Naruto: 5 Ways Madara Was Right To Betray The Leaf (& 5 He Wasn't)

One of the most powerful shinobi to exist in the Naruto universe, Madara Uchiha was the main antagonist of the Fourth Ninja War arc and an ancient enemy to Konoha. However, like most anime adversaries, he is more understandably villainous than he may at first appear.

RELATED: Naruto: 5 Shinobi Sakura Could Defeat (& 5 She'd Lose To)

As grave as the destruction he caused may have been, many factors justified his decision to turn against Hashirama, whether before or after his betrayal. By weighing the merit behind the choice against its flaws, fans can determine how wicked Madara actually was.

10 Right - Tobirama Killed His Brother

As touching as Hashirama's pleas for peace may have been, Madara would understandably find them difficult to relate to. During their feud against one another, Tobirama was responsible for killing the man's brother, Izuna Uchiha.

After the dust had settled, this entailed that Madara would be forced to live with his sibling's killer if there were to be peace. Moreover, he would also have to accept the fact that Tobirama had a position of power in the Leaf on account of his close relationship to his own brother.

9 Wrong - Hashirama's Diplomacy

Hashirama made every effort to appeal to Madara's senses, including numerous displays of humbling himself. This would be to Tobirama's irritation, especially for the fact that the elder Senju was stronger than the adversary he was groveling before.

Nonetheless, it demonstrates a profound willingness for peace and one that Madara was unreasonably unwilling to accommodate as time elapsed. Were he more attentive to Hashirama's words, it would have dissuaded much of the distrust hovering over the clan at the time and may have even resulted in a united and stronger Konoha.

8 Right - Evolving His Sharingan

One fact of the Uchiha clan is that their Sharingan reaches echelons that would otherwise be unattainable after experiencing personal emotional trauma. This is partially why Sasuke was able to become profoundly stronger after he distanced from the Leaf village (also including Itachi's treachery).

By turning against the treaty, Madara was also increasing his own strength and preparing his people if the Senju (or others) might endanger them once again. Considering the power at his disposal, he can defend them single-handedly, should such a disaster arise and need to be dealt with.

7 Wrong - The Uchiha Police Force

Attempting to mollify the Uchiha's fears of being outcast did not go without action. To satisfy them, the Senju's gave them responsibility for protecting Konoha as its police force.

RELATED: Naruto: 5 Shinobi The Fourth Raikage Could Crush (& 5 That'd Defeat Him)

This entailed that the Leaf's leadership was comfortable in allowing the clan to lord over its subjects and mediate between disputes, thereby proving an implacable faith in their judgment. Unfortunately, this would not be considered sufficient in avoiding the disasters to come on either end of the growing tensions, even if it was an ample olive branch to extend.

6 Right - The Uchiha Tablets

The Uchiha Tablet was more than decorative. Its clan held it with nearly religious reverence, assuming that everything which had been engraved on it would be immutable fact.

Therefore, while Madara had ultimately made a mistake by abiding by its predictions (on account of Zetsu's manipulation), it would nonetheless help to justify his coming decisions.  He was following the traditions of those who had come before by adhering to it. Tragically, this would only result in the clan's demise instead of the prosperity the infinite Tsukuyomi promised him.

5 Wrong - The Innocent Would Suffer

Regardless of how justified Madara assumed himself to be by turning against Konoha, it would still necessitate an enormous amount of innocent suffering before a conclusive result of the conflict could be found.

RELATED: Naruto: 8 Anime Characters Itachi Uchiha Would Choose As A Partner (& 7 He Wouldn't Like)

Not only was this true within Konoha, it was also applicable to the other villages, as the Leaf's weakening would compel them to attack it and essentially start another Great Shinobi War. This was precisely the disaster Itachi sought to avoid, even at the cost of his own family and honor as a ninja.

4 Right - The Uchiha Genocide

When seeking to actively combat the Senju, Madara justified that inaction would be the bane of his people. Though it may not have manifested as he had predicted, this was ultimately revealed to be true.

He may have been under orders, but Itachi slaughtered almost all of his brethren, including his friends and even his own family. Only Sasuke was spared of the carnage, who would, in turn, become much like Madara himself ーmuch to his older brother's fear and chagrin. While only Danzo Shimura can be blamed for the genocide, Hiruzen Sarutobi's inaction is considerable.

3 Wrong - His Own People Were Against It

As charismatic of a leader as Madara may have been at one point, his pleas to warn his people and rallying cries to turn against the Senju fell on deaf ears. Despite some pitfalls, they were happy coinciding with the Leaf, frustrating their clan leader to no end.

CBR Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters

Our main newsletter packed with the latest updates, reviews and buzz from the worlds of movies, TV, anime, comics, and beyond. Get ready and let's dive in! Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Instead of considering the wishes of his clan and accommodating them, Madara decided that he was worthy of operating in their best interestーwithout their consent. This would only serve to widen the rift between the two tribes and justify Danzo's later actions.

2 Right - The Izanagi Arm

Perhaps almost grotesque as the Uchiha genocide itself was of Danzo's intentions behind it. Working alongside Orochimaru, he designed an arm laden with Sharingan to use as an advantage in battle.

The fact that he had collected these eyes after the clan had been murdered suggests that there were ulterior motives in slaying them, to begin with. It makes Danzo's ability to function within Konoha even more egregious since he was making a mockery of what would become the darkest hour in the village's history.

1 Wrong - Result

The result of Madara's plan to save his people was a complete and decisive failure. Not only would the Uchiha perish regardless, but many more shinobi would also die as a product of the Fourth Shinobi War.

Further, Madara was fully aware of the fact that no matter how many enemies he murdered, he would not be able to bring his clan back through the infinite Tsukuyomi. He did so in order to live in an idyllic world where the wrongs had been righted, even if this dream was unsustainable and would conclude with his second death.

NEXT: Naruto: 5 Ways Shippuden Surpassed The Original Series (& 5 It Didn't)