Certain Victory

"Everyone, I believe this world should not be this way!"

When Jingū Kiraku stepped onto the podium, just as expected, no one paid him any attention, nor did anyone care what he wanted to say.

Jingū Kiraku was not surprised by this. After all, he was merely a young brat right now. How could he possibly draw anyone's attention?

But soon, everything would change.

Jingū Kiraku's gaze slowly swept across every person in the tavern, his eyes revealing resolve and persistence.

He took a deep breath, swiftly grabbed a beer mug, and smashed it hard against the floor with all his strength.

"Bang!"

The crisp, resounding shatter instantly cut through the tavern's noisy atmosphere like a thunderclap.

The once-rowdy tavern fell silent at once. Everyone was drawn by the sudden noise, turning to focus their gazes on the young man standing at the podium.

For a moment, the air in the tavern seemed to freeze, and people's eyes were filled with confusion, surprise, and shock.

Seeing this, Jingū Kiraku narrowed his eyes.

His sharp gaze seemed capable of seeing through the thoughts hidden deep within people's hearts. Without realizing it, he raised his voice and shouted:

"That's right, just like this!"

"Every one of you acts like you couldn't care less!"

"It is your indifference that has reduced the Land of Rain to this state!"

His voice echoed off the tavern walls, carrying an undeniable force that sought to shatter the numb shell surrounding people's hearts.

"This isn't a problem that only began now, is it?"

A trace of grief and indignation entered his voice as he continued:

"No one cares. No one gives a damn that we are facing extinction."

"Pride is a weapon, a sword meant for dealing with enemies, not for deceiving ourselves!"

"Right now, invaders like Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure are freely trampling our land and slaughtering our countrymen!"

"They have destroyed our homes, taken our lives, and crushed our future!"

As Jingū Kiraku spoke, gruesome scenes of war kept surfacing in everyone's minds.

Villages that had once been peaceful and tranquil had been reduced to ruins beneath the ravages of war.

Innocent civilians fled in all directions, yet still struggled to escape the shadow of death.

Children cried in terror amid the ruins, their tender voices seemingly telling of endless pain and despair.

"Though we have suffered inhuman treatment, the responsibility for starting this war has still been placed upon the shoulders of the Land of Rain!"

"Konoha demands that we pay enormous war reparations, and they even seek to seize the fertile lands and mines in our east."

Jingū Kiraku's voice was filled with fury, every word seeming to be forced out through clenched teeth.

"Sunagakure runs wild within our territory, plundering our resources without the slightest restraint!"

"Iwagakure has stationed troops along the border, spouting outrageous threats as they try to squeeze the last shred of hope from the Land of Rain!"

"And what about us?!"

At this point, Jingū Kiraku could no longer suppress the emotions in his heart and let out a hysterical roar.

His tone was full of rage and unwillingness, and his eyes nearly spat fire, as if he meant to ignite this dark world.

"The price of our bread has risen to five hundred thousand ryō. You couldn't even fit that much money into a carriage!"

"Our children scavenge through garbage in the streets just to find a mouthful of food to keep themselves alive!"

"Our people drink themselves senseless in taverns all night, trying to numb the pain of reality with alcohol!"

"Our leaders, afraid of the enemy's military might, have actually chosen to surrender and betray the nation's interests!"

"Our noble lords spend every night feasting and reveling in their luxurious estates, squandering all manner of precious food!"

Jingū Kiraku's deeply inciting words were like sharp daggers, accurately piercing the softest places in every listener's heart and instantly igniting the fury they had suppressed for so long.

People could not help recalling those arrogant foreign shinobi, who ran rampant across the Land of Rain and trampled everything here at will...

They recalled those extravagant, corrupt noble lords, greedily plundering the people's wealth and living lives of debauchery while turning a blind eye to their suffering...

They recalled the women and children struggling desperately amid heaps of trash, their frail bodies and despairing eyes heartbreaking to behold...

"We can't go on like this!!"

Suddenly, an angry voice rose from the crowd, like a stone cast into a still lake, sending ripples spreading outward.

Immediately afterward, countless people below slammed the cups in their hands onto the floor, letting out furious roars.

"That's right, we can't keep going like this!"

"We must seek change!"

"We need reform!"

"Reform!!"

Amid the crashing of glass, cries rang out like a surging tsunami, wave after wave.

The voices grew louder and louder, as if they were about to burst through the oppressive tavern and let the whole world hear the hearts of the Land of Rain's people.

Seeing this, Jingū Kiraku finally revealed a satisfied smile.

As more and more people poured into the tavern, the already somewhat crowded space became even more cramped, but the people's enthusiasm did not diminish in the slightest.

Jingū Kiraku's expression gradually turned solemn. He straightened his back and shouted again:

"Everyone!!"

"This country is sick, sick beyond saving!"

"Foreign invaders want to conquer us, noble lords want to exploit us, and even our leader wants us to kneel like dogs!!"

An astonishing aura suddenly erupted from Jingū Kiraku, as though it would break through the endless rain clouds and let sunlight shine upon the Land of Rain once more.

He smashed the podium before him to pieces with a single punch, the flying wood chips embodying the fury in his heart.

"But the Land of Rain is a great country, a great people..."

"We will never submit!!"

His voice rang through the entire tavern, piercing through layers of rain and reaching every corner of the Land of Rain.

"The most effective medicine is Kunai and ninjutsu. That is the best way to cure those idiots."

"Let us wield dignity as our weapon and courage as our faith, and strike those damned enemies with all our might!"

"We must unite. We must unite into one powerful Land of Rain."

"In this process, we will bleed, and we will make sacrifices, but in the end, victory will belong to us. Victory will ultimately belong to us!"

Jingū Kiraku's speech grew more and more impassioned, his voice rising ever higher, as though he meant to release every ounce of strength within him.

"We absolutely cannot continue living in such darkness!"

"Perhaps tonight's speech will soon be forgotten, but everything we do will endure for eternity!"

"The Land of Rain needs a far-sighted leader!"

"One with the courage to grind his enemies' bones into dust!"

A resolute light shone in Jingū Kiraku's eyes, as though he had found a beacon to guide him through the darkness.

"He has arrived!"

"He lives in our very era!"

"He will lead his people to victory!"

"He will ensure that every citizen of the Land of Rain has soft bread and steaming milk on their table!"

Jingū Kiraku paused, then slowly and firmly raised his arm high.

His arm seemed to bear the hopes of the entire Land of Rain, his posture like an unshakable monument.

"Everyone!"

"Follow in my footsteps..."

"Land of Rain!"

"Certain victory!"

Upon hearing those words, everyone present felt their blood fiercely ignite.

Their exhilarated gazes were like blazing flames, ready to illuminate this dark world.

Their faces flushed red, tears of excitement glinting in their eyes. Unable to contain themselves, they all raised their arms and roared with all their might:

"Certain victory!!!"

At that moment, the atmosphere in the tavern reached its peak.

The people's passion and fury became a fierce, dazzling torch, seemingly ready to scatter the rain clouds that had shrouded the Land of Rain for a thousand years!