Tobi (Obito Uchiha)

"The moment people come to know love, they run the risk of carrying hate." - Madara Uchiha

Madara Uchiha is an extremely powerful ninja shrouded in mysteries, who serves as the primary antagonist of the Naruto franchise. Madara was once the leader of the famed Uchiha clan and the co-founder of Konohagakure, the Hidden Village of the Leaf, but his bellicist views and his hatred of Harashima Senju, the First Hokage, estranged him from his own clan prompting him to desert the village, which he swore to destroy. Madara resolved to gather the nine Tailed Demons and use their power to cover the entire world with a reality-warping illusion to control it as a God. Despite appearing very late in the story and first being seen under a fake persona, Madara is the founder and actual leader of Akatsuki and is responsible for the attack of the Kyubi and the Massacre of the Uchiha Clan, as well as many other horrible events all over the ninja world, which he manipulated from the shadows.

The Sage of the Six Paths
Despite not being part of Madara's actual history, the legend of the Sage of the Six Paths is a major driving force for Madara's actions, as he more or less plans to become his successor and continue his work, albeit following his own disturbed views.

The Sage of the Six Paths was a legendary ermit of unfathomable power who lived millenia before the start of the story, and who is believed by almost anyone to be pure myth and superstition. He was said to wield the Rinnegan (the most powerful hereditary power in the world, whose only other owner was Nagato) and is also famous for creating the Ninja Arts, which he taught to mankind.

According to Madara, the Sage of the Six Paths fought and defeated the fearsome Ten Tailed Demon known as the Jubi, which he sealed within himself. Near the end of his life, the Sage feared that the Demon would be released again, so he divided the Demon's immense chakra (ki) into nine separate parts that would become the Tailed Demons known as the Bijus. He then cast the Demon's body into space where it formed the moon. After the Sage's death, each of his distinct powers (the Six Paths) were transmited to mankind and eventualy came to number among Madara's targets, as the villain plans to gather them all.

Madara's ultimate goal, the "Eye of the Moon Plan" is to gather all the Tailed Demons and to fuse them back together, in order to become the Ten Tailed Demon's new host. By doing so, he would gain access to the moon, where he would be able to use the demon's immense energy to live forever and cast an everlasting Tsukuyomi spell on the entire Earth, uniting every mind and gathering all creation under his control to become a God in every sense of the word. He callously claims that trough this he would be able to achieve global peace and utopia, though those whom he tells this only react with a disgusted mistrust.

Early Years
Madara Uchiha was born around a century before the start of the story. In these times, the Ninja World was locked in a permanent state of war, each country ruler wanting to expand his influence at the expense of others, and the Ninjas were organized as huge clans of mercenaries, hired by said lords as their major assets.

Among the many powerful clans of these times, the strongest two were the Uchiha and the Senju of the Forest. These clans were so powerful that the only force able to resist one was the other, leading each lord to hire one whenever the other was hired against him. (According to Madara, both clans descend from the Sage of the Six Path's two sons. One born with the Sage chakra, who favoured might, the other born with the Sage's strength, who favoured love and was selected as the Sage's successor, much to his brother's ressentment.)

Madara Uchiha numbered among the most talented ninjas of his clan. He and his younger brother Izuna eventualy awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and with his their newfound powers, they were appointed as the rulers of the Uchiha Clan. To his horror, Madara discovered that using the Mangekyo Sharingan was rendering him gradually blind and that transplanting his brother's Mangekyo Sharigan on his own was the only way to restore his eyesight, and so he did. (Madara alleges that Izuna willingly relinquished his eyes for the sake of their clan, but he is a master of deceit and according to the much more reliable Itachi Uchiha, he took Izuna's eyes by force.)

The Founding of Konohagakure
Now the undisputed leader of his clan, Madara had to supervise every battle between the Uchiha and the Senju, he himself having to fight against the Senjus' leader Harashima more times than he could remember. Over the years, Madara developped a strong respect and a even stronger hatred for Harashima, whom he regarded as his rival. But eighty years before the start of the story, when the Senjus approached the Uchihas and offered them peace so that they could found Konohagakure, the Hidden Village of the Leaf, Madara reluctantly agreed under his clan's pressure.

So the Hidden Village of the Leaf was created. Following their example, all the ninja clans of each country formed an alliance to create the different Hidden Villages, leading to a stability never seen before. Yet, Madara was bitter and ressentful towards Harashima Senju, who was appointed as the first Hokage (lord of Konoha) instead of him. He was unable to forget the two clans' hateful history and was convinced that the Senjus would use their higher position of power to deprive the Uchihas of any authority and keep them under control. However, even his own clan regarded his mistrust as a warmongering paranoia and he lost much of his credit among them. Even when Harashima's brother and successor appointed the Uchihas as the village's secret services and police, Madara regarded it as a facade and a confinment.

Madara's downfall
At some point, Madara deserted the village and began to plot its destruction. Harashima Senju pursued him and the two led their ultimate battle: a fight so tremendous that it dug a huge chasm that would become known as the Valley of the End. Despite controlling the Kyubi (the Nine Tailed Demon Fox) the most powerful of the nine Tailed Demons Madara lost and was grievously wounded, everyone assuming him to be dead. Since then, the people of Konoha erected two immense statues of Harashima Senju and Madara Uchiha in the cliffwall, permanently facing one another at both sides of a waterfall, as a symbol of their neverending rivalry.

However, Madara survived and went into hiding, even managing to steal a sample of Harashima's cells to copy his unique Mokuton ability. (Creation and control of trees and wood.) Since he was, according to his own words, reduced to a "shadow of his former self" he hatched a plan which would not only allow him to enact his revenge against Konohagakure and the Senju Clan and to become even mightier than he once was, but also to mold the entire world following his twisted ideals.

Creation of Akatsuki
Madara claims to be the one who granted Nagato the Rinnegan, with the ultimate intent to claim it for himself. How he did so has yet to be explained though. One can guess that he did it because Nagato was part of the Uzumaki Clan, descendant of the Sage of the Six Paths and could awake it. (Contrary to Madara who already wielded an eye power.) After Yahiko, Nagato and Konan finished their ninja training under the tutelage of the legendary master Jiraya, they formed a team that they called Akatsuki. Once again Madara claims that he was the one who inspired Yahiko to create this group.

After Yahiko's death Madara approached Nagato, the group's new leader, and manipulated his hatred and desire for revenge to gain him to his cause. Madara remained in the shadows and secretly gave orders to Nagato, who appeared to rule the group while he was in fact its second-in-command. Over the years and under Madara's impulse, Akatsuki became an evil organization gathering renegade ninjas from almost every country, bent on obtaining all nine Tailed Demons at all costs.

After the Third Great Ninja War, the five great ninja countries started a process of disarmament, but without relinquishing the defiance and rivalry which defined their relationships. Madara made Akatsuki appear as an elite mercenary team much less expensive and more efficient than the ninja villages, thus using the situation to his advantage and making his organization grow in power and influence.

Puppeter of the Mizukage
At some point in the past, Madara came to Kirigagure, the Hidden Village of the Mist, and used his Sharingan to control Yagura, the fourth Mizukage and the Jinchuriki of the Three Tailed Demon Turtle, for a yet unknown purpose which might be linked to the Demon. Madara made Yagura's reign despotic and nightmarish, instoring the awful custom forcing apprentice ninjas to fight to the death to graduate and causing Kirigakure to be nicknamed the "Village of the Bloody Mist."

The Uchiha Clan Massacre
Madara planned to unleash the Kyubi on Konoha and waited for its former Jinchuriki (host) Kushina Uzumaki to give birth, so that he could take profit of the weakened seal to release the demon. He made quick work of Kushina's bodyguards and took Naruto (Kushina's newborn son and soon-to-be eponimous primary protagonist) as a hostage to enact his goal. Minato Namikaze (Naruto's father and Konoha's fabled fourth Hokage) managed to get Naruto back and later gave up his life in order to seal the beast within his own son, hoping that Naruto would one day be able to use the demon's power to defeat Madara.

Konoha wasn't destroyed but Madara's main goal was achieved. Given that the Uchiha Clan wields the power to control the Kyubi, the villagers came to believe that they summoned it and shunned the clan. Then, the resentful Uchihas staged a coup d'état to take over the village, exactly as Madara expected. They chose Itachi Uchiha, their most talented prodigy, to infiltrate the village's highest spheres of influence. However, fearing that the coup would escalate into the Fourth Great Ninja War, Itachi chose his country over his family and willingly sacrificed his honour and reputation, accepting orders from the village's elders to slaughter his entire clan.

Itachi eventually realised that Madara Uchiha was behind the Kyubi's attack. He came to see him and offered him to participate in the massacre and enact his revenge against his clan, in exchange for a promise that he would do nothing against Konoha. Itachi became Madara's disciple of some sort and likely upon his advices, he awoke his Mangekyo Sharingan. Then, they slaughtered the clan, but Itachi could not bring himself to kill his younger brother Sasuke Uchiha and spared him.

Appearance
Madara Uchiha shares the common physical traits of his clan, namely the dark eyes, raven hair and stern face. Contrary to his heydays, in which he had his hair long and wore a red armour with his signature warfan on his back, he is now usually clad in black garnments with his hair shorter. (Shoulder-lenght in the earliest flashbacks and short in the present days.)

He always wears a mask that covers his entire face save from his right eye, which is seemingly linked to his powers. He often wears Akatsuki's black coat ornated with red clouds, sometimes as a cloak. In his most recent outfit, he wears a mask that covers his entire head and displays both his Sharingan eye and the Rinnegan eye that he took from Nagato's corpse. He also wears his warfan on his back again. Finally it must be noted that his eyes are always seen with the Sharingan active, save from some flashbacks.

Tobi
Madara Uchiha first appears under the disguise of "Tobi", which he uses to pass as a rookie Akatsuki member. Playing as "Tobi" he appears as someone playful, carefree, happy-go-lucky and even goofy, who always regards things with jokes, approaches people casually, makes fun of his superiors and even sleeps after his missions while his partner is talking to him. Despite this, he was seen lecturing enemies and fighting seriously. Madara uses this persona to interact with people while keeping his true identity a secret.

Real character
"The concept of hope is nothing more than giving up. A word that holds no true meaning." - Madara Uchiha

"If you want to control people's heart, you have to control the darkness within them." - Madara Uchiha

Madara Uchiha's real personality is much more akin to that of your classical big bas guy; he is cynical, cruel, merciless, self-righteous, vindicative, demanding and power-hungry. He has a calm and imposing attitude and he likes to dominate the conversations, alternating between courtesy and scorn following his mood. He can sometimes get downright intimidating when he irked enough, demonstrating little patience. Madara dislikes when his subordonates disobey him and never hesitates to kill those whom he deems as traitors.

Madara strongly believes that the history of hatred between the Uchiha and the Senju Clans is part of destiny and cannot be reversed. Not only he was unable to work out his differences with Harashima Senju when the latter offered him a durable peace but he seeks to maintain said hatred at any cost, ensuring that Sasuke Uchiha gets overwhelmed by revenge, ruining any hope of restoring Sasuke's and Naruto's past friendship, and planning to make them fight to the death, as Naruto is related to the Senju Clan. To put it simply, he cannot even consider the mere idea of an armistice between the two factions and since he himself was unable to bury the hatchet, he refuses to see anyone do it.

Madara was born in a era of permanent war and conflict which made him warmongering and vindicative. He absolutely does not believe in ideals such as understanding and cooperation, (to the point of paranoia) as evidenced in the early years of Konohagakure. In his self-righteous point of view, he dismisses such ideals as irrelevant, and those who defend it as deluded fools. In short, he can be regarded as a personification of all the bad things in the Ninja World: the defiance, the hatred and the thirst for personal gain at the expense of others. These not only serve as his personality traits, but he also spreads them around him to serve his interests. Despite claiming that he seeks global peace and that his goal is the only way to enact it, it is made clear that what he truly wants is complete control of everything, demonstrating both a control-freak aspect and a messiah complex.

Despite this, Madara is a highly skilled orator able to gain the trust of many people and to present a friendly facade to those useful for his goals. It must be noted that when he speaks to people (most often his enemies) he retains a bit of the laid back and joking attitude he displayed as "Tobi," speaking politely, sitting casually on window frames, feigning vexation and displaying a dry sense of humour. He also displays a real respect for both his enemies, (whose qualities he acknowledges) and his subordonates. (He is seen praising the fallen members of Akatsuki without whom he could not have reached this point of his plans.) Also, he respects his promises, as he never made a direct move against Konohagakure while Itachi Uchiha was alive. (Though he waited for Itachi's death to end his obligations.)

Madara is finally a very devious and intelligent mastermind and an expert of manipulation, who sets things in motion from the shadows and makes sure that things are going in the direction he wants to, while rarely directly involving himself. He acted in several places over the decades that followed his downfall to put his plan his motion step by step, so that all the situations he created would converge towards his ultimate goal. He knows how to play with people's affect and emotions to make them do what he wants, which coupled to his orator's skill enables him to enlist the help of many people by making them believe that they could work together to reach their common goals.

Powers and Abilities
Madara Uchiha was born with an exceptional level of power, even to his clan's high standards. He is stated to have been one of the most powerful ninjas in history, only rivaled by the first and fourth Hokages. He may have lost an immense deal of his power after his defeat at the Valley of the End, but he retains his abilities and special techniques, which still make him a very dangerous opponent, and he gradually obtains other fearsome powers.

In a general way, Madara is an exceptionally skilled warrior who displays very high physical strength and immense proficiency with weapons, especially with swords, scythes and his signature warfan. Furthermore, he fights in a very tactical way, using careful moves and baits to catch his foes offguard. Even in his diminished state he remains skilled enough to hold his ground against powerful ninjas on fighting skills and tactics alone. As a Uchiha, he has a natural affinity with the Fire-based techniques and the anime also depicts him using Earth-based techniques, which he uses to disappear underground and pop up from different points at a very fast rate to deal with numerous opponents, though he very seldom uses element-based attacks.

Sharingan
Like every Uchiha, Madara's primary weapon is his hereditary eye power, the Sharingan. (Litteraly the Eye of the Copy Wheel.) This power grants the Uchihas several abilities:


 * To physically see the flow of chakra and thus being able to distinguish and analyse the techniques used by an opponent, or to detect traps and hypnosis.


 * To read through movements and to be able to predict their outcome, which is not only useful to anticipate attacks but to mimick said movements. (Though some movements are too fast or unpredictable to be avoided, even when seen in advance.)


 * To copy almost any technique (save from special powers) used by the opponent and enable its wielder to use it almost as perfectly as said opponent. (Though the wielder cannot copy his/her opponent degree of training and mastery.)


 * To generate higly advanced illusions and suggestions on any sense, forcing the opponent to see, percieve or even act as the wielder wants them to. Some of the most powerful Sharingan wielders are even able to influence their target's words and actions without them noticing it in the first place.

Mangekyo Sharingan
Should a Sharingan user murder the most important person to him or her, he/she would awake the most powerful state of the eye power, the Mangekyo (kaleidoscope of hypnosis) Sharingan. This not only vastly increases the regular powers of the Sharingan but grants access to three purely fearsome spells: The immense power granted by the Mangekyo Sharingan comes at a heavy price however, as its gradually deteriorates its wielder's eyesight, depending on how much they use it. If an eye wielding a Sharingan were to come blind it would lose its power forever. Yet, Madara Uchiha transplanted his brother's eyes on him, fusing their Mangekyo Sharingan into the "Eternal" Mangekyo Sharingan, enabling him to use its powers without limit and danger, likely to a far greater extent.
 * Tsukuyomi: Named after the Shinto God of the Moon, this spell enables its wielder to trap people into an extremely realistic illusion which alters the victims' perception of time and space, and whose effects are felt by the victims as if they happened for real. To its most advanced point, it can cast its victims into an alternate reality like nightmare of which they cannot break free by themselves and which plunges them into a coma.
 * Amaterasu: Named after the Shinto Goddess of the Sun, this devastating spell generates a black fire that can consume anything and is never extinguished until its target is reduced to ashes. With the proper training, its wielder can manipulate the black fire and shape it at will.
 * Susanoo: Named after the Shinto God of Storms, this is the most powerful and the hardest to master of he three spells. It generates a gigantic, three-armed warrior entirely made of chakra around the wielder, which serves as an "ultimate" armour able to withstand (and sometimes to reflect back) any attack, and wields special weaponry somehow able to seal forever anyone it strikes into a dimensional void. Susanoo's aspect and powers seem linked to its wielder's affects and personality.

Apparently, Madara is no longer able to use his Mangekyo Sharingan since his defeat at the Valley of the End. Or at least no longer able to use it as much as he wants, though this is not very clear.

Izanagi
The most powerful spell available to a wielder of the Sharingan, which can only be used coupled with Harashima Senju's power over trees, and is said to mimick the Sage of the Six Paths' ability to warp reality and creation. Named after the Shinto God who fathered the three previous deities, Izanagi enables its wielder to temporary turn into an illusion to avoid attacks or to alter the reality of the surroundings. The full extent of this spell is not known but the eye which casts it turns permanently blind no matter what and its length of action is very short.

Space-Distortion Techniques
Madara's signature powers are his abilities to become intangible at will and to bend space to a yet unknown extent. He can make a part of his body or his entire body intangible and void, so that any attack would phase through him like a ghost, enabling him to rematerialise and counterattack right after. (It has been revealed that he cannot remain intangible more than five minutes.) This technique renders him nearly impossible to strike and allows him to easily hold his own even against opponents who surpass his current level of power.

Madara is also able to disappear completely, to appear out of nowhere, to teleport at will, and to vacuum things and people into an alternate dimensional plane in which he can enter as well. Hemost likely enters said dimension whenever he disappears from the real world, and exits it into another place when he teleports himself. Moreover, he is able to track people down and to know their locations. Madara can only vacuum something/someone at very close range and he cannot do it when he is intangible. He has proven able to vacuum attacks to some extent, which he does when he cannot phase through.

Madara seems to need his mask to use his dimensional power, as everything that enters or exits the alternate dimension (and Madara himself when he teleports) seem vacuumed into, or expelled out of, the hole in the mask that reveals his right eye.

Stolen Powers (the "Six Paths")
Madara Uchiha's goal to gather what he calls the "Six Paths" (all the abilities derivated from the Sage of the Six Paths' powers) led him to steal powers from other mighty ninjas. He claims that the Sharingan is one of these "Paths" and he got his hands on two others:
 * Mokuton: Harashima Senju's unique ability to grow and control trees and wood at will. Madara claims that he managed to control the full extent of this power but he never displayed it. However he proves this point with his great mastery of the Izanagi spell. Apparently this power is the reason why he lived for so long.
 * Rinnegan: The first and most powerful eye power, once used by the Sage of the Six Paths and later by Nagato. Madara replaced his left eye, rendered useless by the use of Izanagi, by Nagato's Rinnegan. It grants Madara all the powers used by Nagato's "Six Paths of Pain," though his level of control over it has yet to be displayed.
 * The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path: Though he already had a limited control over the Statue, thanks to Nagato's Rinnegan he now masters it fully and can summonit at will. In addition to the immense strength and the soul-devouring, dragon-like spirits it already displayed, the Statue has recently proven able to unleash devastating shockwaves of energy and multiple giant energy bolts that rain down on its targets, making it an unfathomably dangerous weapon of mass destruction.

Cryptical Mentions
Madara Uchiha doesn't appear in the first part of the series, in which Orochimaru serves as the primary antagonist and Akatsuki is only an upcomming threat, but he is crypticaly mentioned several times. Firstly in Sasuke's flashbacks about the Uchiha Clan Massacre. (When Itachi tells Sasuke about the Mangekyo Sharingan, he says that should Sasuke awake it there would be three to share this "blessing," mentioning a yet unknown wielder.) Later, when Sasuke defects from Konoha, he and his former best friend Naruto Uzumaki (the series' eponymous primary protagonist) do battle at the Valley of the End, near the two giant statues that are revealed to represent the founders of Konoha. If the yet unnamed First Hokage can be recognised, nothing is told about the second. The conflict between Sasuke and Naruto is said to mirror that of the founders.

In the second part of the story, when Sasuke and Naruto meet again, Sasuke manages to "see" the Kyubi sealed inside Naruto and the Kyubi states that Sasuke reminds him of Madara Uchiha. In the meantime, after Sasori is killed, a character named Tobi is appointed in Akatsuki to replace him in the organization.

As "Tobi"
"Tobi" is first introduced as a subordinate of Zetsu, who enters Akatsuki as a replacement and gets partnered with Deidara. As Deidara's partner, he acts goofy and never serious, often getting on Deidara's nerves and getting hit in retaliation by an exploding attack. The two are seen capturing the Three Tailed Demon Turtle and later, "Tobi" assists Deidara during his fight with Sasuke. Later, Nagato's Deva Path announces to Akatsuki that Tobi died when Deidara blew himself up but in fact Tobi is in the same room as the Deva Path and Konan, and he orders them to capture Naruto and the Kyubi.

Tobi is revealed to be in fact Madara Uchiha, the real leader of Akatsuki. He passed as an underling to make himself known by the regular members and to keep close to Nagato, while secretly ruling the organization from the shadows.

Truth revealed
"The Uchiha Clan is a clan destined for revenge." - Madara Uchiha

Madara is later seen sitting on the statue representing him at the Valley of the End, reflecting on the current situation. At the same time, Jiraya begins to suspect that Madara is behind the attack of the Kyubi.

Later on, when Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha are about to fight to the death, Itachi reveals Madara's backstory and his role in the Uchiha Massacre. Meanwhile, Madara intercepts Naruto's squad, who is looking for either Sasuke or Itachi, to prevent them from interrupting the battle. He plays as "Tobi" once again and toys with them, by phasing through all their attacks and escaping all their attemps to capture him.

Upon learning about Sasuke's victory, Madara dismisses the Konoha ninjas in a condescending way, while acting as his true self and displaying his Sharingan. He then takes Sasuke with him and treats his wounds. When Sasuke awaits, Madara greets him, introduces himself and takes off his mask, only to be engulfed in Amaterasu black fire. Indeed, Itachi implanted a trap into Sasuke's eyes before dying, hoping to save his brother from Madara's influence, but Madara manages to survive.

Madara then manages to gain Sasuke's trust by telling him everything about Itachi's motives. He first tells him about the founding of Konohagakure, before revealing the coup d'état plotted by the Uchiha Clan and Itachi's decision to slaughter his kin for the sake of peace. While Madara tells the truth about Konoha and Itachi, he subtly presents it from his point of view, depicting the Senjus as untrustworthy and abusive and blattantly denying any involvement in the Kyubi's attack. Following this, Sasuke swears revenge against Konoha, blaming the village for enjoying a peace based on the Uchihas' and his brother's sufferings.

From then on, Madara has Sasuke trapped in his snare and although the latter denies it, claiming that he is using Akatsuki and that he is not Madara's subordinate, Madara uses him as a pawn and gradually turns him into a hateful and merciless criminal. At first, Sasuke claims that he wants to kill the village's elders, who are the direct responsibles of Itachi's misery, but he later states his intention to kill every inhabitant of his former hometown. Madara is very likely responsible for this drastic change in Sasuke's personality and goals and although he states that this is only the result of the hatred that runs in the clan's destiny, he openly admits that Sasuke became what he is now under his tutelage. Whether Madara is influencing Sasuke or using his Sharingan to control him has yet to be explained though.

Madara then makes a pact with Sasuke and his comrades, offering to lend them Tailed Demons for their upcoming battle against Konoha if they capture Killer Bee, the Jinchuriki of the Eight Tailed Demon Ox for him. Sasuke's team seemingly succeeds and brings Killer Bee to Madara, but the one they captured is later revealed to be a mere clone created from one of the demon's tentacles. Thus, Madara intercepts Sasuke's team on their way to Konohagakure, revealing that Nagato has already obliterated the village and that Danzo Shimura, one of Konoha's elders who has just been appointed Hokage, is heading to the Land of Iron for a summit of the five Kage. (The lords of the five most powerful ninja villages.)

The Five Kage Summit
Upon Madara's orders, Zetsu guides Sasuke's team to the place where the five Kage are gathering. Sasuke initially plans to wait for the end of the summit to confront and kill Danzo, but Zetsu sneaks into the gathering and reveals Sasuke's presence, prompting the Kages and their powerful bodyguards to attack him. Sasuke fights against the Kages using his Mangekyo Sharingan but they prove too strong for him alone and Madara is forced to enter the fray, absorbing Sasuke away into his alternate dimension.

Madara wanted to measure how powerful Sasuke has become under his "tutelage." He even hoped that Sasuke would weaken the five Kage, so that he would have been able to capture them and hold them hostages, but this was too big a task. He then demands the Kage to hand him Killer Bee and Naruto, the last two remaining Jinchurikis, threatening to use the Tailed Demons he already owns against them if they don't comply.Upon their refusal, Madara declares the Fourth Great Ninja War between Akatsuki and the five great ninja countries. (Plus the samurais of the Land of Iron.) The Kage assume that Madara cannot use the Tailed Demons so easily, and that he uses this threat to make them involve the Jinchurikis in the upcomming war as major military assets, and easy targets for him to capture.

Madara later stages a battle to the death between Sasuke and Danzo, which Sasuke wins while further falling into Madara's corruption. As Sasuke, who has gone nearly blind due to his reckless overuse of the Mangekyo Sharingan, is confronted by his former master Kakashi Hatake and his former comrades Naruto and Sakura Haruno whom he plans to kill, Madara reappears to take him away stating that he stands no chance against them all in his weakened state. Madara takes Sasuke back to his lair and transplants Itachi's eyes on him to grant him the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Madara then goes to the Land of the Rain to confront Konan, who has defected from Akatsuki following Nagato's death, planning to get his hands on Nagato's Rinnegan. He makes the mistake of underestimating his former subordinate, who uses her knowledge of his powers to drive him into a corner, severly wounding him before trapping him in a chasm of exploding papers from which he cannot normally escape. Madara is forced to sacrifice his left eye to cast Izanagi and barely survives. He then forces Konan to reveal the location of Nagato's vault before seemingly killing her, and transplants a Rinnegan in his left eyesocket.

The Fourth Great Ninja War
Preparing for the upcomming war against the coalition of the five great nations, Madara (who has adopted a new outfit) strikes an uneasy alliance with Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's former right-hand-man and successor, despite not trusting him. (As he clearly understands that Kabuto is following his own agenda.) Madara reveals that he has created a hundred-thousand clones of Zetsu which he plans to use as his military forces, alongside many immensely powerful ninjas resurrected by Kabuto.

Some time later, he recieves a report from Kisame Hoshigaki, who faked his own death against Killer Bee following Madara's orders (so that he would be able to infiltrate the giant Turtle-Island in which Naruto and Killer Bee have been located) and was defeated in battle. Using these informations Madara plans to invade the Turtle-Island personally but Kabuto offers to go instead. Fortunately, the Tsuchikage (the lord of the Hidden Village of the Rocks) who went to protect the two Jinchurikis forces Kabuto to retreat, but the villain manages to abduct Yamato, one of Naruto's bodyguards who masters the Mokuton ability, whom Madara uses to increase the power of his Zetsu army. Madara is last seen prying informations on Kabuto about the forbidden resurrection spell that he used.

Akatsuki's forces are currently battling the Ninja Coalition, who manage to seal away many of the resurrected ninjas. When Naruto realizes that there is a war outside, he breaks away with Killer Bee and Zetsu informs Madara of their move. Madara then takes part in the war and summons the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to deal with the coalition's armies, while he steals a magical gourd in which two undead ninjas wielding the chakra of the Demon Fox have been sealed. Madara apparently plans to use the small parts of the remaining Tailed Demons that he owns to complete his plan.

Later that night, it is revealed that the clash between his army and the Ninja Coalition was only the first step of Madara's strategy. Indeed, the remaining Zetsu clones use the chakra they absorbed from their opponents to transform into perfect doubles of them, going undetected and decimating the remaning forces of the coalition from the inside, starting with the medical ninjas. Moreover, knowing from Kisame's report that Naruto gained the ability to sense evil intent, the only thing that can unmask a transformed Zetsu clone, he counts on this to bring him out of hiding. Even worse, he used Nagato's powers to reactivate the dreaded Six Paths of Pain, by granting a Sharingan and a Rasengan to the reanimated corpses of the former Jinchurikis.