Akatsuki Organization

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Akatsuki Organization (晓组织)
Occupation/Role	Clandestine Tailed Beast-hunting organization composed of S-rank rogue ninja 118
Status	Active; later launches a full-scale war against the Ninja Alliance 345
First Appearance	Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki enter Konoha on Akatsuki business 51

Background

Akatsuki originated from Jiraiya's three disciples. After Yahiko was killed through Obito Uchiha and Zetsu's manipulation, Nagato and Konan were pushed away from the group's original salvation-oriented purpose and toward a destructive agenda 141.

Its early operations in the story focus on reconnaissance and intimidation. Itachi and Kisame enter Konoha to identify the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, confirm that Naruto Uzumaki is the Fourth Hokage's legacy, and investigate the Black-Clad Organization. Itachi also uses the mission to demonstrate his strength to Konoha's leadership and protect Sasuke indirectly 51 54 56.

Konoha later classifies Akatsuki as an SS-class terrorist organization, distinguishing it from the more mysterious Black-Clad Organization 82.

Leadership and Membership

Member	Role and documented activity
Pain	Directs meetings, assigns Tailed Beast-hunting quotas, and orders the pursuit of the Three- and Four-Tails 146 187
Nagato	Commands Akatsuki forces during critical engagements and orders retreats when the organization faces annihilation 168 323
Obito Uchiha	Revealed as the mastermind behind Akatsuki's Moon Eye Plan; directs Zetsu, manipulates members with false intelligence, and uses Kamui to relocate captives and rescue allies 145 146 175
Madara Uchiha	Directs later investigations and combat operations, including the assault on the Allied Ninja Forces 293 305
Black Zetsu / White Zetsu	Conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, infiltration, and intelligence gathering through White Zetsu clones; Black Zetsu later leads Akatsuki's full-scale war 280 321 345
Itachi Uchiha	Conducts Konoha reconnaissance with Kisame, uses Mangekyō Sharingan techniques in combat, and repeatedly assesses the Black-Clad Organization as a threat 51 54 180
Kisame Hoshigaki	Itachi's usual partner; participates in Konoha operations, Tailed Beast hunts, and later receives a covert “beheading operation” assignment against Jinchūriki 51 160 317
Deidara	Explosives specialist assigned to hunt Gaara; later provides clay birds for Akatsuki's aerial retreat 150 323
Sasori / Scorpion	Puppet user who fights Ringo Ameyuri, helps investigate the Black-Clad Organization, and later joins Deidara in targeting Gaara 115 150
Hidan	Immortal Jashinism adherent and bounty hunter partnered with Kakuzu; killed by Spirit Pavilion during the war 127 321 322
Kakuzu	Bounty-focused former Takigakure ninja with Earth Grudge Fear; killed by Spirit Pavilion after being caught in Izumi's Genjutsu 127 131 322
Konan	Assigned to wait underground and restrain Ringo Ameyuri during Akatsuki's Konoha Jinchūriki operation 317
Orochimaru	Former member whose defection hindered Akatsuki's preparations; later approached by Zetsu for renewed cooperation and forbidden-jutsu research 145 189

Objectives

Objective	Details
Stated objective	Akatsuki openly proposes collecting Tailed Beasts, starting wars, and ruling the world when seeking cooperation with the Black-Clad Organization 124
Moon Eye Plan	Obito reveals that the ultimate plan is to trap everyone in a global Genjutsu 145
Operational approach	Pain chooses to first collect Tailed Beasts and provoke war before advancing to the Moon Eye Plan 146
Ten-Tails objective	Intelligence distributed across the ninja world states that Akatsuki intends to synthesize the Ten-Tails and revive Madara Uchiha 185

Capabilities and Resources

Tailed Beast Extraction and Sealing

Akatsuki requires a sufficiently complete roster to master its Tailed Beast-sealing ninjutsu. The addition of Kisame, Deidara, and Hidan allows the organization to begin its collection plan ahead of schedule 145.

• Maintains multiple dedicated strongholds for sealing operations, though incomplete bases initially limit its options 145 146.
• Requires members to defend the sealing process while it is underway 168.
• Can relocate captured Jinchūriki between strongholds through Obito's Kamui 175.
• The extraction process can be disrupted by infiltration; Bai Hao interrupts the One-Tails extraction and rescues Gaara 181.

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Infiltration

Zetsu provides Akatsuki with its most extensive intelligence network.

• White Zetsu clones observe battlefields, impersonate targets, and create decoys during retreats 176 321.
• White Zetsu's Transformation Technique is used to infiltrate the forces and intelligence departments of different villages 280.
• Akatsuki uses killings, rumors, and staged intelligence to lure the Black-Clad Organization into contact 122.
• Obito feeds false intelligence about the Black-Clad Organization to keep Akatsuki's members under control 146.

Mobility and Evacuation

• Obito's Kamui transports captives and can extract multiple Akatsuki members from an otherwise fatal situation 175 331.
• Deidara prepares large clay birds as a planned aerial evacuation method 323.
• Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara, and Sasori escape one pursuit through the Earth Dragon Underground Technique while White Zetsu deploys sixteen decoys 176.

Force Augmentation

Facing the Black-Clad Organization's superior strength, Madara and Orochimaru develop specialized ninjutsu tailored to Akatsuki members 280 314.

• Hidan gains a Wood Release technique, Wood Style: Demonic Forest, at the cost of severely draining his body 314.
• Kakuzu develops a technique that transforms his body into countless black snakes for offense, defense, escape, and heart consumption 322.
• Akatsuki later deploys White Zetsu, Impure World Reincarnation fighters, and Mōryō's Terracotta Army as three separate war forces 345.

Story Role and Major Arcs

Konoha Incursion

Itachi and Kisame infiltrate Konoha to confirm Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. They also seek information on the Black-Clad Organization, while Itachi uses the mission to intimidate Konoha and assess threats to Sasuke 51 54.

After Kakashi survives Tsukuyomi, Akatsuki attempts to seize him for interrogation. The operation is interrupted by Might Guy and the unexpected appearance of the revived Izumi Uchiha 55 56.

Conflict with the Black-Clad Organization

Akatsuki becomes alarmed after Deidara is defeated by Rin and Sasori is defeated by Ringo Ameyuri. Pain raises the possibility that the opposing organization creates artificial Tailed Beasts, while Itachi recommends locating its base 115.

Akatsuki initially attempts to establish cooperation through Kakuzu, offering missions, payments, intelligence, and shared resources. The proposal fails when the opposing group rejects Akatsuki's world-conquest agenda 124 126.

The conflict escalates when Spirit Pavilion identifies Akatsuki as an evil force worth eliminating. Pakura and Guren subsequently attempt to draw Pain out of Amegakure without harming civilians 126 138.

Tailed Beast Hunt

After revealing the Moon Eye Plan, Akatsuki begins systematic Jinchūriki hunts 145 146.

• Deidara and Sasori target Gaara after Sunagakure's leadership leaves for the Five Kage Summit 150.
• Hidan and Kakuzu capture Yugito Nii alive for sealing 156.
• Akatsuki seals the One-Tails in the Land of Waterfalls while preparing to confront Konoha pursuers 160.
• Obito moves Gaara and Yugito to another hideout, but Bai Hao later rescues Gaara; Obito escapes with Yugito 175 181.
• Akatsuki completes the Two-Tails sealing and immediately redirects its attention toward the Three- and Four-Tails 187.
• By the conclusion of the Five Kage Summit, Akatsuki is reported to have captured five Tailed Beasts 195.
• Obito and Kakuzu attack Takigakure, kill more than half of its ninja force, and abduct the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, Kaede 200.

War against the Ninja Alliance

Akatsuki later mobilizes to capture Jinchūriki in Konoha, assigning specialized roles to Kisame, Konan, Nagato, and other members 317.

Spirit Pavilion intervenes with coordinated attacks rather than Akatsuki's usual individual duels. Hidan is killed first, Pakura destroys Akatsuki's White Zetsu surveillance network, and Kakuzu is subsequently killed 321 322.

Nagato orders a retreat after the failed interception operation, while Madara covers the withdrawal. Obito later extracts the surviving members with a large-scale spatial technique before a combined Tailed Beast Ball attack can strike them 323 331.

Black Zetsu subsequently leads Akatsuki in a full-scale war against the Ninja Alliance, deploying White Zetsu, Impure World Reincarnation fighters, and Mōryō's Terracotta Army 345.

Relationships

• Konohagakure — Akatsuki infiltrates Konoha, identifies Naruto as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and later makes Konoha Jinchūriki a primary capture target 51 317.
• Spirit Pavilion / Black-Clad Organization — Akatsuki first seeks cooperation, then becomes locked in a hostile struggle after learning of the group's strength and anti-Akatsuki stance 124 126.
• Five Great Shinobi Villages — Akatsuki's Jinchūriki captures drive the Five Kage to share intelligence, form a strategic alliance, and eventually assemble an Allied Ninja Force 186 241.
• Amegakure's civilians — Despite Akatsuki's wider agenda, many Amegakure residents regard Nagato and Konan as protectors who shield them from war 215.
• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki — Black Zetsu forms an alliance with Isshiki to eliminate the Black-Clad Organization and pursue Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's revival, though both sides conceal their true intentions 219.