Konan

is the only female ninja in Akatsuki and the only member to call her partner, Nagato, by his name.

Background
When she was younger, Konan's family was killed during the Second Great Shinobi World War and she was left to fend for herself. Sometime later, Yahiko found her and the two worked together to survive. Not long after that, Konan went for a walk and found a young dying Nagato and his dog, Chibi. She then rescued Nagato and bought him back to Yahiko's hideout, hence becoming close friends. The three eventually encountered the three Sannin, who gave them some food. Konan impressed them by making an elaborate flower out of the paper wrappers left behind (she also wears one in her hair). Jiraiya taught them ninjutsu and, once confident they could take care of themselves, left them on their own. Jiraiya believed Konan to have died with Nagato and Yahiko some time later, and upon seeing her again years later, he comments on how beautiful she had become, as well as her improvement in her paper jutsu.

After the group of Amegakure ninjas led by Yahiko (which included Konan and Nagato) became "too powerful", Hanzō feared that he might lose his leadership over Amegakure to Yahiko and his followers. As such, he and Konoha's Danzo deceived the group into an allegiance for peace. However, the next day, Konan was taken hostage by Hanzo, and Nagato was ordered to kill Yahiko in exchange for her life. Konan cried out for them to flee without her, but they refused to leave her behind. Although Nagato was paralyzed by the order, Yahiko impaled himself on the kunai in Nagato's hand. This trauma is likely what led to Konan's change of personality. She was later saved by Nagato who used the Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to extract revenge on Hanzo's men. Though she begged him not to use the technique, he still did to protect her.

During Nagato's invasion of Konoha, Nagato died after reviving all the other people that he had killed using the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, and entrusting Naruto Uzumaki the task of finding peace in the shinobi world that he, Yahiko and Konan desired. Konan took the liberty of wrapping Nagato and Yahiko's dead bodies with her papers to take them with her to Amegakure. When asked by Naruto if she would return to Akatsuki, she said that she is through with the organization as Nagato and Yahiko meant everything to her, and now, she would help Naruto accomplish their dream of bringing peace to the world.

Personality
Konan is stoic, calm, and level-headed (much like her partner, Pain). As a child, she was bright and relatively cheerful in comparison to Yahiko's tough attitude and Nagato's sensitivity. However, the trauma of events since then have led her to become a very serious person and she rarely spoke during Akatsuki meetings.

She does seem to be more empathic than most other Akatsuki members, as she appears sad whenever she has been reminded of her past. She also expresses a great deal of loyalty and courtesy to Pain (which he always returns), doing his bidding without question, looking out for his well-being and always having complete faith in his abilities. She seems to act as an intermediary between Pain and Amegakure, the villagers having given her the title "God's Angel" for this reason, and for the reason that with her paper wings activated she looks like an angel.

She has the ability to read Pain's emotions without him facially expressing them, presumably as a result of having known him for so long. As soon as Madara Uchiha ordered Pain to capture the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, she could tell right away that there was something about the order that very much upset her emotionally-deadened partner.

Despite her stoicism Konan seems to have a kind and compassionate nature, as demonstrated when she first met Nagato many years ago. She found him lying unconscious on the street and willingly offered him some bread in spite of being on the verge of starvation herself. She is also very willing to make sacrifices for the sake of her friends. In the past, she begged Yahiko and Nagato to leave her to die during a trap set by Hanzo and Danzo when she was used as bait (they refused). Also, she did not seem hesitant to take a blow from Naruto in both Sage Mode and his Demon Fox transformation for Nagato's sake, though she must have been aware that such a blow, had it connected, would've likely killed her.

Infiltration of Amegakure
When Jiraiya infiltrates Amegakure, Pain has Konan scour the village in search of him by splitting into numerous paper butterflies. When she finds him she informs Pain and then engages him in battle until Pain can get there. She attacks Jiraiya with paper spears, but he sees it coming and uses his Toad Fire Technique to stop the spears. Jiraiya remembers her, complimenting her on her power and beauty, commenting that she had become "one hell of a woman". Jiraiya immobilizes her with oil, but she is saved when Pain appears to wash the oil away. She regroups with him after he kills Jiraiya.

Invasion of Pain
Konan later accompanies Pain during his attack on Konoha. When they arrived, they swiftly eliminated a patrol of Leaf ninja, with Pain giving Konan orders to spare no one. She is seen asking the Konoha shinobi if they know the whereabouts of Naruto as they are trapped in her paper. The shinobi were saved by the Aburame Clan's insects. Konan retreats shortly after she starts to face them, only to discover Pain was deciding to use one of his most dangerous jutsu. Concerned for his health, she begged him to stop the jutsu, even calling him by his real name, "Nagato". Pain however, clearly had his mind made up and continued to use the technique, Shinra Tensei, on a massive scale.

After consulting with Pain about the use of his jutsu she is seen departing, stating she will look after him from now on. She then dispersed her Paper Clone and is currently with Nagato's real body worried because he is using too much chakra. She became extremely afraid for and angry with Nagato when he used Chibaku Tensei, claiming there was no need to go so far. She then became even more fearful as Nagato began coughing up more blood when Naruto's eight-tailed transformation overcame Chibaku Tensei and found their location.

Upon Deva path's defeat, Konan readied herself for Naruto's appearance. However, as he arrived, Nagato asked her to step aside, causing Konan to worry even more. She becomes amazed at Naruto's ability to cancel Nagato's chakra and as he moves to attack Nagato, she moves in the way. Naruto spares her and stops his attack. She then pleaded for Nagato to hurry things up as he and Naruto were about to discuss their pain. As Nagato began, Konan stood by with a sad expression. After Nagato finished, she was shocked to hear that Naruto wasn't going to try and kill Nagato. After Nagato sacrified himself to bring everyone back to life due to his faith in Naruto, Konan takes Yahiko and Nagato corps and head out. Naruto told her that he doesn't want to think of her still being with Akatsuki, then she said she's done being an Akatsuki that Nagato and Yahiko means everything to her. She gave Naruto flowers as her faith in him as well.

After hearing Naruto's answer that he would believe in his master, Jiraiya's teachings and his trust in Naruto that he would find an answer to the chain of hatred and war in the world, Nagato was taken aback, and finds that he is wrong in his vision of bringing peace through destruction. Konan, too, was shocked to see how Naruto had changed Nagato's personality. After realising that Naruto was indeed the "destined child" and entrusting his dream of achieving peace, Nagato used the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to bring all the people of Konoha that he had killed, back to life, despite Konan's constant warnings. But this technique took a heavy toll on Nagato's body, as he weakened even further, and subsequently, died. Seeing this, Konan wrapped Nagato and Yahiko's dead bodies in her papers, to take them with her to Amegakure. When Naruto asked if she would return to Akatsuki, Konan announced that as Nagato and Yahiko meant everything to her, she had no purpose in being involved in that organization. She said that as Nagato believed in Naruto, she would also believe in him, and would help him in every way possible to find the peace her deceased friends wanted. Before departing, Konan gave Naruto a bouquet of origami flowers as a memento of the three orphans, after Naruto paid tribute to Nagato by calling him "a fellow pupil".

Abilities
Konan is a kunoichi of great ability, and her skills are held in high regard by her partner Pain. Jiraiya held her off with relative ease, but with his capabilities it was to be expected somewhat. She has an amazing natural talent for origami, as seen with the paper flower she keeps in her hair. As a child, after training with Jiraiya, she was able to form paper weapons infused with her chakra.

As an adult and member of Akatsuki, her abilities have grown considerably. She has created a unique transformation technique called Dance of the Shikigami which can turn her entire body and clothing into thousands of sheets of paper, which she can control at will and form into any shape. To travel long distances, she can mold them into butterflies or planes for powered flight, and to attack, the sheets can form arrows, shuriken, or kunai. She can also restrain opponents by blanketing them in sheets restricting their movement. Befitting (and likely inspiring) her title as, the papers can also form large wings for flight or further weaponry. Konan is susceptible to oil-based attacks which stick to her and keep her paper form from unfolding, although she is not hampered to the same extent by water, as seen when Pain had his summon use Water Release: Violent Bubble Wave on her to wash the oil off, as well as when she is seen fighting in the rain during flashbacks. Her paper, however, is also vulnerable to fire jutsu.

Konan has been shown to be able to fold paper to mimic environmental surroundings, allowing her and those of her choosing to hide in places one normally wouldn't be able to.

Creation
In Naruto Hiden: Sha no Sho Character Official Data Book, Kishimoto reveals that he'd always planned for Konan to be the only female member of Akatsuki, and for that reason, gave her quite a revealing design. He jokingly comments that, "she's obscene, but she still wears clothes," though, "her Akatsuki mantle covers it up, and she turns into paper right away..." In the concept artwork, her navel is also shown to be pierced.

Trivia

 * Even though she is an Akatsuki member Konan (like Pain) has not been a missing-nin since their faction achieved victory in the Amegakure civil wars.
 * She is the only Akatsuki member who has yet to be heard talking in the anime.
 * Her name means "Little South".
 * According to the 3rd Databook, Konan's hobbies are origami and flower pressing.
 * Konan's eyes are shown to be a light greyish-blue with golden hints in the manga. In the anime, her eyes are depicted as a deep shade of amber.
 * Konan shares her birthday with her former teammate Yahiko.
 * Nagato states that her reason for joining Akatsuki is "Love".

Quotes

 * (To Nagato) "You don't have to go that far! You're in no shape--"
 * (To Jiraiya) "You have no idea what happened to us after you left, sensei."
 * (To Jiraiya) "I must kill you. That is the will of God."
 * (After hearing of Naruto's strength) "Spare us your words of fear and warning. They are wasted on us. Pain has never yet lost a battle."