Nagato's voice was not high-pitched, but it carried a penetrating power that had been accumulated through the experience of the world. "I want to know, after completing the reunification by force, how do you plan to truly maintain this peace?
How to make this huge Shinobi World, which were once hostile to each other and have different cultures, truly integrate into a stable, prosperous whole that is not easy to split again?
Instead of just relying on your personal prestige and Konoha's force deterrence."
This problem goes straight to the core and is indeed the biggest challenge that Naruto must face now and in the future.
Unification may be forcibly achieved through force, but governance and long-term peace require more complex and systematic wisdom and systems.
It is impossible to directly control the entire Shinobi World by relying only on personal force, because Shinobi World has too many people, and Naruto's energy is limited.
Naruto heard this and did not answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the water glass next to him and took a sip, as if he was sorting out his thoughts.
At the dining table, Karin and Hikari also stopped moving and listened quietly.
Konan's eyes were lowered, as if waiting for Naruto's answer, or thinking about the question raised by Nagato.
After a while, Naruto put down the water glass, leaned forward slightly, and placed the fingers of his hands on the table. Those Blue Eyes eyes were shining with seriousness and planning.
"Nagato, you are right.
Force is only the starting point. Real peace needs to be based on real 'people's livelihood' and 'development'."
Naruto's tone was steady and firm, as if he had thought about it countless times.
"What the people pursue is nothing more than a stable life, visible hope, and opportunities to improve their own situation through hard work."
He began to explain his ideas in a clear and clear way:
"First, it's the economic foundation.
Shinobi World Years of war have left people's livelihood in many places in decline and infrastructure backward.
My plan is to vigorously develop infrastructure, roads, bridges, water conservancy, energy, and communication networks.
This will not only directly create a large number of jobs and allow a large number of idle labor forces to earn income, but also lay a solid foundation for subsequent economic development."
"At the same time, in order to prevent workers at the bottom from being over-exploited, I will promote legislation to set minimum wage standards and protect basic living standards.
In terms of taxation, carry out reforms: reduce or even cancel agricultural taxes, encourage food production, and ensure the stability of basic survival supplies; levy reasonable commercial taxes, as well as personal income taxes for high-income groups, which are levied after income reaches a certain level to adjust the gap between the rich and the poor and raise development funds."
"Key areas, such as important minerals, energy, large-scale transportation infrastructure, financial core, etc., need to be led by the establishment of state-owned enterprises or joint ventures directly controlled by Konoha.
Only the power of the state can ensure the stable and sustainable development of these industries, which are related to the national economy and the people's lifeblood, and avoid being monopolized by a few private individuals or families, causing new social injustice and unrest."
Naruto The more he spoke, the clearer his thinking became, as if he was describing a grand blueprint. "With convenient transportation and reduced logistics costs, business will naturally develop further."
When people have stable jobs and incomes, their purchasing power increases, which in turn stimulates consumption and drives the development of more industries, forming a virtuous cycle."
"And the taxes collected are taken from the people, and they must be used for the people."
Naruto's tone carries a strong sense of responsibility and planning, "In addition to maintaining necessary administrative and defense expenditures, most of these funds will continue to be invested in the next round of infrastructure and public utilities.
Build more roads and bridges, improve water conservancy and power systems, establish schools with wider coverage to popularize basic education, promote Medical Ninjutsu and basic Medical Ninjutsu, build more hospitals or clinics, build public libraries, parks, sports facilities, etc."
He looked at Nagato and Xiaonan with a candid look. "I know, this sounds like a very large and long-term project that requires an unimaginable investment of manpower, material resources and time.
You will also encounter various resistances.
Opposition from vested interests, conflicts of cultural customs in different regions, corruption and inefficiency in the implementation process...
There will be endless problems."
"But," Naruto changed the subject and spoke decisively, "this is exactly what I think must be done after 'unification'.
Peace cannot just stop at the level of the absence of large-scale wars. It must allow the vast majority of people to feel a tangible improvement in their lives and have hope for the future.
Only in this way can peace have a solid foundation and resist internal divisive tendencies and external provocations."
"This is not only for maintaining rule, but also for long-term peace."
Naruto finally said, his voice was not loud, but it seemed to carry a huge weight, "Use strength to bring order, use development to bring prosperity, and use prospects to unite people's hearts."
This is what I can think of at the moment. It may not be the only one, but it must be the core path."
The restaurant was quiet for a moment, with only the light shining softly on everyone.
Nagato and Konan listened quietly, with thoughtful expressions on their faces.
Naruto's words are not empty slogans or illusory ideals, but are specific to the real aspects of taxation, employment, and infrastructure.
This was very different from the way they had envisioned bringing peace, more pragmatic, and more... difficult.
But precisely because it is difficult and concrete, it appears more feasible and convincing.
In the eyes of Nagato, which had experienced despair, paranoia and endless pain, a complex light seemed to flash through, as if penetrating the dust of time, re-examining the young Hokage in front of him, who had similar ideals to him but chose a completely different path.
Naruto's answer did not stop at vague ideas, but was specific to the real details of people's livelihood such as taxation, infrastructure, and employment. This made Nagato feel a strange, yet vaguely attractive sense of pragmatism.
However, the ideal is plump, but the reality is often skinny.
As the actual controller of Amegakure, Nagato knows better than anyone how difficult it is to pull a poor, weak, and war-torn country out of the quagmire.
He took a slight breath, and the sickly voice sounded again, asking a specific and sharp question, pointing directly to the deepest pain in his heart:
"A very grand idea, Sixth. So, what about Land of Rain?"
Nagato's tone was calm, but with a heavy weight, "In that land, it rains all year round, with few sunny days.
Humid and rainy weather makes it difficult for crops to grow, and food cannot be self-sufficient all year round.
Although there are many rivers in the territory, fishery resources generally cannot become a pillar industry.
There are no decent minerals under the land.
The war has caused a sharp decline in the population there, almost destroyed the infrastructure, and the economic foundation is pitiful."
He raised his eyes, and looked directly at Naruto with his somewhat energetic eyes, as if he was asking, "How should the development strategies you just mentioned be implemented in a place like Land of Rain?"
How to solve the most fundamental survival problem of the Land of Rain people?
If you can't even handle a "hard nut" like Land of Rain properly, how can your so-called 'use development to bring prosperity and unite people's hearts with hope' to be convincing, and how can it be extended to the entire Shinobi World?"
This question is acute and realistic.
Land of Rain is almost the most typical and thorny "problem area" representative of Shinobi World.
The natural conditions are harsh, resources are scarce, and war wounds are severe.
If Naruto's new order cannot benefit even Land of Rain, then its universality and sustainability will indeed be greatly compromised.
Amegakure's use of steel in construction does not mean that Land of Rain's steel production is abundant.
Amegakure is a steel jungle built to facilitate drainage, and it is a building inherited from the Hanzo of the Salamander era.
I can only say that the situation of the people of Land of Rain was much better when Nagato was in office, but it was still at the mid-to-lower level when Shinobi World was in office.
Climate has always been the biggest factor restricting the development of Land of Rain. Even if there is no war, the people of Land of Rain are already suffering enough.
When Naruto heard Nagato's question, he did not show any surprise, but seemed to have been prepared for it.
He nodded slightly, his eyes became deep, as if he had already seen the land shrouded in rain.