Fanfic / The Neverending Road

"The world of the pros was like a road that never seemed to end, a race that each player ran at their own pace...

...Soon, Akira knew, he would find Hikaru running side by side with him, even on the never-ending road, and in that moment the two would turn their heads and see one another, eyes meeting."

—The Neverending Road

The Neverending Road is a Hikaru no Go Continuation Fic written by Leitbur that follows much of the primary cast following the events of Hokuto Cup at the end of the manga series. On FF.net it's indexed under "Angst", but seems to mostly follow the same level of "Action" the main series does, with a "Romance" B-plot. There are also three side stories following supporting characters.

The story mostly focuses on the continued rivalry between Hikaru Shindo and Akira Toya, as well as the many pros both above them and the ones following them from their insei days.

The fic was written consistently from 2006 to 2012, but then went on hiatus for over six years. It unexpectedly began getting updated again in October 2018, though has become dormant again starting in late December 2019.

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This fic contains examples of the following:

• The Ace: In their age group in Japan, Akira Touya and Hikaru Shindou. As a result of this, they were put in a separate category from the others, straining Hikaru's relationships with other lower dans. It doesn't help people get jealous of their treatment. On Korea in the self-same age group, it's Youngha Ko.
• Almighty Janitor: Akira and Hikaru. By the time Hikaru made it to the Kisei League, he is at least a 7-Dan level of skill. They casually wiped out the lower dans and could put up a fight against their older colleagues. Hikaru lampshaded whether or not the new system was to coronate Akira.
• Always Someone Better:
  • Downplayed in the go pro world. Because Hikaru and Akira seemed like they go everything made for them, to others, it's daunting. That doesn't mean that these people aren't capable of catching up to them or try to match them.
  • An opponent thought of this as Akari because she falsely believes Akari is the girlfriend of Hikaru.
• Anguished Declaration of Love: Nase accidentally does this on Akari's behalf right after making her own feelings known. It really messes them both up for awhile, and they take a bit to make up as Akari is understandably pissed, but eventually, they work through it.
• Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Former captain of Taro High's go club, Tamura, is this. By the standards of a pro player, he's weak so Hikaru has no trouble beating him. By the standards of a school club, he's strong in which he is the captain. He's the type Sai hate so Hikaru took up the mantle to put Tamura in his place. What makes Tamura in a bad place is his ignorance of Hikaru's status as Akira Touya's rival thus one of the best players in Japan.
• Author Avatar: Chapter 70 has the author cameo-insert himself as an Eaglelander.
• Ascended Extra: Akari and Nase in particular have expanded roles. Nase is essentially the Tritagonist to Hikaru's Protagonist and Akira's Deuteragonist.
• Berserk Button: Don't ever insult Shusaku in Hikaru's face ever. It's enough to get him out of his Heroic BSoD.
• Betty and Veronica: Hikaru's Unlucky Childhood Friend Akari giving the option for a more traditional relationship and future versus the older and professional Nase who is a talented Go player in her own right.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Downplayed about Hikaru. Hikaru did not arrive into the Go world until he was twelve, thus he has interests that only a Japanese boy would have like such as food and Shounen manga like Dragon Ball, something he still keeps up on. Because most of their lives were spent on Go and rarely other things - they definitely have a social circle albeit, among other Go players -, Hikaru came across as weird. He likes to read manga and makes references to what he read and spews out wisdom when needed. He doesn't care much about ranking as long as people acknowledge his strength because he's quite apathetic about his promotion. He is also well-regarded as one of Japan's Princes of Go.
• Chick Magnet: Hikaru. Not only are two girls actively going after his heart, but girls also fawned over him. The same could be said about Akira too.
• Child Prodigy / Teen Genius: The sensationalist news reports Hikaru and Akira as geniuses, calling them "princes of go". Some of their peers, teachers, and colleagues constantly admit that they are geniuses.
• Conveniently Unverifiable Cover Story: To some extent, while Hikaru is planning to tell Akira the truth in the future, Hikaru still has to tell the world the cover story of Sai. Only Hikaru knew Sai moved on to the afterlife which means the Sai that everyone knew has to come to the conclusion Sai died shortly after his match with the Meijin once the news gets out. If Hikaru is willing to release the information, willing to admit to himself that Sai is gone and to let the world know of his passing. From that, people could think Sai was in fact hospitalized and sickly for most of his life and tragically passed.
• Coming of Age Story: Similar to the original, it continues with Hikaru's maturity. It also focused on others' growth as well.
• Contrived Coincidence: Akari and Nase happened to meet and talk about Hikaru, their romantic interest before they realized the connection.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Hikaru and Akira doled these out so easily that Waya thought with a little bit of envy that Akira and Hikaru could gripe over the type of victory rather than the strength of the said match. Some people were thankful that they were promoted and would be seeded.
• Deadpan Snarker: Lots of them.
• Deliberate Values Dissonance: Nase wanted to be more than just a housewife, desiring a life of a Go Professional. The fact she is currently a rival in love for Hikaru doesn't help matters. She could juggle a love life and later settling down but the expectations of Stay in the Kitchen does not help matters. She is confident in her ability as a Go Pro but desired to be more in the society she lives in.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Akira advises Nase that she needs to find a purpose beyond passing the exam or she will fail it. Hikaru also tells Honda this, to an extent. He notes that the insei and some of the lower dans are aimless and don't seem to know what their goal is beyond achieving their goal of passing the Pro exam.
• Disney Acid Sequence: The Chapter 46 dream and musical number. It doesn't qualify as a Big-Lipped Alligator Moment as it is referenced later, and the dream match between Sai and Ogata snaps Ogata out of his slump.
• The Dreaded: Played for Laughs about Shigeko and cake from Waya. Even just from Hikaru's teasing, Waya loses it.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: Yashiro is on the short stick end of this. Before Hikaru arrived, he was the likely rival of Akira Touya, a Child Prodigy. Hikaru told him that not many people can put a fight against him and Akira in equal grounds in their age group. It's simply Hikaru and Akira are far more visible at the moment, participating in tournaments after breezing through prelims while everyone else is trying to get through the prelims with difficulty.
  • To a lesser extent, Waya, Isumi, and Ochi. They made it past their prelims but not yet in a League. The trio had their accomplishments and wished some people in their age group or in their friends at least recognized that. However, the comparisons to Hikaru does not help their self-esteem or confidence in reaching the Princes of Go's level of play.
• Eccentric Mentor: Downplayed about Hikaru to his students and peers. See Bunny-Ears Lawyer with the addition he's their peer.
• Entertainingly Wrong: Nase believed Sato to be her challenge from Hikaru because Sato studied with her Love Interest briefly. However, what she did not know was Hikaru studied with Sato out of a genuine desire to help, not to act as a gauge for current strength or a challenge.
• Fiery Redhead: The insei OC Sakamoto is one.
• Friendly Rivalry: Most of the rivalries. Nase and Akari, in particular, get along quite well despite their mutual romantic interests in Hikaru.
• The Ghost: Sai. He has a major influence in Hikaru and every other character who is familiar with Sai. Till this day, everyone remembered him as the super powerful Go player in Net Go who beat the Meijin.
• Graceful Loser: Almost a tenet for an honorable go player.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Waya and Ochi towards Japan's Princes of Go. Their jealousy almost ended up almost ruining Waya's match against Hikaru and completely destroyed Ochi's game with Waya. Both got over it when they realized their jealousy would not help anybody including their own growth.
• Hard Work Fallacy: Ochi before his Character Development. His jealousy about Hikaru - Akira saw him as a rival and seemed to have eyes on him and not on Ochi - and Akira - who didn't acknowledge him - was all about how much hard work he poured in. Hikaru and Akira knew there are more than just talent at hand because as Morishita noticed, the pair is dedicated to climbing the wall of a superior opponent and will grow stronger.
• Heroic BSoD: After Hikaru's grandfather dies. He bounces back much faster than in the main series.
  • Nase also has a short one after the events of Chapter 32, afraid that Akari and Hikaru will never forgive her.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: While Hikaru is confident in his abilities as a Go pro, he doesn't consider himself a genius or a prodigy, much preferring to call Sai this instead.
• Hot-Blooded: Morishita when it comes to his rivalry against Toya's study group. For all his wisdom, Morishita's buttons are pushed if it was revealed Hikaru became an insei at the recommendation from someone in Toya's group.
• I Thought Everyone Could Do That: The significance of him becoming a pro go player in three years has not sunk in for Hikaru yet. No matter how many times his peers and colleagues have spelled it out to his face, it just doesn't seem to register. Yes, he has acknowledged that he was being called a genius, and all those Red Baron titles bestowed on him despite his displeasure, but he never truly gets that his achievements mean that much in the Go world. From an outsider's perspective, he did not have a mentor, only played in a school go club prior to insei-hood, and already climbed to the level of Akira Touya in just three years. Though to be fair, Hikaru hasn't had a formal sensei after Sai's disappearance and Sai was his teacher so there is some truth.
• Identical Stranger: Waya and Le Ping, just like in the main series, but they actually get to meet in a side-story when Waya and Isumi go on a trip to China. Amusingly, after a moment sizing each other up, the two of them end up caring less about the resemblance than everyone else.
• If Only You Knew: Koyo and Akira figured that in some way, Hikaru might've been or proxy of the ghost of Shusuku Honinbo. Hikaru didn't react outwardly but Hikaru wanted to say it when Koyo told him.
• Love Triangle: Akari vs Nase for Hikaru
  • If the author's notes are anything to go by, also cause for something of a Broken Base with the fans who ship a different pair
• Marry Them All: Or take them both out in the same date according to Hikaru. Hikaru believed they are intelligent women who would understand it. Waya thought differently...
• Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Spectators watching Hikaru play notice a golden light when he played an especially wonderful move. Given the supernatural exists in this world, it's ambiguous.
  • The dreams Ogata and Koyo had, meeting and playing Sai in some fashion. To some extent, Hikaru's Disney Acid Sequence. While it did get them out of their Heroic BSoD or bad thoughts they are diving themselves into, it's unknown whether or not it was magic or just a dream as a result of their experience with Sai.
• Motivational Lie: A well-intentioned one. Hikaru lied to Honda about Yashiro's excitement of Honda's game.
• Oh, Crap!: Chapter 32 is one long one for Hikaru, Akari, and especially Nase.
• One Degree of Separation:
  • Nase, Akari, and Sato were connected to Hikaru in some form.
  • Sai met Koyo in his dream, in which he was able to talk with Hikaru about it.
• Only Friend: Hikaru is Akira's. Akira is slowly getting better albeit Hikaru had to drag into befriending them. Akira and his peers don't know how to interact with each other due to the former being a Child Prodigy.
• Out of Focus: Not in the fic but the original series has a problem of this, seeing glimpses of the characters not in the professional Go world. Characters like Ryo Iijima and Kimihiro Tsutsui made their return sporadically. Again, it's understandable since these guys aren't pros. Iijima is an intern at the Go Association for the news department currently, making his return at the second Hokuto Cup.
• Overshadowed by Awesome: Sometimes Ochi comes across as this. He's an exceptional player and wins all of his shown matches against normal pros, but has the misfortune of having to compete with geniuses like Hikaru and Akira, and to a lesser extent Waya. He never wins a game against another important character. Both he and Waya are well aware of their status as this compared to the two "princes of Go" and feel some insecurity about it. To a lesser extent, anyone who is not regarded as prodigies (like Yashiro) or have a slower progression to achieving a higher level of playing (everyone below the two princes' level) also suffer from this.
  • Not even the Princes of Go are exempted from this. Akira experiences this due to the fact in the media he has always been his father's son and never as himself. Meanwhile Hikaru, in his own way, lives in the shadow of his mentor, Sai, whom everyone praised; while people are suspicious of his relations with Sai, only two know Sai was Hikaru's teacher.
• Rank Up: Promotions in ranks becomes harder after the Otaei system is rescinded (mirroring real life Go ranking changes), however, the new system also automatically promotes both Akira and Hikaru to 7-Dan as a result of getting into a League and the rules being retroactive. Ironically, being 7-Dan would be appropriate for the Princes of Go, according to their peers.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Toya Koyo, Shinoda, Shirakawa, Morishita, Amano.
• Red Baron: Hikaru is dubbed the Judan Slayer to his displeasure. Recently another name has popped up, courtesy of Zama Oza: Wizard of Go. He disliked both names immensely, especially when people tease him about the latter. To a lesser extent, Akira and Hikaru are both named Japan's Princes of Go, designating their status as young talented professionals who can put up a fight against their superiors.
• The Rival: Both Akira and Hikaru are this for each other. So much so that their teachers believed as long as they challenged each other, their potential is fathomless. Koyo believed had Hikaru not come into the picture, Akira would end up like Youngha Ko. Many people were grateful Hikaru came into the picture actually because it gave Akira the push he needed.
  • To a lesser extent, Hikaru and Youngha Ko.
  • For the people who had not quite reached the level of play Hikaru and Akira plays, Waya and Ochi/Isumi.
• Secret-Keeper: Koyo figured out Sai was Hikaru's mentor and after a conversation with Hikaru, chose to keep it a secret. He is the only one who definitely has the answer as opposed to those who have suspicions Sai was Hikaru's mentor.
• Serious Business: Go. The insei and go pros dedicated their lives for it. Sure they have other interests but that's only for stuff related to Go.
• She Is Not My Girlfriend: So many times...
• Shipper on Deck: The high school go club Akari attends with her and Hikaru.
• Ship Tease: For both Akari and Nase with Hikaru. It can go either way, really.
  • Isumi with Chieko.
  • Waya with Shigeko and Qian Lei.
• Shout-Out: The Disney Acid Sequence dream of Hikaru's after his grandfather's death has two: an extended parody of Modern Major General sung by all of the New Wave to Hikaru, and then another one later when Sasuke and Sakura are recording Ogata and Sai's game.
  • A bit earlier Hikaru unsuccessfully tries to explain the concept of Super Saiyans to Isumi. He also references One Piece in his dream prior to his match with Ogata.
• Shown Their Work: While not a pro himself, the author is at least a mid-level amateur and writes the matches using existing kifu from pro games around the world.
• Stepford Smiler: Downplayed. Hikaru is still grieving for Sai and his grandpa. While outwardly he has bounced back to his normal self, he still hasn't moved on.
• Tactful Translation: The translator Yokotachi attempts to do this when dealing with the obnoxious Author Avatar's conversation with Hikaru, but eventually it's subverted when Hikaru loses patience and just tells him to give him a full translation
• Took a Level in Badass: While Hikaru and Akira have improved the most, Waya and Ochi are also doing this on their own terms. Waya chose to go to China with Isumi and came back, beating Ochi in a match and later Yashiro in the Hokuto Cup qualifier for the third person. Akira and Hikaru notice this as well, noting that while he's nowhere near their level yet, he is improving.
• Tiger Versus Dragon: Technically it's Lion Versus Dragon, but the symbolism is functionally the same. Hikaru and Akira are destined to be eternal rivals, pushing each other to levels they couldn't have reached on their own.
• Underestimating Badassery: Before his Rank Up Hikaru whined about how players were underestimating him due to his low rank. Waya also tried to prove to Hikaru that he should not underestimate the lower-ranking dans but failed to do so. Despite all this, there are people who are aware that potential is developing at the lower Dans, and there is increasing talk about how the two Princes of Go are just the beginning of a "new wave".
• Unknown Rival: Subverted. It turns out that Toya's study group is actually aware of how Morishita feels about them, and Koyo encourages his students to take part in the rivalry as well to keep their skills sharp.
• The Watson: Hikaru. He is trying to get better about the world he entered for a few years now. His friends teased him that for all he is a Teen Genius, he did not know the basic tournaments and titles.
• Wise Beyond Their Years: Downplayed about Hikaru and Akira. They are still teenage boys who still have a lot of growing up to do but the wisdom they gave to their fellow go peers is much needed. Despite people putting them on a pedestal, the pair knew they can make mistakes and that the lower dans have the capability to catch up to their level. In fact, they especially advised the latter because they know the potential is just now bubbling after people work past their issues. Nase, who is a couple of years older than Hikaru, found Hikaru interesting romantically and in pursuit of his heart currently.
• Worthy Opponent:
  • Youngha Ko thought of this about Hikaru although he tried not to say it out loud. Suyon sees it though, trying to rein him in before Hikaru eviscerated him.