Akatsuki

is a criminal organization of S-Class missing-nins (except Pain and Konan) and is the most wanted group in all of shinobi world. Their main goal is to collect all of the tailed-beasts for their plan on world domination. As such, Akatsuki, despite initially having a minor role during the first half of the series, have become and are now the primary antagonists, particularly in Naruto: Shippūden.

Akatsuki at any given time is composed of no more than ten primary members, all of whom are or were S-Class criminals of their respective villages. Members always work in teams of two with the exception of Zetsu, who functions as the organization's spy, and make use of their unique skills to the teams advantage. Team members at the very least have to have functional team work with their partner even if they don't like each other. Despite this, it appears the organization hardly ever has a full meeting with them all together, as when they first met at the end of Part I, one said it was the first time in seven years they were all together.

Akatsuki is widespread, spanning several countries with agents in various places. When one team finds a tailed-beast and has to begin the job of sealing the demon, they have hidden hideouts with many traps ready, to begin the sealing with the organization's apparent leader's astral projection for a three-day long jutsu.

Goal
Main Goal: Although some members joined the Akatsuki to further their own goals, all are united in the Akatsuki's ultimate goal of gaining world domination. The apparent leader, Pain, has created a three-step process to work their way towards this goal. First, they plan to obtain a large amount of money to support their organization. Second, they plan to set up a mercenary group loyal only to the Akatsuki. To build their reputation, they plan to accept any mission below the usual cost and operate off of the excess funds earned in the first part of their plan. Because there haven't been any wars in some time, the established shinobi villages couldn't afford to charge such low prices, leading the smaller countries to hire the Akatsuki over the more expensive shinobi villages. By using the tailed beasts, the Akatsuki would start wars and then immediately quell them, solidifying their reputation and convincing every country to depend on them, thus cornering the market in shinobi labor. Without any business, the other shinobi villages would collapse due to a lack of funds. Finally, after the Akatsuki is the only major force of shinobi in existence, they can easily conquer the other countries. Members do not automatically learn of the plan upon joining; Hidan didn't find out about it until he had been a member for quite some time.

The tailed-beasts, nine gigantic demons of immense power, are the focus of much of the Akatsuki's efforts and screentime within the series. Each member of the Akatsuki is assigned to capture one of the nine beasts alive or, in most cases, the person that beast has been sealed into. Akatsuki has so far obtained seven of the nine: the first through the seventh tailed beasts.

However, this plan may just be a ruse as the Akatsuki's three most prominent members have separate goals in mind.

Madara's Goal: Madara plans on using the Akatsuki to gain the tailed-beasts for himself and use their power to restore the strength of his Mangekyo Sharingan. Since the early years of Konoha, he has showed great interest in destroying Konoha.

Pain's Goal: Pain later goes into further detail on the tailed beasts' role in his plans. The beasts would be used to create a deadly kinjutsu technique that could wipe out one of the five great nations in an instant, so if countries go to war and do not have ninja villages to fight for them, they would turn to the Akatsuki and their "weapons". Whichever side makes Pain use the technique first would wipe out the opposing country, which would scare them into never using their weapon again, and scare the other countries to never start a war or they would be wiped out too. Through the mutual fear, war would cease to exist and the world would know peace, until the people forget that fear and use the weapon again. Thus the cycle would repeat, creating small periods of peace in an endless chain of hatred.

Itachi's Goal: After the Uchiha Massacre and leaving Konoha, Itachi, instead of using the tailed-beasts for his own self-interest, continued to protect the village by joining the Akatsuki and keeping an eye on them (especially Sasuke) from the outside. During his time in the group, Itachi would delay his own attempts to capture the Nine-Tailed Fox, leaked indirectly various information about the organization to Konoha, and attempted to kill Madara through Sasuke. Before his death, Itachi gave Naruto some of his "power", telling him to continue protecting Konoha and Sasuke, should the event occur that Sasuke would plan for their village's destruction. The "power" that Itachi gave to Naruto remains unknown.

Wardrobe
Akatsuki members have a similar way of dress, which could give them away if a village is alerted of their presence. Members wear long, dark cloaks with red clouds, a red interior, and a chin-high collar. All members, except Tobi (due to the fact that he's wearing gloves), wear nail polish of varying colors on their finger and toenails, and may wear a conical straw hat with small spike-like balls hanging down to cover their faces. The hats may be used to move around in the general population unnoticed, or for when the weather requires one. Most members tend to wear their village headband with a scar through the middle to show their defection.

Colors of fingers and toenails are:
 * Pain/Konan, Deidara; Black
 * Itachi Uchiha/Kisame Hoshigaki; Dark purple
 * Kakuzu/Hidan; Dark Green
 * Sasori; Teal
 * Zetsu; Light purple

What seems to be most important however are their rings. In total there are ten rings given to each of the ten main members of the Akatsuki. The rings apparently signify one's membership, since when Orochimaru defects, he takes his ring with him and as such wasn't replaced. The ring's exact purpose have not been revealed.

The various rings are:
 * Right thumb: ; currently worn by Pain,
 * Right index finger: ; formerly worn by Deidara. Seiryu's color is teal,
 * Right middle finger: ; currently worn by Konan. Byakko is presumed to be white, due to the ring's name,
 * Right ring finger: ; formerly worn by Itachi Uchiha. Suzaku's color is red,
 * Right little finger: ; currently worn by Zetsu,
 * Left little finger: ; formerly worn by Orochimaru. Kuchin's color is light blue/gray,
 * Left ring finger: ; currently worn by Kisame Hoshigaki. Nanju's color is yellow,
 * Left middle finger: ; formerly worn by Kakuzu. Hokuto's color is green,
 * Left index finger: ; formerly worn by Hidan. Santai's color is orange,
 * Left thumb: ; currently worn by Tobi, formerly worn by Sasori. Gyokunyo's color is purple.

Eight of the ten kanji of the rings are taken from a kuji-in (Nine Syllable Seals): a collection of nine hand postures used in meditation. These kuji-in have found their way into ninja folklore as a kind of magic spells. Pain's "rei" and Zetsu's "gai" are not from this kuji-in. However, the only unused kuji-in kanji,, bears a strong resemblance to Zetsu's "gai," suggesting an error. It would be a consistent error, however, since the "gai" kanji has been used in every instance the ring's kanji has been shown, both in the manga and the data books.

In Part II, Team Hawk allies themselves with the Akatsuki. They wear the Akatsuki cloaks, but they seem to have hoods instead of high collars. None of them wears a headband, nail polishes, nor the rings, signifying that they're unofficial members.

Teams
Akatsuki teams are put together in teams of two to exploit combined strengths for the organization's goals to be met.

Active
A team that so far, functions very well with each other, as evidenced by Konan's loyalty to Pain. As the apparent leader of the Akatsuki, Pain directs the rest of the organization to their respective goals, his most direct interaction with the organization is using the Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals. Pain also is the leader of Amegakure, and uses the village as a type of headquarters for the Akatsuki, while Konan serves as the village's second-in-command.
 * Pain/Konan
 * Senior: Pain
 * Target(s): Nine-Tailed Demon Fox (Currently Fighting)

When the Akatsuki's ranks are thinned to five members, Madara enlists the aid of Team Hawk, who shares the desire for the destruction of Konoha. To complete their goals, Madara has ordered Team Hawk to hunt down the Eight-Tailed Giant Ox while the Akatsuki (particularly Pain) hunts for the Nine-Tailed Fox. Technically, the members of Team Hawk are not full members of the Akatsuki, as they do not possess the rings worn by each of the full members. However, they have been wearing the Akatsuki cloaks, signifying their affiliation with the organization.
 * Team Hawk
 * Target(s): Eight-Tailed Beast (Failed)

Not technically a team, but Zetsu has two personalities, effectively making it a team of two. Since each side has a level of individuality, they frequently argue with each other over which battles to watch, among other things.
 * Zetsu
 * Function: Spy

Inactive
A team that functioned well together and was highly effective. The two completed almost every assignment Pain gave them with little trouble with the Nine-Tailed Fox being the only known exception; With Itachi working as a double agent however, they may have failed this mission purposely. Unlike most Akatsuki teams, Itachi and Kisame got along very well; Kisame did as Itachi had asked him unquestioningly (even considering fall back) and they would often converse casually when not in combat.
 * Itachi/Kisame
 * Senior: Itachi
 * Target(s): Nine-Tailed Demon Fox (Itachi, Failed), Four-Tailed Beast (Kisame, Sealed)

Formed after Sasori's death, Tobi was introduced as his easily found replacement. Despite Tobi's eagerness to please his "senpai", his childish attitude was seen as a annoyance to Deidara's expectations of the organization. Despite the annoyance, the two worked well together, with Tobi planting Deidara's explosive clays underground during their fights. When Deidara was about to blow himself up in an attempt to kill Sasuke, he apologized to Tobi, saying that he too would be caught up in the ensuing blast.
 * Deidara/Tobi
 * Senior: Deidara
 * Target(s): Three-tailed Demon Turtle (Tobi, Sealed)

An unruly yet arguably the most effective team; usually doing unrelated jobs and always late in the line of work. Pain decided to put these two together because of their unique abilities. Hidan, as a result of a "Jashin experiment" could not be killed, even by decapitation, and Kakuzu could easily go into a rage and kill anyone around him, including his partner. Therefore, with Hidan, Kakuzu can go into a rage and not worry about his partner's well-being.
 * Kakuzu/Hidan
 * Senior: Kakuzu
 * Target(s): Two-Tailed Demon Cat (Sealed), Nine-Tailed Demon Fox (Failed)

They have shown the most hostility towards each other due to a conflict of interest; Kakuzu sees the rituals and beliefs of Hidan's religion to be a waste of time, and Hidan sees Kakuzu's willingness to do blasphemous things and his greediness to be unbearable, not to mention that Kakuzu's job as a bounty hunter usually gets on Hidan's nerve. Kisame refers to them as the because of their own methods of avoiding death.

Formed by the two artists of the Akatsuki, Sasori and Deidara worked well for the most part but had conflicting ideas on art. Sasori believed all art was to be kept permanent, such as his puppets, while Deidara thought art was to be instantaneous, then gone forever, such as his Exploding Clay. Sasori was impatient and liked to finish things quickly while Deidara liked to take his time. Sasori also had a network of spies that he manipulated (in the form of mind control) to aid the Akatsuki in their affairs.
 * Sasori/Deidara
 * Senior: Sasori
 * Target(s): One-Tailed Shukaku (Deidara, Sealed), Nine-Tailed Demon Fox (Failed)

Sasori claimed that he and Orochimaru worked well together during their partnership. However, when Orochimaru defected from the Akatsuki after his failed attempt on stealing Itachi's body, Sasori developed a grudge against his former partner.
 * Orochimaru/Sasori
 * Senior: Unknown
 * Target(s): Unknown

Immortality/Eternal Youth/Long Lifespan

 * Pain: uses King of Hell to repair and resurrect his other bodies, making him seemingly impossible to defeat as of date; He can even replace bodies that have been taken into custody by highly-skilled opponents.
 * Madara Uchiha/Tobi: possesses the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, through which he has achieved immortality, as seen from his advanced age and ability to survive fatal strikes.
 * Kakuzu: used Earth Grudge Fear to pluck out the hearts of his opponents and integrate them into his own body to maintain his long lifespan.
 * Hidan: became the "successful experiment of the Jashin religion's secret jutsu", and can survive even decapitation.
 * Sasori: changed his own body into a Human Puppet, thus achieving eternal youth.
 * Orochimaru: used Living Corpse Reincarnation to switch into healthier bodies indefinitely roughly once every 3 years.

Affiliation
Each member of the Akatsuki is known to be (or have been) affiliated with another group, except for Zetsu. Some fans believe that Zetsu comes from Kusagakure village because of his plant-like appearance. However, Zetsu's profile's "village of origin" section the data book is left blank and furthermore he doesn't wear a Grass headband.
 * Pain: Amegakure village (leader, "God").
 * Madara Uchiha/Tobi: Uchiha clan (leader, former), Konohagakure village (founder), Kirigakure village (Mizukage, former).
 * Konan: Amegakure village (second-in-command, "Angel").
 * Itachi Uchiha: Uchiha Clan (former), Konohagakure village (secret).
 * Kisame Hoshigaki: Kirigakure village (former), Seven Swordsmen of the Mist (former).
 * Kakuzu: Takigakure village (elite ninja, former), Bounty hunter.
 * Hidan: Yugakure village (former), Jashin religion.
 * Sasori: Sunagakure village (former).
 * Deidara: Iwagakure village (former), terrorist for hire.
 * Orochimaru: Konohagakure village (former), Legendary Sannin, Akatsuki (former), Otogakure village (founder, leader).
 * Team Hawk
 * Sasuke Uchiha: Uchiha clan, Konohagakure village (former), Team 7 (former), Otogakure village (former), Team Snake/Hawk (founder, leader).
 * Suigetsu Hozuki: Kirigakure village (status unknown), Seven Swordsman of the Mist (trainee), Otogakure village (experiment, former), Team Snake/Hawk.
 * Karin: Otogakure village (guard, former), Team Snake/Hawk.
 * Jugo: Otogakure village (experiment, former), Team Snake/Hawk.

Crimes that Led to Defection

 * Madara Uchiha/Tobi:  attacked his village.
 * Itachi Uchiha: murdered the entire Uchiha clan (under the secret orders of the Konoha elders).
 * Kisame Hoshigaki: murdered a Daimyo and served as an espionage.
 * Kakuzu: stole the Earth Grudge Fear technique, along with the hearts of every elder of his village.
 * Hidan: murdered his neighbors for their ways of peace.
 * Sasori: practiced on the inhumane desecration of corpses and murdered the Third Kazekage (village unaware of this act at the time)
 * Deidara: became a terrorist bomber for hire.
 * Orochimaru
 * (from Konohagakure): practiced inhumane forbidden techniques and abducted villagers for its experiments.
 * (from the Akatsuki): attempted to steal Itachi Uchiha's body (which ended in failure).
 * Sasuke Uchiha
 * (from Konohagakure): left for seeking Orochimaru for power.
 * (from Otogakure): left after absorbing Orochimaru.

Reason(s) Behind Recruitment Into the Akatsuki

 * Pain: wants "world peace", having "suffered enough" in his childhood, and wishes to stop war, ironically with more war, now that he has the power to do so.
 * Madara/Tobi: banished from and desired vengeance against Konoha for attacking his village, as well as wanting more power by restoring the strength of his Mangekyo Sharingan.
 * Konan: presumably due to her unwavering loyalty to Pain; a loyalty that can be interpreted as "Love".
 * Itachi: feigned defection from Konoha (secretly remaining loyal to it) by joining the most dangerous organization known to all five countries (after killing his clan under the secret orders of the village's elders) while secretly watching over his younger brother, Sasuke.
 * Zetsu: presumably because of having the same goal with the Akatsuki: World Domination; an intent that can be interpreted as "Land".
 * Kisame: presumably because of being banished from and desiring vengeance against his country for numerous killings; a hatred that can be interpreted as "Spite".
 * Kakuzu: presumably because of desiring more money; a purpose that can be interpreted as "Resources".
 * Hidan: presumably because of the Akatsuki practicing religious-like activities (i.e. a ritual that concerned the sealing of the tailed-beasts) suited to his liking; an act that can be interpreted as "Religion".
 * Deidara: was forced into Akatsuki's service, due to Itachi's "insistence".
 * Sasuke: desires vengeance against Konoha in retribution for his clan's near-extermination at the expense of his older brother, Itachi.

Current Members

 * Pain (Akatsuki Co-Founder /Apparent Leader)
 * Madara Uchiha/Tobi (Akatsuki Co-Founder/Benefactor/True Leader)
 * Konan
 * Kisame Hoshigaki
 * Zetsu (Akatsuki Spy)

Former Members

 * Itachi Uchiha (Deceased, Unreplaced)
 * Kakuzu (Deceased, Unreplaced)
 * Hidan (Incapacitated, Presumed Deceased, Unreplaced)
 * Sasori (Deceased, Replaced by Tobi)
 * Deidara (Deceased, Unreplaced)
 * Orochimaru (Defected, Unreplaced, Presumed Deceased, Sealed within Kabuto)

Associates

 * Amegakure no Sato
 * Kirigakure no Sato
 * Kabuto Yakushi (Former Sasori Underling) (Defected)
 * Yura (Sasori Underling) (Deceased)
 * Mukade (Sasori Underling) (Deceased)
 * Genji (Kakuzu's Banker) (Status Unknown)
 * Zangei (Bounty Collector) (Captured)

Creation and Conception
In the Naruto Hiden: Sha no Sho Character Official Data Book, Masashi Kishimoto stated that he had originally planned on making the Akatsuki a group of monsters with almost no human characteristics. He also states that the Akatsuki teams get two single rooms to sleep in.

Trivia

 * Itachi and Kisame are the first two members of the Akatsuki that have been introduced in the series.
 * Despite being high ranking members, Pain and Konan are not missing-nin due to the fact that they are still affiliated with their village (Amegakure), even rising to the rank of leading it.
 * With the exception of Hidan, all members of the Akatsuki who have died have either lost or removed their Akatsuki uniforms before dying.
 * Hidan mentions in Part II that he is new to the group; This is seemingly corroborated in the Akatsuki's holographic meeting at the end of Part I. The figure of a tall, bulky individual can be seen (presumably Hidan's predecessor) who bears no resemblance to any known Akatsuki member. This is most-likely Kakuzu's previous partners as he is known for killing them when angry.
 * Masashi Kishimoto once stated that the Akatsuki was originally going to be a group of monsters. This idea somewhat carried through to the final version of the Akatsuki as almost all members of somewhat "monstrous" aspects to them: Itachi's Susano'o technique, Kisame's shark-like appearance, Deidara's C4 explosive doll and numerous mouths, Sasori's Hiruko puppet, Orochimaru's snake-like abilities and use of forbidden jutsu, Kakuzu's stitched together body and thread creatures, Hidan's grim reaper-like curse form, Zetsu's Venus Flytrap and two sides of his head, and Pain's peircings and many bodies.
 * In the manga and anime debut of the first quote above, Pain mentions and insinuates each member of the Akatsuki's motives for being in the organization (except for Tobi/Madara, who wasn't present in this scene, and Sasori, who was already dead). He mentions that the drives for war are of no concern, and in the anime scene, each motive mentioned focuses on an Akatsuki member: Religion (Hidan), Ideology (Itachi), Resources (Kakuzu), Land (Zetsu), Spite (Kisame), Love (Konan), and "Just Because" (Deidara). He doesn't mention his own motive for world peace at that instant, as it is revealed later in the series.
 * Hidan and Kakuzu were the only Akatsuki two-man team to have both members eliminated simultaneously.
 * Deidara was the only member of the Akatsuki who was forced to join the organization.