Yumi Hotta

Hiraku struggles to turn his losing streak at the insei school around in time for the Young Lions Tournament, where he could have a chance to play against his rival, Go prodigy Akira Toya. But that's only three months away!

Hikaru Shindo is like any sixth-grader in Japan: a pretty normal school boy with a two-tone head of hair and a penchant for antics. One day, he finds an old bloodstained Go board in his grandfather's attic-- and that's when things get really interesting. Trapped inside the Go board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master who taught the strategically complex board game to the Emperor of Japan many centuries ago.

Hikaru's career as a professional Go player begins. In his first game he must face veteran player Toya Meijin, none other than Akira's father. But to Sai, this round is "personal."

When Hikaru convinces go master Toya Meijin to play Sai online, the meijin raises the stakes: if he wins, "sai" must reveal his true identity; if he loses, he will quit the game forever! Then, Hikaru challenges himself by playing Kurata 6 dan. How do you win a game in which both players use the same color stones?!

While practicing at Go salons, Hikaru mistakenly insults Suyong Hong, a twelve-year-old who is studying for the pro test in his native Korea. To settle their differences, they must play a grudge match.