Pein/original


 * Name: Pein
 * Age: Unknown
 * Birthday: Unknown
 * Blood Type: Unknown
 * Height: Unknown
 * Weight: Unknown
 * Rank: S
 * Ring: 零 ("nothing", "zero")
 * Ring position: Right thumb
 * Partner: Konan
 * Membership status: Active leader

is the recognized leader of Akatsuki and a missing-nin from Amegakure. He is referred to as "leader" by all Akatsuki members except for Konan, who refers to him by his name. Although he directs the actions of the other members and maintains authority over them, Pein takes orders from Tobi, who is actually Madara Uchiha. In addition to acting as Akatsuki's leader, Pein was the leader of of the winning faction in the Land of Rain's latest civil war; he has his base of operations for Akatsuki and his faction situated within Amegakure. The members of Pein's faction wear their Amegakure forehead protectors with a scratch through it the way the full members of Akatsuki do. During his initial appearances Pein is shown as nothing more than a shadowy figure with unusual eyes, having several increasingly lighter gray circles around the pupil and a pink outline on the corners of his eyes. As the series progressed however, elements of his appearance were slowly revealed, with both his spiked auburn hair and the piercings on his lower face being shown before his actual debut.

Although he has not been seen in battle, Konan states that Pein has never lost a fight. The only named ability he is seen using, the Shapeshifting Technique, allows him to clone his subordinates using human sacrifices that they control and can use to engage enemies without risking their own lives. The clones formed are perfect copies of the original, possessing any unique genetic traits or weapons they may possess. The clone's abilities are proportionate to the amount of chakra, given to the clone. Pein has also displayed the ability to detect the movements and chakra levels of people traveling within rain, as well as the ability to control rain, such as stopping it or keeping it going for long periods of time.

Pein was first recognized as the Akatsuki leader when he single-handedly stopped a growing quarrel between Deidara and Sasori with just a verbal command. It was unknown whether the Akatsuki Leader had a partner, but it was reveled that Konan of Akatsuki was his partner.

Jutsus

 * Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals
 * Shapeshifting Jutsu
 * Akatsuki Astral Projection (unnamed)
 * Starting and stopping massive rainfall, sensing enemies under it

Speculations

 * Before manga chapter 363 when the face of Pein has actually been fully shown, there was a theory highly popular in fandom that stated the Akatsuki Leader is the Fourth Hokage. This speculation has been recently resolved as incorrect.
 * It is highly probable that the Leader is the most lethal of the Akatsuki. Konan stated he never lost a battle, but he has never been seen in combat yet.