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#REDIRECT [[List of Naruto characters#Akatsuki]]
[[Image:Akatsukispread.jpg|thumb|300px|The cover of chapter 317 of the ''Naruto'' manga, illustrating the current roster of Akatsuki.]]
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:''This article covers a fictional organization. For other uses, see [[Akatsuki]].''
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{{nihongo|'''Akatsuki'''|暁||meaning "Dawn" or "Daybreak"}} is a fictional [[criminal organization]] in the [[anime]] and [[manga]] series ''[[Naruto]]''. It is first introduced midway into the first [[Story arc|arc]], and its members gain significance as the main antagonists during the second arc. The organization is composed of some of the most powerful criminals in existence.
[[Category:Fictional terrorist organizations]]
{{spoiler}}
Despite being comprised of only ten members, each member of Akatsuki is an [[Naruto ninja ranks#S-Class|S-Class]] criminal and feared for their tremendous powers and ruthless nature. Together, they form what is arguably the most powerful organization in the ''Naruto'' universe.
The exact criteria for admission to the group are unknown, but extraordinary fighting ability and deadly ruthlessness seem to be prerequisites. Unique traits (genetic or otherwise) also seem to be a common factor among its members. Two of the more prominent members so far, Itachi and Sasori, both undertook some sort of challenging task at the time of their entering the group. Sasori mentions, during his fight with [[Land of Wind#Chiyo|Chiyo]] and [[Sakura Haruno|Sakura]], that "[he] hadn't had this much difficulty since joining Akatsuki." Itachi was responsible for murdering his whole clan (save for his little brother, [[Sasuke Uchiha|Sasuke]]) around the time he is believed to have entered, though it cannot be said for certain that the two events were linked.
Akatsuki's motives are still obscure, and one of the more interesting unresolved questions ''Naruto'' poses; they show great interest in the powers of the [[biju]] (tailed beasts) and the leader has obliquely referred to their ultimate goal as "obtaining the [[Biju#Kyubi no Yoko ("Nine-tailed Demon Fox")|Kyubi]]... and everything else." It is unknown what they intend to do with them once they attain all nine.
Akatsuki has confirmed that they possess at least three biju, one being [[Biju#Ichibi no Shukaku ("One-tailed Shukaku")|Shukaku]] and the other two unknown. They have also kidnapped [[List of characters in Naruto#Yugito|Yugito]], the Jinchuriki of [[Biju#Nibi no Nekomata ("Two-Tailed Demon Cat")|Nekomata]], but they have not extracted her biju at this time. Recently, Deidara and Tobi have captured the [[Biju#Sanbi ("Three Tails")|Sanbi]].
== Organization ==
=== Teams ===
Akatsuki members appear to always work in teams of two. Teams are built to complement each other's abilities and talents to create a formidable duo. Each member thus far has shown complete loyalty to the other and to their mysterious leader, but nothing has been shown to indicate that they consider each other comrades. For example, Sasori's death by itself does not seem to bother the other members, but rather the fact that someone was able to kill him. Deidara is then partnered with Tobi, but can't stand Tobi's attitude. There are a number of moments where Deidara tries to harm Tobi in some way, though it's almost always portrayed in a humorous way. Additionally, while Hidan and Kakuzu make a good team, they clearly are not fond of one another.
The teams are:
* [[#Itachi Uchiha|Itachi]] and [[#Kisame Hoshigaki|Kisame]]
* [[#Hidan|Hidan]] and [[#Kakuzu|Kakuzu]]
* [[#Deidara|Deidara]] and [[#Tobi|Tobi]] (formerly [[#Sasori|Sasori]])
* [[#Sasori|Sasori]] and [[#Orochimaru|Orochimaru]] (before his defection)
Due to Orochimaru's defection their numbers are now uneven, so one or more members appear to be working alone. Currently, [[#Zetsu|Zetsu]], the [[#Akatsuki leader|leader]], and the [[#Unnamed member|unnamed member]] are not known to be on any team; it is unknown which of these three form the last team, if they all work alone, or if they form a team of three.
=== Biju extraction ===
[[Image:Naruto ch254 p16.png.jpg|thumb|The biju-sealing statue.]]
Whenever an Akatsuki member captures a jinchuriki, it is taken to their lair. Once there, the [[#Akatsuki leader|Akatsuki leader]] summons a giant statue of a humanoid monster. The statue seems to symbolize restriction or sealing. The creature's hands are handcuffed, its eyes are blindfolded, and a [[Bit mouthpiece|bit]] in its mouth, which falls out when the Akatsuki members are sealing a biju. On the creature's blindfold are nine closed eyes, each corresponding to one of the nine biju. Once summoned, the jinchuriki is placed in front of the statue while each Akatsuki member stands on the finger that corresponds to his or her specific ring. The members then perform [[Fuin jutsu (Naruto)#Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals|Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals]] to draw the spirit of the biju into the statue. Once the biju's spirit is sealed, all the eyes open, and the pupil of the eye that corresponds to the biju appears, indicating that it has been successfully sealed. It's unknown if the same process is used on an unsealed biju, or if the statue serves any other purpose than to contain the captured biju.
All Akatsuki members don't need to be physically present for the statue to activate. Akatsuki members can project an image of themselves to the statue. This techinque was shown in the anime once during the cave meeting, where the leader's image can be seen shaking like a hologram.
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=== Rings ===
[[Image:Itachi ring.jpg|thumb|Itachi's ring.]]
Each Akatsuki member wears a single, unique ring, and no two members wear a ring on the same finger. Each member wears their ring on the same finger as the spot they occupy on the giant statue. In total, there are ten rings, but Akatsuki only possesses nine; Orochimaru kept the tenth after he defected from the organization. It still rests on the little finger of his severed left hand from his original body. The rings seem to have some special significance: Tobi believed that he could become a member after finding Sasori's ring, and although Zetsu claims it's not as easy as that, Tobi does become a member. Deidara reinforces the significance of the rings after losing both his arms by expressing more concern for finding the arm with his ring, rather than finding the arm itself. Each ring bears a unique symbol, the first [[kanji]] of its name.
[[Image:akatsukihand.jpg|thumb|A diagram of where each Akatsuki member stands on the statue.]]
The various rings are:
* 零 - れい, Rei - zero/nothing/overflow: worn by the [[#Akatsuki leader|Akatsuki leader]].
* 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: worn by the [[#Unnamed member|unnamed member]].
* 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) instead of 玄 (Gen, mysteriousness). 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 [[Aether (classical element)|Void]]: formerly worn by [[Orochimaru (Naruto)|Orochimaru]] and still in his possession.
* 南斗 - なんじゅ, Nanju - Southern [[Star]]: worn by [[#Hoshigaki Kisame|Kisame]].
* 北斗 - ほくと, Hokuto - Northern Star: worn by [[#Kakuzu|Kakuzu]].
* 三台 - さんたい, Santai - The Three Levels: worn by [[#Hidan|Hidan]].
* 玉女 - ぎょくにょ, Gyokunyo - [[Virgo|The Virgin]]: currently worn by [[#Tobi|Tobi]], formerly worn by [[#Sasori|Sasori]].
=== Clothing and appearance ===
Akatsuki members dress in similar clothing: a long, dark cloak bearing red clouds and a red interior with a chin-high collar. It is implied that the cloak helps conceal their actions, especially hand-seals, giving them an edge in battle. All members wear purple nail polish on their fingernails. Large conical straw hats with small spike-like bells hanging from them also seem to be part of their outfit, but they seem to discard them after being discovered. This seems to be an optional piece of the Akatsuki outfit, likely to further disguise their identities.
=== Forehead protectors ===
The members of Akatsuki continue to wear forehead protectors from their former home villages, but scratch a line across the symbol of their village. This is done to indicate that their ties to the village have been severed and they no longer give any allegiance to their former homes. Currently, the Akatsuki leader, Tobi, and the one unnamed Akatsuki member have not been shown wearing forehead protectors, so it is unknown where they are originally from.
== Members ==
Akatsuki originally had ten members, but following the defection of Orochimaru they are currently at nine. Only one member, Sasori, has died, and Tobi, a former subordinate of the group, quickly assumed his position. Orochimaru, however, has yet to be replaced, despite his departure several years before the initial introduction of the group; this is either because Orochimaru took his supposedly irreplaceable Akatsuki ring with him when he left or they haven't found a worthy replacement. Given that Tobi was worthy enough to be accepted almost immediately after Sasori's death, the former would seem to be the case.
Though all of the members have been shown, two have yet to be named. The first has had some dialogue and been attributed to being the leader, while the identity of the other remains a complete mystery. In the anime, only [[#Kisame Hoshigaki|Kisame]] and [[#Itachi Uchiha|Itachi]] have been named, though [[#Zetsu|Zetsu]] made an appearance at the end of the battle between Naruto and Sasuke.
=== Akatsuki leader ===
<!-- Don't add any speculation as to who the leader might be. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:What_Wikipedia_is_not#Wikipedia_is_not_a_crystal_ball
Additionally, the manga image revealing the Fourth Hokage to be the leader is a fake. It's a collage of older manga pictures. -->
[[Image:Akaleader.jpg|thumb|The Akatsuki leader in the manga]]
* '''Age:''' ?
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' ?
* '''Hair color:''' Ginger (brownish orange)
* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood type:''' ?
* '''Ring:''' 零 (Rei, zero/nothing/overflow)
* '''Position:''' Right [[thumb]]
* '''Partner:''' None or not yet introduced
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 238 (unnamed silhouette); Episode 135 (unnamed silhouette)
Not much is known about this person except that he acts like the leader of Akatsuki; he is the only one to have given orders to other members and none have ever challenged or opposed him. He is also the one to initiate and supervise the [[Fūin jutsu#Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals|jutsu]] that forcibly brings a biju out of a captured Jinchuriki.
=== Deidara ===
[[Image:Deidaracoloured.jpg|thumb|Deidara]]
* '''Age:''' ?
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' Blue
* '''Hair color:''' Blond
* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood type:''' ?
* '''Ring:''' 青 (Sei, blue/green)
* '''Position:''' Right [[index finger]]
* '''Partner:''' [[#Tobi|Tobi]], formerly [[#Sasori|Sasori]]
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 247; Episode 135 (unnamed silhouette)
* '''Unique traits:''' Specialist in clay based jutsu, clay manipulation, mouths in palms of hands, scope in left eye socket
A [[Naruto ninja ranks#Missing-nin|missing-nin]] from [[Naruto geography#Iwagakure|Iwagakure]], {{Nihongo|'''Deidara'''|デイダラ}} is one half of the Akatsuki duo that comes to [[Land of Wind#Sunagakure|Sunagakure]] to kidnap [[Gaara]]. A fancy and skillful fighter, with special mouths in the palm of each hand, he is able to [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (A-G)#Exploding Clay|manipulate clay]] into many shapes, including a flight-capable clay bird that can support him and a huge bomb capable of leveling a village without the use of exploding tags. He uses a scope on his left eye to zoom in on objects when he is high in the air on his clay bird. Deidara was originally teamed with [[#Sasori|Sasori]], whom Deidara refers to as {{Nihongo|Master Sasori|サソリの旦那|Sasori no Danna}}. This is probably because Deidara had a lot of respect for his fellow artist because Sasori is, as Deidara himself admits, a lot stronger. Despite that, Deidara still argued a lot with Sasori. They often argue about what art is, Deidara holding that art is something that is transient, departing quickly, whereas Sasori believed that good art is immortal, a thing that lasts a long time. This reflects their individual natures (Deidara makes clay sculptures that explode, Sasori makes long-lasting puppets out of humans). Deidara outwardly seems to respect Sasori's beliefs, but couldn't resist getting a final jab in after Sasori's death: "Like anything that is left for the future as a thing of eternal beauty... He got killed straight off!".
During his fight with Gaara, his left arm was mangled by Gaara's [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (A-G)#Desert Coffin|Desert Coffin]], but he still managed to defeat the new Kazekage when he threatened Sunagakure itself. Deidara remarked after winning that it was typical of a Kage to save their village over their own life.
Deidara lost his right arm to Kakashi Hatake when Kakashi used his [[Kekkei genkai#Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan|Mangekyo Sharingan]] against him. As a last resort (and in keeping with his favorite art form), Deidara blew up one of his clones in an attempt to kill everyone else around him after absorbing some of his clay though his mouth. However, his clone was teleported away from the scene by Kakashi. Deidara later returned after burrowing away from the scene and looked for his right arm and Akatsuki ring that 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 that Sasori was killed.
Deidara later returns with his right arm re-attached, and Tobi as his new partner. Deidara gets impatient with Tobi fairly easily, since Tobi rarely pays attention to what he is saying. Tobi also tends to take the credit for their work, despite whatever Deidara did. After they capture the [[Biju#Sanbi ("Three Tails")|Sanbi]] he lectures Tobi about being too overconfident. He becomes greatly annoyed when he discovers that Tobi has fallen asleep and proceeds to "wake him up" by blasting Tobi with his exploding clay.
'''Trivia'''
* Due to the [[Japanese language]]'s sparse use of third person 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. However, Deidara speaks of himself using male pronouns.
* Deidara seems to end most of his sentences with "un", often translated as "yeah" or "hmm" in scanlations.
* Deidara came third in the sixth Naruto Character Popularity Contest (taken in Japan), placing even higher than [[Naruto Uzumaki]].
* Deidara's design is possibly influenced by [[Okamoto Taro]]; a phrase he says while fighting Gaara, "Art is a Bang," ("Geijutsu wa bakuhatsu da") is actually a famous phrase of Okamoto. The clay sculpture's hole-like eyes are also a famous characteristic of Okamoto's work. Lastly, one of Deidara's clay bombs greatly resembles Okamoto's famous work, the "Sun Pagoda".
=== Hidan ===
[[Image:Hidancoloured.jpg|thumb|Hidan]]
* '''Age:''' ?
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' Violet
* '''Hair color:''' Silver
* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood Type:''' ?
* '''Ring:''' 三 (San, three)
* '''Position:''' Left [[index finger]]
* '''Partner:''' [[#Kakuzu|Kakuzu]]
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 312; Episode 135 (unnamed silhouette)
* '''Unique traits:''' Wields a three-bladed scythe, self-described slowest attack speed of any Akatsuki member, said to be "unkillable"
{{Nihongo|'''Hidan'''|飛段}}, the self-proclaimed slowest-attacking member of Akatsuki, wields a three-bladed scythe that he can use as a throwing weapon while retaining control of it with a thick rope wrapped around his wrist. He is partnered with [[#Kakuzu|Kakuzu]]. Despite their obvious problems, these two are uniquely suited to be partners. As Kakuzu explains it, Hidan is apparently unable to die. Kakuzu mentions that in battle his rage tends to get the better of him and he kills anyone nearby, so Hidan is the one partner that he can't possibly get rid of. An overtly religious individual, he refused to fight the [[Biju#Nibi ("Two Tails")|Nibi]] without praying beforehand. He belongs to the Jashin ("Evil God" or "Evil Heart") religion, which commends slaughter, and where anything less than total destruction is considered a sin. Because of this, having to capture the Nibi alive was not something he was happy about, especially after the battle began. Before a battle, Hidan prays to his chain of prayer beads, wishing for nothing less than a kill. After a battle, he does a prayer ceremony where he lays down on a seal and sticks a pike through his chest, during which his skin changes color for an unknown reason; this lasts for thirty minutes. Hidan owns a charm with an upside down triangle inscribed inside a circle that he carries on chain of beads, which he used to help him pray; the same symbol is used in his pike ritual.
On their last assignment Hidan and Kakuzu successfully captured the Nibi, though Hidan was not happy about leaving her alive (having pinned her hands to a wall with kunai). Zetsu eventually came to retrieve her while Hidan and Kakuzu left towards the Land of Fire. They invaded a temple in the Land of Fire to see if their next target was there. When they arrived, Hidan was already thinking about how it may be bad to invade a temple and kill monks, as it might be blasphemous and send him to hell. They didn't find their target, so they continued into the Land of Fire, bickering all the while. While waiting for Kakuzu outside of the bounty collector's building, he was ambushed by Asuma's group. Shikamaru used his [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (S-Z)#Shadow Imitation Technique|Shadow Imitation Technique]] to capture Hidan, allowing [[List of Konoha Chunin#Izumo Kamizuki|Izumo Kamizuki]] and [[List of Konoha Chunin#Kotetsu Hagane|Kotetsu Hagane]] to stab him on both sides with giant kunai. He seems unfazed by the deadly attack, but does remark that it was painful.
'''Trivia'''
* The first character in Hidan's name (飛) stands for hisha, the [[rook (chess)|rook]] in shogi. Similarly, the first character in Kakuzu's name (角) stands for kakugyo, a [[bishop (chess)|bishop]] in [[shogi]].
=== Itachi Uchiha ===
[[Image:UchihaItachi.jpg|thumb|Itachi Uchiha]]
* '''Age:''' 18 in Part I, 20 in Part II
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' Black, Red with Sharingan
* '''Hair color:''' Black
* '''Height:''' 175.2 [[Metre|cm]]<sup>[[#Sources|2]]</sup>
* '''Weight:''' 57.1 [[Kilogram|kg]]<sup>[[#Sources|2]]</sup>
* '''Birthday:''' [[June 9]]</sup>
* '''Blood type:''' AB</sup>
* '''Registration #:''' 012110</sup>
* '''Ring:''' 朱 (Shu, scarlet/bloody)
* '''Position:''' Right [[ring finger]]
* '''Partner:''' [[#Kisame Hoshigaki|Kisame Hoshigaki]]
* '''Seiyu:''' [[Hideo Ishikawa]]
* '''Voice actor:''' [[Skip Stellrecht]] (flashbacks in episodes 29 and 30 only)
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 139; Episode 80
* '''Unique traits:''' Mastery of the [[Kekkei genkai#Sharingan|Sharingan]] and [[Kekkei genkai#Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan|Mangekyo Sharingan]], skilled with genjutsu
Noted even within the Bingo Book (a list of powerful ninja who have been marked for assassination), {{Nihongo|'''Itachi Uchiha'''|うちはイタチ|Uchiha Itachi}} is an S-Class criminal and a [[Land of Fire#Konohagakure|Konohagakure]] [[Naruto ninja ranks#Missing-nin|missing-nin]]. He is currently partnered with Kisame to capture Naruto.
He graduated at the top of his Academy class at age 7, had mastered the [[Kekkei genkai#Sharingan|Sharingan]] by age 8, became a [[Naruto ninja ranks#Chunin|Chunin]] at 10 and was previously an [[Naruto ninja ranks#ANBU|ANBU]] squad leader at the age of 13. He was, until recently, the only known living person who possessed the [[Kekkei genkai (Naruto)#Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan|Mangekyo Sharingan]]. Itachi has told Sasuke that if Sasuke were to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan, the people able to use it will total three.
He left Konoha about five years prior to the setting of ''Naruto'', after slaying his whole clan with the exception of [[Sasuke Uchiha]], his little brother. At 11, even Orochimaru feared him. Orochimaru had planned to use Itachi as his next host, but Itachi had become too powerful for even Orochimaru to handle, which is why he turned his attention to Sasuke.
The reason Itachi killed everyone in his clan except for Sasuke remains unclear. When questioned by Sasuke, he replied, "To test my 'utsuwa'." In [[Japanese language|Japanese]], 'utsuwa' (器) can mean "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 [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (H-R)#Living Corpse Reincarnation|Living Corpse Reincarnation]]. In this respect, Itachi's words can mean anything from him having a past connection with Orochimaru, to him simply wanting to test his own power, or to his plans to join Akatsuki and forsake past relations. To make matters even more ambiguous, 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'. In context, Itachi was more than likely referring to his own power. Itachi also briefly makes reference to some ultimate purpose behind the Uchiha clan, but what this is has yet to be revealed.
Itachi, especially after slaying his entire clan, appears aloof and nearly emotionless. While Sasuke's flashbacks reveal a somewhat more loving and personable brother, Itachi later implies that this too was all just an act: playing the part of the older brother all to test Sasuke's potential. Despite being the murderer of his entire clan, as well as his closest friend, Itachi does not appear to kill simply for the sake of it, but instead seems to use just enough force to achieve his goals. When [[Asuma Sarutobi]] and [[Kurenai Yuhi]] stood between him and the way to his goal (Naruto Uzumaki), he did not kill Kurenai when given the chance. Likewise, he could have easily killed Kakashi and Sasuke, but instead chose to torture them with his Mangekyo Sharingan so that they would witness his power. As it stands, the only way for one to avoid the Mangekyo Sharingan is to avoid eye contact, and focus on the feet or body, as mentioned by both Guy and Kakashi.
'''Trivia'''
* The name "Itachi" means "Weasel". In [[Japanese mythology]], weasels are a bad omen, signifying bad luck and death.
* His favorite foods appear to be green and red colored [[dango]] (Japanese dumplings) on a stick and pickled plums.
=== Kakuzu ===
[[Image:AkatsukiKakuzu.png|thumb|150px|Kakuzu]]
* '''Age:''' ?
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' White [[iris (anatomy)|iris]], Black [[sclera]]
* '''Hair color:''' Unknown, wears a garment over his head.
* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood Type:''' ?
* '''Ring:''' 北 (Hoku, north)
* '''Position:''' Left [[middle finger]]
* '''Partner:''' [[#Hidan|Hidan]]
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 312; Episode 135 (unnamed silhouette)
* '''Unique traits:''' High physical strength
{{Nihongo|'''Kakuzu'''|角都}} is [[#Hidan|Hidan]]'s partner and a [[Naruto ninja ranks#Missing-nin|missing-nin]] from [[Naruto geography#Takigakure|Takigakure]], though he doesn't seem all that happy about the former position. He does not like Hidan's religion at all, believing the rituals associated with it to be a useless waste of time. The only reason he deals with it is because it can bring him money. Even with his dislike of Hidan, Kakuzu says that only Hidan can be his partner. Because of his violent temper, everyone else who has worked with him is dead, presumably having been killed by Kakuzu in his rage. Hidan is the perfect partner because of his apparent inability to die. Kakuzu is incredibly greed-driven, and will do just about anything to obtain money. He even refers to himself as the Treasurer of Akatsuki. Given his friendly relationship with a bounty officer, it would seem he collects bounties rather frequently, seemingly doing so during his missions. He is shown to have a great amount of physical strength, the use of which is somehow associated with a change in his skin color.
On their last assignment, he and Hidan successfully captured the Nibi. Afterwards, while looking at a map with various places marked off, Kakuzu mentions that the Land of Fire will be their next assignment. They invaded a temple in the Land of Fire to see if their next target was there. Kakuzu also took advantage of the fact that a monk with a bounty of thirty million [[Ryo (currency)|ryo]] on his head was at the temple. When they arrived, Kakuzu was already thinking about cashing in the monk. In fact, they take a detour simply to turn the monk's body in after failing to locate their target.
'''Trivia'''
* The first character in Kakuzu's name (角) stands for kakugyō, a [[bishop (chess)|bishop]] in [[shogi]]. Similarly, the first character in Hidan's name (飛) stands for hisha, the [[rook (chess)|rook]] in shogi.
=== Kisame Hoshigaki ===
[[Image:HoshigakiKisame.JPG|thumb|Kisame Hoshigaki]]
* '''Age:''' 29 in Part I, 31 in Part II
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' White
* '''Hair color:''' Dark Blue
* '''Height:''' 195 [[Metre|cm]]<sup>[[#Sources|2]]</sup>
* '''Weight:''' 83.1 [[Kilogram|kg]]<sup>[[#Sources|2]]</sup>
* '''Birthday:''' [[March 18]]
* '''Blood type:''' AB
* '''Ring:''' 南 (Nan, south)
* '''Position:''' Left [[ring finger]]
* '''Partner:''' [[#Itachi Uchiha|Itachi Uchiha]]
* '''Seiyu:''' [[Tomoyuki Dan]]
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 139; Episode 80
* '''Unique traits:''' Shark-like appearance, expert in water-based jutsu, large chakra supply, high physical strength and speed, Samehada (sentient, chakra-absorbing sword)
{{Nihongo|'''Kisame Hoshigaki'''|干柿鬼鮫|Hoshigaki Kisame}}, along with [[#Itachi Uchiha|Itachi Uchiha]], is part of the Akatsuki team assigned to capture Naruto Uzumaki. Their first attempt was shortly after the attack on Konoha by Orochimaru, but they were thwarted by [[Jiraiya (Naruto)|Jiraiya]]. Itachi later explained that it wasn't the proper time to kidnap Naruto yet, and that Naruto could be captured at any time given his skill level. Kisame is quite [[shark]]-like in appearance, complete with blue skin and sharp teeth.
Kisame comes from [[Naruto geography#Kirigakure|Kirigakure]]. He is known as the {{Nihongo|Mysterious Person of the Hidden Mist|霧隠れの怪人|''Kirigakure no Kaijin''}}. He is also one of the {{Nihongo|Seven Swordsmen of the Mist|霧の忍刀七人衆|''Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū''}}, seven powerful ninja who utilize large and unique swords. [[Zabuza Momochi]] and [[Lesser enemies in Naruto#Raiga Kurosuki|Raiga Kurosuki]] were also members.
Kisame's main weapon is named Samehada (鮫肌, "Shark skin"), which is a sword of comparable size to [[Zabuza Momochi]]'s [[zanbatō]]. Unlike a regular sword, however, Samehada is covered in scales that shave instead of cut, much like a shark's skin (hence the name). Additionally, it has the ability to absorb any chakra around it, allowing Kisame to literally cut through his enemy's chakra. The amount that it can absorb is unclear. Finally, Samehada is 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 hilt and found its way back to Kisame.
The amount of chakra Kisame possesses is apparently considered very large, even by Akatsuki's standards. Their [[#Akatsuki leader|leader]] commented on his amount of chakra; a Kisame body-double at 30% power, made with the leader's [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (S-Z)#Shapeshifting Technique|Shapeshifting Technique]], had as much chakra as Naruto Uzumaki possessed while drawing on Kyubi'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 [[Kekkei genkai#Byakugan|Byakugan]].
Kisame has displayed astonishing speed comparable to that of Might Guy, and incredible physical strength topped only by the chakra-augmented strength of [[Tsunade (Naruto)|Tsunade]]. Like everyone seen from Kirigakure, Kisame uses water-based jutsu in combination with his powerful physical attacks.
Despite his rather brutish appearance, Kisame speaks in a calm and polite manner compared to most of the other members of Akatsuki.
'''Trivia'''
* Kisame (鬼鮫) means "demon shark", an obvious reference to his overall shark-like appearance.
* Hoshigaki (干柿) means dried [[persimmon]].
* Kisame is the only other person known to use water-based jutsu without a water source besides the [[Land of Fire#Hokage, Second|Second Hokage]].
*While Kisame has been seen in battle numerous times, it is evident that he has still not yet revealed all his abilities. He is one of the most inhuman Akatsuki member (in terms of appearence), and carries traits that are clearly not normal.
=== Tobi ===
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[[Image:Tobi in color.JPG|thumb|150px|Tobi]]
* '''Age:''' ?
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' ?
* '''Hair color:''' Black
* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood type:''' ?
* '''Ring:''' 玉 (Gyoku, jewel/ball/jade)
* '''Position:''' Left [[thumb]]
* '''Partner:''' [[#Deidara|Deidara]]
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 280
* '''Unique traits:''' Orange mask with single eye-hole covered in a swirl pattern
{{Nihongo|'''Tobi'''|トビ}}, formerly Zetsu's subordinate, became a full Akatsuki member after [[#Sasori|Sasori]]'s demise. He now wears the same ring as Sasori, having recovered it after Sasori's death, and took his place as Deidara's partner. The two have recently defeated the [[Biju#Sanbi ("Three Tails")|Sanbi]], though Tobi seems to do little to actually capture it. Unlike the majority of ninja thus far, Tobi has not been shown wearing a visible forehead protector, so his place of origin is unknown. His area of expertise also remains unclear, as he has never been shown fighting.
Tobi has a very formal and correct manner of speech. He respects Deidara, referring to him as Deidara-senpai. In contrast, however, Tobi seems to have an odd personality in comparison with other Akatsuki members. While most of the members are serious, if not somewhat argumentative when alone, Tobi is more carefree and goofy, much like Naruto. Though he respects Deidara, he also seems to easily annoy Deidara by taking credit for the capture of Sanbi. He claims that he beat it with a "one-hit KO jutsu", even though Deidara's claims that the exploding fish was the main reason for their victory. He also falls asleep while Deidara is speaking to him, resulting in Deidara giving him a stern "wake up call" in the form of his exploding clay.
=== Zetsu ===
[[Image:Zetsucoloured.jpg|thumb|Zetsu]]
* '''Age:''' ?
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' Yellow
* '''Hair color:''' Green
* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood type:''' ?
* '''Ring:''' 亥 (Kai, boar)
* '''Position:''' Right [[little finger]]
* '''Partner:''' None or not yet introduced
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 234; Episode 134
* '''Unique traits:''' Venus-flytrap like extensions around body, dual personality, skin color split into white and black halves, cannibal
The mysterious {{Nihongo|'''Zetsu'''|ゼツ}} is a [[Naruto ninja ranks#Missing-nin|missing-nin]] from [[Naruto geography#Kusagakure|Kusagakure]]. 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]]. 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 the [[Kekkei genkai#Byakugan|Byakugan]] or [[Kekkei genkai#Ranmaru's kekkei genkai|Ranmaru's kekkei genkai]]. He also has the ability to merge with the ground, trees, and other plants, allowing him to travel long distances fairly quickly. 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 the leader.
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]]. 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.
In addition to his role as a spy, Zetsu appears to function as Akatsuki's [[Naruto ninja ranks#Hunter-nin|hunter-nin]]. He was sent to dispose of the corpses of those used for the leader's [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (S-Z)#Shapeshifting Technique|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 first appearance was after the fight between Naruto and Sasuke at the end of the first arc, which he observed in secret. He was also responsible for warning Akatsuki of the positions of the approaching Team Kakashi and Team Guy during their extraction of Gaara's biju.
The leader dispatched Zetsu to recover Sasori and Deidara's Akatsuki rings since they were both expected to be killed. This highlights some significance in the rings, since Tobi takes Sasori's ring and asks Zetsu if he can join Akatsuki in Sasori's place. The human-sounding half of Zetsu scoffs at the idea, but the robotic half seems intrigued. Given that Tobi is now a member, it would seem the latter half won out.
Some time later, Zetsu appears before Hidan and Kakuzu after they have successfully defeated Yugito. He lets the pair head off on their next assignment, his parting words being, "I will take care of the Nibi." Before parting, Zetsu also admitted to Hidan and Kakuzu that he doesn't trust anyone but himself, which further suggests he does not have a partner.
'''Trivia'''
* Zetsu's ring has the kanji 亥 (Kai, boar) while the [[#Rings|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.
=== Unnamed member ===
[[Image:akatsukimember.jpg|thumb|Unnamed Akatsuki member, seen from behind in the manga]]
* '''Age:''' ?
* '''Status:''' Active
* '''Eye color:''' ?
* '''Hair color:''' Blue
* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood type:''' ?
* '''Ring:''' 白 (Haku, white)
* '''Position:''' Right [[middle finger]]
* '''Partner:''' None or not yet introduced
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 238 (unnamed silhouette), Episode 135 (unnamed silhouette)
Aside from having blue hair and some sort of object on his or her head, everything about this member remains a mystery.
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== Former members ==
=== Orochimaru ===
[[Image:Orochimaru002.jpg|thumb|Orochimaru]]
{{main|Orochimaru (Naruto)|l1=Orochimaru}}
* '''Status:''' Defected
* '''Ring:''' 空 (Kū, sky)
* '''Position:''' Left [[little finger]]
* '''Partner:''' Formerly Sasori
Orochimaru was formerly a member of Akatsuki, where he worked as Sasori's partner. The circumstances behind his eventual defection from Akatsuki remain unclear. Orochimaru implies that he had planned to use Itachi as his next host, but notes Itachi had become too powerful for even him to handle, thus why he turned his attention to Sasuke. Why Itachi's superiority alone would necessitate his defection is unclear. Upon leaving, he kept his Akatsuki ring, which is currently still on the severed 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 a number of Akatsuki plots, one of which involved a member of his retinue being a (eventually [[double agent|double]]) sleeper agent. Orochimaru intends to eliminate Akatsuki, as well; however, he is currently content to let Konoha deal with the threat Akatsuki poses. This is in the hope that they kill some of the remaining members for him.
Whatever their remaining connections are, Orochimaru and Akatsuki also seem to be working off similar timetables, as the three years it takes Orochimaru to prepare to take over Sasuke's body seem to coincide with Akatsuki's plans for capturing more biju.
=== Sasori ===
[[Image:Sasori31.jpg|thumb|Sasori]]
<!--* '''Age:''' ?-->
* '''Status:''' Deceased
* '''Eye color:''' Red
* '''Hair color:''' Red
<!--* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood type:''' ?-->
* '''Ring:''' 玉 (Gyoku, jewel/ball/jade)
* '''Position:''' Left [[thumb]]
* '''Partner:''' Formerly [[#Deidara|Deidara]], Orochimaru before that
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 247; Episode 135 (unnamed silhouette)
* '''Unique traits:''' Specialist in ninja puppetry, artificial puppet body, ability to turn living people into puppets, artistic preference of long-lasting works.
{{Nihongo|'''Sasori'''|サソリ}}, [[#Deidara|Deidara]]'s former partner, is a missing-nin from Sunagakure. He is known as {{Nihongo|Sasori of the Red Sand|赤砂のサソリ|Akasuna no Sasori}}. He created [[Kankuro]]'s puppets, among others, and is a genius puppeteer in his own right. His first appearance is during a mission to Sunagakure where Deidara is to capture [[Gaara]]. After Gaara's capture, Kankuro attempts to stop the Akatsuki duo, but to no avail. Sasori battled the enraged brother, nearly killing him and easily destroying Kankuro's puppets in the process. After Gaara is delivered to the Akatsuki lair, it is he and Deidara who fend off Team Kakashi while the others escape.
Sasori left Sunagakure 20 years before his introduction, but the background on his crimes is unknown. Flashbacks seem to indicate that his descent into darkness started when his parents died, and he attempted to simulate being with them by turning their corpses into puppets (the first puppets he ever created). After hearing news of her grandson's return, Chiyo decides to join Team [[Kakashi Hatake|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 forever, while Deidara believes art is fleeting. Although Deidara respects Sasori's view, Sasori doesn't seem to respect Deidara's.
[[Image:hiruko.JPEG|thumb|Sasori inside his puppet, Hiruko]]
During regular combat, Sasori wears his puppets like armor and controls them from the inside, thus eliminating the puppeteer's weakness of being a separate and 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 another projectile-firing device. Sakura is able to smash this puppet into hundreds of pieces with a single punch.
His puppet suits are the not the only tricks Sasori uses, though. His true power lies in his regular puppets, which are made from the still-living bodies of humans. Not only are these puppets more versatile than regular puppets, they are able to use the chakra and jutsu of those they were created from. Sasori claims to have a collection of 298 [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (H-R)#Human Puppet|human puppets]] (人傀儡, "hitokugutsu"). The first puppet he unveils happens to be his favorite: the [[Land of Wind#Kazekage, Third|Third Kazekage]]. The Third Kazekage had been killed many years before, and until this point his death had remained a mystery. This puppet retained its unique [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (H-R)#Iron Sand|Iron Sand]] ability, making it particularly dangerous. Like with Hiruko, Sakura smashes this puppet into many pieces.
[[Image:Sasori in the manga.jpg|thumb|Sasori's true form]]
The truly frightening aspect of Sasori is that his real body is still as young as Chiyo remembered it from when Sasori left the village. The secret of his youth is revealed after the Kazekage puppet is destroyed: he made himself into a puppet. His stomach had been replaced by a thick cable coiled around a pole, allowing it to be used as a stinger and retracted as necessary. He attached a scroll holder to his back, in which he kept four scrolls containing his human puppets for his [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (H-R)#Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets|Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets]]. He also attached a pair of arms to his back, each equipped with five large claws. He added flamethrowers to each of his real hands, as well. Finally, he installed a hidden compartment in his right chest that could spin unknown numbers of chakra strings to control puppets. His left chest contained the only part of him that remained human, and thus capable of controlling chakra: his heart. The heart is stored in a cylinder-shaped device with the kanji 蠍 (Sasori, "Scorpion") printed on it.
Because Sasori's heart is the only living part of himself, his puppet body is virtually indestructible. When smashed apart, he could simply draw the pieces back together. Additionally, he can transfer his heart to other puppets, allowing him to abandon a body should it be damaged or otherwise incapacitated. How he transfers his facial features, as depicted in the manga, is not explained. Since he only does so once during his Performance of a Hundred Puppets technique, one can assume he keeps "spare" versions of himself within his summoning scrolls in case he needs to transfer himself.
Sasori's own strength proves to be his ultimate weakness. Because only one part of him remains alive, it only took one sword stab to kill him. Chiyo used his mother's and father's puppets to stab him through this ___location in a manner similar to the hug that he subconsciously desired. Interestingly, Chiyo seemed to believe that Sasori had allowed himself to be killed – he saw the attack coming and chose not to react, and he died in a way similar to how his parent puppets used to embrace him. At the end of the battle, Chiyo, Sasori, and Sakura are all fatally wounded, but Chiyo uses a jutsu originally developed for puppets to cure Sakura. The jutsu had been developed in the hope of giving life to otherwise lifeless puppets, but Chiyo realized during the research that the only way such a thing was possible was to trade one life for another. In this case, however, Chiyo survived since Sakura was still alive. Later, Chiyo uses the jutsu again to Gaara, trading her life to revive the dead Kazekage. Naruto assists by providing some of his own chakra, since Chiyo didn't possess enough energy to revive Gaara on her own.
As a reward to Sakura for defeating him, Sasori's last words were that he had a spy in Orochimaru's ranks, with whom he was supposed to meet in [[Naruto geography#Kusagakure|Kusagakure]] ten days later. This spy was revealed to be [[Kabuto Yakushi]]. However, Orochimaru had long ago undone the jutsu on Kabuto that kept him loyal to Akatsuki, and Kabuto remained loyal to Orochimaru.
At the time of his death, Sasori had not yet captured his Jinchuriki. A short dialogue between himself and Deidara suggests that Sasori did not even know what Jinchuriki he had been assigned to target. After his death, [[#Tobi|Tobi]] was the one to take his place and ring.
'''Trivia'''
* "Sasori" (蠍) means scorpion, which is likely a reference to the Hiruko puppet's scorpion-like appearance and Sasori's use of poisons. This kanji also appears on his heart-talisman.
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== Agents ==
=== Kabuto Yakushi ===
[[Image:YakushiKabuto.JPG|thumb|150px|Kabuto Yakushi]]
{{main|Kabuto Yakushi}}
* '''Status:''' Defected
Kabuto Yakushi was a former spy for Sasori, under a form of mind-control. Kabuto was used by Sasori to infiltrate Orochimaru's group, but Orochimaru removed the mind control on Kabuto shortly after he joined. Kabuto then betrayed Sasori and Akatsuki in favor of Orochimaru.
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=== Yura ===
[[Image:Yura.jpg|thumb|Yura]]
* '''Age:''' ?
* '''Status:''' Deceased
* '''Height:''' ?
* '''Weight:''' ?
* '''Birthday:''' ?
* '''Blood type:''' ?
* '''Rank:''' [[Naruto ninja ranks#Jonin|Jonin]]
* '''Registration #:''' ?
* '''Debut:''' Chapter 247
{{Nihongo|'''Yura'''|由良|Yūra}} served as a trusted member of the Kazekage advisory council of Sunagakure for four years. In reality, he was a [[sleeper agent]] for Akatsuki and a subordinate of [[#Sasori|Sasori]]. He was used in the [[Akatsuki (Naruto)#Akatsuki leader|Akatsuki leader]]'s [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (S-Z)#Shapeshifting Technique|Shapeshifting Technique]], which made him take on the shape of [[#Itachi Uchiha|Itachi Uchiha]] and allowed Itachi to take control of his body. He was killed by Naruto's [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (A-G)#Great Ball Spiraling Sphere|Great Ball Spiraling Sphere]] in this form.
'''Trivia'''
* Yura means "beginning" in Japanese.
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== References ==
* {{Nihongo|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}}
* {{Nihongo|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}}
* {{Nihongo|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}}
* {{Nihongo|Naruto anime and manga Guidebook|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 ''Naruto'' manga chapters and anime episodes.
{{Naruto info}}
[[Category:Fictional ninja]]
[[Category:Naruto characters]]
[[Category:Villain groups]]
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