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#REDIRECT [[List of Naruto characters#Akatsuki]]
:''For other uses, see [[Akatsuki (disambiguation)]].''
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{{SpoilerR to section}}
[[Category:Fictional terrorist organizations]]
In the [[manga]] and [[anime]] series ''[[Naruto (manga)|Naruto]]'', the '''Akatsuki''' (暁, meaning "Dawn," or "Daybreak") is a criminal organization, first introduced midway into the first [[Story arc|arc]] and gaining greater significance in the storyline in the second arc, which consists of nine S-class wanted criminals. Admission criteria to the group is unknown, but extraordinary fighting ability seems to be a prerequisite, and the rings worn by the members seem to have a significance in the process of joining. Also, it has been speculated that in order to join one must break away from all past relations, which explains why Uchiha Itachi had to kill his clan to not only prove himself capable, but also to break away from his previous connection in order to become an Akatsuki member. Akatsuki's motive is still obscure and one of the bigger open questions of the series; they show great interest in the powers of the [[Biju|Bijū]] (Tailed beasts) and the leader has obliquely referred to their ultimate goal as "obtaining the [[Biju#Kyūbi no Yōko|Kyūbi]]... And everything else". They currently have three Biju (One being Shukaku).
==Known Members==
The Akatsuki is comprised of ten members, including former member [[Orochimaru (Naruto)|Orochimaru]] who left and founded [[Oto no Kuni (Land of Sound)|Otogakure]] for an unknown reason (presumed to be due to Itachi's power). Orochimaru's position was that of 空 (Kū, "Sky"); Currently, the known members include:
===Uchiha Itachi===
[[Image:UchihaItachi.jpg|right|Uchiha Itachi]]
'''Name:''' Uchiha Itachi, うちはイタチ<br>
'''Age:''' 20<br>
'''Height:''' 175.2 [[Metre|cm]]<br>
'''Weight:''' 57.1 [[Kilogram|kg]]<br>
'''Birthday:''' [[June 9]]<br>
'''Blood Type:''' AB<br>
'''Registration #:''' 012110<br>
'''Ring:''' 朱 (Shu, scarlet/bloody)<br>
'''Position:''' Right [[ring finger]]<br>
'''Partner:''' [[#Hoshigaki Kisame|Hoshigaki Kisame]]<br>
'''Affiliation:''' Akatsuki, [[Uchiha Clan]], [[Naruto ninja ranks#Nukenin (Missing-nin)|Nukenin (Missing-nin)]] from [[Naruto geography#Konohagakure no Sato (Hidden Leaf Village)|Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf)]]<br>
'''Signature Ability:'''
[[Kekkei genkai (Naruto)#Sharingan|Sharingan]],
[[Kekkei genkai (Naruto)#Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan|Mangekyō Sharingan]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Amaterasu (Shining Heaven)|Amaterasu (Shining Heaven)]],
[[Genjutsu (Naruto)#Tsukuyomi (Moon Reader)|Tsukuyomi (Moon Reader)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)|Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)|Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)|Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)]],
[[Genjutsu (Naruto)#Magen: Kyoten Chiten (Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change)|Magen: Kyōten Chiten (Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Suiton: Suigadan (Water Release: Water Fang Bullet)|Suiton: Suigadan (Water Release: Water Fang Bullet)]]<br>
Noted within the Bingo Book (A list of nukenin, or missing renegade ninjas), Uchiha Itachi is an S-Class criminal and a [[Naruto geography#Konohagakure no Sato (Hidden Leaf Village)|Konoha]] [[Naruto ninja ranks#Nukenin (Missing-nin)|Missing-nin]].
He graduated top of his Academy class at age 7, had mastered the [[Kekkei genkai (Naruto)#Sharingan|Sharingan]] by age 8, became a [[Naruto ninja ranks#Chunin|Chūnin]] at 10 and was previously a [[Naruto ninja ranks#ANBU (Black Ops)|Black Ops]] (ANBU in the Japanese versions) squad leader at the age of only 13. He left Konoha about five years ago, after killing off his whole clan except for [[Uchiha Sasuke]], his little brother. At 17, he was even feared by [[Orochimaru (Naruto)|Orochimaru]]. He is now currently associated with Akatsuki. Orochimaru had planned to use Itachi's body as a new container, but seeing as Itachi is powerful to such a degree that even Orochimaru fears him (and has stated that Itachi is stronger), it's easy to see why Orochimaru decided to leave Akatsuki and try his luck with Sasuke instead.
The reason Itachi killed his clan, and the reason he left Sasuke alive only to physically and mentally abuse him, still remains a mystery. When asked why by Sasuke, he replied "To test my 'Utsuwa'". 'Utsuwa' (器) can means "Vessel," or "Container," but it can also mean "Ability," or "Tool". Orochimaru uses this word to refer to the bodies he takes over with his [[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Fushi Tensei (Living Corpse Reincarnation)|Fushi Tensei no Jutsu]]. In this respect, Itachi's words can mean anything from him having a past connection with Orochimaru, to him simply wanting to test out his Mangekyō Sharingan, to his plans of joining Akatsuki and forsake past relations. To make matters worse, the first person pronoun Itachi used can also be used as a vulgar second person pronoun. So he could also have meant that he wanted to test Sasuke's 'Utsuwa,' although this is unlikely, given his previous remarks about his 'Utsuwa'.
His Konoha Headband, unlike the others whom wear it, is struck through the middle with a line. He was until recently the only known person who possessed the [[Kekkei genkai (Naruto)#Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan|Mangekyō Sharingan]] as revealed in the manga. [[Hatake Kakashi]] has somehow developed a different-looking Mangekyō Sharingan in the manga, but it is unknown to what extent they share abilities.
Itachi has told Sasuke that if Sasuke were to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan, the people able to use it will total at three. It is unknown who the second person Itachi is referring to, as this statement was made before Kakashi obtained his Mangekyō Sharingan.
'''Trivia'''
* The name "Itachi" means "Weasel" (Note that in Japanese mythology, weasels are a bad omen, signifying bad luck and deaths).
* While it is generally agreed on by fans that Uchiha Itachi became an ANBU captain and massacred his entire clan at age 13, quite a few of them seem to be confused about when he graduated from the academy, mastered the Sharingan, and became Chūnin. The events are often misinterpreted as having happened one or two years earlier than they did.
* His favorite food appears to be green and red colored [[dango]] (Japanese dumplings) on a stick.<br>
===Hoshigaki Kisame===
[[Image:Hoshigaki Kisame.jpg|right|Hoshigaki Kisame]]
'''Name:''' Hoshigaki Kisame, 干柿鬼鮫
<br>
'''Age:''' 31<br>
'''Height:''' 195 [[Metre|cm]]</sup><br>
'''Weight:''' 83.1 [[Kilogram|kg]]<br>
'''Birthday:''' [[March 18]]<br>
'''Blood Type:''' AB<br>
'''Ring:''' 南 (Nan, south)<br>
'''Position:''' Left [[ring finger]]<br>
'''Partner:''' [[#Uchiha Itachi|Uchiha Itachi]]<br>
'''Affiliation:''' Akatsuki, [[Naruto ninja ranks#Nukenin (Missing-nin)|Nukenin (Missing-nin)]] from [[Naruto geography#Kirigakure no Sato (Hidden Mist village)|Kirigakure (Hidden Mist)]], Kiri no Shinobigatana Nanajin Shū (Seven Swordsmen of the Mist) <br>
'''Signature Ability:'''
Samehada,
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Suiton: Bakusui Shoha (Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave)|Suiton: Bakusui Shōha (Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Suiton: Goshokuzame (Water Release: Five Eating Sharks)|Suiton: Goshokuzame (Water Release: Five Eating Sharks)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Suiton: Suikodan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique)|Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu (Water Replication Technique)|Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu (Art of the Water Doppleganger)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Suiro no Jutsu (Water Prison Technique)|Suirō no Jutsu (Water Prison Technique)]]
Hoshigaki Kisame, along with [[#Uchiha Itachi|Uchiha Itachi]] attempted to kidnap [[Uzumaki Naruto]] for Akatsuki purposes several years ago, but were effectively thwarted by [[Jiraiya (Naruto)|Jiraiya]]. Itachi later explained that it isn't time to kidnap Naruto yet. Kisame and his sword (Samehada, 鮫肌, "Shark skin") both have [[shark]]-like characteristics. The sword also has the ability to drain chakra.
Kisame comes from [[Naruto geography#Kirigakure no Sato (Hidden Mist Village)|Kirigakure]]. He is known as the Mysterious Person of the Hidden Mist (霧隠れの怪人, Kirigakure no Kaijin). He is also part of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nanajin Shū (霧の忍刀七人衆, "Seven Swordsmen of the Mist"), seven powerful Ninja who utilize large and unique swords. [[Momochi Zabuza]] and [[Lesser enemies in Naruto#Kurosuki Raiga|Kurosuki Raiga]] (anime only) were also members.
Kisame's chakra amount is apparently considered very large, even by the Akatsuki's standards. The [[#Akatsuki Leader|Leader]] even comments on his large amount of chakra; a Kisame body-double at 30% power, made with the Leader's [[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Shoten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique)|Shōten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique)]], had as much chakra as [[Uzumaki Naruto]] did back when he fought Neji. This is stated by [[Hyuga Neji|Hyūga Neji]] when he sees Kisame's body-double with his [[Kekkei genkai (Naruto)#Byakugan ("White Eye")|Byakugan]]. Kisame also has immense physical strength as he demonstrated against [[Characters of Naruto#Sarutobi Asuma|Sarutobi Asuma]] and later against [[Maito Gai]].
Like everyone seen from the Hidden Mist Village, Kisame uses water element jutsu in combination with his powerful physical attacks.
'''Trivia'''
* Kisame (鬼鮫) means [[demon]] [[shark]], probably a reference to his tall height and appearance.
* Hoshigaki (干柿) means dried [[persimmon]].
* Kisame's shark-like appearance and his sword Samehada are rumored by fans to have been related to the Three-Tailed Shark in Japanese legend known as [[Isonade]] and his subordinate Samehada. Some fans think that one of the [[Biju|Bijū]] (Tailed Beasts) taken already by Akatsuki was an Isonade, and Kisame now contains it. This could explain his large amount of chakra and possibly his unusual appearance.
===Sasori=== [[Image:Sasori_of_the_Red_Sand.jpg|right|Hiruko]]
[[Image:Sasori_manga.PNG|right|Sasori's true form]]'''Name:''' Akasuna no Sasori, 赤砂のサソリ, "Sasori of the Red Sand", ''literally'' "Scorpion of the Red Sand"<br>
'''Age:'''
'''Height:'''
'''Weight:'''
'''Birthday:''' ?<br>
'''Blood Type:''' ?<br>
'''Ring:''' 玉 (Gyoku, jewel/ball) <br>
'''Position:''' Left [[thumb]] <br>
'''Partner:''' [[#Deidara|Deidara]] (previously [[Orochimaru (Naruto)|Orochimaru]])<br>
'''Affiliation:''' Akatsuki, [[Naruto ninja ranks#Nukenin (Missing-nin)|Nukenin (Missing-nin)]] from [[Naruto geography#Sunagakure no Sato (Hidden Sand Village)|Sunagakure (Hidden Sand)]]<br>
'''Signature Ability:'''
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Technique)|Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Technique)]] (Hiruko, Sandaime Kazekage, himself, etc.),
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Aka Higi: Hyakki no Soen (Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets)|Aka Higi: Hyakki no Sōen (Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets)]] (the [[Characters of Naruto#Kazekage, Third|Sandaime Kazekage]]'s jutsu via the Sandaime Kazekage puppet)<br>
[[#Deidara|Deidara]]'s partner, Sasori is a Nukenin (Missing-nin) from [[Naruto geography#Sunagakure no Sato (Hidden Sand Village)|Sunagakure (Hidden Sand)]]. In first appearance, he is a hideous hunchbacked figure with a poisoned scorpion-like puppet tail attached. He is known as Akasuna no Sasori (Sasori of the Red Sand), the creator of [[Kankuro|Kankurō]]'s puppets and a genius puppeteer himself. His first appearance is during their mission to Sunagakure where Deidara is to capture [[Gaara]]. After Gaara's capture, Kankurō attempts to stop the Akatsuki duo, but to no avail. Sasori battles the enraged brother, nearly killing him and destroying his puppets in the process with little to no effort. It is revealed that he left the village 20 years before, but the background on his crimes is unknown at this point. After hearing news of his return, Sasori's grandmother [[Characters of Naruto#Chiyo|Chiyo]], decides to join Team [[Hatake Kakashi|Kakashi]] in search of the duo and to rescue Gaara.
Sasori and Deidara have quite different views of what art is. Sasori believes art is something that should last, while Deidara believes art is fleeting. Although Deidara respects Sasori's view, Sasori doesn't seem to respect Deidara's.
During combat, and possibly all the time, Sasori "wears" his puppets and controls them from inside, thus eliminating the puppeteer's weakness of being an exposed target. His favorite puppet is named 'Hiruko' (ヒルコ), according to Chiyo. Hiruko has a mechanical tail extending from the mouth of what appears to be a mask on his back, the left arm is something that appears to be a large studded projectile capable of firing shrapnel, and the clearly artificial mouth opens to reveal a projectile-firing device. What makes him even more frightening, however, was the fact that Sasori makes his puppets out of human bodies, as he stated in the quote. So far, he has a collection of 298 ''hitokugutsu'', (人傀儡, "person puppets") made out of human bodies. And to show this, after he was forced to abandon Hiruko, he summoned a hitokugutsu of the Sandaime Kazekage. This puppet was made from the living body of the Kazekage, and thus is able to retain some traits and jutsu of the Kazekage while he was alive.
The truly frightening aspect of Sasori, however, was that his real body is actually as young as he was, and [[bishonen]] too. The secret of his youth is revealed after the Kazekage puppet is destroyed: he had made himself into a puppet. His stomach is now hollow, allowing a thick cable to be coiled and stored inside; the cable can act both as a stinger and a support for his body. On his back, a pair of arms, equipped with five large claws, is mounted, and on top of the spine is a scroll holder holding four scrolls, used to summon the puppets for his Aka Higi: Hyakki no Soen (Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets). Each of his hands now mounts a flamethrower nozzle. His right chest contains a hidden compartment, which can spin unknown numbers of chakra strings to control one hundred or more puppets. Over his heart is a large talisman that has the kanji 蠍 (Sasori, "Scorpion"). His puppet body can also be pieced back together after being splintered into multiple pieces; this is because the only part of him which is still "alive" (and thus able to control chakra) is his heart, located under the talisman. He can also easily transfer the talisman, and by extension himself, between puppets. (How he transfers his face/facial features, as depicted in the manga, is not explained.)
The talisman also proved to be his only weakness, as Chiyo used his mother's and father's puppets to stab him through this ___location in a manner similar to the hug that he desired. In a flashback in the manga, it is revealed that the first puppets Sasori ever made are in his parents' images. Interestingly, Chiyo seemed to believe that, in the end, Sasori allowed himself to be killed (as she believed he saw the attack coming and chose not to react). At the end of the battle, Chiyo, Sasori, and Sakura are all fatally wounded, but Chiyo uses a jutsu she originally developed for Sasori, "to give life to a lifeless puppet," to save Sakura's life. The jutsu is meant to take the life of the user, but as Sakura wasn't dead, Chiyo survived this use of the jutsu.
Sasori's last words (as a reward to Sakura for defeating him) were that he has a spy in Orochimaru's ranks, whom he was supposed to meet with in [[Naruto geography#Kusagakure no Sato (Hidden Grass Village)|Kusagakure]] in ten days. This spy is revealed to be [[Oto no Kuni (Land of Sound)#Yakushi Kabuto|Yakushi Kabuto]]. However, Orochimaru had long ago undone the jutsu on Kabuto that kept him (and presumably others, such as [[#Yura|Yūra]]) loyal to Akatsuki (Sasori and Deidara knew of Kabuto's betrayal however as shown in chapter 247), and Kabuto remains loyal to Orochimaru.
According to the front cover of volume 31, Sasori's hair is bright red. His eyes have the same color.
===Deidara===
[[Image:Deidara-manga.PNG|right|Deidara in the Manga]]
'''Name:''' Deidara, デイダラ<br>
'''Age:'''
'''Height:''' ?<br>
'''Weight:''' ?<br>
'''Birthday:''' ?<br>
'''Blood Type:''' ?<br>
'''Ring:''' 青 (Sei, blue/green)<br>
'''Position:''' Right [[index finger]]<br>
'''Partner:''' [[#Sasori|Sasori]]<br>
'''Affiliation:''' Akatsuki, [[Naruto ninja ranks#Nukenin (Missing-nin)|Nukenin (Missing-nin)]] from [[Naruto geography#Iwagakure no Sato (Hidden Rock Village)|Iwagakure]]<br>
'''Signature Ability:''' [[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Kibaku Nendo (Exploding Clay)|Kibaku Nendo (Exploding Clay)]], Hand-mouths
A [[Naruto ninja ranks#Nukenin (Missing-nin)|Missing-nin]] from [[Naruto geography#Iwagakure no Sato (Hidden Rock Village)|Iwagakure]], he is a part of the Akatsuki duo that comes to [[Naruto geography#Sunagakure no Sato (Hidden Sand Village)|Sunagakure (Hidden Sand)]] to kidnap [[Gaara]]. A fancy and skillful fighter, with special mouths in the palm of each hand, he is able to [[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Kibaku Nendo (Exploding Clay)|manipulate clay]] into either a flight-capable clay bird that can support him, as well as a huge bomb that is capable of leveling a village without the assistance of exploding tags. Deidara is teamed with [[#Sasori|Sasori]], whom Deidara refers to as Sasori no Danna (サソリの旦那, "Master Sasori"). This is probably because Deidara has a lot of respect for his fellow artist because Sasori is, as Deidara himself admits, a lot stronger. Despite that, Deidara still argues a lot with Sasori. They often argue about what art is, Deidara thinking that art is something that disappears quickly. ("Fine art is the beauty of that single fleeting moment of explosion.") whereas Sasori thinking that art is something that lasts a long time. ("Fine art is something wonderful that's left long into the future... Eternal beauty.") During his fight with [[Gaara]], his left arm was mangled by Gaara's [[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Sabaku Kyu (The Coffin of Crushing Sand)|Sabaku Kyū (The Coffin of Crushing Sand)]], but he still managed to defeat the new Kazekage through threatening the village itself. Deidara remarked after winning that it was just like a Kage to save their village over their own life. Deidara lost his right arm to [[Hatake Kakashi]] when Kakashi used his newly obtained [[Kekkei genkai (Naruto)#Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan|Mangekyō Sharingan]] against him. As a last resort (and in keeping with his favorite art form), Deidara blew up one of his bunshin in an attempt to kill everyone else around him after absorbing some of his clay though his mouth. However, his bunshin was teleported away from the scene by Kakashi. Deidara later returned after burrowing away from the scene and looked for his ring which he lost due to Kakashi's attack. [[#Zetsu|Zetsu]] and [[#Tobi|Tobi]] both expressed surprise that Deidara was still alive when they found him after discovering Sasori's death. Deidara is presumably still a member of Akatsuki, because he already accomplished his mission to capture Gaara.
According to the front cover of volume 31, Deidara's hair is blonde. He has blue eyes.
'''Trivia'''
* He tends to end his sentences with "...un" pronounced in the anime with a nasal "n" sound corresponding with the english "hmmm" or "yeah."
* Due to the [[Japanese language]]'s sparse use of pronouns, translators have to use their own ideas of Deidara's gender to make sentences flow smoothly. This has caused a lot of confusion, since both "he" and "she" are used to refer to Deidara.
===Zetsu===
[[Image:Zetsu.jpg|right|Zetsu]]
'''Name:''' Zetsu, ゼツ<br>
'''Age:''' ?<br>
'''Height:''' ?<br>
'''Weight:''' ?<br>
'''Birthday:''' ?<br>
'''Blood Type:''' ?<br>
'''Ring:''' 亥 (Kai, boar)<br>
'''Position:''' Right [[little finger]]<br>
'''Partner:''' None<br>
'''Affiliation:''' Akatsuki, [[Naruto ninja ranks#Nukenin (Missing-nin)|Nukenin (Missing-nin)]] from [[Naruto geography#Kusagakure no Sato (Hidden Grass Village)|Kusagakure (Hidden Grass)]]<br>
'''Signature Ability:''' spying jutsu<br>
Not much is known about this mysterious character at the moment, only that he is Akatsuki's spy. His head appears to be enveloped in a large [[Venus flytrap]]. The right side of his face, and likely his body, is black in color while his left side is white in color. His pupil-less eyes and superior vision suggest that he may harbor something similar to [[Kekkei genkai (Naruto)#Byakugan ("White Eye")|Byakugan]]. His first appearance was after the [[Uzumaki Naruto|Naruto]] and [[Uchiha Sasuke|Sasuke]] fight at the end of Part 1, which he observed in secret. He was also responsible for warning Akatsuki of the positions of the approaching Team [[Hatake Kakashi|Kakashi]] and Team [[Maito Gai|Gai]] during their extraction of [[Gaara]]'s bijū. He also has the ability to merge with trees and other plants.
He seems to have a split personality, as the white half of his face speaks only in [[Katakana]] (which could indicate a robotic voice) while the black side uses [[Kanji]] and [[Kana]], and they seem to converse with each other. He is also a cannibal (in Ch. 261, he ate Kisame's body substitute), which fits his "venus flytrap" body.
The Leader dispatched Zetsu to recover Sasori and Deidara's Akatsuki Rings since they had apparently both been killed. This highlighted some significance in the rings since Zetsu takes Sasori's ring and Tobi asks if he can join Akatsuki in Sasori's place. This leads one to believe that a potential member must have one of the rings, which would explain why Orochimaru has no replacement since he took his ring with him.
'''Trivia'''
* Zetsu's ring has the kanji 亥 (Kai, boar) while the list of Akatsuki rings suggests he should have the kanji 玄 (Gen, mysteriousness). The two kanji are somewhat similar in appearance though, which suggests an error by either the artist or the reader/translator.
===Akatsuki Leader===
[[Image:Akaleader.jpg|right|The Akatsuki leader in the manga]]
'''Name:''' ?<br>
'''Age:''' ?<br>
'''Height:''' ?<br>
'''Weight:''' ?<br>
'''Birthday:''' ?<br>
'''Blood Type:''' ?<br>
'''Ring:''' 零 (Rei/zero, zero/nothing/overflow) <br>
'''Position:''' Right [[thumb]] <br>
'''Partner:''' None<br>
'''Affiliation:''' Akatsuki<br>
'''Signature Ability:'''
[[Fuin jutsu (Naruto)#Fuin Jutsu: Genryu Kyu Fujin (Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals)|Fūin Jutsu: Genryū Kyū Fūjin (Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Shoten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique)|Shōten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique)]]
Not much is known him except that he acts like the leader of the Akatsuki since he is the only one to have given orders to other members. He appears to be more human than other Akatsuki members with the exception of Itachi. Considering that the Akatsuki originally had ten members, it seems like the leader was not assigned to capture a Jinchūriki by himself.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no proof he has Sharingan eyes. It has yet to be discovered if they have any abilities at all or even, what color they are.
==Agents/Subordinates==
===Yura===
'''Name:''' Yūra, 由良<br>
'''Age:''' ? (deceased)<br>
'''Rank:''' [[Naruto ninja ranks#Jonin|Jōnin]]<br>
'''Height:''' ?<br>
'''Weight:''' ?<br>
'''Birthday:''' ?<br>
'''Blood Type:''' ?<br>
'''Registration #:''' ?<br>
'''Affiliation:''' Akatsuki, [[Naruto geography#Sunagakure no Sato (Hidden Sand Village)|Sunagakure (Hidden Sand)]]
Yūra served as a trusted member of the Kazekage advisory council of [[Naruto geography#Sunagakure no Sato (Hidden Sand Village)|Sunagakure (Hidden Sand)]] for four years. Though in reality, he was also a sleeper agent for Akatsuki and the subordinate of [[#Sasori|Sasori]]. He was used as a sacrifice for the [[#Akatsuki Leader|Akatsuki Leader]]'s [[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Shoten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique)|Shōten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique)]], taking on the shape of [[#Uchiha Itachi|Uchiha Itachi]].
===Yakushi Kabuto===
[[Image:Yakushi Kabuto.jpg|right|Kabuto]]
'''Name:''' Yakushi Kabuto, 薬師カブト<br>
'''Age:''' 20<br>
'''Height:''' 176,2 [[Metre|cm]]<br>
'''Weight:''' 65 [[Kilogram|kg]]<br>
'''Birthday:''' [[February 29]]<br>
'''Blood Type:''' AB<br>
'''Registration #:''' 012140<br>
'''Affiliation:''' [[Oto no Kuni (Land of Sound)#Orochimaru Ichimi (Orochimaru gang)|Orochimaru gang]], [[Oto no Kuni (Land of Sound)|Otogakure (Hidden Sound)]], formerly Akatsuki<br>
'''Signature Ability:'''
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Shosen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique)|Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Shikon no Jutsu (Dead Soul Technique)|Shikon no Jutsu (Dead Soul Technique)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Inyu Shometsu (Secret Healing Wound Destruction)|In'yu Shōmetsu (Secret Healing Wound Destruction)]],
[[Genjutsu (Naruto)#Nehan Shoja no Jutsu (Temple of Nirvana Technique)|Nehan Shōja no Jutsu (Temple of Nirvana Technique)]],
[[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Meisai Gakure no Jutsu (Hiding Camouflage Technique)|Meisai Gakure no Jutsu (Hiding Camouflage Technique)]] (anime only)<br>
A former spy for [[#Sasori|Sasori]], Kabuto betrayed him and Akatsuki in favour of [[Orochimaru (Naruto)|Orochimaru]].
For more information, go [[Oto no Kuni (Land of Sound)#Yakushi Kabuto|here]].
==Possible future members==
===Tobi===
'''Name:''' Tobi, トビ<br>
'''Age:''' ?<br>
'''Height:''' ?<br>
'''Weight:''' ?<br>
'''Birthday:''' ?<br>
'''Blood Type:''' ?<br>
'''Ring:''' ?<br>
'''Position:''' ?<br>
'''Partner:''' ?<br>
'''Affiliation:''' ?<br>
'''Signature Ability:'''?<br>
Zetsu's possible subordinate who wishes to fill in Sasori's position now that he is dead. When he found Sasori's ring, he thought he could now be a member of Akatsuki. However, Zetsu scolded him for this, saying it wasn't that easy to join Akatsuki.
Tobi has a very formal, correct manner of speech. Tobi finds Deidara's other arm, but Deidara tells him to drop it. After being scolded by Deidara 3 times, Deidara jokingly strangles Tobi with his feet.
Some fans believe that Uchiha Obito, despite being (apparently) deceased, is Tobi. This is because of the similarity of name (the manga author describing himself as heavily inspired by Dragon Ball Z which featured the villain Buu and his reincarnation Uub) and because the apparent mechanization of parts of Tobi's body correspond to the injuries Obito suffered when last seen. In particular, Tobi wears a mask that directs attention to his one working eye. Obito had in his dying moments, let his other eye be surgically extracted and implanted into his friend Kakashi.
It's unknown if and how Obito became Tobi, but at the time of Obito's apparent death, Akatsuki had two members, Orochimaru and Sasori, each highly skilled at the preservation of a body's abilities after death.
==Former Members==
[[Orochimaru (Naruto)|Orochimaru]] was formerly a member of Akatsuki, where he worked as Sasori's partner. This is particularly apt as both were interested in attaining a form of immortality by transfering their consciousness into perfect hosts and into means of resurrection and reanimation, making their partnership potentially full of research and experimentation.
It is unclear as to the circumstances which led to Orochimaru leaving Akatsuki, Although Orochimaru did state that he left because Itachi was stronger then him. Upon leaving, he kept his Akatsuki ring, which is currently still on the hand of his original body. The apparent special nature of his ring, his knowledge of their plans, and bad blood have led to him being the target of Akatsuki plots including one of his retinue being an eventually loyal sleeper agent.
It is possible he might be an Akatsuki-created Bijū, like Kisame who is also rumoured to be one. Evidence of this is that the Akatsuki has been hesitant to attack him face on, and has delayed their operations to capture more bijū to the exact time period when his host body begins to fail. Additionally there are very strong thematic connections between his character design and one of the Hachimata youma.
==Miscellaneous Information==
* In addition to these named members, there are three more Akatsuki yet to be identified.
* "Aka," in Japanese, can mean "Red" (赤), and "Tsuki" can mean "Moon" (月). So many believe Akatsuki stands for "Red Moon". However, the correct kanji for Akatsuki is 暁, which means "Dawn" or "Daybreak".
* Each Akatsuki member wears a ring, inscribed (with the exception of the leader's ring) with the first [[kanji]] related to the nine [[mythical]] beasts in [[Japanese mythology]], including the four [[Kyoto]] guardian gods ([[shijin]]). They are:
::* 青龍- せいりゅう, Seiryū - Green/blue [[Dragon]] - God of East and Spring
:::worn by [[#Deidara|Deidara]]
::* 白虎- びゃっこ, Byakko - White [[Tiger]] - God of West and Autumn
::* 朱雀 - すざく, Suzaku - [[Fenghuang|Hōō]] (literally "Red Sparrow") - God of South and Summer
:::worn by [[#Uchiha Itachi|Itachi]]
::* 玄武 - げんぶ, Genbu - [[Tortoise]] (literally "Mysterious Warrior") - God of North and Winter
:::worn by [[#Zetsu|Zetsu]]?
::::Zetsu's ring actually has the kanji 亥 (Kai, boar). The two kanji are somewhat similar in appearance though, which suggests an error by either the artist or the reader/translator.
::* 空陳 - くうちん, Kūchin - The [[Void]]
:::formerly worn by [[Orochimaru (Naruto)|Orochimaru]] and still in his possession.
::* 南斗 - なんじゅ, Nanjū - Southern [[Star]]
:::worn by [[#Hoshigaki Kisame|Kisame]]
::* 北斗 - ほくと, Hokuto - Northern Star
::* 三台 - さんたい, Santai - The Three Levels
::* 玉女 - ぎょくにょ, Gyokunyō - The [[Virgin]]
:::worn by [[#Sasori|Sasori]] (deceased) <br>
::* 零, Rei/zero - zero/nothing/overflow
:::worn by [[#Akatsuki Leader|Akatsuki Leader]]
* The group has a jutsu similar to [[Orochimaru (Naruto)|Orochimaru]]'s [[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei (Summoning: Impure World Resurrection)|Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei (Summoning: Impure World Resurrection)]] named [[Ninjutsu (Naruto)#Shoten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique)|Shōten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique)]] which allows a member to replace someone else's body with his own likeness, complete with his jutsu, [[chakra]] level, and other abilities, and control it to fight on Akatsuki's behalf.
* There has been a brief mention in the manga about how each Akatsuki member seems to have been assigned one, and only one, [[Biju|bijū]] to hunt down and capture, and indeed there is (currently) one Akatsuki member for each bijū.
==Notes==
# First Official Data Book (秘伝・臨の書キャラクターオフィシャルデータBOOK, "Hiden: Rin no Sho Character Official Data Book").
# Second Official Data Book (秘伝・闘の書キャラクターオフィシャルデータBOOK, "Hiden: Tō no Sho Character Official Data Book").
# Jump's 2nd Great Hero Book's Mini Data Book (秘伝・翔の書オフィシャルキャラクターデータBOOK mini, "Hiden: Shō no Sho Official Character Data Book mini").
# Taken directly from the [[manga]] chapters.
{{Naruto info}}
[[Category:Fictional ninja]]
[[Category:Naruto characters|*Characters]]
[[Category:Villain groups]]
[[es:Organización Akatsuki]]
[[fr:Akatsuki (Naruto)]]
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