“It’s not terrible news, Hiroshi. Just another obstacle you need to overcome. You’ll be fine!” Ezra said and clapped Hiroshi on the back from the next box over.

“Yeah, you got this!” Asami piped up and jumped up and down. “You’ll be able to get payback for the henka.”

When Hiroshi looked over at his mother, Hikari just gave a soft smile and a comforting nod. Hiroshi was doubtful. He looked back at Ezra.

“So, me and the yokozuna need to have a playoff match tomorrow, and then the winner of that will decide who wins?” Hiroshi confirmed the news he just received.

“Aye,” Ezra said with a nod. “You two are the only ones who have only lost a single match. So a quick and easy match against him, and then you got the belt.”

“Easy peasy lemon squeezy,” Asami cheered and danced.

Hiroshi was unsure. He sat and looked down at the ring. The yobidashi was taking center stage and held out his fan before he called the names of the next fighters.

“Itarooooooooo,” he sang out before he turned and sang “Harutooooooooooo.”

Hiroshi perked and looked down at the dohyo when they announced his friend would be in the next match. It was a good match where Itaro showed his skill and knowledge of having to wrestle with a smaller than usual form. Hiroshi had faith that while his friend was still new, he’d raise up the ranks quickly and become a force to be reckoned with even in the higher divisions when Itaro became a sekitori.

The rest of the tournament, Hiroshi watched in relative silence. His mind was too focused on thinking about the day he was going to have tomorrow. The only time he really showed any excitement about the day’s tournament was when Nishikigi did just as he said in the locker room. The bottom heavy yokozuna was locked in a grapple with his opponent and then lifted the man. Nishikigi was smart enough to wait until his opponent was closer to the edge than Hiroshi had Ren, and it resulted in a short walk. Nishikigi had his head thrown back, and he lifted and set his opponent on the other side of the bales to secure his second day victory.

Hiroshi stared wide eyed and jumped to his feet, extending his arms in celebration for his senior. Ezra, surprised, laughed at the boy but clapped for the stables yokozuna when he won. That type of win wasn’t normally in Nishikigi’s wheelhouse, so when he won that way, a lot of the people in the crowd were shocked and celebrated the win.

After the celebration of Nishikigi’s and others’ win in the locker room, and everyone was outside of the arena, there were a few different groups of wrestlers from the stable. They were all discussing various things to do and Huan and Ansei both wanted to go to the teahouse again. Itaro was in that group, of course. He hadn’t stopped talking about that girl ever since, and Hiroshi got the distinct feeling they did not drink tea together.

Hiroshi opted out of all the various groups, though. He just wanted to go back home and have some dinner and go to bed. He needed to be focused on the fight tomorrow.

“He’s nervous,” Itaro explained to the others going to the teahouse. “It’s understandable,” he said as he put a hand on Hiroshi’s shoulder.

Itaro then looked at his junior and smiled. “Go on with the group, headed back to the stable. Auntie Yi cooks up better food than the teahouse does anyway, if we’re being honest.” Itaro looked at Hiroshi now and gave him a nod.

He went to his mother and sister next and they planned ongoing to a new restaurant with a different group. Some sort of dumpling house that got Asami especially excited. “Come on Hiroshi, I bet they’re almost as good as mom’s,” she squealed as she jumped up and down.

Hiroshi laughed and shook his head. “No, sorry. I need to relax and focus. I don’t want to mess up tomorrow,” he said as he went and wrapped himself around her smaller form.

She fought him off and then once more did her exaggerated sumo movements. Her arms thrusted and pushed towards Hiroshi. When he backed up several feet, she followed him in the squat walk, some sumotori do during practice to help train their legs and core.

Hikari gave a small laugh and then nodded her head. “Okay Hiroshi. If we don’t see you when we get back, we’ll see you in the morning, okay?” She said to him with a small smile. “Make sure you get good sleep tonight, my little gerbil,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed her forehead.

He nodded his head and then retreated towards the stable. He walked with three or four others in silence. Hiroshi kept his head down and walked behind Yoshitaro. He concentrated on following his shadow so he didn’t get lost and knew where he was headed.

He had a quick small dinner of a bowl of plain white rice and a little of the chanko nabe Auntie Yi made and now found himself on his futon and looking at the ceiling in his room. Sleep eventually came, but he slept fitfully.

The next morning, he was the first in the bath. He washed himself quickly and just nodded his head in greeting to Itaro when he came in. Itaro was just climbing into the wash area as Hiroshi left the bathroom, and just before he closed the door, he heard “good luck” from his friend.

Hiroshi waited outside in his rough brown kimono and held onto his rolled up mawashi for everyone else to be ready to go. His mother and sister came out with him a few minutes after he did and no one talked. He was just glad they were there with him and appreciated that there for him as well. They all stood close, just off the path to the front road.

One by one the Oyakata, Ezra, and Botan filed out of the stable, followed by the rest of the rikishi. “Alright then, Hiroshi and whoever else wants to be there early climb up on and in my carriage. There will be some more along to get everyone to the arena without you lot having to wear yourselves out walking.”

“We’re going to walk, enjoy the cool morning air. We’ll be there before you go up, don’t worry. It’s not that long of a walk,” Hikari told Hiroshi before she brought him in for a hug. “You go get ready and we’ll be up there watching you.”

Hiroshi nodded his head and headed for the carriage. Behind him were Itaro, Kenjiro and Botan. The four of them climbed into the carriage and Hiroshi ended up across from Kenjiro and next to Botan. The carriage had just plodded along and Hiroshi had settled in to listen to the clip-clop of the horse's hooves beat against the stones when Kenjiro broke the silence of the inner carriage.

“Remember when I first brought you here, Hiroshi? You were so nervous and quiet. Thought I was going to reach across the carriage and start beating on you,” The Oyakata laughed as he leaned back in his seat.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Hiroshi blushed and looked at his master. He stumbled over his tongue for a response. “No, master, I would never thi..”

He was interrupted though by Itaro, who told his own story. “Ah, I was the same way. I didn’t know what to expect. Though I guess our journey was a little shorter than yours. Still, I barely said anything, didn’t even look at the Oyakata,” Itaro said and smirked before he looked over at Hiroshi.

Kenjiro laughed and nodded his head. “Yeah, and we had a much shorter journey. Poor Hiroshi had to sit here with me for two days.”

Even Botan’s visage cracked a little in a grin upon hearing that. “Now all he does is talk about his woodworking or how great the spirit pork was from the Chens,” he had said.

This made the rest of the carriage chuckle a little.

“Well, to be fair, the Chen’s food was amazing,” Itaro offered.

“And the pork was the best!” Hiroshi said in his defense.

Oyakata nodded his head. “Yes, we’ll have to see about getting them back another time, maybe. We’ll see what happens after the tournament. See if they can work us back into their schedule as a celebration if everyone does well.”

The rest of the morning was rushed. The tournament had a schedule to keep, and having a playoff for the juniors wasn’t normally something that happened. They allotted time for it of course, so it was in the plans, but they rarely needed it. So the planners, and the Association had gotten used to using it for other things. The ring ceremonies for the professionals were pushed back and Hiroshi and Kenjiro were constantly reminded they had to be ready for the match promptly.

Before Hiroshi knew it, he was on the dohyo spreading his arms open towards the junior yokozuna while he was crouched down on his side of the ring. When he stood and went to the corner to do his shikos, he looked in the stands for his mother. He was a little worry with the rush that they hadn’t been able to make it in time. Sure enough, though, he saw not only his mother and sister in their normal box, but Ansei and Huan were in the box next to them.

His fellow juniors were no longer wearing the dark brown robes of junior sumotori either, but now they were wearing deep light green ones. Oyakata has formally accepted into the stable them last night at their dinner. Hiroshi gave a smile as he lifted his left leg. He was sorry he missed it, but he was glad they got them. Not only because that meant they were officially full rikishi, but that they no longer had to wear the rough material of the junior robes.

Hiroshi turned now and went to the middle of the ring. He met the yokozuna and eyed him with the thought that maybe this boy would try to henka him again. No. Surely he wouldn’t, right? Not two times in a row, with everyone in the stands. Indeed, the stands were more full than they normally were for a junior match. For juniors, it was really just the families watching, maybe close friends who live close.

Hiroshi had even heard murmurs that the emperor was even up in his box this morning to watch. Hiroshi gave a glance up and he wasn’t able to tell. The box was kept dark and looked as empty as it ever was, but there was scuttlebutt saying that indeed the emperor was up there gracing the juniors.

Hiroshi flexed his neck back and forth and loosened himself up a little before he gave a deep breath, trying to relax. When he looked down, the yokozuna was already crouched down with his fists in the clay. This wasn’t the form of someone who was planning on winning by a henka. This was the posturing of someone who was dead set on defending his title and staying the junior yokozuna.

Hiroshi crouched down and looked the other boy in the eyes. He was a little taller than Hiroshi, but not much. He was just as round as the gerbil, which might be the real problem if the two were going to actually fight this time.

The yokozuna was breathing deeply with an upturned lip as he stared at his opponent. Hiroshi didn’t care. He was going to take his time and make sure he was fully ready for this match before he let it begin.

“Jikan nasu,” the gyoji called and motioned towards Hiroshi’s starting line in the clay with his gunbai.

Hiroshi nodded his head. The gyoji was getting impatient. Probably was facing pressure from the Association to make sure the match went quickly.

“No false starts,” he said when Hiroshi put his first hand on the clay and raised the paddle above his head.

Hiroshi met the yokozuna’s eyes and lowered his head for a moment as he listened to the other boys breathing. Once Hiroshi felt like he had it matched, he lowered his left hand to the clay slowly. He didn’t let it touch until he was completely ready. He saw the contempt in his opponent’s eyes as he drew the moment out.

The second fist barely brushed the clay as Hiroshi combined the touching with his rush forward. It wasn’t the hardest tachiai that the boy had ever been in, but they did indeed clash together. Hiroshi’s arms went wide, this time grabbing at his opponent’s shoulders. The yokozuna went inside, the boy's hands pushing outwards towards Hiroshi’s chest.

Hiroshi was pushed back, the yokozuna was quick to follow up on his initial advantage and charged the gerbil. Hiroshi pushed out his hands and moved forward to meet the charge. His hands came in quick successful thrusts to push the yokozuna back before he could push Hiroshi out of the ring. The gerbil ducked and charged now towards the yokozuna to push him back. He felt the boy reach and grab at Hiroshi’s lowered neck, though, to push the gerbil to the clay and get a quick win.

This didn’t work and Hiroshi could move a little to the side, his hands once more thrusted out in repeated motions to push the slightly taller boy away. The yokozuna could hold his ground though, and not only hold his ground, the yokozuna could get a grip on Hiroshi’s mawashi. Hiroshi thrashed, his arms pushing and shoving the yokozuna away from him as he tried to break the grip the taller boy had.

There was a flurry of open palm strikes against the yokozuna as he fought back with his one free hand. The hand that Hiroshi’s belt held on hard. There was a reason he was the junior yokozuna, after all, and it wasn’t because he was weak. This all happened as the pair toed the line of the ring. Hiroshi danced along the straw bales as he fought the yokozuna off from getting both hands on his belt.

He could get them both against the straw. Hiroshi’s left foot and the yokozuna’s right were mere inches away from going out of bounds. The gerbil was doing his best to work the grip his opponent had on mawashi for him. One final open palm thrust from his left hand towards the yokozuna’s right side of his chest and he knocked from his feet.

The yokozuna tumbled and with the grip so firm on Hiroshi’s mawashi, Hiroshi found himself headed for the clay as well. This time he didn’t have enough leeway, and the gerbil tumbled down from the raised dohyo and onto the ground under it. It didn’t matter, he knew what happened. He won. Hiroshi won the match. He knew the yokozuna fell first.

Hiroshi landed hard on the ground, but the adrenaline pushed him to wiggle and jump to his feet as quickly as he could. He didn’t even notice he knocked over one of the ringside referees when he fell. When he jumped to his feet, he saw it. He saw the gyoji’s paddle pointed towards Hiroshi’s side of the ring. Hiroshi fought every urge in his body to raise his arms in victory. He bit his lower lip to stop himself from yelling out.

The boy nearly jumped back up to the dohyo to take his place in the ring. He danced over to his side and took his place at the edge of his side. He found his opponent in their spot and they bowed towards each other. Both of them gave a deep bow this time, but the once yokozuna didn’t look happy about it. Hiroshi’s opponent left the dohyo and Hiroshi crouched and swiped his hand.

After he climbed down and headed back for the back, when the blood finally stopped pounding in his ears, he heard the screams from his mother and sister. He turned to bow towards the shrine and then looked up to the box where his family sat with his friends next to them. Hikari was waving and blowing kisses as she laughed. Asami had taken over both of the boxes and was doing her exaggerated form of sumo before she turned and jumped up and down with her arms outstretched. Huan and Ansei just kept clapping and called his name out.

He hadn’t quite made it to the mouth of the back when Ezra came and ran up from their locker room. “Where ya goin’ lad? Come on, you’re not done yet,” he exclaimed and turned Hiroshi around.

Before Hiroshi could object, Ezra explained. “You gotta receive your belt. There’s a small ceremony, they gotta do all this and you’ll receive your Yokozuna belt. You’ll also get a kimono for your new rank as a full rikishi,” Ezra said quickly.

Hiroshi’s eyes went wide. “Oh,” he muttered. “Oh!” he exclaimed once the full weight of everything hit him. He turned and headed back to the dohyo and saw there were already people on the clay and they waited for him with amused looks on their faces.