Note: Unedited. No Beta. AU. Short chapter. Slow update. Mentions of abuse.

Master in the Shadows

06:

"What is the situation?" Sai demanded upon arriving at his office. Instantly, Morino Aikawa, his assistant gave him a folder that he took before sitting down on his swivel chair. He immediately looked through it while absently listening to what his assistant is saying.

"In summary, the one who started digging into your second identity didn't manage to find much. Only those accessible in public with a little digging. His identity is already in the folder-"

"I already know about that Aikawa. What is the new situation that you had to call me urgently?" he interrupted, looking through the papers containing a more detailed information on Detective Hiiragi Keisuke. The last time he was only able to be given the basics like the usual operation so he would know who is trying to nose in on his business. It's not like it's that easy obtaining sensitive information on anyone else in this day and age.

"Don't be so impatient Sai, let me do my job properly, and if you need to know, again, one of them is to summarize facts," he can clearly hear the rolling of Aikawa's eyes as he told him that. His lips twitch a bit in amusement. Aikawa, despite his professional appearance and attitude, can be such a sarcastic person whenever he thought it is appropriate, even with the more important clients they have.

It's not like they can do anything to them anyway. In the first place, Aikawa is his employee and as such, he only really answers to him. Secondly, he doesn't mind his attitude from time to time. He prefers it even than his overly professional one. It reminds him of their closeness as childhood friends. As long as his employees are not being outright rude or hostile, then it's okay. Besides, the clients that comes to him needs him. They can't afford offending him really.

And if they take slight in his employees and his own disregard of their few quirks, that's their problem. It's not as if he couldn't protect himself. He might have accepted to represent some of them in the crimes they are being accused of when he really knows that they are innocent, but that doesn't mean they do not have any other dirty deeds.

He is an information hoarder and he uses all of what he has both for the benefit of his clients as well as himself.

Besides, as much as he doesn't like it, he knows that Renji nii-sama is also looking out for him.

"Alright. Continue," he said graciously, giving his friend-slash-assistant a smile. Aikawa pushed his glasses further into his eyes and stared at him intently for a few seconds before continuing.

"As I was saying, more information regarding Detective Hiiragi is in the folder. It also seems like, even now, he still is digging onto Yamato Sai, just sparingly."

"He didn't stop?"

"No. We still do not know who his employer is. The number used seems to be an unregistered one. Tracing the number led it to be in Japan, particularly here in Tokyo. Were still narrowing all of it down so we can have a smaller pool of potential suspect."

Sai ignored the folder for the moment and just stared at his assistant listening. He's okay with reading as it is pretty much required in his line of work. Still, that doesn't mean he enjoys reading and rereading several files of papers that isn't history, fiction or Go when there is someone who can give him a brief summary of things so he can understand it better the first time he reads them.

The employer is in Japan, in Tokyo. Does that mean I may have already interacted with him or her? He couldn't help asking himself. He didn't notice that Aikawa stopped talking and just watched him as his mind started thinking around the information.

The employer is probably busy or lazy. What is their work? Why did they feel the need to dig into Yamato Sai's life? My other identity isn't that well-known except in the Art circle as a painter that Hikaru creates sometimes. Does that mean the person looking for Yamato Sai is from there? He didn't think of anyone that he had offended when using his other identity.

"Care to share your thoughts?" Aikawa asked. Sai looked at the other with a frown before finally speaking.

"Is there anything specific that they were looking?" Aikawa raised his eyebrow in question.

"Why? Anything in your mind?"

"I'll share it when I know it's a likely situation. For now, just answer the question." Aikawa sighed in exasperation. He should be used to it now. That was his usual response when he doesn't want to share anything at the moment anyway. His assistant continued in his now professional voice.

"Not really. I've been told that Detective Hiiragi is just looking for any information he can get about you. We will probably learn more as time pass. It seems the detective won't stop even when it is indicated that it the information of Yamato Sai is protected."

"He must have known that. He must be at least intelligent enough to know that he would be traced, that anyone looking for Yamato Sai's life will be monitored when detected," Sai mused, confusion can clearly be heard in his voice. He just doesn't get it. Detective Hiiragi is a detective. Before he came to this line of business, he is in military. He must know about that.

Why is he still continuing?

"He does. That's why he is being careful whenever he does search. I think he considers it a challenge looking for information about you seeing as it is protected. And since Yamato has been registered as civilian painter, he doesn't think there's any danger in digging for more than he was given." Sai scowled at that.

"He is being a nuisance. I didn't set that up just for it to be treated as a challenge by some detective."

"People will be people Sai. The one thing everyone shares that could be a problem for others is curiosity. The protected information is like a lure to him." He sighed. Would he become a problem later?

"Keep watching him then. Don't let him and any of his movements out of sight. I don't want him to know more about Yamato Sai." When he saw Aikawa nodding decisively, he indicated for the other to continue.

"Now, the information I'm going to tell you is something we aren't sure of. With your reputation as Fujiwara Sai, it would not be a farfetched to believe that everyday, someone is digging your life. We, as usual, just took careful note on what everyone was searching on you for so we would be prepared when something untoward happens."

"Then what is wrong?"

"Have you been playing Go?" Aikawa questioned back instead of answering him.

"Of course," was his automatic answer. After all, he has been constantly playing with Hikaru the moment he decided to learn the game to really interact well with his ward and instead became enamoured with it, even with Aikawa when he is particularly bored. But his mind had already made several clicks and gave him information before his assistant could continue.

"How many have been checking me and Go together?" he asked rapidly that the other immediately answered.

"Several checks, but seemingly only one server at the moment."

"Where?"

"In the Go institute." Sai groaned.

"What's wrong?" Aikawa asked, slightly alarmed at the way his friend was acting.

"Hikaru." It was only one word and Aikawa already had a slight idea of what happened. Hikaru's skills probably raised a fuss. Despite being young, the child has frighteningly good skills. He himself can play some Go and is quite good at it for someone who hadn't regularly played again for a few years and only does sometime when Sai whined about it too much. He is not as good as Sai and Hikaru, but still better than even other players who had been playing for years.

But Hikaru's skills, he admits, is beyond anything he had ever seen. But what he is confused for is what has it got to do with someone digging up Sai and Go?

Before he could ask though, Sai's phone started ringing. Both of them frowned but he then gave a chuckle upon seeing Sai's wide smile when he checked the phone.

It's probably Hikaru, he thought with a fond smile. Hikaru and Go seems to be the instant way to make Sai look like that.

"Hikaru!" Sai exclaimed happily. He frowned in concern though seeing Sai's eyes giving him a wide-eyed look of alarm after a second.

It was then he heard a scream coming from the phone.

[HELP!]

He witnessed how Sai's eyes darkened in fear and fury. He slightly shivered. It was rare to see Sai angry, and when he is, his fury would often leave his enemy ripped in shreds.

Especially now when it is Hikaru who screamed help.

. . . . .

Ogata ran his fingers through his hair as he sat inside his cell in frustration.

Alright, so he might have been too enthusiastic in wanting the kid to come with him. At that time, he was kind of running in adrenaline. Just the sight of the kid made him unable to see sense. His mind was full of that almost mysterious, unfinished game.

The kid's presence blindsided him. And now here he is, in a cell, waiting for the time he can be released. He hoped the kid won't make him rot here. He didn't really have any bad intention. He just had to see and know the other's skill level.

He can now admit that this is really his fault. He hates it but it really is. He can't do anything inside anyway but think of what led him there. He can't blame the kid for screaming. Anyone would being accosted like that by a total stranger.

He should know better and he is ashamed of himself.

He'd been sitting there for three hours now, currently alone in the detention cell when his attention was caught by a person currently stalking his way towards the cell he is in.

It was that lawyer he had also been obsessed with, Fujiwara Sai being followed by the very kid he had accosted and was brought back to the hospital while he was arrested.

Ogata's heart sank. He forgot. He bloody well forgot that the kid is friends - maybe even his guardian - with Fujiwara Sai, a renowned lawyer in Japan and also internationally.

A lawyer who could make his life very difficult for what happened to the kid. Just goes to show how much he wasn't thinking at that time. He swallowed thickly before standing up and facing the black haired man staring at him with his frosty cold blue eyes and a murderous aura surrounding him, only separated by the bars of the cell between them. He absently observed how the kid was holding the other's arm tightly, another adult standing a little away from them and the police officers watching them with curious eyes.

"Ogata-san, I want you to answer my question," Fujiwara Sai started, his voice coolly neutral while his stare remained the same. He felt perspiration running behind his neck and he didn't bother to wipe it out. He just nodded once and ignored the question at the back of his kind questioning how the man knew his name. "Why did you accost Hikaru?" The kid also turned to look at him in curiosity and none of the fear he had earlier that day.

"I wanted him to play a round of Go with me," was his prompt reply. He wasn't ashamed of his reason for approaching the kid, Hikaru apparently. What he is ashamed of is how he approached the other and basically forced himself on the kid's presence. Sure, he also want to play with this lawyer (his hand is itching when he remembered that incomplete game) but he didn't think now is a good time to say that. He saw the police officer's looking at each other and started sniggering. He frowned at them but otherwise remained silent.

He is already used to everyone's reaction when it came to Go. They are ignorant of it and only thinks of Go as an old man's game. What can he do? They didn't know about it so they look down on it.

Ignorant people will always be ignorant. But he is proud of the game and his achievements and he wasn't about to hide it.

Interestingly enough, the other three was taken aback by his answer.

"You want me to play Go with you?" The kid, Hikaru asked, voice sounding a little high as he looked at him incredulously.

"Yes."

"Are you kidding me? You popped in like a freaking mushroom, shouted like a maniac, held my hand tightly and didn't let me go even when I asked you to like a kidnapper, all because you want me to play a game of Go?" Hikaru asked again this time his voice is tinged with disbelief. Ogata didn't reply because no matter how much the kid look at him, his answer will remain the same.

Though now that he told him his point of view, he can see how silly it would be to a twelve year old kid.

"Where is your common sense?! You don't grab a kid out of nowhere and try to drag him somewhere he doesn't know over a game! I would have thought your reason would be somewhat of an emergency with how urgent your voice was and it's really just over a game?! I was at the hospital because of that! Are you saying it really is just all about Go?!" he demanded. Ogata once again didn't answer. He felt the need to look away but he didn't. His pride didn't allow him, though he tried hard not to allow his face to burn in embarrassment. He heard the other man behind the two snort and the police officers to outright laugh and he didn't even bother to narrow his eyes at them.

"Hikaru, manners!" Fujiwara exclaimed. The kid just harrumphed sulkily.

The kid's question made his action seemingly childish. He saw Fujiwara cough a little to the side and he had to gnash his teeth to avoid saying anything. Hikaru scoffed childishly and turn towards the other adult.

"Come on Sai, let's leave," the kid grumbled. The lawyer gave him a look somewhere between sympathy and amusement - he knows why he looked amuse but the sympathy, he didn't know nor does he have any idea - before he followed. None of the murderous aura he had earlier around him.

"What about him then? Will you leave him there?" The other man asked thankfully. He didn't want to be stuck in a jail cell. He had enough of that when he was being his younger, foolish self. And apparently, I am still foolish even as an adult. The kid looked back at him and sighed like a tired adult.

"Just let him go. He didn't do anything more harmful anyway."

"You believe him?" A police officer asked incredulously. Ogata rolled his eyes at that. Hikaru gave the police officer a confused look.

"Yes. He is a professional Go player. Those people are actually really weird." How did he even know I am a professional Go player? Did Fujiwara told him? The lawyer did know my name without me saying anything? Did the police call them? Questions popped in hid head but he knew better than to say anything at that moment. It really isn't the best time.

More importantly, he isn't weird!

"Hikaru!" Fujiwara whined. Hikaru grinned at him.

"Don't worry Sai, you're not a professional player so you're not like them."

"He is though," the other man said pointedly. Fujiwara gave a mock gasp.

"Aikawa!" The three looked at each other and laughed. For the moment, Ogata saw a long hair falling pleasantly behind Fujiwara. He blinked and it was gone.

He looked like someone familiar when he laughed, he thought while he was finally being released.

. . . . .

"Hikaru, are you okay?" Sai asked him inside the car as he became silent. He saw Morino-san glancing back at him in the driver's seat using the mirror in concern while he is driving.

"I'm fine Sai," he answered.

"If you're sure..." He just nodded and didn't say anything.

While at the police station his disbelief was prominent, now that he could think well on it, his stomach turned at the implication.

That Ogata Seiji is a professional Go player and he isn't sure how the man even knew he plays go when he hadn't seen him before. But the way he reacted, his intensity is making him nervous.

This was the reason why he didn't want to gain any attention with regards to his Go. Attention means trouble.

Attention in Go means pain. He looked at the hand-shaped bruise that still remained on his hand and remembered how much his father was enraged when he lost to someone one time when he played Go while having a high fever.

He lost a couple of millions at that time as he had always, always betted on him to win. He had been beaten within an inch of his life at the house when they returned, his prison while he has a fever. His punishment continued even when he became better and won once again.

He was... He was...

Hikaru shuddered and shook his head. Don't think Hikaru, he urged himself but it still remained in his mind.

"Sai?" He asked softly. Sai immediately looked at him from the passenger's seat, eyes full of concern.

"What is it Hikaru?"

"Can you..." He bit his lip, took a deep breath and released it to calm down before continuing. "Can you sit beside me?"

Morino-san immediately stopped the car on the side and Sai went out of the car, opened the door on the back where he is and sat diwn beside him. He closed the door before holding him in his arms. It only took him a few seconds to relax and lean back on his guardian.

"You're okay Hikaru, I'm here." Hikaru smiled and snuggled further into Sai's warmth.

"I know."

TBC.

A/N:

Another chapter! Yippee! Glimpse of Hikaru's past was seen. I'm sure you already have an idea what it is.

Haha, I put Ogata in prison. Whoops? At least he got out. What do you think Touya Meijin's reaction to that if he knew? The Go community? Haha!

Guys, Review!