For this big toy, Madara was quite fond of it.
Not only could it withstand the water pressure at a depth of ten thousand meters beneath the sea, but aside from the scanning device, every other function was powered by chakra.
The speed of movement under the sea depended entirely on how much chakra was injected into it.
And even if one went deeper than ten thousand meters, there was no need to worry, once the pressure overloaded, the cabin would immediately issue a warning.
At that point, simply channeling chakra into the control lever would form a protective shield around the exterior of the submersible, allowing it to withstand even greater pressure.
Air supply wasn't a problem either, Shin had stored a large number of oxygen tanks in a storage scroll for Madara, ready for him to replace whenever needed.
In other words, this deep-sea submersible was tailor-made for powerful shinobi.
Its propulsion system depended on chakra. Its defense system depended on chakra.
For an ordinary jonin, diving to depths below ten thousand meters might not even allow them to last ten minutes, greatly reducing exploration efficiency.
But Madara felt completely at ease, enjoying himself so much that he claimed he could live in it without issue.
What satisfied him the most was that any explored area would be marked on the screen, so subsequent searches could avoid those places, saving him from wasting time on repeated exploration.
If only he didn't look like he was piloting a fighter jet to go blow something up, it would have been perfect.
After pretending to split up with Madara, Shin went straight back to Konoha.
He had more important matters to handle, so he never participated in the exploration mission.
There were already enough people on the job, besides Madara, Minato's squad was also exploring underwater.
The four of them each piloted a detector in another part of the sea.
The reason there were four was because Kushina, having become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, was now completely free.
---
Hokage's office.
Tsunade, who had matured quite a bit after the passing of Mito, had taken on more responsibilities and was busy at her desk.
Of course, a large part of the reason was that Minato had been away recently, and Shin was at a critical point in his research and couldn't leave, so Tsunade had to personally step in.
That said, she no longer minded the occasional busyness.
Knock knock.
"Come in!"
An ANBU ninja at the door immediately entered upon hearing Tsunade's voice, kneeling on one knee. "Hokage-sama, there is an important piece of intelligence regarding Suna."
Tsunade took the report, the corners of her mouth slightly curling upward.
The day had finally come, it seemed Konoha was about to gain a skilled miner... maybe even two.
After sending the ANBU away, Tsunade immediately activated the Flying Thunder God seal on her arm.
The next second, Shin appeared in the office.
"Tsunade, what's wrong?" he asked quickly.
Since he was at a critical point in his research, Tsunade usually wouldn't disturb him unless it was something major.
She hurriedly handed over the intelligence, smiling. "Your plan has borne fruit, Pakura has successfully seized power, becoming the Fourth Kazekage. The Third Kazekage and Rasa have been forced to flee, and their whereabouts are currently unknown."
Shin glanced over the report and immediately grinned.
Over the past two and a half years, dissatisfaction toward the Third Kazekage had grown throughout Suna, while calls for Pakura had risen sharply.
With certain people fanning the flames, many openly declared that the Third Kazekage, the culprit responsible for the village's decline, should step down and let the more capable Pakura take over.
During this period, the Third Kazekage had tried many methods to make people understand his difficulties and ease internal tensions in the village.
However, he always believed that Rasa was the most suitable candidate for the Fourth Kazekage, and he repeatedly tried to persuade Pakura and Chiyo through both emotional appeals and reason.
But the more he did so, the more the people felt he was being selfish, and the more dissatisfied they became with him, while support for Pakura only grew stronger.
With the Council, led by Chiyo, almost entirely behind Pakura, the situation in Suna had already tilted completely to one side.
A day ago, a meeting was held within the village.
At the meeting, Suna's upper echelon openly pressured the Third Kazekage to step down and pushed to install Pakura as the new leader.
Pakura appeared to be in great difficulty.
But when the Third Kazekage refused and even attempted to suppress them with force, Pakura was left with no choice but to fight him.
In that battle, she displayed overwhelming strength, even the Third Kazekage was unable to do anything against her. Seeing that the tide had turned, and having calmed down, he did not wish to see Suna weakened again by internal strife, so he fled with Rasa.
Thus, Pakura, with apparent reluctance, became the Fourth Kazekage.
Shin was rather surprised that Pakura had only seized power a day ago, because from the looks of things, she could have done it long before.
But this also indirectly showed her ambition.
She didn't just want to be Kazekage, she wanted to ascend to the position in a completely legitimate manner. That's why she staged a Suna-style coronation.
In doing so, she not only won everyone's support but also reduced the Third Kazekage's influence to almost nothing, giving herself unparalleled prestige and power from the moment she took office.
This was where Pakura was far smarter than Danzō.
Just because you sit in the Kage's seat doesn't make you the Kage. Only when everyone acknowledges you are you truly the Kage.
Build high walls, store ample grain, and only claim the throne when the time is right, this strategy works anywhere.
By advancing through retreat, Pakura, who already had tremendous prestige, instantly won over the hearts of everyone.
I didn't expect this surprise, buy one, get one free, Shin thought, feeling extremely pleased.
The reason he had kept Pakura alive before was precisely in anticipation of this day.
In the shinobi world, everyone knew that the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind were rich in mineral resources, which had long been vital economic pillars for both countries and their hidden villages, Iwa and Suna.
But in reality, the mineral reserves of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire were no less abundant.
First, both countries were wealthy and had long protected their mineral resources, unlike the other two nations which mined heavily. After all, minerals are non-renewable, once they're gone, they're gone for good.
Second, and most importantly, compared to Suna, the mining efficiency in these two countries was low, costs were high, and in most cases it was cheaper to simply buy from others.
Shin had always wanted to bring two expert miners to Konoha to become top-tier diggers.
But if he did that outright, the entire shinobi world would erupt into chaos.
Kidnapping a village's current and future Kage? That would be outrageous.
Suna would stop at nothing for revenge, and the other villages would feel threatened and unite against Konoha.
Shin himself didn't mind, but Tsunade wouldn't allow it.
Now, however, the situation was different. The Third Kazekage and Rasa had already left Suna. Inviting them to "visit" seemed perfectly reasonable, right?
As for whether they agreed or not, that was never something Shin concerned himself with.
If they agreed, he'd give them the best treatment.
If they didn't agree, well, sorry, but he'd just use genjutsu to control them. That way, he could even save the money he'd have spent recruiting them.