9th part: Return

Hikaru is present at the Go Institute to dispute his matches what surprises majority of people. Everyone or almost is happy to see him returning. He is very determined. He faces the professional player against whom he had lost at the time of the tournament of the young lions when he was still Inseï.

Akira waits with a certain impatience to play against him to know his force.

The rumour, according to which Hikaru is the recognized rival of Akira, becomes important.

Hikaru wins his match. He learns that on a next tournament, he will face finally Akira. The professional examination begins and Isumi appears very calm, very serene.

Hikaru still wins his following matches but on his side, Akira also collects the victories.

Amano thinks that the "nouvelle vague" is there.

Ogata also gains an important success, the title of Gosei and he and Kuwabara defy themselves once again.

Akira and Zama face again while Toya Meijin signs a contract with the Chinese league of go.

Shindo prepares for his match against Akira Toya. He beats even Saeki at a session of study. He became very strong.

He meets Akari and asks her to come to play with him as Sai had done before his important match against Toya Meijin.

On his side, Isumi is right now sure to become professional. He passes the exam without conceding only one defeat.

The planned day of the match, Akira arrives and like always, he passes in front of Hikaru without seeing him. But before beginning the match, Hikaru and Akira say themselves how much they waited this moment.

The match begins and Akira plays very quickly. Hikaru understands that he is in a hurry to already enter the offensive phase of the play.

Akira very quickly recognizes the force of Hikaru in the match which opposes them. Suddenly, Shindo makes an astonishing move and Akira reads the hand of Sai in it.

A Korean, Suyon, has on his side, won an important match and the journalists are enthusiastic with the idea of the "nouvelle vague" of players which comes in the world of go.

The ringing of the lunch resounds but Akira and Hikaru remain behind the goban. The match is very tight between them. Akira called to Hikaru that he makes him think of Sai of the Net. He thinks that he is Sai.

Hikaru refutes it but the young Toya insists, saying to him that he feels that there is somebody other in him.

Hikaru is amazed that Akira could see Sai too. He says to him that perhaps, a day, he will all say to him.

Hikaru comes home and makes a dream where he sees Sai. He tells him that he lost against Akira but also that he will be able to play thousands of times against him because this one invited him to come in his go center. Sai doesn't say anything but smiles to him and approaches his fan to him.

Hikaru plays very often with Akira at the go center but obviously, they don't cease disputing even if Hikaru always returns despite everything.

Shindo buys a fan like Sai's to play and is on the point of progressing in the hierarchy of go.

A big tournament is envisaged which must oppose the best Japanese players of less than eighteen years to those Korean and Chinese. This idea makes everyone enthusiastic and matches are organized to determine which will be the representatives of Japan. Akira Toya is automatically qualified but Hikaru, Waya, Ochi, Honda (past pro at the same time as Isumi) and also professional players come from Kansai clash.

During a lesson with his Master, Honda disputes a match against a young player of Kansai named Yashiro. This one plays curiously, starting while placing his stone on the tengen (the central point). But if his play is surprising, he is also very strong!

In same time, official matches follow one another and Akira is always very strong, making fall the best players such Ichiryu. Hikaru isn't bad either. And during the Honinbo tournament, he faces even his Master, Morishita, while Akira is confronted with Ogata for the first time at an official match. The two boys lose but they but they frightened their elder.

On his side, Koyo Toya is always in the search of Sai. He travels much and even plans to take part in amateur's tournaments, surely with an aim of finding Sai.

The last matches qualifiers for the Hokuto cup, this tournament which will oppose young Japanese to their Chinese and Korean counterparts, oppose Waya to Ochi and Shindo to Yashiro. Hikaru manages not to let him destabilized by the strange play of the young player and wins at the end of an exciting match.

In the other match Ochi wins against Waya and thus qualifies himself but everyone has in memory the performances of the young player of Kansai and Ochi, upset, defies this one for the third place.

Yashiro wins and is qualified.