Post by Blaze Uchiha on Apr 26, 2007 20:40:50 GMT -5
The Akatsuki Organization
The Akatsuki kanji means daybreak, breaking down the word itself gives us "aka" meaning red (a common color in the group) and "tsuki" meaning moon. This Organization is a collection of S-Ranked criminals. Many of these are missing-nins who fled their villages after causing death and destruction. With the departure of Orochimaru, the deaths of Sasori and Kakuzu and the neutralization of Hidan, there are 7 active Akatsuki members. The group replaced Sasori with raw recruit Tobi, who was eager to do his part. Most members wear a forehead protector from their hidden village with a scratch through it, and all seem to wear a ring identifying their position in the organization and a black cloak with red clouds.
When the organization members leave to travel the country they will work in groups of two collecting knowledge of new skills and jutsu. Their ultimate goal is to control the world; this will be accomplished through three steps. Step One is for the group to attain money. Step Two is to create the first mercenary group. Shinobi villages make money for their country, and for the money to be steady it requires war. Because there have not been any large scale wars in approximately the last decade, the ninja villages were being reduced in size. The Five Great Shinobi Villages could handle the downtrend, but the smaller villages could not. Akatsuki will form their own fighting force with no country allegiance. With this force they will undercut all the other villages and fight their battles for cheap. Then using the bijuu they can create new battles and new wars and gain a monopoly over the whole market. In the end they plan to control all the wars and be powerful enough to even collapse the shinobi villages of the large countries, forcing them to rely on Akatsuki as well. With all that in hand, the group can achieve Step Three, to control the world.
Their goal is far reaching and it requires the capturing of the bijuu and "jinchuuriki," meaning the power of human sacrifice. These are the individuals possessing bijuu (tailed beasts) within their bodies. The demons are known by the number of tails their body possesses. Shukaku is the One-Tailed Tanuki, Nibi is the Two-Tailed Cat, Sanbi is the Three-Tailed Turtle and Kyuubi is the Nine-Tailed Fox. The only known jinchuuriki are Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara of the Sand and Nii Yugito. Gaara along with two unknown Jinchuuriki have had their Bijuu removed. All three lost their lives but Gaara was resurrected with a tensei jutsu. Yugito was also captured by the group and had her Bijuu extracted. At some point after Gaara's capture and before Yugito's, the group managed to capture and seal away another Bijuu. It is unknown if this was a wild bijuu or a Jinchuuriki. Akatsuki's current base of operation is unknown. Previously they met at a cave in the River Country. This cave was later destroyed.
Their previous cave base was used to house the gigantic statute called the king of hell. His mouth is bound and his hands are cuffed. Each respective finger of the statue's hand represents the Akatsuki member. Each statue finger thus represents the kanji and ring finger of the member. The members have the ability to project their presence into the cave, this allows them to remain out and about and still conduct the business of jinchuuriki demon extraction within the cave. This process takes three day and nights due to the absence of Orochimaru. This length of time goes for both free roaming bijuu and bijuu enhanced jinchuuriki. To begin to leach the power from the jinchuuriki, the members will use the sealing technique of GenryuuKyuu Fuujin (Mystical Dragon Nine Exhaustion). This causes the mouth of the statute to open. Nine spectral dragons will emerge to coalesce around the jinchuuriki to begin the extraction process. When extraction is completed, the bijuu spirit will be sealed within the statute and one of its eyes will open denoting a captured bijuu spirit. The Jinchuuriki themselves will fall back to the earth, dead.
The Gear
Ring and Manicure
Drawn from ancient Chinese and Japanese lore, the kanji on each ring have served in the past as representations of Gods, to help in concentration before battle and in protection from evil. Their ring placement on their finger corresponds to their position on the summoned statute, with each member wearing the ring on a different finger. The rings seem important to each member, as Deidara was set on finding his when it was lost. Orochimaru also took his when he left the group, which apparently denied the group the ability to replace him with someone new. With Sasori's death, Tobi was eager to get his ring and join, but he would need to go through their entrance requirements first.
The Akatsuki member also has manicured finger and toe nails, painted a light shade of purple.
Forehead Protector
Each member wears the traditional forehead protector of the hidden village from which they fled. The protector has been modified though to bear a large scratch through the symbol, showing they no longer hold the same ideals their village does.
Cloak
Each member wears a black cloak that bears red clouds. The inside of the cloak is red in color. The cloak is knee length and has a high collar. Underneath the cloak the ninja is seen to wear the more traditional clothing of their home village.
Hat
Members wear a traditional bamboo hat (kasa) to hide their appearance when traveling. The hat will be removed when the member enters battle.
The Members
Unnamed Member
First Manga Teaser Appearance: Ch. 238
First Anime Teaser Appearance: Ep. 135
Hidden Village: ?
Ring: Rei (Zero)
Finger Position: Right Thumb
Info: This individual seems to act as the leader of the group. He has been adamant that the group can fulfill their desires if they finally possess the bijuu. He also was responsible for summoning the huge statute which holds the spirits of bijuu withdrawn from Jinchuuriki.
Deidara
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 247
First Anime Appearance: Shippuuden Ep. 2
Hidden Village: Rock
Ring: Sei (Blue-Green)
Finger Position: Right Index
Info: Deidara is from Hidden Rock. He and his partner Sasori were responsible for capturing the One-Tail Jinchuuriki Gaara. Deidara utilizes mouths on his palms to create small clay creatures to which he can give life. He lost both arms in battle. One was crushed by Gaara and the other was ripped off by Kakashi. The ripped off arm was later reattached by Kakuzu. After Sasori was killed, Tobi became his partner.
Unnamed Member
First Manga Teaser Appearance: Ch. 238
First Anime Teaser Appearance: Ep. 135
Hidden Village: ?
Ring: Byaku (White)
Finger Position: Right Middle
Info: This unnamed Akatsuki member had trouble locating his or her Jinchuuriki. This individual sought to fight Team Gai and Kakashi when they were tracking the group. Hoshigaki Kisame told the leader he would like to go instead, since he had an old score to settle with Gai. The leader agreed and both Kisame and Itachi were sent out. The dejected member once again lost out.
Uchiha Itachi
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 139
First Anime Appearance: Ep. 80
Hidden Village: Leaf
Ring: Shu (Scarlet)
Finger Position: Right Ring
Info: After murdering everyone in his clan, Uchiha Itachi fled his village and joined Akatsuki. Itachi is partnered with Hoshigaki Kisame. They have been assigned to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki Naruto. They have attempted to capture Naruto once, and are likely waiting for the right moment to try again.
Zetsu
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 234
First Anime Appearance: Ep. 134
Hidden Village: Grass
Ring: Kai (Boar)
Finger Position: Right Little
Info: Zetsu appears venus-fly trap-like in appearance. His main body is split into two halfs, both light and dark. He appeared to be traveling alone when he spied on Naruto and Sasuke's battle at the Valley of the End. For a period he was teamed with non-Akatsuki member Tobi. Once Tobi was admitted into the group, it appears Zetsu once again works alone.
Orochimaru (Former Member - Neutralized)
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 49
First Anime Appearance: Ep. 27
Hidden Village: Sound
Ring: Sora (Sky)
Finger Position: Left Little
Info: After he was not picked to be the Fourth Hokage Orochimaru began to engage in forbidden jutsu. He then fled Leaf and joined Akatsuki. He was partnered with Sasori during this period. He began to become wary of Itachi's power, so he left Akatsuki and founded Hidden Sound. He took his ring with him.
Hoshigaki Kisame
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 139
First Anime Appearance: Ep. 80
Hidden Village: Mist
Ring: Minami (South)
Finger Position: Left Ring
Info: Kisame engaged in murder and rebellion in his home country, fleeing Mist he joined Akatsuki. Kisame is partnered with Uchiha Itachi. They have been assigned to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki Naruto. They have attempted to capture Naruto once, and are likely waiting for the right moment to try again.
Kakuzu (Former Member - Deceased)
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 312
First Anime Teaser Appearance: Ep. 135
Hidden Village: Waterfall
Ring: Hoku (North)
Finger Position: Left Middle
Info: Kakuzu is a missing-nin from Hidden Waterfall. He and his partner Hidan were responsible for acquiring the Two-Tailed Jinchuuriki. He was a bounty hunter who often got sidetracked on bounty hunts. His body was stitched together by strange tendrils which he used to rip out the hearts of his opponents and then insert into his own body. This granted him their elemental affinities in the form of masked tendril entities. Along with his own Water affinity, he had access to Wind, Fire, Earth and Lightning attacks. Kakashi destroyed the Earth Heart, Hidan accidentally destroyed Water and Naruto destroyed Wind and Fire. Kakuzu was then finished off by Kakashi.
Hidan (Neutralized)
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 312
First Anime Teaser: Ep. 135
Hidden Village: Unnamed
Ring: San (Three)
Finger Position: Left Index
Info: Hidan bears a large rope scythe and he admits that he is the slowest attacker of the group. He hails from some as of yet unknown village. He and his partner Kakuzu were responsible for acquiring the Two-Tailed Jinchuuriki. Hidan practices a evil god cult religion named Jashin. This religion loves chaos and death, and Hidan himself is near immortal, surviving after being decapitated. On one of Kakuzu's side bounty trips, he killed Sarutobi Asuma in battle using some unknown jutsu which allows damage to himself to be felt by his opponent. He was eventually blown up and buried deep underground by Shikamaru.
Akasuna no Sasori (Former Member - Deceased)
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 247
First Anime Appearance: Shippuuden Ep. 2
Hidden Village: Sand
Ring: Tama (Sphere)
Finger Position: Left Thumb
Current Status: Deceased
Info: Sasori (meaning scorpion) traveled with Deidara from Hidden Rock. He was a legendary puppet master from Hidden Sand who left his village approximately 20 years before the start of the series. Sasori converted portions of his body into puppet parts, retaining a flesh and blood portion of his original self in a chest container. He used the "hitokugutsu" method to turn people into puppets while still alive, allowing him to use their jutsu even after their "death." He fell in battle to Chiyo and Sakura, hesitating to not avoid the lethal strike of his parents who had been made into puppets.
Tobi
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 280
First Anime Teaser Appearance: Ep. NA
Hidden Village: Unknown
Ring: Tama (Sphere) [speculation]
Finger Position: Left Thumb
Info: Tobi was an associate of Zetsu. He appears clumsy and is very polite in his speech. After Sasori was killed in battle, Tobi was eager to replace Sasori as a new member of Akatsuki. He eventually succeeded and apparently took over Sasori's position in the group. He also is now partnered with Deidara.
The Groups
Deidara and Sasori
Deidara and Sasori were known for being artists. Deidara uses clay to model his explosive animals and Sasori was a master puppet maker. Deidara acted as the junior in their partnership, deferring to Sasori as the stronger ninja. This did not stop them from getting into spats about the nature of art though. After Sasori's death, Tobi assumed his position and role as Deidara's partner. Deidara was assigned to capture the Ichibi and Tobi the Sanbi. Sasori did not know where his Jinchuuriki was. It is unknown if this was the Sanbi or some other individual.
Deidara and Tobi
Deidara and Tobi share a very strained relationship. Always eager to impress his new teammates, Tobi is prone to excitement. This often annoys Deidara who tries to do his best to show Tobi what it means to be an Akatsuki member. Tobi was assigned to capture the Sanbi. Though he boasts that he took out the beast himself, he was helped in his assignment by Deidara.
Hidan and Kakuzu
Hidan and Kakuzu work together and share a somewhat testy relationship. Hidan follows a very strict religion, which annoys Kakuzu with its long rituals. Hidan is very defensive of the religion, causing Kakuzu to often get tired of his partner's diatribes. Kakuzu on the other hand often makes side-trips to collect bounties, which annoys Hidan. Hidan was assigned to capture the Nibi. It is unknown what tailed beast Kakuzu was assigned.
Itachi and Kisame
Itachi and Kisame work together and form a rather strong partnership. Both men seem to respect each other and Kisame seems to act as the junior in the group, deferring to Itachi's decisions. Itachi was assigned to capture the Kyuubi. It is unknown what tailed beast Kisame was assigned.
Associates
Yuura
Yuura has served as a trusted member of the Kazekage advisory council for four years. Little did Yuura know that he had been placed under a memory block jutsu for over a decade. This block was placed by his former master Sasori. The block made Yuura forget that he was actually gathering data and serving as a plant to wipe out the Sand's defenses. When Sasori returned to Hidden Sand, he activated Yuura and removed the memory block. Returning to his masters commands, Yuura wiped out the Sands defenses, allowing them easier access to capture Gaara. Yuura was later used in a sacrifical jutsu to provide a host body for Uchiha Itachi to inhabit when he fought Kakashi and Naruto. Zetsu later ate his body for sustenance.
Sasori Underling (Unnamed)
This Sand ninja served was an underling of Akatsuki member Sasori. He was used as a sacrifice to take on the form of Hoshigaki Kisame in the Akatsuki leaders Shouten no Jutsu. Kisame fought Gai and managed to imprison Neji, Lee and TenTen. Gai was forced to open several gates and used his Asakujaku technique to pummel "Kisame" and defeat him. In the rubble the body lost its appearance and revealed to Gai that they had not actually been fighting Kisame at all.
Yakushi Kabuto
Several years before the series started, Kabuto was already working for Sasori as a spy. He last saw Sasori during this period and operated under Sasori's memory block jutsu for a period of time. Sasori placed Kabuto into Orochimaru's confidence in the hopes of learning more about Orochimaru's body transfer jutsu. However, Orochimaru removed the memory block jutsu from Kabuto and the young man was impressed enough by Orochimaru that he chose to still stand beside him. Sasori was apparently ignorant of this fact, and had scheduled a meeting with Kabuto to give him some item. Sasori was killed before this meeting and Konoha ninja went in his place and impersonated him. Kabuto went to Sasori playing the part of his loyal spy, but he turned against Sasori and planned to kill him with the help of Orochimaru. When it was revealed not to actually be Sasori, they chose to fight the Konoha ninja, including Naruto, anyway.
The Jinchuuriki and their Bijuu
Gaara and Ichibi
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 35
First Anime Appearance: Episode 20
Hidden Village: Sand
Rank: Kazekage
Bijuu: Shukaku the Ichibi (One-Tailed Demon Tanuki)
Power: Mini-Shukaku form ~ protective sand tanuki form, automatic sand defense
Drawbacks: If Gaara sleeps Shukaku can take control
Status: Captured
Akatsuki Member: Deidara
Info: Chiyo imbued the demon Shukaku into the Kazekage's son Gaara. Gaara lead a lonely life until he met Uzumaki Naruto. He pledged himself to prove his worth and protect his village. His drive led him to become Kazekage. He was defeated in battle by Deidara and Akatsuki removed the Shukaku demon from within Gaara, killing him.
Nii Yugito and Nibi
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 312
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: Cloud
Rank: Unknown
Bijuu: Two-Tailed Cat Demon
Power: Fiery mouth blasts
Drawbacks: Unknown
Status: Captured
Info: Yugito was a kunoichi from Hidden Cloud. Like Gaara and Naruto, she was an active part of her village. She appeared to be in her twenties, older than any other previously seen Jinchuuriki. She contained the two-tailed cat demon, which was defeated in battle by Hidan and Kakuzu. Akatsuki then removed the Nibi from within Yugito, killing her.
Sanbi
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 317
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: None
Bijuu: Three-Tailed Turtle
Status: Captured
Info: Akatsuki tracked down the location of the Sanbi, the three-tailed demon turtle. Sanbi is "in the wild," with no Jinchuuriki host. For this reason he was weaker, as he could not properly control his power. Tobi was assigned to capture this demon and did so with the assistance of Deidara. This demon was succesfully sealed in the King of Hell by the group.
Uzumaki Naruto and Kyuubi
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 1
First Anime Appearance: Episode 1
Hidden Village: Leaf
Rank: Genin
Bijuu: Kyuubi no Youko (Nine-Tailed Demon Fox)
Power: Mini-Kyuubi form ~ protective Kyuubi chakra taking fox form, gigantic chakra and power boost to Naruto
Drawbacks: Excessive use of Kyuubi destroys Naruto's body and makes him a mindless killing machine
Status: Active
Info: Yondaime Hokage imprisoned the Kyuubi within Naruto after it attacked Konoha. Like many Jinchuuriki, Naruto lead a lonely life. Over time though, he gained friends and left his life of despair behind. He has been trained by the Sannin Jiraiya to make full use of Jinchuuriki gifts.
Unknown Jinchuuriki One
First Manga Appearance: NA
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: ?
Rank: ?
Bijuu: ?
Status: Captured
Info: Akatsuki captured this Jinchuuriki and its Bijuu at some point in the past. It is unknown what tailed demon it was and which Akatsuki member captured it. The only firm details are that the jinchuuriki was an outcast, who was abandoned by their village when Akatsuki came to capture them.
Unknown Jinchuuriki Two
First Manga Appearance: NA
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: ?
Rank: ?
Bijuu: ?
Status: Captured
Info: Akatsuki captured this Jinchuuriki and its Bijuu at some point in the past. It is unknown what tailed demon it was and which Akatsuki member captured it. The only firm details are that the jinchuuriki was an outcast, who was abandoned by their village when Akatsuki came to capture them.
Unknown Jinchuuriki Three
First Manga Appearance: NA
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: ?
Rank: ?
Bijuu: ?
Status: Captured
Info: Akatsuki has sealed away five bijuu so far, with the Nibi to be the sixth. At some point after sealing away Ichibi and before Sanbi, another bijuu was sealed away. It is unknown what tailed demon it was and which Akatsuki member captured it. It is also unknown whether it was a Jinchuuriki or a wild bijuu. However, with Tobi's surprise concerning the wild bijuu Sanbi, this third unknown bijuu was probably in a jinchuuriki.
The Akatsuki kanji means daybreak, breaking down the word itself gives us "aka" meaning red (a common color in the group) and "tsuki" meaning moon. This Organization is a collection of S-Ranked criminals. Many of these are missing-nins who fled their villages after causing death and destruction. With the departure of Orochimaru, the deaths of Sasori and Kakuzu and the neutralization of Hidan, there are 7 active Akatsuki members. The group replaced Sasori with raw recruit Tobi, who was eager to do his part. Most members wear a forehead protector from their hidden village with a scratch through it, and all seem to wear a ring identifying their position in the organization and a black cloak with red clouds.
When the organization members leave to travel the country they will work in groups of two collecting knowledge of new skills and jutsu. Their ultimate goal is to control the world; this will be accomplished through three steps. Step One is for the group to attain money. Step Two is to create the first mercenary group. Shinobi villages make money for their country, and for the money to be steady it requires war. Because there have not been any large scale wars in approximately the last decade, the ninja villages were being reduced in size. The Five Great Shinobi Villages could handle the downtrend, but the smaller villages could not. Akatsuki will form their own fighting force with no country allegiance. With this force they will undercut all the other villages and fight their battles for cheap. Then using the bijuu they can create new battles and new wars and gain a monopoly over the whole market. In the end they plan to control all the wars and be powerful enough to even collapse the shinobi villages of the large countries, forcing them to rely on Akatsuki as well. With all that in hand, the group can achieve Step Three, to control the world.
Their goal is far reaching and it requires the capturing of the bijuu and "jinchuuriki," meaning the power of human sacrifice. These are the individuals possessing bijuu (tailed beasts) within their bodies. The demons are known by the number of tails their body possesses. Shukaku is the One-Tailed Tanuki, Nibi is the Two-Tailed Cat, Sanbi is the Three-Tailed Turtle and Kyuubi is the Nine-Tailed Fox. The only known jinchuuriki are Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara of the Sand and Nii Yugito. Gaara along with two unknown Jinchuuriki have had their Bijuu removed. All three lost their lives but Gaara was resurrected with a tensei jutsu. Yugito was also captured by the group and had her Bijuu extracted. At some point after Gaara's capture and before Yugito's, the group managed to capture and seal away another Bijuu. It is unknown if this was a wild bijuu or a Jinchuuriki. Akatsuki's current base of operation is unknown. Previously they met at a cave in the River Country. This cave was later destroyed.
Their previous cave base was used to house the gigantic statute called the king of hell. His mouth is bound and his hands are cuffed. Each respective finger of the statue's hand represents the Akatsuki member. Each statue finger thus represents the kanji and ring finger of the member. The members have the ability to project their presence into the cave, this allows them to remain out and about and still conduct the business of jinchuuriki demon extraction within the cave. This process takes three day and nights due to the absence of Orochimaru. This length of time goes for both free roaming bijuu and bijuu enhanced jinchuuriki. To begin to leach the power from the jinchuuriki, the members will use the sealing technique of GenryuuKyuu Fuujin (Mystical Dragon Nine Exhaustion). This causes the mouth of the statute to open. Nine spectral dragons will emerge to coalesce around the jinchuuriki to begin the extraction process. When extraction is completed, the bijuu spirit will be sealed within the statute and one of its eyes will open denoting a captured bijuu spirit. The Jinchuuriki themselves will fall back to the earth, dead.
The Gear
Ring and Manicure
Drawn from ancient Chinese and Japanese lore, the kanji on each ring have served in the past as representations of Gods, to help in concentration before battle and in protection from evil. Their ring placement on their finger corresponds to their position on the summoned statute, with each member wearing the ring on a different finger. The rings seem important to each member, as Deidara was set on finding his when it was lost. Orochimaru also took his when he left the group, which apparently denied the group the ability to replace him with someone new. With Sasori's death, Tobi was eager to get his ring and join, but he would need to go through their entrance requirements first.
The Akatsuki member also has manicured finger and toe nails, painted a light shade of purple.
Forehead Protector
Each member wears the traditional forehead protector of the hidden village from which they fled. The protector has been modified though to bear a large scratch through the symbol, showing they no longer hold the same ideals their village does.
Cloak
Each member wears a black cloak that bears red clouds. The inside of the cloak is red in color. The cloak is knee length and has a high collar. Underneath the cloak the ninja is seen to wear the more traditional clothing of their home village.
Hat
Members wear a traditional bamboo hat (kasa) to hide their appearance when traveling. The hat will be removed when the member enters battle.
The Members
Unnamed Member
First Manga Teaser Appearance: Ch. 238
First Anime Teaser Appearance: Ep. 135
Hidden Village: ?
Ring: Rei (Zero)
Finger Position: Right Thumb
Info: This individual seems to act as the leader of the group. He has been adamant that the group can fulfill their desires if they finally possess the bijuu. He also was responsible for summoning the huge statute which holds the spirits of bijuu withdrawn from Jinchuuriki.
Deidara
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 247
First Anime Appearance: Shippuuden Ep. 2
Hidden Village: Rock
Ring: Sei (Blue-Green)
Finger Position: Right Index
Info: Deidara is from Hidden Rock. He and his partner Sasori were responsible for capturing the One-Tail Jinchuuriki Gaara. Deidara utilizes mouths on his palms to create small clay creatures to which he can give life. He lost both arms in battle. One was crushed by Gaara and the other was ripped off by Kakashi. The ripped off arm was later reattached by Kakuzu. After Sasori was killed, Tobi became his partner.
Unnamed Member
First Manga Teaser Appearance: Ch. 238
First Anime Teaser Appearance: Ep. 135
Hidden Village: ?
Ring: Byaku (White)
Finger Position: Right Middle
Info: This unnamed Akatsuki member had trouble locating his or her Jinchuuriki. This individual sought to fight Team Gai and Kakashi when they were tracking the group. Hoshigaki Kisame told the leader he would like to go instead, since he had an old score to settle with Gai. The leader agreed and both Kisame and Itachi were sent out. The dejected member once again lost out.
Uchiha Itachi
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 139
First Anime Appearance: Ep. 80
Hidden Village: Leaf
Ring: Shu (Scarlet)
Finger Position: Right Ring
Info: After murdering everyone in his clan, Uchiha Itachi fled his village and joined Akatsuki. Itachi is partnered with Hoshigaki Kisame. They have been assigned to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki Naruto. They have attempted to capture Naruto once, and are likely waiting for the right moment to try again.
Zetsu
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 234
First Anime Appearance: Ep. 134
Hidden Village: Grass
Ring: Kai (Boar)
Finger Position: Right Little
Info: Zetsu appears venus-fly trap-like in appearance. His main body is split into two halfs, both light and dark. He appeared to be traveling alone when he spied on Naruto and Sasuke's battle at the Valley of the End. For a period he was teamed with non-Akatsuki member Tobi. Once Tobi was admitted into the group, it appears Zetsu once again works alone.
Orochimaru (Former Member - Neutralized)
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 49
First Anime Appearance: Ep. 27
Hidden Village: Sound
Ring: Sora (Sky)
Finger Position: Left Little
Info: After he was not picked to be the Fourth Hokage Orochimaru began to engage in forbidden jutsu. He then fled Leaf and joined Akatsuki. He was partnered with Sasori during this period. He began to become wary of Itachi's power, so he left Akatsuki and founded Hidden Sound. He took his ring with him.
Hoshigaki Kisame
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 139
First Anime Appearance: Ep. 80
Hidden Village: Mist
Ring: Minami (South)
Finger Position: Left Ring
Info: Kisame engaged in murder and rebellion in his home country, fleeing Mist he joined Akatsuki. Kisame is partnered with Uchiha Itachi. They have been assigned to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki Naruto. They have attempted to capture Naruto once, and are likely waiting for the right moment to try again.
Kakuzu (Former Member - Deceased)
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 312
First Anime Teaser Appearance: Ep. 135
Hidden Village: Waterfall
Ring: Hoku (North)
Finger Position: Left Middle
Info: Kakuzu is a missing-nin from Hidden Waterfall. He and his partner Hidan were responsible for acquiring the Two-Tailed Jinchuuriki. He was a bounty hunter who often got sidetracked on bounty hunts. His body was stitched together by strange tendrils which he used to rip out the hearts of his opponents and then insert into his own body. This granted him their elemental affinities in the form of masked tendril entities. Along with his own Water affinity, he had access to Wind, Fire, Earth and Lightning attacks. Kakashi destroyed the Earth Heart, Hidan accidentally destroyed Water and Naruto destroyed Wind and Fire. Kakuzu was then finished off by Kakashi.
Hidan (Neutralized)
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 312
First Anime Teaser: Ep. 135
Hidden Village: Unnamed
Ring: San (Three)
Finger Position: Left Index
Info: Hidan bears a large rope scythe and he admits that he is the slowest attacker of the group. He hails from some as of yet unknown village. He and his partner Kakuzu were responsible for acquiring the Two-Tailed Jinchuuriki. Hidan practices a evil god cult religion named Jashin. This religion loves chaos and death, and Hidan himself is near immortal, surviving after being decapitated. On one of Kakuzu's side bounty trips, he killed Sarutobi Asuma in battle using some unknown jutsu which allows damage to himself to be felt by his opponent. He was eventually blown up and buried deep underground by Shikamaru.
Akasuna no Sasori (Former Member - Deceased)
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 247
First Anime Appearance: Shippuuden Ep. 2
Hidden Village: Sand
Ring: Tama (Sphere)
Finger Position: Left Thumb
Current Status: Deceased
Info: Sasori (meaning scorpion) traveled with Deidara from Hidden Rock. He was a legendary puppet master from Hidden Sand who left his village approximately 20 years before the start of the series. Sasori converted portions of his body into puppet parts, retaining a flesh and blood portion of his original self in a chest container. He used the "hitokugutsu" method to turn people into puppets while still alive, allowing him to use their jutsu even after their "death." He fell in battle to Chiyo and Sakura, hesitating to not avoid the lethal strike of his parents who had been made into puppets.
Tobi
First Manga Appearance: Ch. 280
First Anime Teaser Appearance: Ep. NA
Hidden Village: Unknown
Ring: Tama (Sphere) [speculation]
Finger Position: Left Thumb
Info: Tobi was an associate of Zetsu. He appears clumsy and is very polite in his speech. After Sasori was killed in battle, Tobi was eager to replace Sasori as a new member of Akatsuki. He eventually succeeded and apparently took over Sasori's position in the group. He also is now partnered with Deidara.
The Groups
Deidara and Sasori
Deidara and Sasori were known for being artists. Deidara uses clay to model his explosive animals and Sasori was a master puppet maker. Deidara acted as the junior in their partnership, deferring to Sasori as the stronger ninja. This did not stop them from getting into spats about the nature of art though. After Sasori's death, Tobi assumed his position and role as Deidara's partner. Deidara was assigned to capture the Ichibi and Tobi the Sanbi. Sasori did not know where his Jinchuuriki was. It is unknown if this was the Sanbi or some other individual.
Deidara and Tobi
Deidara and Tobi share a very strained relationship. Always eager to impress his new teammates, Tobi is prone to excitement. This often annoys Deidara who tries to do his best to show Tobi what it means to be an Akatsuki member. Tobi was assigned to capture the Sanbi. Though he boasts that he took out the beast himself, he was helped in his assignment by Deidara.
Hidan and Kakuzu
Hidan and Kakuzu work together and share a somewhat testy relationship. Hidan follows a very strict religion, which annoys Kakuzu with its long rituals. Hidan is very defensive of the religion, causing Kakuzu to often get tired of his partner's diatribes. Kakuzu on the other hand often makes side-trips to collect bounties, which annoys Hidan. Hidan was assigned to capture the Nibi. It is unknown what tailed beast Kakuzu was assigned.
Itachi and Kisame
Itachi and Kisame work together and form a rather strong partnership. Both men seem to respect each other and Kisame seems to act as the junior in the group, deferring to Itachi's decisions. Itachi was assigned to capture the Kyuubi. It is unknown what tailed beast Kisame was assigned.
Associates
Yuura
Yuura has served as a trusted member of the Kazekage advisory council for four years. Little did Yuura know that he had been placed under a memory block jutsu for over a decade. This block was placed by his former master Sasori. The block made Yuura forget that he was actually gathering data and serving as a plant to wipe out the Sand's defenses. When Sasori returned to Hidden Sand, he activated Yuura and removed the memory block. Returning to his masters commands, Yuura wiped out the Sands defenses, allowing them easier access to capture Gaara. Yuura was later used in a sacrifical jutsu to provide a host body for Uchiha Itachi to inhabit when he fought Kakashi and Naruto. Zetsu later ate his body for sustenance.
Sasori Underling (Unnamed)
This Sand ninja served was an underling of Akatsuki member Sasori. He was used as a sacrifice to take on the form of Hoshigaki Kisame in the Akatsuki leaders Shouten no Jutsu. Kisame fought Gai and managed to imprison Neji, Lee and TenTen. Gai was forced to open several gates and used his Asakujaku technique to pummel "Kisame" and defeat him. In the rubble the body lost its appearance and revealed to Gai that they had not actually been fighting Kisame at all.
Yakushi Kabuto
Several years before the series started, Kabuto was already working for Sasori as a spy. He last saw Sasori during this period and operated under Sasori's memory block jutsu for a period of time. Sasori placed Kabuto into Orochimaru's confidence in the hopes of learning more about Orochimaru's body transfer jutsu. However, Orochimaru removed the memory block jutsu from Kabuto and the young man was impressed enough by Orochimaru that he chose to still stand beside him. Sasori was apparently ignorant of this fact, and had scheduled a meeting with Kabuto to give him some item. Sasori was killed before this meeting and Konoha ninja went in his place and impersonated him. Kabuto went to Sasori playing the part of his loyal spy, but he turned against Sasori and planned to kill him with the help of Orochimaru. When it was revealed not to actually be Sasori, they chose to fight the Konoha ninja, including Naruto, anyway.
The Jinchuuriki and their Bijuu
Gaara and Ichibi
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 35
First Anime Appearance: Episode 20
Hidden Village: Sand
Rank: Kazekage
Bijuu: Shukaku the Ichibi (One-Tailed Demon Tanuki)
Power: Mini-Shukaku form ~ protective sand tanuki form, automatic sand defense
Drawbacks: If Gaara sleeps Shukaku can take control
Status: Captured
Akatsuki Member: Deidara
Info: Chiyo imbued the demon Shukaku into the Kazekage's son Gaara. Gaara lead a lonely life until he met Uzumaki Naruto. He pledged himself to prove his worth and protect his village. His drive led him to become Kazekage. He was defeated in battle by Deidara and Akatsuki removed the Shukaku demon from within Gaara, killing him.
Nii Yugito and Nibi
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 312
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: Cloud
Rank: Unknown
Bijuu: Two-Tailed Cat Demon
Power: Fiery mouth blasts
Drawbacks: Unknown
Status: Captured
Info: Yugito was a kunoichi from Hidden Cloud. Like Gaara and Naruto, she was an active part of her village. She appeared to be in her twenties, older than any other previously seen Jinchuuriki. She contained the two-tailed cat demon, which was defeated in battle by Hidan and Kakuzu. Akatsuki then removed the Nibi from within Yugito, killing her.
Sanbi
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 317
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: None
Bijuu: Three-Tailed Turtle
Status: Captured
Info: Akatsuki tracked down the location of the Sanbi, the three-tailed demon turtle. Sanbi is "in the wild," with no Jinchuuriki host. For this reason he was weaker, as he could not properly control his power. Tobi was assigned to capture this demon and did so with the assistance of Deidara. This demon was succesfully sealed in the King of Hell by the group.
Uzumaki Naruto and Kyuubi
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 1
First Anime Appearance: Episode 1
Hidden Village: Leaf
Rank: Genin
Bijuu: Kyuubi no Youko (Nine-Tailed Demon Fox)
Power: Mini-Kyuubi form ~ protective Kyuubi chakra taking fox form, gigantic chakra and power boost to Naruto
Drawbacks: Excessive use of Kyuubi destroys Naruto's body and makes him a mindless killing machine
Status: Active
Info: Yondaime Hokage imprisoned the Kyuubi within Naruto after it attacked Konoha. Like many Jinchuuriki, Naruto lead a lonely life. Over time though, he gained friends and left his life of despair behind. He has been trained by the Sannin Jiraiya to make full use of Jinchuuriki gifts.
Unknown Jinchuuriki One
First Manga Appearance: NA
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: ?
Rank: ?
Bijuu: ?
Status: Captured
Info: Akatsuki captured this Jinchuuriki and its Bijuu at some point in the past. It is unknown what tailed demon it was and which Akatsuki member captured it. The only firm details are that the jinchuuriki was an outcast, who was abandoned by their village when Akatsuki came to capture them.
Unknown Jinchuuriki Two
First Manga Appearance: NA
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: ?
Rank: ?
Bijuu: ?
Status: Captured
Info: Akatsuki captured this Jinchuuriki and its Bijuu at some point in the past. It is unknown what tailed demon it was and which Akatsuki member captured it. The only firm details are that the jinchuuriki was an outcast, who was abandoned by their village when Akatsuki came to capture them.
Unknown Jinchuuriki Three
First Manga Appearance: NA
First Anime Appearance: NA
Hidden Village: ?
Rank: ?
Bijuu: ?
Status: Captured
Info: Akatsuki has sealed away five bijuu so far, with the Nibi to be the sixth. At some point after sealing away Ichibi and before Sanbi, another bijuu was sealed away. It is unknown what tailed demon it was and which Akatsuki member captured it. It is also unknown whether it was a Jinchuuriki or a wild bijuu. However, with Tobi's surprise concerning the wild bijuu Sanbi, this third unknown bijuu was probably in a jinchuuriki.