As Karatachi Yagura staged a successful coup and became the Fourth Mizukage, A of Kumogakure held the Third Raikage's funeral, then successfully succeeded him as the Fourth Raikage with the help of his predecessor's former subordinates.
Meanwhile, after Chiyo and the others from Sunagakure signed numerous unequal treaties with Hiruzen Sarutobi, he released them. Upon returning to Sunagakure, Chiyo, Ebizo, and the others gathered the village's jonin without stopping to rest and began selecting candidates for the Fourth Kazekage.
There were three outstanding ninja in Sunagakure's current generation: Rasa, Pakura, and Chiyo's grandson Sasori. These three enjoyed the greatest prestige in the village, but with Sasori missing, the contest for the Kazekage position ultimately came down to Pakura and Rasa.
Pakura's prestige in Sunagakure was slightly higher than Rasa's. Known among the Sand Ninja as the Hero of Sunagakure, she had rendered distinguished service to the village many times. During their clashes with Iwagakure, she had led from the front, repeatedly leading the Sand Ninja in repelling its incursions.
Unfortunately, however, the bloodline limit Pakura had awakened was not Magnet Release. Although her strength was no less than Rasa's, he possessed Magnet Release, and Sunagakure now faced enormous debts while Konoha controlled sixty percent of its missions. Rasa's Magnet Release allowed him to control gold dust, which he could extract from the endless desert to supplement the village's finances.
Thus, in the election for the Fourth Kazekage, Pakura ultimately lost to Rasa by three votes, and Rasa officially succeeded to the position.
The tremendous prestige Pakura displayed during this election also made Rasa deeply wary of her, laying the groundwork for the betrayal she would later encounter while away on a mission.
After Ōnoki returned to Iwagakure with its army, a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes as