"Meiji University is a powerhouse in kyudo. Last year, they earned the Tokyo Metropolis federation's qualifying spot and took third place in the Championship."
"Those test-taking machines from the University of Tokyo sure have rotten luck."
Despite those words, they could hardly conceal their delight at the others' misfortune.
Kyudo was an aristocratic sport even more niche than Kendo, requiring considerable financial backing. Most kyudo competitors therefore came from wealthy families, and schools strong in kyudo tended to be prestigious private institutions.
The university students present could all be considered the cream of the crop, but before the towering mountain that was the University of Tokyo, they could not help feeling inferior, which in turn united them against a common enemy.
Even if they could not compete academically, thrashing the University of Tokyo at kyudo would give them a satisfying outlet.
"University of Tokyo, final shooter, first-year Uchiha Naruto."
When the announcement calling the competitors into the range reached Uchiha Naruto's name, whispers first arose in the stands, then swelled into discussion.
"They're putting a first-year fledgling in the final position? What's their coach thinking?"
"Has the University of Tokyo really run that short of talent?"
Lead, second, middle, penultimate, and final were the positions in a five-person kyudo team match.
The most important were the lead and final positions.
The lead shooter fired the first arrow, and whether it hit had a significant effect on team morale, requiring skill that could reassure the others; the final shooter needed the capacity to bear the mounting pressure and fire the last, decisive shot.
Those two positions were usually filled by the captain and vice-captain, the team's finest archers.
"Wait, Uchiha? The same surname as the director of the Supernatural Konoha Military Police Force? Did I hear that right, or does it