Yahiko: The Original Founder of the Akatsuki
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1109 words | Reading time: 6 min
CharacterAkatsukiAmegakure
An orphan of Amegakure, he dreamed of putting an end to the wars. Yahiko founded the first Akatsuki as a pacifist movement, surrounded by Nagato and Konan, all three trained by Jiraiya. This profile tells how the trap set by Hanzo, allied with Danzo, drove him to impale himself on his friend’s kunai to save Konan — and how his body then became the face of the man the ninja world would come to call Pain.
He founded the Akatsuki for peace, and his corpse became its face: Yahiko is one of the most tragic figures in the saga. Here is the story of the organization’s true founder.
Contents
The Orphan of the Hidden Rain
Yahiko is an orphan of Amegakure, the Hidden Rain Village, orphaned by the war when he was still a child. At a very young age, he forms a survival trio with two other orphans, Nagato and Konan, whose natural leader he is. The three children are trained in ninjutsu by Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, who stays by their side for about three years: they are among his very first students.


The First Akatsuki
Yahiko founds the Akatsuki with Nagato and Konan with an idealistic goal: to stop the wars and bring about peace, in Amegakure and beyond. This original, pacifist Akatsuki has nothing to do with the criminal organization hunting the Tailed Beasts that it would later become under Nagato, manipulated by Tobi.

Hanzo's Trap
Seeing the Akatsuki’s growing influence threaten his power, Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, conspires with Danzo of Konoha. The trap forces Nagato into an impossible choice: Hanzo takes Konan hostage, and Nagato must either watch her die or kill Yahiko with his own hands. To spare his friend that choice and save Konan, Yahiko impales himself on the kunai that Nagato, frozen in place, is holding — and with his last breath he asks him to carry on their quest for peace.
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The Face of "Pain"
Yahiko’s death unleashes Nagato’s rage. Crippled by his use of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path (Gedo Mazo), Nagato turns his friend’s corpse into a puppet he controls from a distance through chakra receivers — the famous piercings. Yahiko’s body thus becomes the Deva Path, the main body of the Six Paths of "Pain": the orange-haired character Naruto meets is therefore Yahiko’s corpse animated by Nagato, and not Nagato himself. His gravity powers, moreover, come from Nagato’s Rinnegan , which Yahiko never possessed during his lifetime.

Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Identity | Orphan of Amegakure, founder and leader of the original Akatsuki |
| Inner circle | Inseparable trio with Nagato and Konan; all three students of Jiraiya |
| Ideal | Stop the wars and bring about peace; the original Akatsuki = a pacifist movement |
| Death | Hanzo’s trap (allied with Danzo): he impales himself on Nagato’s kunai to save Konan |
| Legacy | His body becomes the Deva Path of "Pain", controlled from a distance by Nagato |
FAQ
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Who really founded the Akatsuki?Yahiko, an orphan from Amegakure, along with his childhood friends Nagato and Konan. It was originally an idealistic group fighting for peace, very different from the criminal organization it would become under Nagato.
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Who is the orange-haired "Pain"?It is Yahiko’s body, revived and controlled remotely by Nagato through chakra receivers. It is called the Deva Path. The real mind behind "Pain" is Nagato, hidden away in the shadows.
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How did Yahiko die?In a trap set by Hanzo, allied with Danzo. Hanzo takes Konan hostage and forces Nagato to choose between her and Yahiko. To save Konan, Yahiko impales himself on the kunai Nagato was holding.
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Are Yahiko and Nagato the same person?No. Nagato only uses Yahiko’s body as the Deva Path of "Pain", which is where the confusion comes from. Nagato is the bearer of the Rinnegan and the puppeteer; Yahiko is dead.
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Who trained Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan?Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, for about three years during their childhood in Amegakure. They are among his very first students.
In summary
A sacrificed idealist, Yahiko goes on haunting the saga long after his death — his face turned into the mask of a pain that came close to swallowing the ninja world.
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