Nagato

Biodata

Background and History

Konoha ninja killed Nagato’s parents during a war. His Rinnegan awakened, and he killed the two attackers. Left hungry and alone, he was found by Konan, who gave him bread and brought him to Yahiko. The three war orphans survived together, sometimes stealing food 27 28.

After Nagato’s puppy was killed in a battle involving Hanzō and the future Sannin, Yahiko resolved to learn ninjutsu and change their country. The children sought out the Konoha ninja, and Jiraiya took them in. He trained them for three years, teaching Nagato to control his Rinnegan and sharing his hope for peace 28 29.

After Jiraiya left, Yahiko founded the Akatsuki. Hanzō and Danzō later ambushed the group, and Yahiko died. Nagato saved Konan and unleashed the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path against their attackers; the effort drained him until he was skin and bones 29.

Appearance

Nagato’s real body is frail and skeletal by the time Naruto finds him in a hollow tree 26.

• Eyes: Rinnegan 27 29
• Skin: Pale 29
• Hair: Pale at the end of the Konoha invasion footage 30

Personality and Beliefs

As a child, Nagato showed compassion even while starving: he initially refused to steal food and shared Konan’s bread with his puppy. He felt guilty after killing enemies to protect Yahiko and feared losing control to hatred 27 29.

Nagato came to believe that revenge creates a chain of hatred and that people cannot truly understand one another. His plan was to use a Tailed Beast weapon capable of destroying a country to impose temporary peace through fear of pain 18.

He was confident in his Rinnegan, telling Konan that he did not believe the masked man calling himself Madara Uchiha could defeat him. Later, Naruto’s refusal to kill him and commitment to Jiraiya’s teachings led Nagato to believe in another path to peace 7 30.

Abilities and Skills

Rinnegan

Nagato’s Rinnegan awakened after his parents were killed. Jiraiya subsequently taught him ninjutsu in part so he could control its power 27 29.

• Sensory ability: Pain detected Konoha’s barrier before the invasion 2.
• Sealing Absorption Technique: Young Nagato instinctively blocked an explosion with a shield 28.
• Conflicting account: Nagato says his Rinnegan have always been his, while Madara claims the eyes belonged to him 30.

Six Paths of Pain

Nagato controls the Paths remotely through chakra transmitted by black rods. Their connected vision helps them cover one another’s blind spots 13 25.

• Deva Path: Uses attraction and repulsion, including Banshō Ten’in and Shinra Tensei 6 16.
• Animal Path: Summons creatures and other Paths 8 12.
• Preta Path: Absorbs ninjutsu and chakra. It turned into a petrified frog after absorbing too much natural energy from Naruto 15 16.
• Naraka Path: Summons the King of Hell, which restored defeated Paths until Naruto incapacitated it 15.
• Limitation: The Deva Path’s attraction and repulsion techniques have an interval between uses; more powerful attacks require a longer recovery 16.

Shinra Tensei and Chibaku Tensei

• Shinra Tensei: Repels targets. Nagato used a massive version through Pain to level Konoha, killing and injuring countless people 11.
• Chibaku Tensei: Draws surrounding material into a vast sphere. Nagato used it to trap the Nine-Tails temporarily, but the beast broke free 22.

Black Rods

Nagato uses black rods to transmit chakra and restrain opponents. At close range, he controlled Naruto’s movements through rods embedded in him, although Naruto resisted and broke free. Naruto also used a rod to trace Nagato’s chakra to his location 24 26.

Demonic Statue of the Outer Path

After Yahiko’s death, Nagato activated Outer Path Mode and used the statue against Hanzō and Danzō’s forces.

• The statue unleashed a giant purple dragon that killed enemies in its path.
• Its use drained Nagato’s chakra and left him skeletal 29.

Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique

Nagato used this Rinnegan technique to revive the people he had killed in Konoha. Already severely weakened, he died after performing it 30.

Relationships

• Konan — Childhood companion and fellow war orphan. She remained beside Nagato during the invasion and worried about the strain on his body 18 27.
• Yahiko — Childhood friend and Akatsuki’s founder. His death deeply affected Nagato, who later controlled him as Pain 26 29.
• Jiraiya — Teacher who sheltered and trained Nagato, Yahiko and Konan. Nagato later acknowledged using Yahiko to kill him 26 29.
• Naruto Uzumaki — Fellow student of Jiraiya and Nagato’s opponent during the Konoha invasion. Naruto chose not to kill him, and Nagato entrusted his hopes for peace to him 26 30.
• Hanzō and Danzō — Responsible for the ambush in which Yahiko died 29.
• Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha — Madara regarded Nagato as a pawn, while Obito reported that Nagato suspected his identity 16.

Story Role

Konoha invasion

In footage watched by a cross-era chat group, Pain divides his forces between diversion and the search for Naruto. Nagato tells Jiraiya in the chat that he will achieve peace in his own way, but worries that the footage will expose his abilities 2 7.

Pain devastates Konoha with Shinra Tensei before Naruto returns to confront him. During their battle, Pain explains his plan for a Tailed Beast weapon and asks how Naruto would confront hatred. Nagato later uses Chibaku Tensei against the Nine-Tails, but it breaks free 11 12 18 22.

Confrontation and atonement

Naruto exploits Shinra Tensei’s cooldown to defeat the Deva Path, then follows Nagato’s chakra to his real body. Though Naruto admits he cannot forgive Nagato, he stops himself from attacking and listens to his story 25 26 27.

Naruto vows to follow Jiraiya’s teachings and bring peace to Amegakure. Seeing his own childhood ideals in Naruto, Nagato chooses to believe him and revives Konoha’s dead as an act of atonement 30.

Notable Quotes

“The pain of losing something important is the same for everyone... We seek revenge in the name of justice. We’re both ordinary people.” 18

“Brief peace born from pain—that is my wish!” 18

“I choose to believe in you, Naruto Uzumaki!” 30

Trivia

• In the chat group, Nagato proposes a bet on Naruto and Sasuke’s next exchange. A correct answer earns Danzō two slaps, which Nagato enjoys watching 50.