Hikaru was invited to participate in the Japan/China/Korea Junior's Tournament via a phone call. However, he must compete in a preliminary tournament to secure his spot on Japan's team. Consulting with Akira, he learns that Akira doesn't need to compete in the preliminaries as he has already been chosen for the tournament. Hikaru decides to avoid Akira's Go Salon until he can secure his spot on the team. Yet, the task ahead of him is challenging as he must battle against old friends for just two coveted spots. To add to this already formidable challenge, he must also compete against a powerful opponent from the Kansai Go Institute.