Sixth-grade Hikaru Shindo's discovery of a bloodstained game board leads to an encounter with the ghost of Go master Fujiwara-no-Sai and the formation of an unbeatable Go team.

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!

Akira, with the help of upperclassman Yuri Hidaka, finds confidence to beat Hikaru in the Go game.

"Go players under the age of 18 in Japan, Korea, and China are getting ready to qualify for the Hokuto Cup. Hikaru and Akira are both in contention for the Japanese team, but the preliminaries prove to be tough going. Stung by a reality check, Hikaru focuses like never before. But will it be enough to meet the challenge of the unconventional yet formidable go of Kiyoharu Yashiro of the Kansai Go Association?"--P. [4] of cover.

"Hikaru is determined to move carefully, step by step, up the ladder of professional go. He pours his energy into it, striving to get closer to his ultimate goal--playing the Divine Move. After many games he finally gets to play a 7-dan, who turns out to be someone he's confronted before, though not in competition. Their mutual animosity fires their competitiveness, pushing them to play with maximum intensity."--P. [4] of cover.

Sai's Internet Go games have people around the world guessing who he is. Akira, Hikaru's rival, suspects it's Hikaru himself. He even skips the first day of his pro exam for a re-match with "Sai."

Hikaru faces the preliminary rounds of the pro test in which he must eliminate all opponents, including one who seems to know how to exploit Hikaru's weaknesses.

"The main storyline takes a holiday, making way for six tales that offer fresh insight into the characters and lives of Akira Toya, Tetsuo Kaga, Asumi Nase, Yuki Mitani, Atsushi Kurata and Fujiwara-no-Sai. Hikaru Shindo figures in some of these and takes center stage in the final tale when he challenges a crooked antique shop owner to a game of go in an attempt to restore an heirloom vase to its rightful owner" -- from publisher's web site.