Nagato
Nagato (長門), or more commonly known as Pain (ペイン, Pein), is the recognized leader of Akatsuki and Amegakure, and is a major antagonist in the series. Referred to as "Leader" by all Akatsuki members except for Konan, who refers to him by his name, he directs the actions of the others and maintains authority over them. He takes orders from Tobi, who is actually Madara Uchiha, the benefactor of Akatsuki.
Background
Nagato as a child.
Nagato, like Konan and Yahiko, was an orphan from Amegakure, forcing them to fend for themselves. The three eventually encountered the Sannin, who at first were less than willing to help them. Orochimaru even suggested to kill them as they were orphans of war and as such would only live their lives full of misery. Jiraiya, however, decided he would care for the three and took them in. One night at dinner, Nagato cried because eating together reminded him of his family, and later that night he ran away with Yahiko.
The two were attacked by an Iwagakure Chunin, who injured Yahiko. Seeing this, Nagato awakened his Rinnegan and killed the ninja. Jiraiya then decided he would train them in ninjutsu. Nagato was very emotional about killing the shinobi, and asked Jiraiya for help so he could protect Konan and Yahiko, where Jiraiya said he must grow up. After three years, Jiraiya felt they were strong enough to fend for themselves and told the three he would see them again when they grow into adults. Jiraiya believed Nagato to have later died with the others under unexplained circumstances, but has told Konan that whenever their names were mentioned outside their village, it was always about someone being killed when they opposed them.
Upon becoming Pain, Nagato led one side of the Amegakure civil-war and took over the village as its leader by killing Hanzo. The members of Pain's faction wear their Amegakure forehead protectors with a scratch through it the way the full members of Akatsuki do, despite the fact that none of them are rogue ninja any more, as the scratch symbolizes, because they won the civil war.
Personality
Nagato was a sensitive but kind boy, prone to crying, and was traumatized by the idea he had killed another man, even to save his friend Yahiko. Scared and unsure of his place in the world, he desired to help those he cared about, but never knew how. Nonetheless, he became a talented and gifted student, mastering every technique Jiraiya taught him.
As Pain, his personality is very different, having become a calm, serious, aloof, and detached man. Apparently believing his childhood trauma had enlightened him to the true meaning of pain and suffering, he now considers himself a deity and evolved beyond a mere human. He now seeks to show the world the meaning of suffering by using an ultimate weapon to deter future wars by means similar to "mutually assured destruction". He shows no moral qualms about his actions. He is willing to kill his own teacher in cold blood and brutally execute all of Hanzo's friends and family to ensure the Amegakure's compliance to his takeover. He even goes so far as to proclaim himself a "god of peace" come to guide the world to maturity through pain. He also feels that no one can understand peace unless they understand "true" pain, something his childhood friend Yahiko believed. Minato Namikaze believes Madara Uchiha to be using this philosophy in his favor in order to manipulate Nagato.
Nonetheless, he can be quite respectful, particularly to the fallen. Given Akatsuki members' frequent bickering, he often restrains them and encourages better relations between the other members, even suggesting they mourn Deidara after his passing. After his battle with Jiraiya, he holds a moment of silence for his former teacher out of respect for his power. He also seems to dislike Akatsuki members insulting each other, as seen when he reprimands Kisame for calling Hidan and Kakuzu the "Zombie Brothers."
Pain is also very respectful and kind to his childhood friend, Konan, who has been declared his "angel". He was shown protecting her without request or hesitation from Jiraiya before his battle with his former teacher. Apparently, she is the only member of the Akatsuki that addresses him by his name, Nagato, and only Madara and herself refer to him as Pain.
Abilities
As the leader of Akatsuki and one of the two sides of the Amegakure Civil War, Pain is an extraordinarily powerful ninja that can easily be considered Kage-level. His partner, Konan, has stated that he has never lost a single fight. He was able to single-handedly defeat and overthrow the former Amegakure leader, Hanzō, and made short work of Jiraiya after unveiling all six of his bodies (though Pain admitted that killing Jiraiya would have been very unlikely had Jiraiya had prior knowledge of his six separate bodies). It is not until his fight with Naruto that he encounters an opponent that poses a challenge to him.
Rinnegan
Pain's incredible power stems mainly from his Kekkei Genkai, the Rinnegan. This was originally possessed by the Sage of the Six Paths, the world's first ninja and the founder of modern ninjutsu. The Rinnegan's abilities are largely unknown, but it does allow the user to use all types of elemental chakra and allowed Nagato to master every technique Jiraiya taught him. It also enhances his vision of chakra in a similar manner to the Hyuga clan's Byakugan and Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, allowing him to see the chakra of barrier techniques around Konoha and the chakra gathered at the feet of Tsunade.
Six Paths of Pain
The most prominent fact about Pain is that he uses six individual bodies all acting together with one mind and will. He calls this the Six Paths of Pain (ペイン六道, Pein Rikudō), based after the six Buddhist paths of Reincarnation. Each body is named after the one of the six Buddhist: Deva, Preta, Animal, Human, Naraka, and Asura. The only common feature shared by these bodies is their bright orange hair and Rinnegan eyes. Each also has a vast number of body and facial piercings of various shapes, sizes, and patterns.
Pain's real body, that of Nagato, is kept in a machine that moves with six relatively small mechanical legs, and has large chakra spikes on its back to transmit the signals. Nagato's body appears highly emaciated. From this machine he controls Pain's bodies, they being corpses he has reanimated with his chakra. By channeling chakra to them via their body piercings Nagato can give them unique abilities, take in what all the bodies see, and coordinate their actions. To control them, Nagato has to be close by, and ideally at the highest point possible so he can have the best range possible.
The current Six Paths of Pain.
Nagato (長門), or more commonly known as Pain (ペイン, Pein), is the recognized leader of Akatsuki and Amegakure, and is a major antagonist in the series. Referred to as "Leader" by all Akatsuki members except for Konan, who refers to him by his name, he directs the actions of the others and maintains authority over them. He takes orders from Tobi, who is actually Madara Uchiha, the benefactor of Akatsuki.
Background
Nagato as a child.
Nagato, like Konan and Yahiko, was an orphan from Amegakure, forcing them to fend for themselves. The three eventually encountered the Sannin, who at first were less than willing to help them. Orochimaru even suggested to kill them as they were orphans of war and as such would only live their lives full of misery. Jiraiya, however, decided he would care for the three and took them in. One night at dinner, Nagato cried because eating together reminded him of his family, and later that night he ran away with Yahiko.
The two were attacked by an Iwagakure Chunin, who injured Yahiko. Seeing this, Nagato awakened his Rinnegan and killed the ninja. Jiraiya then decided he would train them in ninjutsu. Nagato was very emotional about killing the shinobi, and asked Jiraiya for help so he could protect Konan and Yahiko, where Jiraiya said he must grow up. After three years, Jiraiya felt they were strong enough to fend for themselves and told the three he would see them again when they grow into adults. Jiraiya believed Nagato to have later died with the others under unexplained circumstances, but has told Konan that whenever their names were mentioned outside their village, it was always about someone being killed when they opposed them.
Upon becoming Pain, Nagato led one side of the Amegakure civil-war and took over the village as its leader by killing Hanzo. The members of Pain's faction wear their Amegakure forehead protectors with a scratch through it the way the full members of Akatsuki do, despite the fact that none of them are rogue ninja any more, as the scratch symbolizes, because they won the civil war.
Personality
Nagato was a sensitive but kind boy, prone to crying, and was traumatized by the idea he had killed another man, even to save his friend Yahiko. Scared and unsure of his place in the world, he desired to help those he cared about, but never knew how. Nonetheless, he became a talented and gifted student, mastering every technique Jiraiya taught him.
As Pain, his personality is very different, having become a calm, serious, aloof, and detached man. Apparently believing his childhood trauma had enlightened him to the true meaning of pain and suffering, he now considers himself a deity and evolved beyond a mere human. He now seeks to show the world the meaning of suffering by using an ultimate weapon to deter future wars by means similar to "mutually assured destruction". He shows no moral qualms about his actions. He is willing to kill his own teacher in cold blood and brutally execute all of Hanzo's friends and family to ensure the Amegakure's compliance to his takeover. He even goes so far as to proclaim himself a "god of peace" come to guide the world to maturity through pain. He also feels that no one can understand peace unless they understand "true" pain, something his childhood friend Yahiko believed. Minato Namikaze believes Madara Uchiha to be using this philosophy in his favor in order to manipulate Nagato.
Nonetheless, he can be quite respectful, particularly to the fallen. Given Akatsuki members' frequent bickering, he often restrains them and encourages better relations between the other members, even suggesting they mourn Deidara after his passing. After his battle with Jiraiya, he holds a moment of silence for his former teacher out of respect for his power. He also seems to dislike Akatsuki members insulting each other, as seen when he reprimands Kisame for calling Hidan and Kakuzu the "Zombie Brothers."
Pain is also very respectful and kind to his childhood friend, Konan, who has been declared his "angel". He was shown protecting her without request or hesitation from Jiraiya before his battle with his former teacher. Apparently, she is the only member of the Akatsuki that addresses him by his name, Nagato, and only Madara and herself refer to him as Pain.
Abilities
As the leader of Akatsuki and one of the two sides of the Amegakure Civil War, Pain is an extraordinarily powerful ninja that can easily be considered Kage-level. His partner, Konan, has stated that he has never lost a single fight. He was able to single-handedly defeat and overthrow the former Amegakure leader, Hanzō, and made short work of Jiraiya after unveiling all six of his bodies (though Pain admitted that killing Jiraiya would have been very unlikely had Jiraiya had prior knowledge of his six separate bodies). It is not until his fight with Naruto that he encounters an opponent that poses a challenge to him.
Rinnegan
Pain's incredible power stems mainly from his Kekkei Genkai, the Rinnegan. This was originally possessed by the Sage of the Six Paths, the world's first ninja and the founder of modern ninjutsu. The Rinnegan's abilities are largely unknown, but it does allow the user to use all types of elemental chakra and allowed Nagato to master every technique Jiraiya taught him. It also enhances his vision of chakra in a similar manner to the Hyuga clan's Byakugan and Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, allowing him to see the chakra of barrier techniques around Konoha and the chakra gathered at the feet of Tsunade.
Six Paths of Pain
The most prominent fact about Pain is that he uses six individual bodies all acting together with one mind and will. He calls this the Six Paths of Pain (ペイン六道, Pein Rikudō), based after the six Buddhist paths of Reincarnation. Each body is named after the one of the six Buddhist: Deva, Preta, Animal, Human, Naraka, and Asura. The only common feature shared by these bodies is their bright orange hair and Rinnegan eyes. Each also has a vast number of body and facial piercings of various shapes, sizes, and patterns.
Pain's real body, that of Nagato, is kept in a machine that moves with six relatively small mechanical legs, and has large chakra spikes on its back to transmit the signals. Nagato's body appears highly emaciated. From this machine he controls Pain's bodies, they being corpses he has reanimated with his chakra. By channeling chakra to them via their body piercings Nagato can give them unique abilities, take in what all the bodies see, and coordinate their actions. To control them, Nagato has to be close by, and ideally at the highest point possible so he can have the best range possible.
The current Six Paths of Pain.