"Are we still going to recruit them?"
Looking at the miserable state of the sand shinobi below, Minato Namikaze asked Naruto.
He felt that Naruto did not truly intend to recruit them either.
Otherwise, he would not have directly thrown a Spiraling Ring at the Sunagakure forces.
Although fear was the most direct way to gain loyalty, such loyalty was often far from absolute.
Loyalty that was not absolute was absolute disloyalty.
Naruto smiled. "The shinobi village system is itself a remnant of the old world. It is the greatest obstacle to Wave Country's future, something destined to disappear."
"The diehards are destined to be defeated, but most ignorant villagers can still be guided. Just like the great ship that is Sunagakure, we can try preparing a new helmsman for it."
"A new helmsman?"
Minato Namikaze frowned slightly, but knowing Naruto's personality, he thought of a bold possibility.
"Could it be that you intend to cultivate a new Kazekage, Naruto?"
Minato Namikaze was somewhat surprised. He felt Naruto's idea was rather unlikely. How could the leader of a shinobi village possibly be someone cultivated by another force?
Naruto could see what Minato Namikaze was thinking.
"Survival is a village's foremost priority. For the sake of the village's continuation, as long as this Kazekage has an identity they can accept, pressure will force them to make the right choice."
"Then, this new Kazekage can guide them, changing things gradually until the old system is replaced."
More importantly, Sunagakure was the poorest and harshest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. A single Gelel Ore Vein was enough to make Rasa go to such great lengths.
Naruto placed a Flying Thunder God Technique Mark on Minato Namikaze, then continued.
"I alone am enough to handle things here. Rasa has brought out Sunagakure's elite,