8th part: Sai has disappeared

Hikaru looks for Sai everywhere in his house and at the go center. He even goes to his grandfather's house and notes that the tasks of blood disappeared on the goban.

Hikaru starts to believe that Sai really disappeared. He asks his grandfather where the phantoms go and this one answers him: in a place of the past important for them. Sai probably does not have a tomb but he perhaps went on that of Torajiro.

Hikaru thus decides to go there. He calls a taxi whose driver is Kawai, a player of a go center which he attended. This one even decides to accompany him on Inno's island.

Together, they visit the Shusaku museum, his tomb... but Sai is not there. They stay there two days and Kawai decides to play their hotel bill in a match of go. Unfortunately, he loses.

The adversary of Kawai is the best Japanese amateur player who was qualified to represent his country at the next international tournament.

This one recalls that Hikaru is a new professional player and proposes a challenge to him.

During the game, Hikaru learns that there is also a tomb of Torajiro in Tokyo. He thus wants to finish the match as soon as possible and plays very quickly, without apparently taking time to reflect and however, he plays very well. He wins and his adversary predicts him a great future in the world of go.

They thus return but Sai is not either in Tokyo. Hikaru is increasingly sad and he remembers that Sai repeated a few days before to him that he was going to disappear. He then starts to admit that Sai really disappeared.

He goes once again to the Go Institute where he meets a person in charge whom he asks whether he knows a place where phantoms appear. This one answers him positively and asks him to follow him.

The man of the Go Institute brings Hikaru to the archives. It is where all the old newspaper as well as the kifu of the old plays are stored.

Hikaru then requires to see those of Shusaku. He recognizes the play of Sai and by studying them, he thinks that Sai was a genius. He still wants to play against him and then understands the attitude of Akira.

He thinks that he was an idiot not to have letting Sai play and that it is because he didn't know anything about go which he didn't see at which point Sai was strong. He cries and doesn't want to play any more so that Sai comes back because he thinks that it is because he didn't want any more to let him play that Sai left.

Waya and Akira wait for the arrival of Hikaru to the tournament of the young lions but this one does not come.

Hikaru begs Sai to comes back saying to him that he will let him play all the parts he wants.

Hikaru does not come any more to the sessions of studies. Akira is furious not to see him at the matches and of spite, he even strikes the wall.

Hikaru makes research at the library but doesn't find trace of the name of Sai Fujiwara in the archives.

Waya moves in in a small studio. He receives all his former friends insei and learns at this occasion that Isumi is on a journey in China.

Akira goes to the Haze College to speak to Hikaru. This one says to him that he doesn't want to play any more because he isn't strong enough. Akira contradicts him but Hikaru thinks that Akira always sees Sai in him. He flees then.

Isumi is always in China. He asks to remain longer to face Zhao Shii again a player who beat him.

Waya goes to see Hikaru and tries to convince him to continue.

Isumi plays against a kid who is already pro and resembles Waya a little. Isumi loses and the child, Le Ping, makes fun of his play.

Isumi then decides to remain in China during two months to take again confidence in him and to prepare to the pro examination. He accepts the proposal of a young Chinese player, Yang Hai, to live in his place.

Yang Hai learns that he lost against the young Le Ping, a child, and asks Isumi to face him to show him that he is sufficiently strong to stay there.

Yang Hai, convinced by the play of Isumi, decides to help this one to reinforce his mental, his principal weakness. He organizes a new match between Isumi and Le Ping and develops a stratagem to favour Isumi but this one refuses. He gains honestly. He wants more than ever to become pro.

On his side, Hikaru depresses. He meets Nase by chance but flees her.

Hikaru's mother is anxious because her son didn't go to the matches and seems very depressed.

Mitani which crosses him in the corridors of the college, disputes him. This one remembers the matches with Haze.

Tsubaki, Kawai and all those which learn by the newspaper the defeats by withdraw from competition of Hikaru are furious against him.

The director of the Go Institute telephones to him to ask him whether he wants definitively to give up the career of player of go but Hikaru doesn't give an answer.

Everyone is at the same time anxious and dissatisfied with his attitude.

Akari requires of Hikaru to come to support them with the inter-school match and even if he doesn't want to play any more, this one yields and comes.

But he realizes there that he misses go .He recall of him a few years earlier at the tournament. He flees.

Isumi returns to Japan. Waya speaks to him about the strange attitude of Hikaru. Isumi gets information then goes to Hikaru.

Hikaru isn't yet at his place and Isumi sees dust on the goban. He deduces from it that Hikaru didn't play go any more for a long time.

Isumi asks Hikaru if he wants to stop the go because he thinks of not being able to overcome Akira. This one is precisely disputing a very important match which will allow him, if he wins, to join the coveted Honinbo league.

Isumi asks Hikaru to play against him. He says to him that he asks that for himself, because of what happened to him on to the professional examination. He implores him to help him to forget that.

Hikaru first of all refuses to play against the young man but this one beseeches him to help him. He accepts finally. Hikaru tries not to feel pleasure while playing but he feels a certain excitation to win.

At one time of the match, he has the impression to see the fan of Sai indicating him where to place the stone. He cries, realizing then that it is through the go that it will find Sai. He then says to Isumi that he wants to play thousands parts of go and thanks him.

Kuwabara which discusses with Amano, a journalist, says to him that he isn't anxious for Hikaru. As long as Akira progresses, he will want to face him and he will come back. It is necessary to be two to play go and that this is why, Hikaru and Akira need each other to become stronger.

Hikaru goes to the Go Institute to enquire about the result of the match of Akira. He also wants to speak to him. He prevents him that he continues go and that he will be soon vis-a-vis with him.

Akira answers him to hurry.