From Orochimaru’s invasion of Konoha to the hunt of Jinchuriki by the Akatsuki, there are a lot of thrilling events happening in Naruto. Needless to say, each and every single one of them featured incredibly iconic and mind-blowing action sequences. That being said, there is one event that triumphs over the others, both in terms of scale and excitement. It’s called the 4th Great Ninja War.
The war happens right at the end of the series, and it features tons of crazy fights, heart-wrenching drama, and one plot twist after the other. The war is fought between the Joint Shinobi Alliance against the evil forces of Madara, Obito, and Kabuto, along with their armies of undead and white Zetsus. So many important things happen in this war, but do you actually know why this war happens in the first place? Well, the reason is actually a bit more complicated than you might think.
The Official Declaration of War
Many people think that the Five Kage Summit, and the Shinobi Alliance that came out of that Summit, happens because they are preparing for war. That is not entirely correct. You see, the Raikage called for the Five Kage Summit in order to talk about the best way to deal with the ever-growing threat of Akatsuki. The idea of an alliance between the five great shinobi villages is actually mentioned in order to deal with Akatsuki. They never considered the possibility of an all-out war at all.
That is until numerous events happened that disturbed the summit that culminated in the sudden appearance of Obito, who claimed to be Madara Uchiha. In front of the five Kage and the other people present at the summit, Obito demanded the Kages to give him the jinchuriki of the Eight-Tailed and Nine-Tailed Beasts. Knowing that Obito, and the Akatsuki behind him, has already gathered seven Tailed-Beast, they all refuse Obito’s demands. And that is when he declared war to them all. Not just any war, but the 4th Great Ninja War.
After Obito left the premises, they all once again agreed to form the Great Shinobi Alliance, but this time around the purpose of the alliance was to keep the two jinchurikis safe, and wage war against Obito and his forces. Chain of commands is soon established, and the preparation for war officially begins at that point.
The Eye of The Moon Plan
While it’s true that the official reason for the 4th Great Ninja War is due to possession of the Eight-Tailed and Nine-Tailed Beast, there is actually another layer to that cause. A sinister plan that Obito mentioned during his brief talk with the bewildered five Kages. It is a plan that has been hatched and brewed by Madara for decades. It is called “The Eye of The Moon Plan”.
The Eye of The Moon refers to the hidden Uchiha technique that has been passed down from one generation to the next through the sacred stone tablet of the Uchiha Clan. This technique enabled the user to turn the moon itself into a gigantic Sharingan, which makes it possible to cast a Genjutsu that can affect the entire living beings in the planet. This technique is officially called the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Madara, and also Obito for that matter, intend to trap the entire population of the planet into an illusionary world. A world where there is no war and bloodshed. A world where people can enjoy an everlasting peace. The cost, however, is their freedom. But since this Genjutsu is so powerful, the people won’t even realize that they are living in an illusion. Sort of like the Matrix. Additionally, this powerful Genjutsu also requires an incredible amount of chakra power to execute, which is why Madara needs to gather the Tailed Beast, and absorb their powers.
The Secrets Behind The Secrets
Madara has been plotting his Eye of The Moon plan ever since he finds out about the secrets written on the Uchiha’s sacred stone tablet, which is pretty much around the time he decided to leave Konoha, so he has truly been working on this plan for a long time. What he doesn’t realize, however, is the fact that this plan is actually not his. It’s actually more accurate to say that Madara is coerced into forming this plan. And the one who slowly and secretly built this plan and put it into Madara’s head is the Black Zetsu.
Madara always thought that Black Zetsu is an entity that he unconsciously created, a separate part of himself. The truth, however, is a bit more complicated than that. Black Zetsu is actually a part of Kaguya Otsutsuki, and its plan has always been to resurrect Kaguya. In order to achieve that goal, he needs to resurrect the God Tree first. And that requires combining the power of all Tailed Beasts, among other things. He can’t do this by himself, so he decided to look for a powerful person that can do it, and that person is Madara Uchiha.
Slowly and secretly, he prepares all kinds of things, including altering the content of the Uchiha’s sacred stone tablet, in order to nudge Madara into focusing on the Eye of the Moon Plan. And when Madara is at the weakest point in his life, Black Zetsu finally reveals himself and lies to Madara, claiming that he is a physical manifestation of Madara’s will. Once Madara is gone, Black Zetsu continues working on his plan by manipulating Madara’s successor, Obito Uchiha. And that is how two powerful ninja are manipulated into declaring a war on everybody.