The Fourth Great Ninja War is easily the most destructive and encompassing arc in the Naruto series. The Five Nations and their finest shinobi banded together to stand against Madara Uchiha, Kabuto, their Gedo Statue, and the Edo Tensei forces under their command.
However, with many characters moving in many more different places, it's easy to forget people ~ or facts ~ that fell through the cracks in the process. It's time to revisit the largest conflict in ninja history, discovering ten things that may not have been apparent.
10 Madara's Partial Redemption
Madara's "redemption" was unlike any of Naruto's antagonists. Unlike Zabuza or Obito, Madara's penance came only after he was defeated and his machinations had come crashing down around him.
While Madara rightfully died as a scourge among shinobi, Hashirama regarded him with fondness as he drew his dying breath. They spoke about how they could have been war buddies, ruminating on the brief peace which existed between Uchiha and Senju. It ultimately reflects the malicious and lasting effects that Black Zetsu visited on the ninja world, cementing Kaguya's servant as the series's most wicked mind.
9 Kabuto's Edo Tensei Plan Backfired
The Edo Tensei allowed Kabuto to raise the dead and impress them into his service. He could either render them mindless drones, little more than trained ghouls to do his bidding, or allow them their previous personalities as individuals.
Understanding the psychologically scarring effect of the latter, Kabuto decided upon it instead. However, this caused many more problems than it was worth. Namely, it allowed the zombies to shout encouragement to their foes and tips on how to circumvent their Jutsu. Kabuto would sometimes remedy this, though not enough to a meaningful degree on a large scale.
8 The Leaf Has More Say Than Other Villages
Sasuke Uchiha's crimes are numerous, having worked alongside the Akatsuki and nearly kidnapping Killer Bee. After Sasuke's fateful fight with Naruto which resulted in his imprisonment, the Leaf would decide his fate.
However, this discredits the actions Sasuke took against the other four nations, depriving them of any agency to determine his punishment. It illustrates a palpable imbalance in power which may call into question exactly how "equal" the villages are to one another. It is especially egregious since Sasuke threatened to murder all of them and conquer the planet.
7 Jiraiya Wasn't Reanimated
Initially, it may be understandable as to why Jiraiya was not reanimated. Kabuto did not want to cross paths with Pain, who had personal ties to the Great Sage. However, the war occurred long after Nagato's death ~ when he himself became reanimated.
Given that they had ample biological material to use (specifically, Jiraiya's severed arm), it stands to reason that he would have made a fantastic opponent for Naruto and the others to face. Defeating Jiraiya would have been physically and emotionally taxing for Naruto, testing his former pupil to his limit.
6 No One Noticed Mass Grave Digging
The Edo Tensei necessitates a sample of the subject to be enacted correctly. This entailed Kabuto venturing on an excursion across the world, digging up powerful relatives in order to bring them into his service.
Astoundingly, no one seemed to notice that Kabuto had taken these samples, nor that the graves themselves had been disturbed after he left. Should any have been more perceptive, it's possible they could have prevented the Shinobi War before it began, especially if they secured their dead more vigilantly.
5 Kabuto Respects Taijutsu
While Kabuto may have raised lesser ninja to do his bidding on account of miscalculating the graves of great opponents, one of the warriors he reanimated was Master Chen. One of the first progenitors of Taijutsu, Master Chen was able to produce it in quantities that match Rock Lee and Guy Sensei.
This suggested that Kabuto respected Taijutsu and its capabilities, a surprising facet of his personality, given his focus on the other two forms of fighting. It's possible that he could have learned to respect it from Lee's valiant efforts against Gaara and the Sound Ninja in the Chunin Exams.
4 The Allied Shinobi Forces' Cooperation
The bond between the Allied Shinobi Forces was a tenuous one. Their histories are ones of bloodshed, growing to distrust one another through their perilous childhoods. Even Minato had to save Kushina from being kidnapped by Cloud shinobi.
Despite this checkered past, their forces worked together astonishingly well, only to break into an occasional verbal dispute. They put aside their differences to achieve a common goal, attesting to a universally shared desire of preservation over satisfying their vendettas.
3 White Zetsu's Cloning Technique
The Allied Shinobi Forces' cooperation was especially impressive considering their camp was infiltrated by White Zetsu. It is understandable they failed to distinguish them from their originals; after all, they are able to copy attitude, appearance, and even chakra presence.
Because of this nefarious ability, it's possible that the technique could be studied and replicated further by ninja scientists like Kabuto or Orochimaru for later use. Establishing an army with this skill would make its master a terrifying force to contend with, as only they could distinguish between ally and enemy.
2 Appointing A New Hokage
Though the station of appointing a Kage is usually delegated to the village elders, their corruption was made known through the schemes of Danzo Shimura. With the reanimation of the previous Four Hokage, a new opportunity arose; one for Konoha's founding fathers to determine who their next leader should be.
Unfortunately, they returned to the afterlife, withholding their wisdom from their people. Nonetheless, Kakashi's appointment shortly precipitated Naruto's, one of the wisest and most powerful leaders the shinobi world had yet seen. Uzumaki's leadership equals that of his father's, endeavoring daily to make his parents proud.
1 Anko Got Left Behind
Anko was one of the first to confront Kabuto, hoping to put an end to his schemes before his evil could eclipse Orochimaru's. Her plan was not well thought out, resulting in her capture. She would spend most of the war listening to Kabuto's exposition as he manipulated his soldiers to enact his will.
Once Kabuto had been defeated, Anko's seal was used to resuscitate Orochimaru, who would in turn restore the Kage to answer Sasuke's questions. However, Anko herself was left behind in the cavern where she was found. Fortunately, she somehow managed to make her way out.