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Language:
English
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Published:
2020-04-15
Words:
739
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
8
Kudos:
102
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18
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The Will of Go

Summary:

Every generation, there was at least one of them. The Go-obsessed weirdos.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Every generation, there was at least one of them. The Go-obsessed weirdos. They weren’t limited to a specific clan, but they all magically knew the rules of the game (which were different from the standard version everyone else in the world used because they played with some weird point system that included “komi,” whatever that was), seemed to recognize each other, and were found crowding over 19 by 19 boards when they were off duty. And somehow, after they all got over their oddly civilian-like mindsets regarding killing and the ninja-lifestyle, they were really good at it; it almost seemed as though you needed to be one of those weirdos in order to be a ninja elite. But they always knew, once you tried to play one of them, whether you were one of them or not; there was no way to fake it, apparently.

And it all started with the Sandaime, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

“Are you kidding me? The Ino-Shika-Cho heirs are one of them? How’d their parents take it?”

“I mean, the Nara always have their Shogi obsession, so it’s not like Go’s that far off. And the Akimichi clan head’s one of them too. The Sandaime also came and had a chat with the kids and worked something out with all of them, apparently.”

Hikaru doesn’t know how he managed to not notice the Go players before; it’s not like they were hiding or anything. They just didn’t have Go-salons here, and without them, he just assumed that Go playing was a casual hobby you did with friends and family… which he didn’t have. Because like his last life, people seemed to always be side eyeing him, but this time, he didn’t know why.

When the Sandaime drafted him into the Academy, he was not pleased; despite him being a manga fanatic in his childhood in his past life, actually being a mercenary-killer wasn’t something he wanted. However, the Sandaime, seemingly out of the blue, challenged him to a Go game. Considering there didn’t seem to be Go Pros here, Hikaru was confident he would win.

He lost.

The Sandaime also had suspiciously familiar Go hands.

“…Touya-Meijin?”

The Meijin explained how this new, weird, world of ninjas worked, and he asked Hikaru to join the group of Go Pros actively working together towards peace, a peace great enough for them to retire and be Go Professionals once more. Hikaru grudgingly agreed, once he heard that his Insei friends were already slated to attend the Academy.

On his first day of class, he hunted down the Ino-Shika-Cho of his generation, using the descriptions the Sandaime-Meijin had given him, and challenged them to a game of Go.

“Hikaru?!”

“Waya! Isumi! Nase! I’m so happy to see you guys again!”

“Ugh, figures you guys would be here too,” one of their classmates responded to their reunion.

“… Ochi?”

A few months later, a pink haired girl joined the class. When Iruka-sensei asked her to introduce herself, she announced, “My name is Haruno Sakura. I want to be a ninja because I heard that ninjas play the best Go, but when I asked the ninja to play me, they refused, stating that it wasn’t worth their time because I’m not from a clan. My dream is to find the Hand of God.” Hikaru couldn’t wait to play her.

When Hikaru challenged her during lunch, she eagerly accepted.

He lost to hands he would recognize anywhere.

 “Sai? I’m so happy to see you again!” Hikaru teared up before pushing aside the goban to hug the girl. Wait.

“Sai, you’re a girl?!”

“SAI?!” some of his classmates nearby yelled out in shock.

Uchiha Sasuke ran up to them, grabbed Hikaru’s arm, and yanked it while yelling in his face, “Shindo?!”

“Touya?!” Hikaru shouted back.

Omake:

“I knew you were a dirty liar, Shindo. ‘I don’t know who SAI is,’ my ass.”

Omake 2:

“So, Sai, if you’re not a girl, why did your parents name you Sakura?”

“Well,” he began, “they thought I’d be a girl and picked out a name beforehand. When I was born, they couldn’t think of a properly male name in time and figured that Sakura would work because,” he gestured at his hair. “Since I was born somewhat sickly, they figured it would be safe to keep the female name and possibly rename me later if I survived, but they never got around to it, and ‘Sakura’ just stuck.”

Notes:

And they all lived happily ever after. The end.
Yeah, this is very random crack, and I have no idea where this was even going. I’m Hikago-trash though, so I guess my fingers slipped? This didn’t turn out as funny as I was hoping, but hopefully it’s not as trash as I am.