Akatsuki

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.

Kisame Hoshigaki

 * Age: 29 in Part I, 31 in Part II
 * Membership status: Active
 * Ring: 南 ("south")
 * Ring position: Left ring finger
 * Partner: Itachi Uchiha
 * First appearance: Chapter 139; Naruto Episode 80
 * Defining characteristics: Shark-like appearance, expert in water-based jutsu, exceptionally large chakra supply, high physical strength and speed, Samehada (sentient, chakra-absorbing sword).
 * Seiyu: Tomoyuki Dan
 * Voice actor: Kirk Thornton

is a missing-nin from Kirigakure and is partnered with Itachi Uchiha. Unlike most other two-man teams of Akatsuki, Kisame gets along well with his partner. While Itachi is assigned to Naruto Uzumaki, Kisame's target is the host of the Four-tailed beast, an elderly man whom Kisame defeats with some effort. Kisame has a distinctive shark-like appearance, complete with pale blue skin, small white eyes, gill-like facial structures, and sharp triangular teeth. Even his name, Kisame (鬼鮫), means "Demon Shark". Despite his rather brutish appearance and his apparent love for battle, Kisame speaks in a calm and polite manner compared to most of the other members of Akatsuki.

Kisame was also one of the and is known as the  of the Hidden Mist. Zabuza Momochi and Raiga Kurosuki were also members. Like the other two members, he is somewhat overconfident in battle. He also clearly enjoys fighting and possibly mutilating his opponents; for example, he entertains the idea of removing Naruto's legs to keep him from running instead of the much simpler method of knocking Naruto unconscious. During his battle with Asuma Sarutobi, Kisame also took great pleasure in shredding his shoulder with Samehada.

Kisame's main weapon is Samehada (鮫肌, "Shark skin"), a large unique sword of comparable size to Zabuza Momochi's zanbatō. Unlike a regular sword, Samehada is covered in large scales that shave instead of cut, much like a shark's skin (hence the name). It also has the ability to absorb any chakra around it, allowing Kisame to literally cut through his opponent's chakra. The amount that it can absorb is unclear, but it can even consume the demon fox's chakra with no ill effects. Samehada is also a sentient weapon and only allows Kisame to wield it. When Might Guy attempted to hold Samehada and use it against Kisame, it responded with a flurry of spikes from its handle and found its way back to Kisame.

The amount of chakra Kisame possesses is apparently very large, even by Akatsuki's standards. Their leader commented on this; a Kisame body-double at thirty-percent power – made with the leader's Shapeshifting Technique – had as much chakra as Naruto while drawing on demon fox's chakra when he fought Neji during the Chunin exams, an observation made by Neji Hyuga when he observed Kisame's body-double with his Byakugan.

Kisame has displayed astonishing speed and incredible physical strength. He uses water-based jutsu in combination with his powerful physical attacks. He has also demonstrated the ability to use, allowing him to create water from nothing and turn any potential battleground into a lake for his other water-based attacks. In addition to using the more generic of water-based jutsu, Kisame also uses a number of shark-themed jutsu, such as using to attack opponents with a burst of water in the form of a shark. When an opponent is knocked into a body of water, Kisame can use to create five sharks to attack them with.

Pein

 * Membership status: Active leader
 * Ring: 零 ("nothing", "zero")
 * Ring position: Right thumb
 * Partner: Konan
 * First cameo: Chapter 238; Naruto Episode 135
 * First appearance: Chapter 363
 * Defining characteristics: Pupils consist of concentric circles, numerous piercings, Astral Projection.

is the leader of Akatsuki and a missing-nin from Amegakure. He is referred to as "leader" by all Akatsuki members except for his partner, who refers to him by his name. He has the respect of most of his subordinates (Hidan is an exception) and is the one directing their actions. Despite maintaining authority over the other members, he takes orders from Tobi, who is also revealed to be Madara Uchiha. During his initial appearances Pein appears 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 progresses, however, elements of his appearance are slowly revealed, with both his auburn hair and the piercings on his chin being shown before the rest of his face.

Although he has not been seen in battle, Konan states that Pein has never lost a fight. The only jutsu he is seen using, the, allows him to clone his subordinates using human sacrifices that they control and can use to engage enemies without risking their lives. The clones formed are perfect copies of the original, even possessing the kekkei genkai and unique weapons they may possess. Their abilities are proportionate to the amount of chakra given to the clone (in its debut, he requested thirty percent). Pein also initiates and supervises the jutsu that forcibly brings a tailed beast out of its host. When it becomes necessary to gather his subordinates, he can communicate with them over long distances through some form of telepathy. Moreover, Pein has displayed the ability detect the movements and chakra of people travelling within rain.

Pein has displayed at least a cursory knowledge of the various villages, as well as the underlying political and economic conditions in the country at large. When Hidan referred to the Konoha-nin as "godless heathens," he gave a short description of Konoha's "Will of Fire," then proceeded to note that all countries have some similar practice to justify their battles. He is also rumored to be the leader of one of the warring factions in the Land of Rain's current civil war, where he uses Amegakure as his base of operations.

Tobi

 * Membership status: Active
 * Ring: 玉 ("jewel", "ball"; "jade"; also the king in shogi)
 * Ring position: Left thumb
 * Partner: Formerly Deidara
 * First appearance: Chapter 280
 * Defining characteristics: Orange mask with single eye-hole covered in a swirl pattern concentrated towards the right eye, Sharingan

When first introduced, was Zetsu's subordinate, who then became a full Akatsuki member after Sasori's death. He now wears the same ring as Sasori, having recovered it after Sasori's death, and took his place as Deidara's partner. After Deidara's death, Tobi is revealed giving Pein orders, and he refers to himself as Madara Uchiha. Unlike the majority of ninja thus far, Tobi has not been shown wearing a visible forehead protector; however, his Uchiha name would suggest that his home village is Konohagakure. He wears an odd mask that covers his entire face save for his right eye, which like other Uchiha has the Sharingan. Furthermore, Tobi has several bolts or pins present on the arms of his uniform, now obscured by his Akatsuki cloak.

Tobi's area of expertise remains unclear, as he has never been shown fighting or utilizing jutsu. He and Deidara are able to defeat the Three-tailed beast, but Tobi is never shown doing anything but running from it. After the battle, which goes largely unwitnessed, Tobi claims to have knocked it out with a single attack. Deidara disagrees with the assessment, claiming that it was his "artistic contribution" (exploding clay) that allowed them to win. During his fight with Sasuke, Tobi shows the ability to recover from what are presumably debilitating or fatal blows. After being slashed across the midsection by Sasuke's sword, Tobi collapses, only to stand up again a few seconds later and complain about the speed of the attack. He is also able to escape the final explosion created by Deidara.

As Tobi, he has a very formal and correct manner of speech. While his physical appearance remains a mystery, Zetsu has implied that he is relatively young when one side of him referred to Tobi as a "good boy." He respects Deidara, referring to him as Deidara-senpai. Tobi's personality is rather odd in comparison with other Akatsuki members; while most of the members are dedicated and serious, Tobi is more carefree and goofy. His personality does not please Deidara, who believes that all Akatsuki members should be serious and calm. Tobi unintentionally irritates Deidara frequently, which usually results in Deidara attacking Tobi in a comedic fashion. Kisame, on the other hand, somewhat appreciates Tobi's ability to brighten up their gloomy organization. As Madara, his personality and speech are completely different, however, as he speaks much less formally and is more serious and arrogant.

Konan

 * Membership status: Active
 * Ring: 白 ("white")
 * Ring position: Right middle finger
 * Partner: Pein
 * First cameo: Chapter 238, Naruto Episode 135
 * First appearance: Chapter 363
 * Defining characteristics: Flower-like accessory in hair, stud under lip,

Konan is the only female member of Akatsuki and the only person to call Pein by his name. She has blue hair with a flower accessory in it, and she uses paper origami as her jutsu.

When she was younger, Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko were left orphaned by one of Amegakure's many wars, forcing them to fend for themselves. The three eventually encountered Jiraiya, who looked after them and taught them basic ninjutsu. Jiraiya had believed Konan had died with Nagato and Yahiko some time later.

Konan has a natural talent for origami, as seen with the paper flower she keeps in her hair. This talent extends to her type of jutsu, as she can divide her body into countless numbers of paper sheets. These sheets can be controlled individually and formed into various shapes for a number of purposes, such as butterflies for scouting or generic weapons for attack. Konan can even form wings that mirror her title as "God's Angel" amongst the villagers of Amegakure, as she often carries out Pein's will. Her abilities are constrained while wet, as paper clings to itself and loses its stiffness.

Zetsu

 * Membership status: Active
 * Ring: 亥 ("boar")
 * Ring position: Right little finger
 * Partner: None
 * First appearance: Chapter 234; Naruto Episode 134
 * Defining characteristics: Venus-flytrap like extensions around body, dual personality, body split into white and black halves, cannibal.
 * Seiyu: Nobuo Tobita

is a mysterious missing-nin. Not much is known about him, other than his allegiance to Akatsuki and his function as a spy. His head appears to be enveloped in a large venus flytrap, which can also envelop the rest of his body. The right side of his face and body is black in color while his left side is white in color. To go with this, Zetsu seems to have a split personality, as the black half of his face speaks only in Katakana while the white side uses Kanji and Kana. The two halves also seem to converse with each other, and occasionally differ in opinion, such as whether to allow Tobi to fill Sasori's place in Akatsuki. His eyes are yellow and pupil-less.

Zetsu frequently uses, allowing him to merge with the ground, trees, and other plants to travel long distances fairly quickly. He has also shown the ability to move his body during the sealing ritual, which no other Akatsuki member is capable of. As such, he serves as a lookout during the ritual. To help with this task, Zetsu has increased vision that allows him to see further than most other characters. In addition to his role as a spy, Zetsu appears to function as Akatsuki's hunter-nin. He is sent to dispose of the corpses of those used for Pein's Shapeshifting Technique, as well as recover the rings of Sasori and Deidara. He performs the former function by devouring the corpses, which fits with his "venus flytrap" theme.

Zetsu's only known subordinate is Tobi, who later took Sasori's position in Akatsuki after Sasori's death. Akatsuki members have so far generally seemed to report to Zetsu as if he was a superior, though perhaps only because he is often acting directly on the instructions of Pein.

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)