Akatsuki

{Wikipedia|Akatsuki (Naruto)}}

The is a criminal organization of S-rank missing-nins. Their main goal is to collect all of the tailed beasts for their plan of world domination.

The Akatsuki, prior the execution of their plans had at any given time, nine primary members, all of which are S-Class from their respective villages. The Akatsuki 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.

The Akatsuki is widespread, spanning several countries with many agents possibly in all the ninja villages at least once. When one team finds a tailed beasts and has to begin the job of sealing the demon, they have hidden hideouts with many traps ready, to begin the sealing with the leader's astral projection for a three day long jutsu.

Goal
Although some members joined Akatsuki to further their own goals, all are united in Akatsuki's ultimate goal of gaining domination over the Shinobi world. The leader, Pein, 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 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 can't afford to charge such low prices, leading the smaller countries to hire Akatsuki over the more expensive shinobi villages. By using the tailed beasts, Akatsuki can 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 will collapse due to a lack of funds. Finally, after Akatsuki is the only major force of shinobi in existence, they can easily conquer the other countries. Despite the severity of this plan, members do not automatically learn of it upon joining; Hidan did not 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 Akatsuki's effort and screentime within the series. Each Akatsuki member 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 One-Tailed Shukaku, the Two-Tailed Demon Cat, the three-tailed beast, the four-tailed beast, and three others. Pein later went into further detail on the tailed beasts' role in his plans. The beasts would be used to create a deadly technique that could wipe out a country 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 technique. Whichever side uses 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, which in a sense, will cause world peace. Madara on the other hand, wishes to use the beasts to return his Sharingan to its true power.

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 cloak with red clouds, red interior with a chin-high collar. All members 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. Some members tend to wear their village headband with a scar through the middle to show their defection.

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. It appears these rings are important to being a member of the Akatsuki as when Orochimaru defects, he takes his ring with him and as such wasn't replaced. The rings may be connected to the sealing jutsu used to extract the tailed beasts but it has not been confirmed.

The various rings are:
 * Right thumb: 零 rei, "zero"; currently worn by Pein.
 * Right index finger: 青龍 Seiryū, the Azure Dragon; formerly worn by Deidara.
 * Right middle finger: 白虎 Byakko, the White Tiger; currently worn by Konan.
 * Right ring finger: 朱雀 Suzaku, the Vermilion Bird; formerly worn by Itachi Uchiha.
 * Right little finger: 玄武 Genbu, the Black Tortoise; currently worn by Zetsu.
 * Left little finger: 空陳 Kūchin, the Void; formerly worn by Orochimaru.
 * Left ring finger: 南斗 Nanju, Sagittarius (lit. Southern Star); currently worn by Kisame Hoshigaki.
 * Left middle finger: 北斗 Hokuto, the Big Dipper (lit. Northern Star); formerly worn by Kakuzu.
 * Left index finger: 三台 santai, "three levels"; worn by Hidan.
 * Left thumb: 玉女 gyokunyo, the Virgin; currently worn by Tobi, formerly worn by Sasori.

Members

 * Pein (Akatsuki Leader)
 * Konan
 * Kisame Hoshigaki
 * Zetsu
 * Madara Uchiha/Tobi (Akatsuki Founder)

Former members

 * Deidara (deceased, unreplaced)
 * Kakuzu (deceased, unreplaced)
 * Hidan (incapacitated, unreplaced)
 * Sasori (deceased, replaced by Tobi)
 * Orochimaru (defected, unreplaced, although member count returned to 9 by Deidara joining)
 * Itachi Uchiha (deceased, unreplaced)

Associates

 * Yura (Deceased)
 * Sasori Underling (Unnamed, acted as Kisame's double, deceased)
 * Kabuto Yakushi (Defected)