The Kyudo Club

The kyudo club?

Uchiha Naruto looked Tanaka Hikaru over in mild surprise, unable to picture him drawing a bow. He said casually, "I'm a little curious about kyudo, but I don't plan on joining a club."

He considered club activities pointless, a complete waste of time. He would rather spend that time studying or practicing ninjutsu.

"Did you forget, Uchiha? Jinguji High School's motto is 'Excellence in both scholarship and martial pursuits.' Besides grades, they also put a lot of emphasis on your performance in club activities. The school requires every student to join at least one club."

"What a hassle."

"If you have to join one anyway, why not consider our kyudo club? I came straight up from the junior high division, so I know Jinguji like the back of my hand. Let's check out the kyudo club after school. If you don't like it, we can look at some other clubs."

Uchiha Naruto thought it over and agreed. "Then... sorry for the trouble."

It wasn't that he had no interest in Japan's distinctive club activities. He just worried they would interfere with his studies and training. Having a well-informed local like Tanaka Hikaru show him around would save him some unnecessary trouble.

Like other schools, Jinguji High School let out at three in the afternoon. The school year had just begun, making this the best time of year for clubs to recruit. Upperclassmen handing out flyers lined the school paths, creating a lively scene.

"Koshien! Koshien! Want to make it to Koshien with us?"

"Work up a sweat and set your youth ablaze! Come check out the track and field club!"

"The tennis club is recruiting! Handsome upperclassmen will give you hands-on instruction, and our faculty adviser, Ms. Kujo, is a real beauty!"

The kyudo club lay deep within the school grounds, at the end of a winding path shaded by greenery.

Unlike ordinary clubs, the kyudo club had very demanding space requirements. Only the edges of the campus offered enough room for its dojo.

With Tanaka Hikaru leading the way, Uchiha Naruto found the kyudo dojo easily. At the entrance, he heard the clear twang of a bowstring, followed by the barely audible thud of an arrow striking a target.

They took off their shoes in the entryway and walked into the kyudo dojo in their socks, stepping across the paulownia floorboards.

Uchiha Naruto surveyed the dojo curiously. Like kendo, kyudo was a sport with a distinctly Japanese character, and this was his first visit to a kyudo dojo.

A full row of Japanese bows more than two meters long stood against the wall facing the entrance, along with arrows of various weights and sizes. The shooting range ran perpendicular to the entryway.

At a glance, the range was about thirty meters long and twenty meters wide, taking up two-thirds of the dojo.

Several pieces of calligraphy and banners hung on the wall opposite the range. From top to bottom, they read "Truth, goodness, beauty" and "Correct shooting brings certain hits." At the bottom were the Eight Forms of Archery found in every kyudo dojo: diagrams and explanations of the eight movements used to shoot.

A girl with a ponytail, wearing a white kyudo jacket and black hakama, nocked an arrow and drew the string with graceful movements. Behind her, several students who were clearly first-year visitors knelt formally on the floor.

"Kyudo doesn't require much strength. Raise the arrow high, then use your back muscles to draw the bowstring downward. It's fine if you girls aren't very strong. Your arms don't actually have to do much work." The ponytailed girl drew the string behind her ear, completed the draw, and aimed her arrow at the target.

"A student just asked me whether nearsightedness affects your shooting. In fact, kyudo doesn't demand particularly good eyesight. What matters is your form. Once your form is steady and you've learned to apply your strength correctly, hitting the target follows naturally. That's what 'correct shooting brings certain hits' means!"

"Like this!"

The ponytailed girl loosed her arrow. It didn't hit the bull's-eye, but it did strike the inner part of the target.

Her movements flowed effortlessly, her shooting form graceful and beautiful. She was fair-skinned and pretty, with ink-black hair like raven feathers, long enough to reach her waist, tied in a ponytail down her back. Her air of innocence already put her close to the ideal of traditional Japanese womanhood, and this only made her seem more refined.

The visiting first-years burst into applause and cheers.

"Pretty great, right? The girls in the kyudo club are seriously high-tier. Hakama give a top-tier bonus, just like shrine maiden outfits. At least a twenty-percent boost to charm."

Tanaka Hikaru nudged Uchiha Naruto with his elbow and whispered to him.

"That's Yasero Saki, the club president. She's a second-year. You can't tell with that chest protector on, but honestly... whew. I've seen her in regular clothes. At least a D cup. Uniforms, long straight black hair, sporty girl, traditional Japanese beauty-she checks all kinds of boxes. Yasero Saki is definitely an A-tier beauty on my list. Well? Interested in joining the kyudo club now?"

Uchiha Naruto was already used to Tanaka Hikaru's lewd remarks and couldn't be bothered to comment, though he had to admit the girl's movements as she shot were exceptionally graceful.

"After you release, be careful not to let the bowstring snap back against your chest. Girls must remember to wear a chest protector." Yasero Saki's cheeks flushed, and she seemed a little embarrassed.

"Jinguji's kyudo club doesn't have a long-distance range, only a twenty-eight-meter short-distance range. See that wall behind the targets? That's called the azuchi. It's there to stop arrows that miss the targets from flying out. Japanese bows aren't that powerful, but the arrowheads are still very dangerous. If anyone is in the shooting lane, you must never begin the shooting sequence. Once you've nocked an arrow, never point the arrowhead at anyone, and never shoot while facing another person."

"Would anyone like to try? We have lightweight bows for beginners, with draw weights from six to ten kilograms."

"I will! No need for a club bow, though. I brought my own bow and arrows."

Tanaka Hikaru promptly got to his feet, carrying his own black bow bag, which stood more than two meters tall.

"Oh, Tanaka. He's a first-year too, but he's already submitted his application to join. It looks like you've practiced kyudo before. Go ahead, then."

Yasero Saki managed a slightly strained smile, her gaze wavering.

She still remembered the lecherous way Tanaka Hikaru had sneaked glances at her yesterday. He was practically a scavenger. If the kyudo club's boys' team weren't so desperately short of members, she would never have considered someone like him.

Tanaka Hikaru walked onto the range and took his bow and arrows out of the bag. His fiberglass-reinforced plastic Japanese bow was clearly much better than the dojo's communal bamboo bows.

Once Tanaka Hikaru took hold of his bow, his frivolous, slick expression vanished, replaced by a serious look. From the opening stance, ashibumi, to kai, the full draw before release, he performed each movement properly.

His form was nowhere near as graceful as Yasero Saki's, but he was clearly no beginner.

Uchiha Naruto was privately surprised. He had thought Tanaka Hikaru was only here for the pretty girls, but it turned out he actually had some experience.

You really couldn't judge a book by its cover...

But could he hit the target?

With a sharp thud, the arrow struck the target. Not only had Tanaka Hikaru hit it, he had landed a perfect bull's-eye!

"Well? How's my archery... Give me a round of applause!"

Tanaka Hikaru lowered his bow and struck a rather showy pose, his face full of smug satisfaction.

Uchiha Naruto wore an odd expression. The arrow had hit the bull's-eye, but something wasn't right.

"You were very lucky, Tanaka. Unfortunately, you're standing in position three, but you hit the target for position four. That doesn't count."

A hint of a smile appeared on Yasero Saki's face. Missing a target was commonplace, but this was the first time she had seen someone shoot an arrow into another position's target.

What an idiot.

Tanaka Hikaru was thick-skinned enough that he showed no embarrassment at all. He shook his head and sighed. "I'm off my game today. I couldn't show my true skill after years of dedicated kyudo practice. Forget it. Today's not a good day for shooting."

"Uchiha, I'll lend you my bow and protective gear. You give it a try."