Recaps

Madara dismantled Root, built a safer life for Naruto and Sasuke, and led Team 7 on its first mission before arranging an alliance with Kirigakure. The arc ended with Madara facing Yagura on a lake as Zabuza confronted the Mizukage’s guards.

• Madara and Guy killed Tanaka Qinghai and the Root pursuers in the Land of Lightning, then reported Root’s actions to Konoha and helped bring Danzo down.
• Madara and the Uchiha Clan took over Root, abolished its brutal methods, and secured approval to recruit outsiders into the Police Force.
• Madara exposed Obito’s attempt to recruit him, alerted Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, and later sent Kazuhiko Sarutobi to gather intelligence in the Land of Fire’s capital.
• Madara became Team 7’s instructor and passed Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura after Sakura overcame her doubts and joined their attack.
• Team 7 escorted Tazuna toward the Land of Waves, where Madara uncovered Gato’s plot, defeated Zabuza, and sent Naruto and Sasuke to fight Haku.
• Madara brought Zabuza and his followers to Gato’s villa, took control of Gato’s company, and traveled to Kirigakure to negotiate with Mei Terumi, Ao, and Master Kūkai.
• Madara offered to help Mei and Ao kill Yagura in exchange for an alliance and Kirigakure’s future support, then went to confront Yagura while Zabuza engaged his guards.

Madara helped end Yagura’s rule, then Konoha hosted the Chunin Exams, where Naruto and Sasuke advanced through their matches. The exams erupted into an invasion, and Sasuke and Naruto pursued the transformed Gaara while Konoha’s defenders fought the attackers.

• Madara killed Yagura, and Mei Terumi ordered Kirigakure’s forces to eliminate the factions connected to him before Madara departed.
• Madara returned to Konoha, where Hiruzen approved an alliance with Kirigakure and announced that Konoha would host the Chunin Exams.
• In the Forest of Death, Orochimaru attacked Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, but Madara drove him off and removed the Five Elements Seal from Naruto.
• Sakura guarded Naruto and Sasuke until Neji and his teammates repelled Dosu, Zaku, and Kin, and the surviving Genin advanced to the next stage.
• Naruto defeated Kiba and later Neji, while Sasuke defeated Gaara’s fellow examinees and began their official match.
• The Sound and Sand forces launched an invasion during Sasuke’s fight with Gaara, and Hiruzen confronted Orochimaru while Madara and Konoha’s ninja fought the attackers.
• Naruto and Sasuke caught up with Gaara outside Konoha, where Gaara partially transformed into the One-Tail and Sasuke carried the fight away from the village.
• Sasuke damaged Gaara’s transformed arm with explosive tags and Chidori, but Gaara regenerated, so Sasuke launched him into the sky and pursued him.

Madara became Fifth Hokage, reshaped Konoha’s leadership and the Hyuga Clan, and forced other villages to back away from the Byakugan. He then led a mission to the Land of Rice Fields, where his team fought Orochimaru’s experiments as Madara moved to reclaim the country’s leadership.

• Sasuke defeated Gaara with Kirin, and the Third Hokage died sealing the First and Second Hokage’s souls and Orochimaru’s hands before Madara killed the Sound Four and forced Orochimaru to serve him.
• Madara secured support to become Fifth Hokage, accepted Jiraiya’s recognition, and used a genjutsu to make Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji confront the destruction caused by Sunagakure’s attack before agreeing on terms with Baki.
• Madara transplanted Hashirama Cells into Uchiha Itachi’s body, became Fifth Hokage, and abolished the Caged Bird Seal after demonstrating that he could remove it.
• Jiraiya and Naruto helped Tsunade overcome her fear of blood during the fight with Orochimaru and Kabuto, and Tsunade later accepted Madara’s offer to lead Konoha’s Medical Corps.
• Madara confronted the Fourth Raikage over Hizashi’s death, spared him to avoid war after Kumogakure’s twelve veterans took responsibility, and returned to Konoha as other villages curbed their Byakugan plans.
• Madara sent Neji and Sasuke to investigate Otogakure, then led a mission to the Land of Rice Fields after learning Kabuto had helped provoke a conflict and the Daimyo had died.
• Sasuke killed Orochimaru’s rapidly healing Test Subject with combined lightning and fire, while Neji defeated another experiment by crushing its heart with Repeated Palms.
• Madara left Sasuke to protect Ishigami Kenya’s family and took Kenya to the Royal Palace to reclaim control of the Land of Rice Fields.

Madara secured peace with the Land of Rice Fields, built alliances and covert plans against the Akatsuki, and sent Sasuke and Neji to strengthen Otogakure. After Neji died and Sasuke awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, Naruto returned from training and joined Sasuke on a mission to rescue Gaara, whose death set off the confrontation with the Akatsuki.

• Madara defeated Otogakure’s forces, and the Land of Rice Fields agreed to peace and an alliance with the Land of Fire rather than face annexation.
• Genshin and Shinhiko revealed their political bargain with Madara and the Bounty Exchange Office’s role in limiting the villages, while Madara arranged to garrison the Land of Rice Fields and pursue Orochimaru.
• Madara secretly worked with Orochimaru, sent Sasuke and Neji to recruit Jūgo and Suigetsu, and began studying the nature energy in Jūgo’s abilities.
• Madara trained Jūgo in controlling nature energy and sent Sasuke, Neji, and Jūgo to rescue children and capture Orochimaru’s base, where they encountered Karin and Ranmaru.
• Ranmaru killed Neji, prompting Sasuke to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan and kill Ranmaru, and Madara then urged Sasuke to find his own ambition, while Sasuke promised to help bring peace.
• Naruto returned to Konoha after three years of training, but Madara soon sent him, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi to Sunagakure after Akatsuki captured Gaara.
• Sasuke’s team broke the cave’s Five-Seal Barrier and found Gaara dead, so Sasuke divided the group to pursue Deidara and confront Sasori.
• Sasuke faced Sasori with his sword, while Granny Chiyo identified Sasori’s puppet as the Third Kazekage, whom Sasori had killed.