Nagato

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; When he was a child, himself going by Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko were orphans trained by Jiraiya for three years.

Background
When he was younger, he, Konan, and Yahiko were orphans from Amegakure, forcing them to fend for themselves. The three eventually encountered the Sannin, who at first where less than willing to help them. Orochimaru even suggested to kill them as they were orphans of war and as such would only live their lives full of misery. Jiraiya however decided he would care for the three and took them in. One day for dinner, Nagato cried because eating dinner together reminding him of his family and later that night he ran away with Yahiko.

The two where attacked by a Rock shinobi, who injured Yahiko. Seeing this, Nagato actived his Rin'negan, and killed the Rock Chunin, a feat that is normally impossible for someone who has never trained a ninja. Jiraiya then decided there he would train them in ninjutsu. After three years, Jiraiya felt they were strong enough to fend form themselves and told Nagato, he will see him again when he has grown into an adult. Jiraiya believed Pein to have died with the others under unexplained circumstances, but has told Konan whenever their names were mentioned outside their village, it was always about someone being killed when they opposed then.

Pein has since lead one side of Amegakure to taking over the village and has become a sort of God in that village. When he, or Madara Uchiha, made Akasuki is unknown but he is 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.

Akatsuki's Goal
For the most part, Pein has kept away from active Akatsuki business, only revealing himself whenever they have captured a tailed beasts and even then he only appears as a shadowy illusion. However after Deidara's sucide, Pein was ordered by Tobi that it is his mission to now capture the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Before the mission could begin however, Jiraiya infiltrated the village to try to get more information on the Akatsuki. After feeling this threat because it distrubed his rain, Pein sent Konan to deal with it while he changed bodies. When Jiraiya promptly defeated Konan, Pein appeared with murderous intent, his eyes set on Jiraiya.

Abilities
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 has several bodies, apparently for different porposes, that he has stored away. He can apparently switch these bodies at will, as he switches to one body solely to kill an intruder. In all Pein has six bodies ready for use, and of the two bodies he has been seen in, the only consistent physical characteristics are a large number of piercings and his Rin'engan eyes. When he wa first trained by Jiraiya, he learned. At some point, Pein learns the Summoning Technique, and appears to have made several contracts as he summons a giant crustacean, an armored chameleon, a cerberus-like creature and even humans.

His most important technique in regards to the Akatsuki is the Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals. When used with the aid of all surviving Akatsuki members, they begin the three day trial to forciably extract the tailed beasts from its host and forces it into a statue. Their seems to be a limit on which tailed beast they can seal at once however as they are unable to seal the demon fox without sealing the other beasts as it would destroy the statue, possibly freeing all the captured beasts.