Which Episode 4th Ninja War Start [patched] Jun 2026

Furthermore, Episode 248 delivers the first sustained combat of the conflict. The Allied forces take their positions, and contact is made. While major characters like Naruto, Sasuke, and the resurrected Kage will join later, this episode focuses on the rank-and-file shinobi—the anonymous warriors who constitute the true cost of war. We witness the sensory units detecting the enemy, the long-range divisions unleashing initial barrages, and the front lines collapsing into chaotic melee. This is not a skirmish or a prelude; it is the opening battle. The episode ends with the war formally announced by the Raikage over communication lines, but by then, shinobi are already dying. The narration has shifted from “will there be war?” to “how will this war be won?”

The immediate precursor to the war is often confused with a block of filler episodes. Episodes 223 to 242 consist largely of "Paradise Life on the Boat"—a lengthy filler arc where Naruto is being escorted to the Land of Lightning. While these episodes are skippable for plot progression, they serve which episode 4th ninja war start

Some might argue that the war truly begins in when the reanimated Jinchuriki and Madara Uchiha himself enter the fray, raising the power scale dramatically. However, this confuses the escalation of a war with its origin. A war does not require its most powerful generals to be present at the first shot. World War II began with the invasion of Poland in 1939, not the Normandy landings in 1944. Similarly, the Fourth Great Ninja War begins the moment two organized, opposing armies engage in sustained combat. That moment is Episode 248, when the White Zetsu advance and the Allied divisions respond. Furthermore, Episode 248 delivers the first sustained combat

To understand why this specific episode marks the beginning, it is necessary to look at the events leading up to it. The stage for the war was set much earlier, during the Five Kage Summit Arc (roughly Episode 197–214). It is here that the villain Tobi (Obito Uchiha) declares war on the Five Great Nations after they refuse to hand over the jinchuriki, Killer Bee and Naruto. While this is the political start of the conflict, a declared war does not become a "Great War" until armies mobilize and clash. Following this declaration, the narrative shifts to the "Confining the Jinchuriki" arc, where the nations form the Allied Shinobi Forces and Naruto is sent into isolation to keep him safe from the enemy. We witness the sensory units detecting the enemy,

The battle against the Ten-Tails and the transformation of Obito and Madara.

". Narutopedia +1 While the physical fighting begins in that episode, there are several key milestones leading up to and defining the war arc: The Declaration (Episode 205): Tobi (masked Madara) officially declares the war during the Five Kage Summit . The War Arc Start (Episode 261): This episode, titled "For My Friend," marks the official start of the Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc as the Allied Shinobi Forces mobilize. The First Battle (Episode 262): The first actual skirmish occurs between the Surprise Attack Division and Akatsuki's ambush squad. Madara's Entrance (Episode 322): The real Madara Uchiha officially joins the battlefield in the episode "

The Fourth Ninja War is the longest saga in the series, spanning several sub-arcs: