone them down before I start my own circle of die hard fans for Hikaru. As for Akira's isolation, I don't know if earlier meeting would help him or make it worse for him. Remember how he acted after he found Hikaru? He went from devotion to obsession over the period of weeks. Though Akira will have more friends in my fic but his circle will less likely expand beyond the Go world. At least this won't be as bad as in the manga/anime. Thank you for your review. I have fun reading it.

Kanrei: The plan which Hikaru's parents had for him played a big part in this fic. Glad you like it :D

mal123: Thanks. I'll try to keep this update rate going. The much anticipated match will have to wait til the next chapter tho. sorry and thx for your review

anonymous: Sorry for the cliff hanger T^T About the ghost, you just have to keep reading :D

Akemi: You sounded angry Y^Y I'll try my best not to leave the cliff hanger next time(if I can help it) Thank you for your review

Also thanks for the reviews from two Guests I hope you enjoy my latest update as well

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hikaru no Go

"Hikaru!" Mitsuko stormed into the room where her son was assigned. She didn't expect to see a peaceful smile on the boy's sleeping face when she entered. Hikaru was lying on his side, snoring quietly.

"Is he…sleeping? What happened? Mitsuko looked to the old Shindou for an answer. Her father in law grinned sheepishly. The only reason he held back his laugh was because he felt guilty for not noticing the boy's fatigue sooner.

"Exhaustion, he had been running around. Playing games all day." He said calmly.

"Games? Was he playing that board game again?" Mitsuko frowned, her tone had raised a little but she carefully kept her volume to minimum.

"No, no, I brought him to a soccer game today. There was a small event for boys to participate, you see." Heihachi hastily made up a story to cover for his little troublemaker.

"Hikaru!" Another guest bolted into the room. This one was a teenager who seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Grandfather, how is Hikaru?"

"He's fine. He only needs his rest." Heihachi wished that he didn't have to repeat himself again but he still had to explain to his wife about her grandson's condition, a process which would ended up with him being lectured for letting their grandson spending too much time with his beloved game.

Sai walked over to Hikaru's bedside, his hand affectionately caressing his little brother's hair when his grandfather suddenly spoke up. "Sai, can you look after your brother for a while? Your mother and I have to go talk to Hikaru's doctor." Sai ceased his brows slightly but gave a replying nod anyway. For now, he didn't feel like getting involved in adults' matter. He had his own important announcement to break and his dear brother had to be the first one to know.

"Hurry and wake up, you demon, I have loads of stories to tell you." he whispered teasingly as his other two relatives exited the room.

~o0O0o~

"Tell me, Mitsuko, why are you so against him playing Go? You don't even seem to mind if he has an interest in anything else. So why only this game?" Heihachi didn't bother to hide his frustration as soon as the door behind them swung shut.

"Father, I know it upsets you about the whole situation." Mitsuko sighed at the thought of dealing with another Go fanatic. "But he already has a bigger responsibility waiting for him to take care of and that's why I try to prepare him for his future. So when the time comes, he will at least be ready for it. I know Hikaru better than anyone when it comes to this matter. His obsession with the game is not healthy. I don't want to give him an empty hope knowing he wouldn't have his future in it. It is better for him if he can give it up now."

"Giving up? What are you talking about? Your sons are prodigies. Do you know how unrealistic it is to reach their current levels without a formal mentor?" Heihachi fumed

"I know what they are, father. But it doesn't mean I can leave the Fujiwaras heirless. I decided to let Sai walk the path he chose. With him entering the Go world, I don't believe Hikaru will be needed there anymore."

Heihachi was speechless. It was true that the little Hikaru was brilliant, enough to be called a genius. But his Go was very similar to his older brother, even the way they considered their moves were almost the same. At this rate, Hikaru would only grow into another 'Sai'. The old Shindou hung his head low at his own thought.

"I've discussed about Hikaru's position as an heir with my parents in Kyoto. We've decided to start his formal training next summer when he has turn seven. I think I should let you know." Mitsuko carried on firmly, not caring about the stressful look that flashed upon the old man's face.

"What about his Go? Are you going to make him quit?" Heihachi trailed off at the end of his sentence, wishing he would never have to witness the expression on his grandchild's face when the boy would receive the news.

"He would have to quit by himself eventually as his training schedules become busier. I only hope you understand when the time comes."

~o0O0o~

Back in the hospital room, the boy in his kindergarten year was breathing quietly in his sleep. His brother was sitting in a chair next to his bed, reading a Go book in his hands. Sai's concentration was so great that he failed to notice his brother's lips moved as he murmured an unfamiliar name of a Go player whose history dated back around a century ago.

Hikaru found himself sitting next to a man in his casual summer yukata. They both sat on a terrace of some Japanese traditional style house. The man was directing his gaze over the low ivy fence of the mansion to the sight of the vast seashore by the village below.

"Er…who are you?" Hikaru nervously started a question. The man didn't seem to be in his best mood but answered him anyway. "I'm the owner of this house" he replied curtly.

"Why am I here? How did I get here? Where's grandpa?" Hikaru started panicking at the thought of him being alone in an unknown place with a stranger he had never seen before.

"Urgh~ what a talkative little brat, which one of your questions you want answered?" the man grunted at him.

"Every one of them?" the boy shrugged. What kind of person would choose to reply only the question he felt like answering?

"Only one of them," the man demanded firmly in his low voice. His brows squished together, creating two vertical lines in the middle.

Instead of pestering the man further with a list of questions that didn't concern him, Hikaru decided it would be better if he could lighten up the atmosphere between them first. "Then, what's your name?"

The man's eyes finally shot to the boy's face. The paddle fan in his hand had also been paused at that moment. "Kuwabara Torajirou" he grinned mischievously.

~o0O0o~

Touya Akira had always been a grandson figure to the patrons of his father's salon. The boy was smart and polite unlike most of the peers his age. He was not a talkative type but he did know how to carry a conversation with the adults. However, the boy had gone even quieter lately. He would arrive at the salon after school and started reviewing a particular game over and over, wearing a serious frown on his face. Sometimes he would snap out of this habit and go back to his normal Go study but he had stopped offering to play games with the patrons like he usually did before.

"How about asking him yourself, Kitajima san? I'm sure with his character he won't turn down a game." Ichikawa said in a matter-of-factly tone. She was also puzzled by the little Akira's change in behavior as of late but did not have a courage to ask, as the boy seemed to be occupied with his own thought most of the time. The adorable Go prodigy had changed into a recluse Go obsess since he started reviewing that god forsaken game about a month ago.

"He is not easy to approach anymore." Kitajima whispered loud enough for her to hear. He then gestured to the Touya boy who kept starring blankly at the game on the board, a distance look in his eyes. "Look at him, when was the last time have you seen a seven year old boy studying 'an old man's game' as if his life depends on it?" Kitajima sighed

"I heard the rumor that it was your game. So if you ask him for a discussion, maybe he'd start talking about it more?" Ichikawa really hoped her idea would help getting the boy out of his flunk. She only needed some cooperation from the man standing in front of her. Kitajima said nothing as he slowly walked away from the young part-time receptionist. The boy did not even seem to notice that someone was approaching him.

"Akira-sensei, do you mind if I want to discuss my game with you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Kitajima-san, but I am reviewing the game Shirakawa-san had showed me. Maybe next time?"

Kitajima's eyes widen at the boy's reply. His jaws slacked down slightly as he stared at the young Touya in mild disbelieve. He never thought he would see the day the soft-spoken Touya Akira would turn down a request to discuss a game. But he wasn't one to give up easily. "That was my game you're studying anyway. Can't I at least listen to your thought on it?" he grinned reluctantly.

Akira was visibly stiffened up at the news. So the rumor was true, that Kitajima-san had played the game with this mysterious boy. The middle age patron might have some clue regarding the boy's whereabouts. No, Akira could ask for that later. Right now, he had something else in mind. He would love to know how strong the boy really was and he would need the man's help to gauge the boy's strength.

"Kitajima-san, I'm sorry I haven't been spending time playing lately. How about we play a game?" he smiled apologetically at the middle age man.

~o0O0o~

Sai frowned slightly as he looked at himself in the full body mirror. He was certain that he would be the first (and probably the last) Go player his age to wear a formal kimono to the annual certificate ceremony. Even though he could not deny the kimono suited him very well, he still preferred a formal business suit like the one Ogata had worn to their Shin shodan series. This traditional wear made him even more standout from his peers. And Sai was never a person who appreciated any excessive amount of attention.

"See what I told you? That's how a Fujiwara man should look." Mitsuko could not contain her excitement as she admired her son. The teenage prodigy blushed even more than he had earlier.

"Mother, I still think a normal western suit is formal enough." Sai pursed his lips at his own reflection.

"None sense, how can I let you wear those plain clothes when we have these expensive wears at our expense." Mitsuko smiled to herself knowingly as she eyed the family crests on Sai's chest but said nothing else to her son. She patted his back gently, pushing him forward as if dismissing him from the spot. "Your hair is getting longer. Shouldn't you get a hair cut?" She reached up her hand to brush away some stray stands of his shiny black locks, causing Sai to jump in surprise.

"Yes, mother, I will. I just couldn't find the right time because my schedule before the ceremony was very hectic, but I promise I'll get a hair cut very soon." Sai said, a nervous hint in his tone. A spray of sweat was barely visible over his hairline as his hand shot up to cover his ear.

Mitsuko was slightly taken back by her older son's reaction. Sai had never acted aggressively towards her ever since she had raised him. But a moment ago, he had forcefully brushed her hand away from his hair. Even if he did not put much force into it, Mitsuko still felt strangely distanced by his act. "Oh, alright, I'll go wake your brother then." She said, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.

Another surprise hit her off guard as her son walked off ahead, blocking her way to Hikaru's bedroom.

"Mother, you should go prepare the table. Hikaru is quite a bad riser lately so let me deal with him." Sai smiled at her sweetly. He also added a light peck on Mitsuko's cheek to seal the deal. That worked like a magic as his mother dazedly smiled back and promptly made her way to the kitchen.

Sai sighed inwardly as he slowly cracked Hikaru's bedroom door open. His naughty brother was still in his bed, smiling in his sleep. He seemed to enjoy his bedtime a lot more than usual ever since he came back from the hospital. It was not a pleasant surprise the first time he found out about Hikaru's change in attitude towards Go. That one night when he came home late to find Hikaru had already gone to bed instead of sitting in his room and waiting for their nightly games as usual had been more than a shock to him. Maybe, his new hobby had already worked its spell in pulling his Go loving brother away from the game they had shared together for so long. Sai could only hope his suspicion was wrong and that the day that his brother stopped playing Go would never come.

But telling his mother that Hikaru being a bad riser was just a cover up for the true reason in which if his parents were to discover, it would spell disaster for both of the siblings; another secret that Sai and Hikaru shared since yesterday afternoon when they were out hunting for worthy opponents to sharpen their skills. Hikaru stirred as Sai tugged the fluffy blanket off Hikaru's small form, a tiny flicker of light flashed from his right ear. Sai's lips stretched into one mischievous grin.

"Wake up, sleepy head. You'll be late for school." he fanned the blanket in his hand against the poor Hikaru who curled up even more as he tried to keep his body warmed. When it appeared that his attempt was failing, he begrudgingly cracked his eyes open.

"You stupid onii-chan! We were almost done with discussion!" Sai still kept his grin on his face. He was mostly used to Hikaru's irrelevant ranting in the morning by this time. It seemed that even though his brother was fading away from Go, his mind still could not give up the game.

"Another Go related dream? Who were you studying with then?" Sai teased.

"Honinbou Shusaku!" Hikaru yelled at the top of his lung. Sai pretended to ignore his brother's temper as he folded Hikaru's blanket into place.

"Then we can study him later together, right?" Hikaru grunted back his reply but at least he seemed to calm down considerably.

"Geez, you won't understand even if I tell you what really happened in my dreams, nii-chan. Anyways, you promise to help me study right? You can't take it back now." Sai nodded back eagerly, his bright smile came back as soon as he felt Hikaru's enthusiasm.

"I'll come home early today." The older brother said, pausing a bit as if his phrase reminded him of some similar situations. When he turned back to face Hikaru, Sai looked at him pointedly. His expression was strangely the mixture of half-stern and concealed humor, a weird combination that warranted a laugh from the younger boy.

"And you, hurry back home after school, no hanging around at a convenient store or playing around with your friends, alright?" Sai narrowed his eyes playfully, his hands halted just above his hips, the gesture that highly resembled their mother when she scolded Hikaru every morning before the two brothers went off to school.

Hikaru giggled at his brother's antics. It was obvious that Sai was ridiculing their mother and it was refreshing to see such an act, especially when it was coming from her favorite son.

"By the way, nii-chan, that stud earring looks good on you." Hikaru gave his brother his own version of mischievous smirk as he starred at Sai's newly pierced ear. The latter only blinked for a second until he registered the meaning behind Hikaru's toothy grin for what it really was. The earrings were the proofs of their brotherly bond and an act of defiance against their conservative parents.

"Same goes for you." Sai beamed back with an equal brightness.

~o0O0o~

Touya Kouyo was talking to a reporter from Go weekly magazine when the chatter around the room had muffled down considerably. He looked around to see if something or someone had cause such silence to befall upon the people in the hall. His action took less than five seconds to bear its fruit as one of the reporters went off running as soon as he spotted the elegant young player who was clad in a traditional kimono. Kouyo eyed the familiar crests on the newcomer's chest with a realizing look dawning on his face as people resumed their little chitchats. Most of the topics, however, had changed its direction, as the new pro had now become their targets of conversations.

"Oh, there he is, the new mint pro with a straight win record." A male voice on Sai's left spoke in a sarcastic tone. Although the volume was not very loud but Sai had no doubt that the speaker had all intentions for him to hear their thoughts.

"I think I saw an earring! He's kinda cute." This one made him blushed and he had to curse himself inwardly as he felt his ears heated up at the comment.

"Look at that kimono! What a show off!" Here was another one who did not bother hiding his hostility.

"Wait until you hear his nickname, 'modern Shusaku', huh! give me a break!" At this point, Sai tried really hard not to roll his eyes at the guy. It certainly was not him who came up with such a cheesy nickname if his memory served him correctly. It was that pointy eyes Ogata who had started it.

"Pay them no mind." Kouyo walked up behind the teenager who looked like he'd rather pay a million yen than to be standing there in the middle of the wolves pack, all alone by himself. The beautiful boy turned to face him. When their eyes met, the boy seemed to realize whom Kouyo was and he bowed down with a practiced gracefulness.

"Touya sensei," he greeted the older pro politely.

"I don't believe we have met but I have heard about you from my student, Ogata-kun" Kouyo's brows lifted ever so slightly as he saw Sai's eyes widened at the mention of his student's name. "There is no need to be alarmed. He admires you very much. He had also asked my permission for you to join my study group. I agree that it was a very good idea but the final decision still depends on you."

"It'd be an honor, sensei." Sai inclined his head as he tried to calm his racing heart. He couldn't believe that the over-eager Ogata Seiji would ever mention about him to the famous Go master. Touya Kouyo was the man who had inspired him to study Go by himself ever since Sai was still very young. He had read most of the books the man had written, if not all of them, and even shared his readings with Hikaru whenever Sai could not teach Hikaru himself. To be receiving the invitation to join the renown Go player's study group personally by Sai's idol figure nonetheless, was such an event that the teenage pro could only fantasizing of when he was younger. Kouyo smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with the new pro's eager reply before turning to look behind, searching for his son. The little Akira was holding a plate in his hand, sneaking to get a view of the stranger his father was talking to without having to crane his neck.

"I'd like to introduce you to my son. This is Akira. He is my only son and had only turned seven last December. Akira is also in my study group." the older Touya turned to his son "Akira, this is a new pro for this year. He passed the exam with Ogata-kun."

"My name is Fujiwara Sai. It is nice to meet you, Touya-kun." The young pro nodded in greetings.

Akira exchanged his bow at the end of the introduction. But he stopped mid way as he noticed the teen's last name. 'Fujiwara' he murmured.

The two pros in the kimonos blinked as the boy Touya slowly raised his back as if he was in a daze. Sai looked back and forth between the Father and son with his questioning gaze while giving sometime for Akira to collect himself. "Fujiwara san, do you know the boy named 'Fujiwara Hikaru'?"

Sai visibly lit up at the mention of his brother. His practiced manner temporarily forgotten for the sake of talking to someone who might have known his little brother on a more personal level. He quickly assumed that the boys must have known each other from school. "Oh, so you're friends with him. He must be quite a troublemaker at school. I apologize if he had bothered you in anyway."

"N-no, you've got it wrong. I mean, I don't know him personally." Akira quickly waved his hands in denial, his cheeks tinted with a light shade of pink as the new pro slipped up some private fact about the boy he hardly knew. "I'm sorry I didn't make it clear to you at first. I have been looking for him since I have heard his name from someone who had been to a Go event months ago. I was wondering if you happen to be a relative of him by any chance." Akira said it all in one breathing. He felt the need to rush his question before his father caught wind of his initial intention and reprimanded him for invading the pro's privacy.

"Akira," Kouyo warned his son in his quiet tone but that was all he could utter. He could not deny that it was also his wish to know more about the matter, although it would only serve to confirm his suspicion about the origin of the boy's prodigious skills.

The teen pro went quiet for a while as he tilted his head to the side slightly in mild confusion. He knew that his little brother went off for some competition months ago but he did not hear of any trouble that Hikaru might have created while he was attending the said event. What had he done to stir such interest in the younger Touya? Sai would remind himself to ask his brother about it later. However, for this moment, he did not think it would hurt if he decided to reveal the relationship he had with the infamous prankster of the Fujiwara family anyway.

"Yes, he is my younger brother." Sai smiled, his eyes twinkled fondly as he spoke of his little troublemaker.