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Akatsuki is a shinobi organization in Naruto whose purpose changes over the course of the story. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan founded it as a movement to bring peace to the Hidden Rain. The later organization, associated with Pain (Nagato) and Obito, pursues a very different campaign: capturing all nine Tailed Beasts. The contrast between those two phases is essential to understanding who the Akatsuki are.
What is Akatsuki?
Akatsuki is the name of an organization that appears in Naruto and becomes a major force in Naruto Shippuden. It is not best understood as a group with one unchanging mission or one stable membership list. Its history has a founding phase centered on the Hidden Rain and a later phase in which it becomes a secretive organization pursuing the Tailed Beasts.
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The name is often used to refer to the familiar Shippuden lineup, but that shorthand can obscure the important change in the group. The original Akatsuki was formed by Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan with a peace-oriented goal. The later organization’s actions include kidnapping jinchūriki—the people who host Tailed Beasts—and collecting the beasts themselves. Those are different aims and methods, separated by a major shift in leadership and direction.
It helps to think of Akatsuki as both a name shared across eras and a story about transformation. The founders’ movement was rooted in their home, the Hidden Rain; the later campaign reaches beyond that village and targets all nine Tailed Beasts. The familiar lineup belongs mainly to this later period, so it should not be projected backward onto the group’s beginnings.
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Who founded Akatsuki, and why?
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan formed Akatsuki to realize their dream of bringing peace to their home, the Hidden Rain. The official Naruto Shippuden episode summary for “Creeping Shadow” describes that origin directly. It also says the trio gained recognition and support before Obito, disguised as Madara Uchiha, warned them that their ideals would not be realized.
That founding purpose matters because it prevents a common misunderstanding: Akatsuki did not begin as the Tailed Beast-hunting organization familiar from much of Shippuden. Its starting point was a local peace movement. The story’s tragedy lies in the distance between that ideal and the later organization’s methods.
The warning from Obito is part of the account of how the founders’ ideals are challenged, but it should not be reduced to a claim that every later member joined for the same reason or knew the same history. The organization changes, and its members have different loyalties and levels of knowledge.
The origin account also puts the founders’ goal in a particular place: peace for the Hidden Rain, rather than a general mission statement that can automatically be assigned to every later member. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan are the founding trio; Pain is Nagato’s later identity within the familiar organization. That overlap helps explain why accounts of Akatsuki’s beginnings and its later leadership can seem to describe different groups even though they share a name and a history.
How did Akatsuki’s purpose change?
The broad shift is from trying to bring peace to the Hidden Rain to pursuing all nine Tailed Beasts. The official franchise overview identifies the later capture campaign and describes Gaara’s kidnapping as the immediate crisis that draws Naruto into the conflict. This gives readers a clear entry point: the later Akatsuki is introduced through what it does, not through the founders’ original political goal.
| Phase | Central figures | Stated aim or activity | Scale and method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founding movement | Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan | Bring peace to the Hidden Rain | A movement that gains recognition and support |
| Familiar later organization | Pain/Nagato, Konan, and Obito behind the scenes | Capture all nine Tailed Beasts | A secretive campaign that includes kidnapping jinchūriki |
This comparison describes the organization’s changing direction; it does not mean every member personally shares one ideology. The story includes different leaders, partner relationships, loyalties, and degrees of awareness. Nor should the later campaign be treated as a simple continuation of the founders’ original plan: the stated objective and the means used are substantially different.
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The change is useful to keep in view when following the plot. The founders’ goal is described in terms of the Hidden Rain and peace; the later organization’s defining activity is the effort to capture every Tailed Beast. Gaara’s kidnapping is presented as the immediate crisis that brings Naruto into that conflict, connecting a specific event to the larger campaign. The available official summaries establish this change in objective and scale, but they do not provide a single motive that explains every member’s choices.
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The clearest concise answer established by the official franchise summary is that the later Akatsuki sets out to capture all nine Tailed Beasts. The summary situates that objective within the story’s conflict and connects it to the kidnapping of Gaara. That is enough to explain what the organization is trying to do in the later arc.
It is important to separate that supported answer from a fuller explanation of every strategic motive or each member’s personal reason. The official summaries cited here establish the target and the campaign, but do not give a complete account of the plan’s mechanics or a single motive shared by the entire membership. The story’s multiple leaders and shifting loyalties make a one-sentence explanation of every member’s intent misleading.
Jinchūriki are relevant because they are the people who host Tailed Beasts; the capture campaign brings those hosts into danger. Gaara’s kidnapping is the early crisis identified in the official overview, rather than an isolated incident unrelated to Akatsuki’s larger objective.
So if the question is “Why did Akatsuki collect the Tailed Beasts?”, the careful short answer is that capturing all nine is the later organization’s stated campaign. A longer answer needs to distinguish organizational plans from personal motivations and account for developments as the story reveals them. Avoid assuming that the founders, Pain, Obito, and every partner in the familiar lineup all pursue the same purpose for the same reasons.
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For a practical overview of the familiar Shippuden organization, start with Pain (Nagato) and Konan in its leadership, then recognize the members commonly presented in partner pairs. Obito, also known as Tobi and acting behind the scenes, is central to the later direction. Zetsu is another central member, though the available official listings do not establish a full role-by-role account of the organization.
| Member or pairing | How to place them in the familiar lineup |
|---|---|
| Pain (Nagato) and Konan | Leadership figures in the later organization; Nagato is one of the founders as well. |
| Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki | A well-known member pairing. |
| Deidara and Sasori | A well-known member pairing. The official Sasori profile describes him as joining Akatsuki, an organization of S-rank criminals. |
| Hidan and Kakuzu | A well-known member pairing. |
| Zetsu | A familiar member of the later organization. |
| Tobi/Obito | A central figure in the later direction of the organization; Obito is initially disguised as Madara Uchiha in the account of the founders’ history. |
This is a guide to familiar names, not a complete roster for every period. The official Naruto merchandise lineup has named Pain, Kakuzu, Kisame, Zetsu, Hidan, Konan, Tobi, Deidara, Sasori, and Itachi. That confirms the prominence of those characters in an official product lineup, but a merchandise list is not a chronological membership record. The official pages available for this overview do not supply an exhaustive roster covering every era.
In practical terms, the pairings are a convenient way to recognize the familiar lineup, not proof that the organization always operated in fixed teams or that each partner had the same loyalties. The official Sasori character profile provides a character-specific point of reference: it describes him as joining Akatsuki, an organization of S-rank criminals, and reproduces his line, “…I’M A HUMAN BEING WHO COULDN’T BECOME A COMPLETE PUPPET…” That quotation belongs to Sasori’s character, not to Akatsuki as a whole.
Were Yahiko and Pain both Akatsuki leaders?
They belong to different stages of the organization’s history. Yahiko helped found the original movement with Nagato and Konan. The later organization is associated with Pain/Nagato and Konan. Because Nagato is part of both phases, it is easy to blur the distinction; keeping Yahiko’s founding role separate from the later Pain-led identity makes the change in Akatsuki’s direction clearer.
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Obito also belongs in this history, but with a specific qualification: the official episode summary says he approached the founders while disguised as Madara Uchiha and warned them about their ideals. In the later organization, Obito is central to its direction. These details explain his importance without treating the founders’ movement and the later group as identical.
In short, Yahiko is a founder of the early peace movement, while Pain is the name associated with Nagato in the later organization. Nagato links the two periods, but the organization’s purpose and methods have changed by the time the familiar Shippuden campaign takes shape. Obito’s presence is also different across those accounts: the origin summary describes his warning to the founders under a disguise, while the later story connects him to the organization’s direction.
Where does Akatsuki fit in the Naruto story?
Akatsuki is a central antagonist organization in the later story, especially in Naruto Shippuden. The franchise overview uses Gaara’s kidnapping to frame the opening Akatsuki crisis. Later, the official Naruto site’s listing for manga volume 54 identifies chapters 505–514 and describes Naruto and his allies battling Akatsuki. VIZ’s Naruto franchise page covers the series’ manga, anime, films, novels, and games, while its Shippuden releases include a volume summary in which Akatsuki attempts to infiltrate the Hidden Leaf during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
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Those references show why the group should be read as an organization whose role develops across the story rather than as a single episode or a fixed roster. The founding story explains the earlier ideal; the later battles show the consequences of the organization’s transformed mission.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is the best way to learn the group’s history?
Follow the story in two passes: first understand the founding purpose, then track how the later organization operates. This avoids interpreting the later campaign as if it had always been the founders’ goal.
- Start with the origin account. The official Shippuden episode summary for “Creeping Shadow” names Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan as founders and states their peace goal for the Hidden Rain.
- Use the later campaign as a separate phase. The official franchise overview describes the capture of all nine Tailed Beasts and introduces the conflict through Gaara’s kidnapping.
- Keep character lists provisional. Treat familiar names and pairings as a practical guide, not proof of a complete chronological roster. Membership and leadership change over time.
- Use a character reference for identification, not as a substitute for the plot. Shueisha’s official record lists NARUTO [Hiden: Jin no Sho] Character Official Data Book, by Masashi Kishimoto, in print on November 4, 2014, with 392 pages and ISBN 978-4-08-880263-3. Its bibliographic record establishes the book’s identity and edition details; current availability depends on retailers.
The official Naruto site notes that some content may be machine-translated and that information can vary by region. When using official site listings for chapter or release details, treat them as references for the specific page and region rather than assuming every edition is identical.
There are a couple of sensible ways to choose a reference. If you want the story, use the manga or anime rather than relying on a character list to explain every shift in leadership. If you want a physical companion for names and character identification, the Shueisha data book is a directly related option; confirm the language and edition in a retailer listing, since the bibliographic record alone does not establish what is currently in stock. Naruto manga volumes are another direct-fit reading route, and VIZ lists franchise manga and anime releases.
Collectibles are a separate option for fans who want character figures rather than a reading reference. An official Naruto site Banpresto project page listed an Akatsuki figure lineup for 2025, including Pain, Kakuzu, Kisame, Zetsu, Deidara, Sasori, Itachi, Hidan, Tobi, and Konan. That schedule is a historical product listing, not confirmation of current inventory. Check the retailer for stock, edition details, and regional availability; the product information does not establish affiliate terms or availability at any particular shop.
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What to remember about Akatsuki
- Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan founded Akatsuki to bring peace to the Hidden Rain.
- The familiar later organization is a transformed force associated with Pain/Nagato and an effort to capture all nine Tailed Beasts.
- Obito is tied to both the founders’ history—where he appears disguised as Madara Uchiha—and the later organization’s direction.
- The familiar lineup includes Pain/Nagato, Konan, Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu, Zetsu, and Tobi/Obito, but that list should not be mistaken for a complete roster across all eras.
- Use official story summaries to distinguish the founders’ goal from the later campaign, and treat character merchandise lineups as product lists rather than historical rosters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Akatsuki in Naruto?
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan founded Akatsuki as a movement to bring peace to their home, the Hidden Rain.
What is Akatsuki’s goal?
The founders’ goal was peace in the Hidden Rain. The later organization’s campaign is to capture all nine Tailed Beasts; these are different phases of Akatsuki’s history.
Why does Akatsuki capture the Tailed Beasts?
The official franchise overview identifies capturing all nine Tailed Beasts as the later organization’s objective and links the campaign to Gaara’s kidnapping. It does not establish one personal motive shared by every member.
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The familiar Shippuden lineup includes Pain/Nagato and Konan, Itachi and Kisame, Deidara and Sasori, Hidan and Kakuzu, Zetsu, and Tobi/Obito. This is a practical overview, not a complete chronological roster across every era.
Were Yahiko and Pain the same person?
No. Yahiko helped found the original movement. Pain is the later identity associated with Nagato, who was one of the founders and later became part of Akatsuki’s leadership.
The Bottom Line
Akatsuki began as Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan’s movement for peace in the Hidden Rain, then became the later organization associated with Pain/Nagato and the campaign to capture all nine Tailed Beasts. Keeping those phases—and their different goals—separate is the clearest way to understand its founders, members, and role in Naruto Shippuden.
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