This episode shows us a young Hikaru, back from 7th grade before the Insei exam. When Sai is disturbed by the owner of a pottery shop, with a face like a toad, Hikaru/Sai must beat the owner who turns out to be a 5dan to prove to everyone what a cheat the owner is. But can he turn around his own play, and win a game someone else has already resigned to help a young girl?

This episode is basically a recap of Sai's past journeys, from playing Go in the palace and his eventual suicide, playing Go through Shuusaku and then Hikaru. The second half kind of traces Hikaru's Go journey till the present - the first game btw Hikaru/Akira, set-up of Haze Jr's Go Club, Hikaru letting Sai practise through Internet Go and Hikaru's determination to catch up with Akira. Sai laments to God on why he let him came back through Hikaru and wonders if Hikaru will ever let him play again.

Isumi and other semi-pro's from japan go to a good will competition against pros in china. although he starts off confident an early loss puts isumi into a tail spin of doubt and confusion over his skills. he is presented with a unique opportunity to learn with chinnese pros for a short while. in an overcrowded and extremly talented enviornment can isumi regain his confidence?

Unable to locate Sai, Hikaru makes a vow to never play Go again without him.

Hikaru is still forfeiting his Go matches, and everyone round his is worried and confused. Can the young player's friends and familyconvince him to get his game back?

With the recent defeat of the Meijin's son, Hikaru goes about his day normally. However, Akira is obsessing over the game he lost. He won't do anything but stare at the Go board and replay the game that he lost. When he gets word that Hikaru is at a Children's Go Tournament, he rushes there hoping to confront Hikaru and ask for a rematch.

Akari invites Hikaru to the Haze Junior High festival. Hikaru reluctantly goes, but cannot find Akari anywhere. So, while walking around he stumbles upon a group of kids around a Go board. Tsutsui, the head of the Haze Junior High Go Club, is holding a competition. The prize is a book entitled "Assorted Tsumego from Touya Meijin's Matches". After seeing this Sai is eager to win it. But, can he with the sudden appearance of the Shougi captain, Kaga?

Hikaru discovers that Sai is missing and searches all over him. Unable to locate him, he travels to Inno Island to visit Shusaku's grave in an effort to find him. Is it true? Is Sai really gone?

Akira is too good against everyone at Kaio's Go club. The members don't take this sitting down, as three of them plan to take him down.

In this flashback before Akira Toya met Hikaru Shindo, a young children's Go champion challenges Akira to a game at the Go Salon.

Hikaru is now in Haze Middle School and joins the Go club. Akira Toya is now in Kaio. He pays a visit to Haze and challenges Hikaru to a match. Will Hikaru accept to play him?

Akira is still loathed in the Go club, but he doesn't care. Even the club's sensei has bad feelings about him being there. How long will Akira stay in the club?

Yuuki Mitani decides to go back to the Go Club.

Still in China improving his game, Isumi challenges Le Ping to a rematch. Meanwhile, Asumi encounters Hikaru and demands to know why he has stopped playing Go.

After Hikaru gets back Yuki's money, Yuki decides to join the club, but refuses to play in the tournament. Tsutsui explains how strong Kaio is and Yuki changes his mind. But will he play without cheating? Meanwhile, Akira discovers that Hikaru is the third board in the tournament and begs the club sensei to put him there. Is Akira willing to give up all his pride and his reputation, just for this one spot?

Hikaru aims to progress to the first class of the Insei program where Waya and Isumi take the top spots. Both of them wanted to pass the Pro exams quickly this year, due to various personal reasons. Ogata feels that Akira doesn't seem to have much of a fighting spirit recently and bring him to the insitute to show him that Hikaru had gotten into the Insei program. It succeeded in provoking Akira to rev up his pace. Hikaru learns of the new dan series that is to take place in The Room of Yuugen and witnessed for himself, the imposing presence/aura of the room. Meanwhile, the end of the episode marks the start of Akira's first dan match with Zama-sensei.

With help from Sai, Hikaru overcomes his weakness and finally makes it into the A league. Back at school, Kaga and Kimihiro have already graduated to HIgh School. Now that Hikaru's in the A league, he's slowly reaching his goal of 16th. He's even able to defeat Fuku, someone who not even Waya can defeat. Waya is Hikaru's next opponent, and Waya's confident that Hikaru will lose. That is, until HIkaru accidentally blurts out what the online user Sai said to him. Can Hikaru defeat Waya and prove to Waya that he isn't Sai at the same time?

Ogata and Kuwabara are anticipating their matches for the Honinbou title, both anxious to greet the upcoming wave of pros in the Go world. Meanwhile, a guy who has won many college titles for Go and is well-known among the Insei is planning on taking the Go test.

Hikaru is overwhelmed in playing go with adults and his second loss placed him at a precarious position (third loss means an ousting). As desperation climbs, he becomes more determined than ever by drawing his inspiration from Akira. Fortunately, his third match with Fuku started him on a winning roll. While Waya/Isumi were practicing at a Go salon, a customer gave them the address of another Go salon where there're supposedly many experts. Waya/Isumi decided to drop by the Institute to check on the gang and are dismayed to find out about Hikaru's performance. Hikaru won his last match by default and gained entry to the pros exams. Waya decided to bring Hikaru along on their Go salon visits after hearing about his encounter with Tsubaki.

Now that Toya Meiji is playing Internet Go, the world is abuzz with excitement. But little do they know that a challenger of exceptional strength waits in the shadows.

The Go world is moving. Everything is changing. Hikaru has won his first comeback match and dives into his next one. Isumi is taking the Pro Exam and is on his way to becoming a pro like Waya, Hikaru, and Ochi before him. Akira is beating high level dans. Ogata has taken yet another title. The Go world is shifting; a new wave is coming with Akira in the lead. But Kuwabara will not allow them to surpass him just yet...

A boy named Yuki Mitani solves a challenging problem on the Haze Go club's posters. Hikaru knows they need a third member really badly, and tries to convince Yuki to join. However, he soon discovers Yuki's true strength.

HIkaru can't seem to get any better at Go, despite the fact that he plays with Sai every day. If he wants any chance to get into a tournament and face Akira, he needs to get stronger. Sai reveals the ultimate weakness of Hikaru, he's afraid of Sai, and every other opponent he faces.

Hikaru takes the prelims to qualify for the Pro exams whereas Waya/Isumi are admitted straight to the finals being among the top 8 of the Insei program. Hikaru is intimidated by Tsubaki, a really loud and brash guy, who turns out to be his first opponent. Tsubaki plays mind games with Hikaru and won the match. For Hikaru, the loss highlighted his inexperience with playing with adults since starting go and it represents a hurdle he has to overcome to reach his goal.

The #1 Amateur Go Player in Japan, Shuhei, challenges Hikaru to a match while Hikaru is looking for Sai in Hiroshima.