Madara Uchiha arrives on the battlefield.

Episode 256 shows the different divisions of the Allied Shinobi Forces coming together for the first time.

The initial battles against the Zetsu army and Reanimated shinobi.

This episode marks the death of the "village system" as an isolating force. For decades, the hidden villages operated as separate, suspicious entities. In this moment, the Raikage commands the forces of Konoha, Suna, Kiri, and Iwa. The war begins as a desperate gasp for survival against the resurrected ghosts of the past.

The Fourth Shinobi World War is the definitive climax of the Naruto Shippuden series, spanning hundreds of episodes and featuring some of the most iconic battles in anime history. Because the war consists of several distinct phases—including the preliminary skirmishes, the climax against Madara, and the final battle between Naruto and Sasuke—pinpointing the exact "start" and "end" can be tricky. When Does the Fourth Shinobi World War Start?

The true end of the war effort occurs between , culminating in the final defeat of the Ten-Tails and the redemption of Obito Uchiha. The conflict ends not when the last soldier falls, but when Naruto’s philosophy of forgiveness penetrates Obito’s heart. The war ends when the cycle of hatred is broken, not by killing the enemy, but by understanding his pain.

Obito (disguised as Madara) declares war on the Five Kage in Episode 205 .