Discover who leads Akatsuki in Naruto and the leadership lessons it reveals. Learn about visible and shadow leadership from this complex organisation.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Sat 10th January 2026
The leader of Akatsuki is both Pain (Nagato) as the visible public leader commanding day-to-day operations and feared by members, and Obito Uchiha (operating as Tobi) as the true shadow leader manipulating events from behind the scenes—a dual leadership structure that reveals important lessons about visible versus hidden power, how trauma shapes leadership philosophy, and the importance of understanding individual motivations within any organisation. This complex structure offers surprising insights for real-world leadership.
Who really leads Akatsuki? This question fascinated Naruto fans for years as the series gradually revealed layers of leadership within the criminal organisation. Beyond answering the factual question, Akatsuki's leadership structure provides a fascinating case study in organisational dynamics, including the distinction between public leadership and hidden power, how personal experiences shape leadership approaches, and the challenges of managing diverse motivations within teams.
This guide examines Akatsuki's leadership structure and extracts practical leadership lessons applicable to real-world contexts.
A dual leadership system.
"At first glance, Pain (Nagato) is presented as the leader of Akatsuki. He acts as the central figure of the organization, commanding its operations and using his ideology of 'peace through pain' to justify his actions."
Pain's leadership role:
Pain demonstrated:
Leadership elements:
"Yahiko's death ultimately convinced Nagato that his philosophies about achieving peace were foolish; the world would never willingly end the cycle of death and hatred it had operated on for so long."
Transformation drivers:
The true power behind the organisation.
"As the story progresses, it is revealed that Obito Uchiha — acting under the disguise of Tobi — is the true mastermind behind Akatsuki."
Obito's role:
"Obito initially presents himself as a playful and harmless character, but behind this facade, he manipulates Pain and the other members to achieve his own goals."
Facade elements:
"He inherited Madara Uchiha's plans and used Akatsuki as a means to realize them."
Vision succession:
What this structure reveals.
The dual structure shows:
Role comparison:
| Aspect | Pain (Visible) | Obito (Hidden) |
|---|---|---|
| Public perception | Official leader | Unknown/masked |
| Operational control | Direct command | Indirect influence |
| Member knowledge | Known authority | Hidden power |
| Time horizon | Immediate operations | Long-term vision |
| Power source | Formal authority | Strategic manipulation |
This arrangement enabled:
Structure advantages:
Similar dynamics exist in:
Business parallels:
Why individuals joined Akatsuki.
"In the anime, the screen pans over a different Akatsuki member for the reasons 'religion, ideals, resources, land, grudges, love, or just because.'"
Member motivations:
| Member | Primary Motivation |
|---|---|
| Hidan | Religion |
| Itachi | Ideals |
| Kakuzu | Resources |
| Kisame | Grudges |
| Konan | Love |
| Deidara | Personal expression |
Understanding motivations enabled:
Management insights:
Modern leaders should:
Application principles:
How experience shapes leadership approach.
"Pain explains that the reasons people fight don't matter. It can be because of 'religion, ideals, resources, land, grudges, love, or just because.' The point is that there will always be fighting and that Akatsuki stands to achieve a place of superior power by capitalizing on it."
Philosophical elements:
Pain's leadership philosophy emerged from:
Trauma effects:
Understanding how experiences shape leadership:
Development insights:
The possibility of transformation.
"After Nagato's Six Paths of Pain are defeated, Naruto convinces him that a bloodless peace is worth pursuing no matter how impossible it may seem."
Change elements:
"He sees a flicker of his old self in Naruto and tries to atone for his sins. He sacrifices himself to save Naruto and Kakashi, finally finding peace."
Redemption elements:
Leaders can change through:
Transformation pathways:
Translating insights to reality.
Effective public leaders should:
Public leadership practices:
Leaders should be aware of:
Hidden dynamic awareness:
Build effective teams through:
Motivation practices:
Learn from Akatsuki's failures:
Avoidance priorities:
Akatsuki has two leaders: Pain (Nagato) serves as the visible public leader commanding operations and feared by members, while Obito Uchiha (as Tobi) is the true shadow leader manipulating events from behind the scenes. This dual structure reflects the difference between operational authority and ultimate strategic power.
Pain became Akatsuki's leader after traumatic experiences convinced him that peace could only come through making the world experience suffering directly. His friend Yahiko's death transformed his philosophy from peaceful idealism to "peace through pain," leading him to take command of Akatsuki's operations.
Yes, Obito Uchiha was the true mastermind behind Akatsuki, manipulating Pain and other members while disguised as Tobi. He inherited Madara Uchiha's plans and used Akatsuki to pursue his ultimate goal of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, remaining hidden while Pain served as public leader.
Akatsuki demonstrates important leadership lessons including: the difference between visible and hidden power, how trauma shapes leadership philosophy, the importance of understanding individual team member motivations, the possibility of leadership transformation and redemption, and the dangers of manipulation over inspiration.
Akatsuki members joined for diverse personal motivations: religion (Hidan), ideals (Itachi), resources (Kakuzu), grudges (Kisame), love (Konan), and personal expression (Deidara). This diversity shows how effective organisations accommodate different motivations while pursuing common goals.
Yes, both Pain and Obito demonstrate that leaders can fundamentally change their approaches. Pain reconsidered his beliefs when challenged by Naruto and sacrificed himself to undo harm. Obito eventually recognised his old self and atoned through sacrifice. Leadership transformation requires confronting assumptions and recommitting to positive values.
Pain's philosophy held that conflict is inevitable regardless of cause—whether religion, ideals, resources, land, grudges, or love. He believed Akatsuki could achieve superior power by capitalising on this reality, creating peace by monopolising the means of war and making nations experience pain directly.