Narutopedia
Register
m (Reverted edits by 68.80.131.133 (talk | block) to last version by Dan.Faulkner)
(restoring clarifications, "second most powerful" bit an artifact from scanlation times, see talk page)
Tag: Manual revert
 
(616 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Infobox}}
 
{{Infobox}}
  +
{{translation|'''Nagato'''|長門|Nagato}} was a [[shinobi]] of [[Amegakure]] and descendant of the [[Uzumaki clan]]. Forming [[Akatsuki]] alongside his friends (and fellow war orphans) [[Yahiko]] and [[Konan]], Nagato dreamed of bringing peace to the violent shinobi world. However, following Yahiko's death, Nagato adopted the alias of {{translation|'''Pain'''|ペイン|Pein}} and, along with Konan, began leading a new Akatsuki — one that would force the world into peace using any means necessary.
{{translation|'''Nagato'''|長門|Nagato}}, also known as {{translation|'''Pain'''|ペイン|Pein}}, was the recognised leader of [[Akatsuki]] and [[Amegakure]] as well as a major antagonist of the series. Referred to as "Leader" by all Akatsuki members (except for his partner, [[Konan]]), he directed the actions of the rest of the members and maintained authority over them. It was later revealed that he had secretly collaborated with [[Tobi]], who was the real leader of Akatsuki.<ref>''Naruto Chronicle Mini Book'' character relationship chart, page 30</ref> Nagato is also a descendant of the [[Uzumaki clan]], who are distantly related to the [[Senju clan]].<ref name="c510p17">''Naruto'' chapter 510, page 17</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 579, page 11</ref>
 
   
 
== Background ==
 
== Background ==
  +
Nagato lived with his parents: [[Fusō]] and [[Ise]] on the outskirts of [[Amegakure]]. When he was very young, [[Madara Uchiha]] secretly transplanted his [[Rinnegan]] into Nagato without his or his parents' knowledge.<ref name="madara">''Naruto'' chapter 606, page 13</ref> Sometime later, during the [[Second Shinobi World War]], Nagato and his parents took shelter in their home to avoid the fighting going on around them. One day, two [[Konoha]] shinobi broke into their home looking for food and Nagato and his parents tried to sneak out unnoticed. When they were discovered, his parents attacked the shinobi so that Nagato could escape. The Konoha ninja killed his parents in self-defence and, upon realising they were only civilians, tried apologising to Nagato. Overcome with grief, Nagato used Madara's Rinnegan for the first time to kill them and avenge his parents.<ref name="c436p10">''Naruto'' chapter 436, page 10</ref>
[[File:Nagato.PNG|thumb|left|Nagato as a child.]]
 
When Nagato was a child, [[Madara Uchiha]] transplanted his own [[Rinnegan|eyes]] into the young boy without his knowledge.<ref name="madara">''Naruto'' chapter 606, page 13</ref>
 
   
 
[[File:Child Nagato.PNG|thumb|left|Nagato as a child.]]
Nagato lived with his parents in a village somewhere on the outskirts of Amegakure. One day, during the [[Second Shinobi World War]], two [[Konoha]] shinobi attempted to find some rest and food in their thought-to-be-abandoned home. Believing that the shinobi were there to kill them, his parents died during the ensuing chaos in their effort to protect Nagato, as confused and shocked, the Konoha ninja mistook them for enemy shinobi. After witnessing his parents death, Nagato in his grief used the [[Rinnegan]] for the first time and killed the assailants.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 444, pages 12-17</ref> Nagato would eventually come to regard this as the first of two great sources of pain in his life,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 444, page 12</ref> only later realising that it was him who had killed the two shinobi.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 445, page 4</ref>
 
  +
After burying his parents, Nagato, now an orphan, was forced to leave home and begin wandering in search of food and shelter. With resources scarce due to the ongoing war, no one he met would help him until Nagato, who had collapsed from hunger, was found by [[Konan]] and [[Yahiko]], orphans like himself. They banded together, acquired food to survive through any means, and shared dreams of a future where they were in charge and could use their power to eliminate war. Yahiko was particularly passionate about this point, which inspired Nagato to adopt the same goal.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 445</ref> In order to accomplish this, the three would need to become ninja. With few options to choose from, they approached Konoha's Legendary [[Sannin]] and asked to be taught [[ninjutsu]]. [[Orochimaru]] offered to kill them in order to end their suffering, but [[Jiraiya]], guilty over his participation in the war, offered to teach them how to look out for themselves.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 1-5</ref>
   
  +
Jiraiya found a place for them to live and taught them how to fish, but he would not teach them ninjutsu. While the orphans were out one day, they were found and assaulted by an [[Iwagakure]] [[chūnin]]. Fearing for his friends' lives, Nagato used his Rinnegan to kill the Iwa-nin. When Jiraiya arrived on the scene to help them, he noticed Nagato's eyes for the first time and was reminded of the legends of the [[Sage of the Six Paths]], the original possessor of the Rinnegan. Because of this, Jiraiya changed his mind and began teaching them ninjutsu.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 373, page 4</ref> Nagato was remorseful for killing the Iwa-nin, but Jiraiya convinced him that sometimes violence and personal pain was necessary to protect others. In time he even shared his belief that Nagato was the Sage of Six Paths' reincarnation and that, like the original Sage, Nagato would use his Rinnegan to [[Child of the Prophecy|usher in a world of peace]].
The orphaned Nagato wandered the country, travelling from house to house alongside a dog named [[Chibi]], begging for food. Eventually, Nagato started to starve and later collapsed, which lead to him being found by [[Konan]], who gave him a loaf of bread before taking him to the hideout she and [[Yahiko]] had made their home. At first, Yahiko was reluctant to have another mouth to feed, but reconsidered having Nagato hang around due to both boys sharing the dream of a world without suffering. The three then began to search for supplies, often stealing them to survive. One day, Chibi was killed in the crossfire from [[Hanzō]]'s fight with several Konoha shinobi, including the [[Sannin]], with Nagato and the other [[Ame Orphans|orphans]] later mourning the dog's death.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 445, pages 2-17</ref> As the war was nearing its conclusion, the three orphans encountered the Sannin themselves. Although [[Orochimaru]] intended to kill the children to put them out of their misery, [[Jiraiya]] decided to remain in Amegakure to teach the trio how to protect themselves.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 1-5</ref>
 
   
{{ImgRight|AME OrphansT.PNG|The Ame Orphans.}}
+
{{ImgRight|Statue Summoned.png|Nagato summons the Statue for the first time.}}
  +
Jiraiya trained the orphans for three years. Because of his Rinnegan, Nagato easily mastered everything he was taught.<ref name="mastery">''Naruto'' chapter 375, page 11</ref> Once they were able to defeat one of his [[shadow clone]]s in a fight, Jiraiya decided they were ready to forge out on their own and he returned to Konoha, confident they would bring reform to the country.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 5-10</ref> The three formed an organisation they called [[Akatsuki]], with Yahiko as its leader, and began advocating an end to war. Their message proved popular and they gathered many followers;<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 10-11</ref> even Jiraiya would sometimes hear news of their exploits.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 372, page 7</ref> During the [[Third Shinobi World War]], they were approached by a disguised [[Obito Uchiha]]. Introducing himself as Madara Uchiha, he offered to help them in their pursuits and show Nagato how to unlock the full potential of his Rinnegan. Yahiko refused the offer, suspecting Tobi only meant to use them.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 607, pages 1-5</ref>
Soon after Jiraiya began living with the orphans, Nagato and Yahiko were attacked by a [[chūnin]] from [[Iwagakure]]. The need to protect his friend caused Nagato unknowingly resort to his Rinnegan once again to defend Yahiko, killing the ninja. When Jiraiya found out about this, he decided to train them in [[ninjutsu]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 373, page 4</ref> Nagato was very emotional about killing the ninja and asked Jiraiya for help so he could protect Konan and Yahiko. Jiraiya's response was for Nagato to grow up and to use his eyes to find the peace that they both desired for the world. Three years later, the orphans had become competent ninja, so Jiraiya returned to Konoha.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 5-10</ref>
 
   
[[File:Yahiko's Group.PNG|thumb|left|The original Akatsuki.]]
+
[[File:Nagato Statue.png|thumb|left|Nagato wounded following his fight with Hanzō.]]
  +
Throughout their quest for peace, Akatsuki's ranks swelled and became known throughout Amegakure, so much so that [[Hanzō]] of the Salamander, the village's leader, began to feel Akatsuki threatened his rule. He approached Akatsuki, offering to work together with them to help negotiate with the other warring villages. The next day, at a meeting to finalise the arrangement, Yahiko and Nagato were ambushed by Hanzō and his men, with support from Konoha's [[Danzō Shimura]]. Using Konan as a hostage, Hanzō threatened to kill her if Nagato did not kill Yahiko. Unwilling to let Nagato have that on his conscience, Yahiko impaled himself on Nagato's kunai, using his dying breath to state his faith that Nagato would change the world.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 11-17</ref> Enraged by Yahiko's death, Nagato took Konan back from Hanzō, though his legs were [[Fire Release: Exploding Flame Formation|badly damaged]] in the process. He then [[Summoning Technique|summoned]] the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]] and, upon [[black receiver|linking with it]], used it to slaughter Hanzō's men, though Hanzō himself escaped.<ref name="c447">''Naruto'' chapter 447</ref> Afterwards, Nagato severed his ties with Amegakure by slashing the village's symbol on his [[forehead protector]], no longer wishing to be affiliated with Hanzō's village.
Over the years, news of their exploits would reach Jiraiya, often consisting of the death of someone who opposed them. Eventually, he received word that they had all died.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 372, page 7</ref> In truth, Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko began a quest to find peace by forming an organisation called [[Akatsuki]] with Yahiko as its leader. They became full-fledged Amegakure ninja and gathered followers who shared their philosophies as well as their dream of an end to all conflict.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 10-11</ref> At some point, [[Obito Uchiha]] and [[Zetsu]] found Nagato, with Obito introducing himself as [[Madara Uchiha]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 606, page 17</ref> The trio had their doubts about the masked man actually being Madara, but Nagato became interested in his plans after hearing "Madara" mention the Rinnegan and what he could do with it.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 607, pages 1-5</ref>
 
   
  +
[[File:Yahiko Turned Deva.png|thumb|Now crippled, Nagato turns Yahiko's body into the Deva Path.]]
Fearing that Akatsuki would become a threat to his regime, Hanzō schemed with [[Danzō]] of Konoha's [[Root]] to eliminate its three leading members by making it seem that Hanzō wanted to discuss peace. Once the trap was sprung, Hanzō placed Nagato in a position where he had to kill Yahiko with a kunai, otherwise Konan would die. Before Nagato could take either option, Yahiko forcibly impaled himself onto the kunai that was placed in Nagato's hand, sparing him from making such a horrid decision himself. In his final moments, Yahiko told Nagato to survive as he believed him to be the saviour that Jiraiya spoke of. The death of his friend marked the second great pain of Nagato's life.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 446, pages 11-17</ref>
 
  +
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. Only through direct experience of war and all the losses and agonies it brought could anyone truly desire peace. Intending to personally bring that level of despair to the world, Nagato took on the name of "Pain". As the damage he'd received from Hanzō's attack and the link with the Demonic Statue left him frail and immobile, Nagato created the [[Six Paths of Pain]] out of corpses that he controlled remotely. For the [[Deva Path]] he used Yahiko's body — still wanting him to lead the organisation in spirit — and for the other five he used the corpses of other miscellaneous shinobi that, without his knowing it, had met Jiraiya when they were alive. Pain began leading Akatsuki in a new direction, secretly accepting Obito's earlier offer of support. Akatsuki composed itself with [[S-rank]] [[missing-nin]] and started offering its services as a mercenary group to ninja villages, earning the money necessary to fund its long-term plans.
   
  +
[[File:Pain confronts Hanzō.png|thumb|left|Pain confronting Hanzō.]]
{{ImgRight|Nagato Statue.png|Nagato after he used the Demonic Statue.}}
 
  +
Years later and still loyal to his own version of Amegakure, Pain and Konan began a civil war in the village to overthrow Hanzō.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 405</ref> Much of the village rallied behind Pain, believing him to be a god because of his immense power. The Six Paths of Pain eventually cornered and killed Hanzō, earning control of the village, but not before expressing his disgust with how Hanzō had fallen from the man he admired and the fact he cannot even understand how, in his self-preservation, his skill and conviction have diminished. In order to prevent anyone from challenging him, Pain proceeded to eliminate everyone even remotely connected to Hanzō, from members of his family to distant acquaintances.<ref name="c369p9-14">''Naruto'' chapter 369, pages 9-14</ref> Because of Amegakure's already secretive nature, news of Hanzō's death never made it outside of Amegakure and the village was believed to still be divided by the civil war. Pain embraced the villagers' idea of his being God and single-handedly crushing remnants loyal to Hanzō whenever they surfaced. Every Sunday, Pain would make it rain within Amegakure or if he had to be away.<ref> ''Naruto'' chapter 368</ref>
Devastated as he retrieved Konan along with Yahiko's corpse, a furious Nagato launched an attack on Hanzō's men. After [[Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path|summoning]] the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]] and becoming emaciated from the numerous [[Chakra Receiver|black rods]] that it embedded in his back, Nagato slaughtered everyone but Hanzō, who used a [[Exploding Tag Technique|trap]] to cripple Nagato's legs. Becoming the new leader of Akatsuki, now going by the name of "Pain", Nagato severed his ties to Amegakure and resolved to show the world what the meaning of pain is.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 447, pages 1-14</ref>
 
 
Devising a means to regain movement by converting Yahiko's body into the first of his [[Six Paths of Pain]], the [[Deva Path]], Pain led rebelling forces in the Amegakure civil war and took control of the village by assassinating Hanzō. Concealing his true body in the shadows, and becoming a "god" to Amegakure's people, Pain solidified his leadership by systematically killing anyone who had ties to the former leader, from friends and family to ambassadors from other ninja villages.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 369, pages 9-14</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 531, pages 14-15</ref>
 
   
 
== Personality ==
 
== Personality ==
As a child, Nagato was a sensitive, kind boy, prone to crying, and was traumatised by the idea of killing others, even if it was 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. He was consistently respectful and kind to Konan, who he claimed to be his "angel" in Amegakure. He was shown protecting her, without request or hesitation from Jiraiya before his battle with his former teacher. Apparently, she was the only Akatsuki member that addressed him by name. He was aware of Konan's feelings towards Yahiko and left them alone to have personal time together.
+
Nagato was a sensitive child, prone to crying over the sufferings of himself and others. When he met [[Yahiko]] he tried to break this habit by following Yahiko's philosophy that crying wouldn't change anything, but the attempt was unsuccessful. [[Jiraiya]] later pointed out to him that his sensitivity was actually a strength, as it allowed him to understand pain better and, in turn, be kinder to others. This view resonated with Nagato and caused him to realise that he wanted to take on all of his friends' pain so that they wouldn't have to. It also finally succeeded in ending his crying; when Jiraiya left their group it was Yahiko who cried to see him go, while Nagato only thanked him for all the guidance he'd provided.
   
  +
In one form or another, Nagato spent his entire life placing the needs of others before his own: his main motivation for becoming a ninja in the first place was so that he could protect Yahiko and [[Konan]]; he viewed his role in the original Akatsuki as a powerful tool meant to help Yahiko bring peace to their country; as leader of his own version of Akatsuki, he felt it was his responsibility to save the world from itself, inflicting pains of such magnitude that nobody would ever harm anyone else ever again. While this indicates a growing self-importance Nagato regarded himself with, it was encouraged by the similarly growing esteem others regarded him with due to his [[Rinnegan]]: Jiraiya believed he was the reincarnation of the [[Sage of the Six Paths]]; Yahiko and the rest of Akatsuki believed he was the "[[Saviour of the World]]"; the villagers of Amegakure believed in him as if he were a "God".
As an adult, after losing Yahiko, his personality became very different, having become a calm, serious, aloof, and detached man. Apparently believing traumas he experienced in his youth had enlightened him to the true meaning of pain and suffering, he considered himself a deity, and believed he had evolved beyond a mere human being. He sought to show the world the meaning of pain by using an ultimate weapon to deter future wars, by means similar to "mutually assured destruction", and showed no moral qualms about his actions. He was even willing to kill Jiraiya, his former sensei, to ensure the completion of his plans. He even went so far as to proclaim himself a "god of peace", that had to guide the world to maturity through pain. Finally, he felt that no-one could understand true peace unless they understood "true" pain, something his childhood friend Yahiko believed. [[Minato Namikaze]] believed Tobi to have been using this philosophy in his favour, in order to manipulate Nagato.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 440, page 11</ref>
 
   
  +
As a child that grew up in the middle of other countries' wars, Nagato did not like killing and was horrified by his early acts of violence against those who had harmed his friends and family. He supported Yahiko's Akatsuki because it wanted to end the wars and deaths that he hated so much. After Yahiko's death, Nagato compromised his aversion to killing to a large extent, believing the deaths of specific individuals or even hundreds at a time could be justified if it served a greater and/or long-term purpose. But Nagato remains very clear in this distinction, as he shows mercy to those willing to cooperate with him and discourages others from defying him because it will only force him to strike them down. [[Minato Namikaze]] believes that, at some point along the way, Nagato's views were corrupted and subsequently manipulated by Tobi.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 440, page 11</ref>
Nonetheless, he was seen to be quite respectful, particularly to the fallen and the dead. Given the Akatsuki members' frequent bickering, he often quelled them and encouraged better relations among members. He even suggested that they mourn for [[Deidara]] after his passing,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 363, page 9</ref> and reprimanded [[Kisame]] for calling [[Hidan]] and [[Kakuzu]] the "Zombie Combo".<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 353, page 11</ref> After his battle with Jiraiya, he held a moment of silence for his former teacher, out of respect for his power.<ref name="praise">''Naruto'' chapter 383, page 13</ref> He also told [[Kakashi]] that he was honoured to meet him during his invasion of [[Konohagakure]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 420, page 10</ref>
 
   
  +
As leader of Akatsuki, Nagato projected a great charisma through his public mask of the Deva Path so that even Akatsuki held him in great awe. Despite his power and self-appointed divinity, Nagato was incredibly patient with defiance from the group, likening Hidan's open threats against him to those of a child who needed guidance. Utterly confident in his own abilities, Nagato showed no hesitation in fighting even the strongest opponents, nor in asserting himself against powerful Akatsuki members when need be. When speaking of Akatsuki's goals, Nagato demonstrated a contemplative side as to the nature of war and peace, matching his belief that war was the inevitable result of the nature of humanity. While he declared his godhood to his enemies, Nagato would privately admit that he was never anything more than an ordinary man who was seeking peace through the best means he knew how. When encountering enemies who disagreed with his philosophy, Nagato would often request their own solution to the problems of the world before almost inevitably being dissatisfied with the response due to his low opinion of human beings as a whole. Despite this, Nagato is stated to have gone as far as kill anyone from Amegakure who even questioned his ideals and even went as far as to kill infants of people who were even remotely associated to Hanzō, and in the anime, antagonised him even in death, preventing his remains from being given a proper burial.
Because Konohagakure was partly responsible for the tragedies in his life, he held a great deal of animosity towards the village. Although Jiraiya's influence improved his opinion of the village during their time together, he eventually came to believe that Konoha profited from the tragedies of others and hated it and his former teacher.
 
   
  +
When leading the Akatsuki, Nagato could also be possessed of a cold, wrathful side. He showed no hesitation in attempting to kill his former teacher Jiraiya, stating that all love for Jiraiya had long since died. When he attacked Konoha, Nagato demonstrated cold fury at Tsunade for defying his proclamations as to the justice of his attack on the Leaf. Believing that the only way humans could understand one another was through shared pain, Nagato showed no hesitation in obliterating the Leaf village or attempting to kill Hinata Hyūga when she came to Naruto's defence in order to demonstrate a lesson on pain and the inability of human beings to understand one another. Despite this, he had a high value in comrades as he chastised Kisame for speaking ill of Hidan and Kakuzu.
After his [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnation]], Nagato has shown to be kinder and carefree to the point he was even willing to start making jokes, something which surprised [[Naruto]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 549, page 11</ref> His opinion of Naruto also strengthened after he last saw him, pointing out to [[Itachi Uchiha]] that he wasn't surprised that Naruto was able to advance his control over the [[Nine-Tailed Demon Fox]] since they both had studied under the same [[Jiraiya|master]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 549, page 2</ref>
 
   
  +
One further constant in Nagato's life was the esteem he placed in his childhood friends. Nagato viewed himself as having inherited Yahiko's will to change the world and kept Yahiko's corpse as his most treasured and powerful Path of Pain. Konan, his partner and childhood friend, remained his most ardent supporter. Nagato likewise demonstrated equal esteem and concern for her, with Konan as one of the few who could sway or influence his decisions to the extent that Tobi confided in Zetsu a fear of what Nagato might do without Konan's calming influence on him.<ref>Akatsuki Hiden: Evil Flowers in Bloom</ref>
== Appearance ==
 
[[File:Ame Orphans young adults.png|thumb|left|The Ame Orphans as young adults.]]
 
Nagato was a fair-skinned man with chin-length red hair (a colour which is a trademark of the Uzumaki clan) with his most noticeable trait being his Rinnegan eyes. As a child, his hair would regularly hang off his face blocking the view of his eyes; later only covering the right side of his face. As adult, Nagato grew to be slightly shorter than Yahiko, but after subjecting himself to the [[Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]], Nagato was reduced to an emaciated version of his former self with [[chakra receiver]]s implanted into his back, one in each of his shoulder joints, smaller ones in his forearms and two metal-like screw under his collar bones, near his shoulder joint. Nagato uses a mechanical walker for mobility, which could fire [[Chakra Disruption Blades]] for personal defence. He was the only Akatsuki member never seen wearing the organisation's uniform, until after his death, and he ceased wearing a slashed out forehead protector after defeating Hanzō. However, his Six Paths of Pain wore both in his stead. After Nagato used the [[Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]] to revive all the Konohagakure citizens that had been killed during his invasion, his red hair turned white due to the overexertion of his [[chakra]]. When reincarnated by Kabuto, Nagato was left in the exact state as he died - emaciated and with white hairs. The only exception were black rods that are no longer attached to his body. However, after Nagato uses his ability to [[Blocking Technique Absorption Seal|absorb chakra]] from [[B]]'s [[Killer B's Jinchūriki Forms#Version 2|Version 2]] form, this chakra seemingly revitalised Nagato's body, restoring his muscle mass, and restoring his hair colour from white back to the Uzumaki clan's characteristic red colour.
 
   
  +
Despite the number of personal changes Nagato went through during his life, he always remained fundamentally kind and respectful. With his fellow members of Akatsuki, he mourns those who die in the pursuit of Akatsuki's goals<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 363, page 9</ref> and disapproves of name-calling amongst peers.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 353, page 11</ref> He extends similar courtesies to his opponents, being honoured to meet one so strong as [[Kakashi Hatake]],<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 420, page 10</ref> despite also being determined to kill Kakashi because that very same strength would inevitably interfere with Akatsuki's plans. For all his kindness, Nagato has a certain prejudice against [[Konoha]] because its ninja have played a role in a number of his life's tragedies. He tried to change this opinion because of Jiraiya's positive influence, but ultimately decided that Konoha's successes were predicated on the misfortunes of others.
== Abilities ==
 
[[File:Nagato using the Asura Path.png|thumb|Nagato using the abilities of the Six Paths Technique after being reincarnated.]]
 
As the leader of the [[S-rank]] criminal organisation [[Akatsuki]], and one of the two sides of the [[Amegakure]] civil war, Nagato was an extraordinarily powerful shinobi, and recognised as the most powerful member of Akatsuki. He was [[Kabuto Yakushi]]'s second strongest [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnated]] shinobi since he noted that he'd have to bring out his [[Madara Uchiha|trump card]] after he was sealed.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 552, page 3</ref> His partner, [[Konan]], had stated that he had never lost a single battle, and that he was "unbeatable".<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 367, page 13</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 407, page 16</ref> [[Fukasaku]] stated that without understanding Pain's power, no one could defeat him,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 406, page 3</ref> and even [[Obito]] noted that Nagato was invincible while praising Jiraiya.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 407, page 15</ref> Nagato was able to kill [[Jiraiya]] with relative ease after revealing all six of his bodies. In praising his former teacher, Nagato later noted that he had underestimated Jiraiya's level of [[Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant|genjutsu usage]], stating that he likely would not have won if Jiraiya had uncovered the secret behind his Six Paths of Pain technique.<ref name="praise"/> It was with these six bodies that Nagato led a civil war in Amegakure that not only easily killed [[Hanzō]] and overthrew his regime, but also eradicated his lineage and anyone remotely associated with him and his ideals.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 369, pages 9-14</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 531, pages 14-15</ref> [[Zetsu]] expressed shock when Nagato was defeated by [[Naruto Uzumaki]], stating that he never thought Nagato would ever lose, even in a weakened state.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 450, page 7</ref>
 
   
  +
Despite his conviction in Akatsuki's goals, Nagato is re-convinced of his former pacifism by [[Naruto Uzumaki]], who believes the struggle for peace is worth any personal cost to the point of sacrificing his life to atone for his actions. Recognising the person he once was, Nagato decides to believe in Naruto's answer for peace, also regaining his faith in Jiraiya. Upon his revival, Nagato demonstrates a far friendlier side, joking with and praising Naruto. Before he is sealed away, Nagato reveals that he has gone from viewing himself as a god to viewing himself as the failed middle volume of a trilogy started by Jiraiya and ended with Naruto. He also regains his high regard for Jiraiya as he referred to Jiraiya was the "perfect first volume".
After being [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnated]] by [[Kabuto Yakushi]], he was able to easily overwhelm both [[Naruto Uzumaki]] and [[Killer B]], despite Naruto being in his [[Nine-Tails Chakra Mode]] and Killer B being in perfect synchronisation with [[Gyūki]], his [[tailed beast]]. He would have killed them both had it not been for the intervention of [[Itachi Uchiha]]. It took the combined efforts of Naruto, B, and Itachi to successfully defeat Nagato.
 
   
 
== Appearance ==
Nagato's legs were greatly damaged in a battle against Hanzō. As a result, even though he was able stand on his own, he lacked full mobility. To make up for this, while alive, Nagato used the Six Paths of Pain to fight for him while he remained in a mechanical walker. When he was reincarnated by Kabuto, he used various [[Summoning Technique|summons]] to move around and to keep himself out of range of his opponents' attacks. Even after being rejuvenated by Gyūki's chakra, which he had [[Blocking Technique Absorption Seal|absorbed]] from Killer B, Nagato's mobility was still limited.
 
  +
<gallery type="slideshow" position="right" widths="240" hideaddbutton="true">
  +
Nagato_Early_Akatsuki.png|Nagato's appearance during Akatsuki's formation.
  +
Nagato_Online.png|Nagato's appearance as the leader of Akatsuki.
  +
Nagato_Edo_Crippled.png|Nagato's appearance after being reincarnated
  +
Nagato's War Attire.png|Nagato's appearance after being reincarnated and regaining his vitality.
  +
</gallery>
  +
Nagato had pale white skin with straight red hair, a sign of his Uzumaki heritage. When he was very young, his eyes were covered by his hair, preventing his Rinnegan from being visible. When he started training to be a ninja he parted his hair so that only his right eye was covered. Linking with the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]] left a number of [[black receiver]]s embedded in his back and caused his body to become very emaciated, limiting his mobility. For this reason he spent most of his adult life in a mechanical walker from which he controlled the Six Paths of Pain. He likewise did not personally wear any of the typical Akatsuki clothing, having his Paths wear it instead.
   
  +
After he performs [[Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]] his hair turns white as a side-effect of the jutsu, and it remains that colour after Nagato is [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnated]], during which he is donned with a maroon long sleeved cloak. From [[Blocking Technique Absorption Seal|absorbing]] some of the [[Eight-Tails]]' [[chakra]], his hair became red again, as well as his frail body reverting to his fit self.
=== Stamina and Life Force ===
 
As a member of the [[Uzumaki clan]], he also possessed an exceptionally strong life force and the potential for an incredibly long life span. It has been noted at several points in time that Nagato possessed an unusually large amount of exceptionally strong chakra. [[Tsunade]]'s ANBU escorts expressed shock on how much chakra he could produce through [[Deva Path]]. It was to the point that even after he decimated Konoha and fought Naruto Uzumaki, he still had enough strength to revive all of the people he had killed since arriving in the village. Likewise, Nagato demonstrated considerable control over his chakra, able to constantly alter its nature to prevent sensors from detecting his signature.
 
   
=== Taijutsu ===
+
== Abilities ==
 
[[File:Nagato using the Asura Path.png|thumb|left|Nagato overwhelming Naruto and Killer B.]]
While not shown in full, Nagato had shown a high level of taijutsu showcased through his [[Six Paths of Pain]], and especially the [[Asura Path]]. He was easily able to overwhelm characters as skilled in taijutsu as [[Kakashi Hatake]] through his Deva Path with a [[Chakra Disruption Blade]] despite his [[Sharingan]] being active. He was also able to contend with [[Jiraiya]]'s [[Sage Mode]] strength, able to block one of his kicks through [[Human Path]] with one hand despite the path being blinded. Not only that, when his Deva Path was under a cool down after using the gigantic version of [[Shinra Tensei]] he was able to fight Naruto Uzumaki nigh-evenly in taijutsu while he was getting ready to get back into Sage Mode despite Naruto's extensive taijutsu training with the toads.
 
  +
Nagato's position as the leader of Akatsuki was well-deserved, being regarded as its most powerful member. Despite his fragile state and damaged legs, [[Kabuto Yakushi]] regarded Nagato as a powerful [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnated shinobi]]. Upon restoring and rejuvenating his body using the [[Tailed Beast]] [[chakra]] he absorbed from B, he simultaneously overwhelmed and immobilised the [[Killer B|Eight]] and [[Naruto|Nine-Tails]] [[jinchūriki]] with ease although his legs remained weakened. Despite his effectiveness being reduced due to Kabuto Yakushi's direct control, it still required a combined effort of Naruto, Killer B, and [[Itachi Uchiha]] to defeat and [[Sword of Totsuka|seal]] him. As Pain, he was regarded as unbeatable by various individuals,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 364, page 15</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 406, page 3</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 407, pages 15-16</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 450, page 7</ref> and his strength allowed him to defeat and kill [[Hanzō]], though Hanzō's skills had long since diminished.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 531</ref> He was also able to defeat [[Jiraiya]], his former teacher, though he notes that he may have lost if Jiraiya knew his true identity. Not only that, he could face the entire village of [[Konohagakure]] and destroy it single-handedly, only losing one of his Paths in the various battles with Konoha ninja. Before he faced Naruto, Nagato had never lost a single battle, still pushing Naruto to employ the most powerful abilities he had at his disposal.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 364</ref>
   
  +
=== Chakra and Physical Prowess ===
He has also displayed highly impressive speed and reflexes as well. When rescuing [[Konan]] from [[Hanzō]] he could cover a massive amount of distance in an instant with Hanzō being unable to react until after he had saved Konan. He could easily react to Naruto's thrown [[Wind Release: Rasenshuriken]], either dodging with less than a second to spare or blocking it with [[Preta Path]]. And after his [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnation]] he was able to attack Killer B from behind after blowing him a considerable distance with a focused Shinra Tensei, practically appearing right behind him out of nowhere despite his limited mobility.
 
 
[[File:Nagato Releases his Chakra.png|thumb|right|Nagato exerts his chakra through the Deva Path.]]
  +
As a descendant of the [[Uzumaki clan]], Nagato's chakra was naturally resilient. His actual chakra reserves were unusually vast, enough that he could perform [[Shinra Tensei|various]], [[Chibaku Tensei|chakra-taxing]] [[Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique|techniques]] all in the same day. Upon exerting his chakra in the form of a shockwave, one of the [[Fifth Hokage]]'s [[Anbu]] bodyguards suspected that his already powerful chakra was enhanced by his [[Rinnegan]].<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 162</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 428, page 10</ref> Nagato also had remarkable control over his chakra and could alter its frequency constantly, negating the possibility of a [[sensor]] pinpointing his location when he controls the Six Paths of Pain unless they stab themselves with one of his chakra rods.
   
  +
Following his first fight with Hanzō, Nagato's legs were badly damaged and his body was left frail. This limited his mobility for the rest of his life and rendered his original body largely defenceless. He regained some of his former mobility after being reincarnated and restoring his body and legs with some of the [[Eight-Tails]]' chakra. When not handicapped, Nagato could rapidly move around a battlefield, closing the gap between himself and his opponents fast enough to force them to retreat.<ref name="c447" />
Finally, through his paths and himself, he has shown impressive durability. The first of which was surviving dozens of [[explosive tag]]s that Hanzō laid in trap for him with only his legs being damaged. After being reincarnated, Nagato was able to endure being burned by [[Amaterasu]] for an extended period which had only burned a part of his arm, as well as survive Killer B's Version 2 [[Lariat]] without damage, even absorbing Gyūki's chakra with the Preta Path.
 
   
 
=== Ninjutsu ===
 
=== Ninjutsu ===
  +
During his training with Jiraiya, Nagato mastered every technique he was taught, covering numerous styles, all of the basic [[nature transformation]]s, and [[Yang Release]],<ref name="d4" /> accomplishments extremely rare even for adults, let alone ten year-olds.<ref name="mastery" /> Many of the miscellaneous techniques he was seen performing were used to facilitate Akatsuki's meetings, such as allowing members to [[Magic Lantern Body Technique|meet astrally across great distances]], [[Five-Seal Barrier|protecting the site of their meetings]], and [[Mirrored Sudden Attacker|distracting opposing forces]]. Adept with the [[Shadow Clone Technique]], he was even capable of cloning his summoned creatures.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 131</ref> One of his more noteworthy techniques was the [[Rain Tiger at Will Technique]], which allowed him to create perpetual rainfall to monitor everyone moving within Amegakure.
[[File:Magic Lantern Body technique.jpg|thumb|left|Nagato using the Magic Lantern Body technique through the Deva Path.]]
 
While acting through the Deva Path, Nagato displayed a wide range of techniques. Nagato was responsible for Akatsuki's meetings by using a technique that allowed him to pick up their thought waves and broadcast them in the form of an [[Magic Lantern Body Technique|astral projection]] to a specific location. During the time when a tailed beast was being [[Sealing Technique: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals|extracted]] from its [[jinchūriki]], Nagato would set up various ways to stall and prevent potential rescuers from getting to them in time to stop the extraction. Among these various techniques was the [[Five-Seal Barrier]], which prevented anyone from destroying anything that was within its boundaries without simultaneously removing the five seals — an effective method to split enemy forces. Nagato also added another safety procedure, which activated once the seals had been removed, [[Mirrored Sudden Attacker Technique|creating copies]] that perfectly resembled the ones who removed the seals, imitating their battle skills as well. Another technique that Nagato used to delay and stop pursuers from interrupting the extraction was the [[Shapeshifting Technique]], which allowed Nagato to allocate a portion of an individual's chakra and transfer it into a living human sacrifice, allowing the original to fight by controlling their "copy". This allowed the sacrifices to attain whatever [[kekkei genkai]], techniques and weapons the individual possessed. However, once the allocated chakra was finished along with the sacrifice's own, the technique would cancel and the copy would be killed.
 
   
  +
Nagato was also an adept [[sensor]], able to pinpoint the location of others across great distances, even penetrating beyond [[barrier]]s erected for the express purpose of blocking detection.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 580, page 7</ref>
Nagato was able to use the [[Summoning Technique]] to summon Konan and the other Six Paths. He could also use the [[Amplification Summoning Technique]], which allowed him to summon an animal with a specific condition. Furthermore, when guarding [[Amegakure]] Nagato was able to use the [[Rain Tiger at Will Technique]] to make it rain. This rain was infused with his chakra and as such, served as a large-scale sensory technique for him in his village. Nagato was also a [[Chakra Sensing Technique|sensor]], and was able to detect the build up of [[Amaterasu]] before it was launched and even pinpoint [[Kabuto Yakushi]] kilometres away despite the latter having erected a [[Barrier Ninjutsu|barrier]] around his location.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 550, page 3</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 580, page 7</ref>
 
   
 
=== Rinnegan ===
 
=== Rinnegan ===
 
[[File:Rinnegan.png|thumb|left|Nagato's Rinnegan.]]
{{main|Rinnegan}}
 
  +
Nagato's skill in so many types of ninjutsu was due in large part to his [[Rinnegan]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 425, page 9</ref> Though he was not the eyes' original owner, being an Uzumaki allowed Nagato to wield both eyes without drawbacks even while still an untrained child, whereas Obito could barely handle a single eye despite his various modifications and in-depth knowledge of the dōjutsu. Ultimately, Nagato's skill was great enough to earn recognition as the {{Translation|"Third Six Paths"|三人目の六道|Sanninme no Rikudō}}; a title which he inherited after [[Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki]] and [[Madara Uchiha]].<ref name="3R" />
[[File:Nagato Rinnegan.jpg|thumb|right|Nagato's Rinnegan.]]
 
Nagato wielded the power of the legendary [[Rinnegan]],<ref name="madara"/> a [[dōjutsu]] which was originally possessed by the [[Sage of the Six Paths]], the world's first shinobi, and the founder of modern [[ninjutsu]]. Even as a child, Jiraiya noted that Nagato had mastered every ninjutsu he taught him and with the Rinnegan, he was able to master all five basic [[nature transformation]]s as a child — something that was completely unprecedented.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 375, page 11</ref> According to [[Ibiki Morino|Ibiki]], the Rinnegan allowed Nagato to use any technique he wished.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 425, page 9</ref> Nagato was also adept at the use of [[genjutsu]], having used it to install [[Mental Barricades|mental barriers]] and traps in his minions' minds to prevent others from accessing secret information.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 418, page 12</ref> Similar to the other great dōjutsu, the Rinnegan bestowed him with enhanced vision, allowing him to see [[chakra]] and otherwise invisible [[Barrier Ninjutsu|barrier techniques]], which he used during his invasion of Konoha to detect the barrier around the perimeter of the location. Due to his possession of Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan and his own Senju lineage, Nagato was also able to summon and control the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]].<ref name="madara"/>
 
   
  +
The greatest advantage of the Rinnegan was that it gave Nagato access to all of the [[Six Paths Technique]]s: the gravitational powers of the [[Deva Path]]; the menagerie of [[Summoning Technique|summons]] available to the [[Animal Path]]; the limitless energy absorption of the [[Preta Path]]; the control over souls with the [[Human Path]]; the various mechanisations in the [[Asura Path]]; access to the [[King of Hell]] through the [[Naraka Path]]. Because of the limitations of his real body, Nagato had few chances to use any of these abilities directly. When the opportunity arose, though, he could shift between the different Paths seamlessly and instantly, performing the many abilities on a level he wasn't capable of when using them through others.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 551, page 10</ref>
As stated by Konan, Nagato was able to use all of the ablities of the [[Six Paths Technique]] himself, as they are all abilities of the Rinnegan. This was later demonstrated after he was reincarnated by [[Kabuto Yakushi]]. With his ability to simultaneously utilise the various abilities of the Six Paths Technique with one body, Nagato proved to be a formidable opponent, easily overwhelming Naruto and Killer B at the same time. Naruto noted that since he was using his real body, the strength and speed of his techniques were on a much higher level.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 551, page 10</ref> However, when fighting on his own, Nagato was without the protection and shared vision offered by the Six Paths of Pain.
 
  +
  +
The one branch of Six Paths Techniques that Nagato reserved for himself was that of the [[Outer Path]]. As the Outer Path, Nagato could summon and control the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]],<ref name="madara" /> produce [[black receiver]]s into which he can channel his chakra,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 444, page 4</ref> and use the [[Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]] to revive the dead.
   
 
==== Six Paths of Pain ====
 
==== Six Paths of Pain ====
{{main|Six Paths of Pain}}
+
[[File:Six Paths Pain.png|thumb|right|The Six Paths of Pain.]]
  +
With the Outer Path, Nagato could form what he calls his "[[Six Paths of Pain]]". By embedding black receivers throughout the bodies of six corpses – arranged to resemble body piercings – Nagato was able to control all of them remotely as though they were his own. He could control the Paths across great distances, but for more chakra-demanding techniques, it was necessary for the Path to first be brought closer to his position. An alternative to this was cutting off control of five of the Paths and focusing all of his chakra into one. The Paths can be used to react to threats in mere seconds and, because they are corpses, the bodies are unfazed by all but the most debilitating types of damage.
[[File:New Six Paths Anime.jpg|thumb|left|The Six Paths of Pain.]]
 
Nagato's most powerful and most used technique was the {{translation|'''[[Six Paths of Pain]]'''|ペイン六道|Pein Rikudō}}. This technique allowed Nagato to control six separate bodies as though they were his own. Each of these bodies were reanimated corpses that were both kept mobile by and made use of Nagato's own chakra. By using these six bodies for combat rather than himself, Nagato avoided the risk of being killed in battle by a stronger opponent and compensated for his lack of mobility. As Nagato's vision was linked with the bodies, he essentially had six fields of vision, making it virtually impossible for his enemies to attack any of the bodies without being seen. Nagato's vision was also linked with the [[King of Hell]] and the various creatures he [[Animal Path|summoned]], which also possessed Rinnegan. While controlling the Six Paths under the alias of "Pain", Nagato still regarded the bodies as separate entities from himself.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 443, page 3</ref> The Paths were unable to feel physical pain, as they were merely manipulated corpses, which [[Ibiki Morino]] discovered when he tried [[Summoning: Torture Chamber|torturing]] the second [[Second Animal Path (character)|Animal Path]].<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 160</ref>
 
   
  +
In theory, each of the Six Paths of Pain could be used to perform any technique that Nagato himself was capable of. In practice, however, he limited each body to one branch of the Six Paths Techniques, the exception being the Deva Path through which he performed a number of miscellaneous jutsu. Each Path served a specific purpose, be it offensive, defensive, reconnaissance or repair. None of the Paths specifically specialised in [[taijutsu]], but all were able to keep pace during hand-to-hand combat with even the most practised opponent. Though he considered all six Paths to be part of the Pain identity he gave himself, Nagato still regarded them as separate entities from himself, referring to them by whichever Path they embody.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 443, page 3</ref>
While making use of the technique, Nagato remained in a machine that moved with six relatively small mechanical legs and used several large [[Chakra Receiver|chakra rods]] on his back to transmit chakra to the corpses. From his location, the chakra was picked up by the numerous receivers, modelled as body piercings on each body. To control them, Nagato had to be close by, and ideally at the highest possible point, so he could have the best possible range. Certain techniques, such as [[Chibaku Tensei]] could only be used through the Six Paths while they were within a certain range of Nagato. His technique output was also increased while focusing on only one of the Six Paths, although this would leave the others vulnerable and, in the case of overusing the Deva Path's [[Shinra Tensei|ability]], shorten Nagato's lifespan and require the Deva Path's power to recharge for a longer amount of time than usual. Nagato was also able to fire chakra receivers from his mechanical walker and, from a close enough range, control the bodies of those pierced by them with his chakra, although this effect could be resisted.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 444, page 4</ref>
 
   
  +
Although the Six Paths were individually strong, they were at their most formidable when used together, with the simultaneous use of all six being the primary reason for Pain's infamous invincibility.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 422, page 10</ref> This was because the six Paths, as well as the Animal Path's summons and the King of Hell, let Nagato share their vision,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 551, page 6</ref> allowing him to coordinate their movements with maximum efficiency. They could attack from multiple angles and dodge attacks they couldn't have seen but that occurred within another Path's field of vision. During his attack on Konoha, when the Six Paths were dispersed throughout the village to act strategically, they managed to wreak devastation and kill many powerful shinobi, effectively allowing Nagato to almost singlehandedly overpower the village. Each of the Paths had its own importance in a fight – the Naraka Path's ability to restore all the other Paths, making it the most valuable – and therefore, Nagato would sacrifice other Paths to protect those further up the hierarchy.
Based on the six Buddhist Realms of Reincarnation, each body was named after one of the Six Paths techniques: [[Deva Path|Deva]], [[Asura Path|Asura]], [[Human Path|Human]], [[Animal Path|Animal]], [[Preta Path|Preta]], and [[Naraka Path|Naraka]]. The only common feature shared by these bodies was their bright orange hair and their Rinnegan. Each also had a vast number of body and facial piercings of various shapes, sizes, and patterns. Each body seemed to serve a specific purpose in battle, such as summoning, repairing, and defensive capability. Nagato himself was regarded as the seventh Pain, the "[[Outer Path]]", with control over the forces of life and death. The Outer Path abilities also allowed for Nagato's use of the Six Paths of Pain. [[Fukasaku]] stated that the best way of fighting Pain was to take out the Six Paths one at a time, as they were most formidable when fighting together.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 422, page 10</ref>
 
   
  +
Despite the advantages the six bodies granted him in a fight, Nagato tried to limit his usage to as few bodies as possible to reduce the likelihood of anyone discovering the secret of how the Six Paths of Pain work. When Konoha began to understand the idiosyncrasies of the ability, he destroyed the village in an effort to kill anyone who might know that none of the six Paths were the real one.
=== Intelligence ===
 
Nagato has shown a quite analytical and strategic mind, and could be considered a genius. At age 10 he managed to master all five basic Nature Transformations as well as [[Yin Release]], [[Yang Release]], and [[Yin–Yang Release]] which according to [[Jiraiya]] is completely unprecedented. When in battle, he was careful to keep his [[Six Paths of Pain]] a complete secret, using one or at most three bodies to engage an opponent while keeping the other three in reserve. If the three were defeated, he could easily send the other three to reinforce them and attack the enemy when they are off guard.
 
   
 
== Part I ==
When he launched his [[Invasion of Pain]] on [[Konohagakure]], he split and designated his bodies into specific tasks: Asura Path, Animal Path, and Preta Path ran diversionary tactics while Deva Path, Human Path, and Naraka Path ran reconnaissance. With this he was able to engage the entire village at once while keeping his true intentions a secret and ultimately he was able to accomplish his objective in locating Naruto. Due to Konoha starting to figure out his secrets, as well as [[Tsunade]]'s defiance, he destroyed the village to preserve the former.
 
 
=== Sasuke Recovery Mission ===
  +
{{main|Sasuke Recovery Mission}}
  +
Pain [[Magic Lantern Body Technique|gathers]] the members of [[Akatsuki]] to discuss [[Sasuke Uchiha]]'s recent alliance with [[Orochimaru]], as well as the anticipated completion of their plans three years hence.
   
  +
== Interlude ==
When engaging Naruto, he chose a specific formation that would buy enough time for Deva Path's powers to regenerate and keep Naraka Path safe. Using this strategy he was able to temporarily defeat Naruto despite being exhausted and at a disadvantage from the start.
 
  +
=== In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths ===
 
  +
{{main|In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths}}
== Part I ==
 
  +
In the anime, two years after the Akatsuki meeting, Amegakure is invited to participate in the [[Chūnin Exams]] being held jointly by [[Konohagakure]] and [[Sunagakure]]. Not ready to take Akatsuki public yet, Pain accepts the invitation and sends several teams of [[genin]] to keep up appearances.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 395</ref> The messenger, [[Kakashi Hatake]], later sneaks back into the village to investigate the rumours surrounding it. Pain immediately [[Rain Tiger at Will Technique|detects]] Kakashi and sends guards to capture him, forcing him to retreat.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 398</ref>
=== Sasuke Retrieval Arc ===
 
Pain made a silhouette appearance with the other Akatsuki members while they were discussing [[Orochimaru]] and the [[Nine-Tails]].
 
   
 
== Part II ==
 
== Part II ==
  +
=== Kazekage Rescue Mission ===
Pain appears frequently as a [[Magic Lantern Body Technique|hologram]] during the early arcs of Part II, convening the Akatsuki members whenever a [[tailed beast]] needs to be sealed. As Part II progresses, portions of his face are shown before culminating in his full début alongside Konan.
 
  +
{{main|Kazekage Rescue Mission}}
  +
After [[Gaara]] is captured by [[Deidara]] and [[Sasori]], Pain convenes Akatsuki to begin extracting the [[One-Tail]] from Gaara's body. Konoha ninja start to convene on their location during the three day process, so Pain uses the [[Shapeshifting Technique]] to send copies of [[Kisame Hoshigaki]] and [[Itachi Uchiha]] to distract them. The copies are defeated, but they buy the necessary time and the One-Tail is sealed. As the rest of Akatsuki disperses, Pain instructs Deidara and Sasori to deal with the Konoha ninja that have arrived outside their lair.
   
=== Kazekage Rescue Arc ===
+
=== Akatsuki Suppression Mission ===
  +
{{main|Akatsuki Suppression Mission}}
After [[Gaara]] was captured by [[Deidara]] and brought back to one of their secret hideouts, Pain assembled the other members of the Akatsuki where they extracted and sealed the One-Tail.
 
  +
Following the captures of the [[Two-Tails]] and [[Three-Tails]] (the Three-Tails is captured later in the anime), Pain once again gathers Akatsuki to seal them. Because Pain's summons interrupted a fight he was in the middle of, [[Hidan]], the second-newest member, demands an explanation of Akatsuki's ultimate goal. Pain obliges him, remarking on the state of the world and how Akatsuki plans to capitalise on that to take control.
   
=== Hidan and Kakuzu Arc ===
+
=== Itachi Pursuit Mission ===
 
{{main|Itachi Pursuit Mission}}
After [[Yugito Nii]] was captured by [[Hidan]] and [[Kakuzu]], Pain led the members of Akatsuki in sealing the [[Three-Tails]] and extracting the [[Two-Tails]].
 
 
[[File:Pain And Konan.PNG|thumb|left|Konan and Pain meet with Tobi in Amegakure.]]
  +
Before Akatsuki prepares to seal the [[Four-Tails]], Pain informs its members of the deaths of Hidan and [[Kakuzu]], as well as news that Sasuke Uchiha has killed Orochimaru. Shortly after the Four-Tails is sealed, [[Zetsu]] reports the deaths of Deidara and [[Tobi]] in a fight with Sasuke. Pain expresses no love lost over Tobi, but encourages the remaining members of Akatsuki to mourn Deidara. As soon as they adjourn, Pain and Konan meet with Tobi in Amegakure. Tobi instructs him to go after [[Naruto Uzumaki]], the [[jinchūriki]] of the [[Nine-Tails]].
 
{{-}}
  +
=== Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant ===
  +
{{main|Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant}}
  +
[[File:Rain Tiger at Will Technique.PNG|thumb|right|Pain prepares to stop rainfall to search for intruder.]]
  +
Before he can set out in search of Naruto, Pain senses an intruder arriving in Amegakure. He cannot identify who it is, but from their chakra signature he can tell they are powerful. He sends Konan to track down whoever it is while he deploys the [[Animal Path]]. A short while later, Konan sends a report that the intruder is [[Jiraiya]]. Surprised, Pain bids her to kill him if she can while he moves the Animal Path to intercept. On arrival, he frees Konan from the restraints Jiraiya has placed her under and sends her away. Although Jiraiya does not recognise the body, Jiraiya assumes that Pain is Nagato because of his [[Rinnegan]]. Jiraiya expresses his disappointment that Nagato has turned away from his once-righteous path towards peace by leading a criminal organisation like Akatsuki. Pain asserts that, as a god, his plan to liberate the world through destruction is the definition of righteousness.
   
  +
[[File:Jiraiya vs Preta Path.png|thumb|left|The Preta Path facing Jiraiya.]]
=== Itachi Pursuit Arc ===
 
  +
In response to all of the Animal Path's [[Summoning Technique|summons]], Jiraiya summons [[Gamaken]] to hold them off while he prepares himself. From the safety of his [[Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon|chameleon]], Pain sends a [[Giant Multi-Headed Dog|multi-headed dog]], [[Giant Drill-Beaked Bird|drill-beaked bird]], and [[giant ox]] at them, but Jiraiya is able to successfully enter [[Sage Mode]] with the help of [[Shima]] and [[Fukasaku]]. Shima locates and neutralises the chameleon, forcing Pain to summon the [[Preta Path]] and [[Human Path]] to the fray. Jiraiya quickly blinds the Human Path then attacks with [[Sage Art: Goemon]], which the Preta Path absorbs. He makes separate attempts to attack the Human Path and Animal Path from behind, but both block him. Suspecting their shared vision, Jiraiya withdraws.
[[File:Rain Tiger at Will Technique.PNG|thumb|right|Pain stopping the rain in Amegakure.]]
 
[[Jiraiya]], Nagato's former master, enters the village through a frog. The moment Jiraiya fully releases himself from the frog, Pain feels ''a disturbance'' in the rain. Pain orders [[Konan]] to search for the intruder, and stops the rain. As Konan transforms into many pieces of paper, and folds herself into butterfly-like figures, Pain switches from the [[Yahiko|Deva Path]] to the [[First Animal Path (character)|Animal Path]]. Once the process was complete, he departed to search for Jiraiya as well.
 
   
  +
The three Paths pursue Jiraiya. They eventually hear the signing of Shima and Fukasaku as they ready a [[genjutsu]]. The Paths track them down and try to stop them, but Jiraiya is ready for them. After confirming that they do indeed share vision, Jiraiya distracts the Preta Path and immobilises the Human Path, allowing him to fight the Animal Path one-on-one long enough for Shima and Fukasaku to cast [[Toad Confrontation Singing]]. While the Paths are caught, Jiraiya stabs them with [[Stone Swords]] and believes they, and by extension Nagato, are dead. As he leaves, the [[Asura Path]] attacks him from behind, severing his arm. The full [[Six Paths of Pain]] – with the three he defeated restored by the [[Naraka Path]] – face Jiraiya. He recognises the [[Deva Path]] as [[Yahiko]], causing him to question his assumption that Pain is Nagato.
Jiraiya, now [[Toad Flatness — Shadow Manipulation Technique|hidden inside of a body]], heads more into [[Amegakure]], and Konan catches him. Jiraiya comes out of the body, and begins to battle Konan. Konan ends up being covered in oil; unable to battle. Pain comes to Konan's rescue and cleans off the oil with foam with his [[Summoning Technique]]. Pain then summons a [[Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon|chameleon]], and camouflages himself. Jiraiya sets off the [[Barrier: Canopy Method Formation]], after summoning the "''clumsy''" toad: [[Gamaken]]. Pain summons again, but this time, a [[Giant Multi-Headed Dog|multi-headed dog]]. Jiraiya has a very hard time fighting these as it would escape most of Gamaken's attacks, and somewhat regenerate. Jiraiya finishes off the dogs by trapping them in a toad's stomach and digesting them. Pain then summons a [[Giant Drill-Beaked Bird|drill-beaked bird]]. The bird follows Jiraiya and makes many attempts to kill him, though fails and ends up getting burned. Pain then summons a [[Giant Rhino|rhino]], though it quickly gets finished off by Gamaken. Pain then summons a [[giant ox]], and manages to ''hit'' Jiraiya. The shield set off by Jiraiya self-destructs, sending the ox flying. Soon after defeating the ox, he completes his Sage Mode activation and summons [[Fukasaku]] and [[Shima]]. They both easily dispose of the chameleon, revealing the Animal Path. The [[Preta Path (character)|Preta Path]] and the [[Human Path (character)|Human Path]] are both summoned, in order to face Jiraiya.
 
   
[[File:Blocking Technique Absorption Seal.JPG|thumb|left|The Preta Path absorbing Jiraiya's attack.]]
+
[[File:Jiraiya killed by Pain.png|thumb|right|Pain finishes off Jiraiya.]]
  +
After a prolonged battle, Jiraiya retreats into his [[Barrier: Toad Gourd Prison]]. The Animal Path follows him, but ends up getting captured; as its last act it stabs him with a [[black receiver]]. Jiraiya contemplates returning to Konoha with what he's learned, but decides this is his only chance to discover the secret of Pain. He returns to the battlefield with Fukasaku and draws the remaining Paths' attention, and in doing so figures it out. The Asura Path crushes his throat before he can tell Fukasaku what he's learned and the other Paths stab him. Believing him dead they start to leave, but Jiraiya uses the last of his energy to [[Finger Carving Seal|etch]] a coded message into Fukasaku's back. The Paths try to stop him, but Fukasaku escapes and Jiraiya's body sinks into the sea. Pain holds a moment of silence for his passing.
The Human Path attempts to kill Jiraiya, though it gets blinded by Jiraiya's kick to its head. Jiraiya then attempts to burn all three Paths with [[Sage Art: Goemon]], though it gets absorbed by the Preta Path. Jiraiya then uses [[Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan]], though it also gets absorbed. The Human Path attacks once again, and blinded, blocks Jiraiya's punch. The Animal Path gets distracted by a toad, and gets attacked by Jiraiya's [[Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon]]. The Animal Path blocks the attack by summoning a [[giant panda]]. Jiraiya analyses their attacks, and escapes into the pipes. While in the pipes, he concludes that [[genjutsu]] will give him an opening against the Rinnegan.
 
   
  +
=== Six-Tails Unleashed ===
[[File:Jiraiya killed by Pain.JPG|thumb|right|Nagato's Six Paths of Pain finishing off Jiraiya.]]
 
  +
{{Main|Six-Tails Unleashed}}
The Paths then followed Jiraiya, and while doing so, get caught in [[Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant|genjutsu]]. Jiraiya then destroy the Paths. As Jiraiya leaves, he lets his guard down. One of the Paths manages to sneak up behind him, and removes his arm. The other paths come together, including the ones that got killed (which were rejuvenated by the [[Naraka Path (character)|Naraka Path]]). Jiraiya manages to kill the Animal Path, though ends up being brutally killed in turn. As Jiraiya sinks into the deep depths of the sea, Pain holds a moment of silence in respect for his former master.
 
 
[[File:Pain confronts Utakata.png|thumb|left|The Six Paths of Pain confront Utakata.]]
  +
Pain replaces the Animal Path Jiraiya captured with a new body in preparation for finally going after Naruto. In the anime, he is first sent to [[Kirigakure]] to capture the [[Six-Tails]]. The new Animal Path summons the multi-headed dog to scout the area where the Six-Tails' jinchūriki, [[Utakata]], was last seen. When it comes across a group of [[hunter-nin]] led by [[Tsurugi]], it slaughters them all. Utakata eventually comes looking for Tsurugi, but instead finds Pain, who quickly captures him. The Six-Tails is later extracted from Utakata's body.
   
=== Tsuchigumo Kinjutsu Arc ===
+
=== Pain's Assault ===
  +
{{main|Pain's Assault (Arc)|l1=Pain's Assault}}
{{Main|Tsuchigumo Kinjutsu Arc}}
 
  +
[[File:Pain's Invasion Begins.png|thumb|right|The Six Paths infiltrate Konoha.]]
In the anime, after getting a replacement for the Animal Path, Pain is shown to have been assigned to capture the [[Six-Tails]], which was sealed within [[Utakata]], a [[missing-nin]] from [[Kirigakure]]. During his search, the Animal Path had his [[Giant Multi-Headed Dog]] scout the area, where it found and killed a group of Kirigakure [[hunter-nin]] led by [[Tsurugi]]. When Utakata later sought out Tsurugi and his men to turn himself in, he instead found Pain; Pain told Utakata that he would be needed to create his world, and informed the jinchūriki that he would be taking the Six-Tails. The Six Paths of Pain quickly captured him and then later extracted the beast.
 
  +
The Six Paths of Pain and Konan arrive on the outskirts of Konoha and eliminate all the border guards. Pain explains the plan of attack: the Asura, Animal, and Preta Paths will destroy the village's infrastructure and draw the attention of its ninja while Konan and the Deva, Human, and Naraka Paths try to find information on Naruto's location. The Animal Path infiltrates the village by itself so that Konoha's sensors will think there's only one intruder, and once inside it summons Konan and the others. They scatter immediately afterwards and begin fulfilling their assigned roles.
   
  +
[[File:Kakashi vs Pain.png|thumb|left|Pain fighting Kakashi.]]
=== Invasion of Pain Arc ===
 
  +
Early in the Deva Path's search it is found by [[Kakashi Hatake]], who has guessed the misdirection Pain is employing. Knowing by reputation that Kakashi poses a threat to Akatsuki's plans, the Asura Path arrives to help the Deva Path fight him. The two nearly defeat Kakashi, but Konoha reinforcements arrive in time. Kakashi has already discovered the recharge time the Deva Path needs between attacks and coordinates Konoha's forces to create a window for him to strike. The Asura Path uses itself as a shield to take the attack, creating an opportunity for the Deva Path to level everything and everyone in the area. The Deva Path leaves, victorious. After it's gone, a badly-injured Kakashi sends [[Chōji Akimichi]] to the [[Fifth Hokage]] to tell her what they've learned about the Deva Path. The still-functioning Asura Path attempts to stop Chōji, but Kakashi intercepts it with [[Kamui]] in time, dying from exhaustion in the process.
{{see also|Invasion of Pain}}
 
With only the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails remaining, Pain and Konan set out for Konoha. After eliminating the border guards upon their arrival, they infiltrated the village and dispersed, with each of the six Paths having a specific task: the Asura, Preta, and Animal Paths served as diversions, while the Deva, Human, and Naraka Paths and Konan in charge of reconnaissance. While exploring and laying waste to the village and its inhabitants, the Deva Path was confronted by [[Kakashi Hatake]]. The Asura Path came to its aid and together they overwhelmed Kakashi and his allies, but the Asura Path was destroyed.
 
   
[[File:Pain at Konoha.png|thumb|left|Pain preparing to destroy Konoha.]]
+
[[File:Pain at Konoha.png|thumb|right|The Deva Path preparing to destroy Konoha.]]
Across the village, the remaining Paths continued their tasks, fighting whatever Konoha ninja they came across. The Deva Path met with [[Tsunade]], the Fifth [[Hokage]], who refused to reveal Naruto's location. Elsewhere, the [[Human Path (character)|Human Path]] used its unique [[Mind Reading|interrogation technique]] on [[Shizune]] to learn that Naruto was at [[Mount Myōboku]]. Declaring that he would teach Tsunade the pain that Konoha had been so ignorant of, Nagato had the Deva Path use [[Shinra Tensei]] to obliterate the village while Konan and the other Paths withdrew.
+
Across the village, the remaining Paths continue their tasks: the Preta Path locates the Animal Path that Jiraiya captured and collects its black receivers; the Deva Path locates the Hokage and encourages her to surrender Naruto; the Animal Path assaults the building where a [[Yūdachi|prisoner]] Jiraiya captured is being interrogated, killing him in the process; the Human Path discovers [[Shizune]] and, from reading her mind, finally learns that Naruto is at [[Mount Myōboku]]. Though their mission is complete, Pain is frustrated by the Hokage's refusal to cooperate. Combined with the numerous examples that Konoha's ninja are starting to understand how the Six Paths of Pain work, Pain decides to destroy the village and show it true pain. He has the Animal Path summon Konan and all but the Deva Path to a safe distance while the Deva Path performs a large-scale [[Shinra Tensei]].
   
As the smoke cleared, the Deva Path found that Naruto had returned with his [[toad]] allies. In retaliation for the village's destruction, Naruto swiftly crushed the newly-restored Asura Path and began his fight with the remaining Paths of Pain. The Animal Path called upon its summons to attack Naruto, who parried them with the aid of his toads and proceeded to defeat the Preta Path. Soon afterwards, Naruto eliminated the Human Path with his [[Wind Release: Rasenshuriken]], and then teamed up with [[Gamabunta]] to defeat the Animal Path.
+
As the smoke clears, the Deva Path finds Naruto has arrived in the village with several [[toad]] allies. After the Naraka Path restores the Asura Path, the other Paths join the Deva Path; Konan withdraws to attend to Nagato. When the Hokage angrily confronts Pain for destroying the village, the Asura Path moves to kill her, but is destroyed by Naruto before it can land a blow. The remaining Paths take formation around the Deva Path during its prolonged recharge. The Animal Path sends its summons to attack Naruto, but the toads confront them instead. Using Sage Mode, Naruto quickly [[Frog Kata|neutralises]] the Preta Path, the Human Path is destroyed getting the Animal Path out of the way of Naruto's [[Rasenshuriken]], and the Animal Path is shortly afterwards trapped within [[Gamabunta]]'s mouth and defeated with [[Spiralling Serial Spheres]].
   
[[File:Naruto pin down.png|thumb|Pain pins Naruto down.]]
+
[[File:Naruto pin down.png|thumb|left|Pain pins Naruto down.]]
  +
Naruto begins focusing on the Deva Path. He nearly succeeds in hitting it with another Rasenshuriken, but a restored Preta Path absorbs it. Seeing what the Naraka Path can do, Naruto prioritises it, distracting the Deva and Preta Paths while he hits it with another Spiralling Serial Spheres. Although the Naraka Path is gone, the Deva Path's powers are restored. It expels the larger toads from the village and helps the Preta Path capture Naruto. As the Preta Path absorbs his [[senjutsu]] chakra to immobilise him, it finds itself unable to balance the [[natural energy]] and turns to stone. Shima and Fukasaku, meanwhile, prepare to cast a genjutsu like they did before. The Deva Path kills Fukasaku and, in the same motion, pins Naruto down with black receivers.
With four of the Paths gone, the temporarily powerless Deva Path protected the Naraka Path, which restored the Preta Path. The Preta Path [[Blocking Technique Absorption Seal|absorbed]] a second Rasenshuriken, but it had only been a diversion to give Naruto an opportunity to finish off the Naraka Path. The Deva Path, its power returned, detained Naruto so that the Preta Path could capture him and absorbed his chakra to immobilise him. Doing so caused it to absorb [[senjutsu]] chakra, which had the side effect of turning it to stone. Naruto escaped its clutches, but was seized once again by the Deva Path, who pinned him to the ground with chakra disruption blades. The Deva Path lectured Naruto about the chain of hatred, pain, suffering, and war that the ninja system brought to the world, and how he planned to use the [[tailed beasts]]' power to achieve peace and end conflict. He asks if Naruto can think of a better solution, but Naruto does not respond.
 
   
  +
With Naruto no longer able to offer resistance, Pain lectures him on the cycle of hatred the world suffers under and the endless conflict that produces. His plans to gather the [[tailed beasts]] will be used to cause overwhelming destruction and achieve peace through fear. Because peace is what Jiraiya, who both of them trained under, always wanted, Pain asks if Naruto has a better solution, but Naruto does not respond. As they talk, Pain is attacked by [[Hinata Hyūga]], who makes a desperate attempt to save Naruto. The Deva Path deals with her easily and apparently kills her. Her seeming death enrages Naruto, causing him to enter a [[version 2]] state. Unprepared to fight Naruto in this state, the Deva Path leads Naruto closer to Nagato's location so that it can use [[Chibaku Tensei]]. Naruto enters a nearly full [[Tailed Beast Mode]] and escapes its confines, forcing Pain to let the Chibaku Tensei dissolve.
Before the Deva Path could take Naruto away, [[Hinata Hyūga]] came to his defence. When she is apparently killed, Naruto became enraged and entered his [[Naruto Uzumaki's Jinchūriki Forms#Six-Tailed Form|six-tailed form]], with which the Deva Path could not compete in its current condition. The Deva Path retreated to a location closer to Nagato, who had secluded himself nearby in order to control the Six Paths of Pain. This allowed the Deva Path to use [[Chibaku Tensei]], trapping Naruto in a massive orb of earth and debris. This victory was short-lived, as Naruto soon progressed to an [[Naruto Uzumaki's Jinchūriki Forms#Eight-Tailed Form|eight-tailed form]] and broke free of the Chibaku Tensei. Realising that he would have to make the sphere larger, it suddenly began to crumble and Naruto, reverting to his normal form, emerged from the ruins.
 
   
[[File:Two students.png|thumb|left|Nagato and Konan meet Naruto.]]
+
[[File:Naruto defeating Deva path.png|thumb|right|Naruto defeats the last of the Six Paths of Pain.]]
  +
Having regained his senses, Naruto attacks the Deva Path. He takes one of its black receivers and briefly interfaces with it in order to trace Nagato's location. As his attack continues, he has numerous disguised [[shadow clone]]s emerge from the rubble of Chibaku Tensei and attack during the Deva Path's short cooldown, but they don't make it in time and it repels them. With so many clones, however, the Narutos are able to resist the Shinra Tensei, enabling Naruto to strike with a [[Rasengan]]. Now that all of his Six Paths are defeated, Nagato permits Naruto to come meet with him. He shoots Naruto with a black receiver as soon as he arrives and tries to control his body, but Naruto successfully resists him.
Reflecting on the earlier lecture, Naruto demanded an opportunity to speak with Nagato, but was denied and attacked by the Deva Path. After failing to use Wind Release: Rasenshuriken twice, by taking advantage of the five second gap between the Deva Path's ability, Naruto was able to defeat it with a well-timed [[Rasengan]]. He removed one of its [[chakra receiver]] and inserted it into his skin to track the signal back to Nagato. Naruto goes to see him, but when he arrives Nagato fires another chakra receiver at him to try and control him. Naruto resists it despite his close proximity to Nagato. Although angry with Nagato for killing Jiraiya and destroying Konoha, Naruto asks how, as a fellow student of Jiraiya, he could have strayed so far from their master's teachings. Hoping that Naruto would come to agree with his solution for peace, Nagato told him his past, of his two great sorrows and how he came to believe pain would save the world.
 
   
 
[[File:Naruto meets nagato.png|thumb|left|Nagato and Konan meet Naruto.]]
Although Naruto agreed with Nagato's ultimate conclusion, he rejected it for differing with Jiraiya's ideals. In doing so, he answered Nagato's earlier question about how to attain peace: by "breaking the cycle of hatred". He decided not to attempt to kill Nagato, as that would only perpetuate the cycle of revenge.
 
  +
Naruto has been thinking about the question he was asked earlier, about how he would accomplish peace. He thinks he has an answer finally, but first wants to hear more about Nagato, especially since they both trained under Jiraiya yet turned out very differently. Curious, Nagato indulges him and tells him about the tragedies he experienced in his life and how they drove him to seek peace through pain. Naruto understands Nagato's logic and even sees some merit to his conclusion, but rejects it. His method to achieve peace is to no longer continue the cycle of revenge that fuels the shinobi world. Although he is angry with Nagato for killing Jiraiya and destroying Konoha, Naruto will not harm him, as that would only cause others to seek revenge against him and repeat the cycle.
   
[[File:Nagato Death Smile.jpg|thumb|Nagato dying with a smile.]]
+
[[File:Nagato's Death.png|thumb|right|Nagato dying with a smile.]]
Amazed by Naruto's resolve and remembering Jiraiya's teachings, Nagato decided to put his faith in Naruto's answer and used the [[Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]] to revive all the Konohagakure citizens killed during his invasion at the cost of his life, causing his red-hair to turn pure white due to the overexertion. With his final breath, dying with a smile on his face, Nagato wished for Naruto's dream of peace to come true and, in regard to both the youth and [[The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi|their mentor's book]], felt it was like "''the work of a true god''".
+
Nagato is amazed by Naruto's answer, and is reminded of not only Jiraiya but himself when he was younger. He does not know if Naruto's solution can succeed, but Nagato decides that he will place his faith in it. As a sign of this faith, Nagato uses [[Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]] over Konan's protests to revive everyone that died during his attack. As his life fades from performing the technique, Nagato cautions Naruto over the challenges he will face on the path he has chosen, but wishes him all possible luck. Nagato dies with a smile on his face, wondering if perhaps all the circumstances that led him to this end were the work of a real god.
{{-}}
 
   
=== Chikara Arc ===
+
=== Power ===
{{Main|Chikara Arc}}
+
{{Main|Power (Arc)|l1=Power}}
In the anime, Nagato is summoned by Kabuto to battle [[Team Kakashi]], who are investigating the massacre that he brought about in [[The Hole]]. Quickly after being summoned, Nagato's coffin vanishes with Kabuto questioning if the Impure World Reincarnation is incomplete.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 290</ref>
+
In the anime, [[Kabuto Yakushi]] [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation|reincarnates]] Nagato to be used against [[Team Kakashi|Team 7]]. The summon fails almost immediately afterwards, causing Kabuto to wonder if the Impure World Reincarnation was still incomplete.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 290</ref>
   
=== Confining the Jinchūriki Arc ===
+
=== Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown ===
  +
{{main|Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown}}
In an attempt to both impede Tobi and coerce him into joining forces during their initial encounter, [[Kabuto Yakushi]] demonstrated his capabilities by reincarnating many of the deceased members of Akatsuki, including Nagato, using [[Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation]]. Despite appearing almost exactly in the same condition as the time of his death — visibly emaciated and with white hair — he lacked the chakra transmitters that were formerly embedded into his back.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 489, pages 18-20</ref>
 
  +
When the [[Fourth Shinobi World War]] looms, Kabuto approaches Tobi offering to join forces. To that end he reincarnates Nagato and four other dead members of Akatsuki as offerings for Tobi's war plans.
{{-}}
 
   
=== Shinobi World War Arc ===
+
=== Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation ===
  +
{{main|Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation}}
[[File:Itachi and Nagato.png|thumb|left|Nagato and Itachi en route.]]
 
  +
[[File:Itachi and Nagato.png|thumb|left|Nagato and Itachi mobilised.]]
Mobilised alongside [[Itachi]] as the [[Fourth Shinobi World War]] against the [[Allied Shinobi Forces]] commenced, Nagato though reincarnated was still unable to fully use his feet and as such was initially carried upon [[Kakuzu]]'s back. Later supported by Itachi, the now-isolated pair walked throughout the night, conversing about [[Akatsuki]] and how they both were and continued to be used simply because of their powerful [[dōjutsu]]. After pausing at a shrine and discussing [[Kabuto]]'s influence on [[Tobi]]'s plan, they march onwards till dawn, when they encountered [[Naruto]] and [[Killer B]]. Detecting their presence, Nagato noted a nostalgic feeling, before lamenting having to fight Naruto again.
 
  +
When the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, Nagato is mobilised with the rest of Kabuto's collection of reincarnated ninja. Still unable to move even in his reincarnated state, Nagato is carried by Itachi Uchiha. They discuss Akatsuki and how little they, particularly Nagato, actually knew about the organisation; both were only pawns kept by Tobi because of their [[dōjutsu]], and now they've been revived so Kabuto can use them for the same reason. Nagato is at least able to sense where Kabuto is controlling them from, which he communicates to Itachi.
   
[[File:Naruto kills dog.png|thumb|Nagato clashes with Naruto once more.]]
+
[[File:Naruto kills dog.png|thumb|right|Nagato clashes with Naruto.]]
  +
Nagato and Itachi are found by Naruto and [[Killer B]]. Nagato is glad to see Naruto has finally gained control of the Nine-Tails, but is not actually surprised since they both trained under Jiraiya. Kabuto forces Nagato and Itachi to attack them, with Nagato summoning various animals to help him move around. Because their personalities are intact, Nagato gives Naruto and B advice about how to counter his summons and jutsu and warns them about Itachi's own. Itachi is able to implement a fail-safe he left on Naruto before his death, which frees him from Kabuto's control. Fearful that Nagato may also break his control, Kabuto suppresses his personality and sends him into battle against the trio.
Pleased to see him nonetheless, he congratulated his fellow disciple on gaining control of the [[Nine-Tailed Demon Fox]] and overcoming his hatred. As they attacked involuntarily, Nagato warned them of Itachi's impending assault, before being shocked at the revelation of the truth behind the [[Uchiha clan massacre]]. Using [[Banshō Ten'in]] to draw both Naruto and a huge rock towards one another, he marvelled at Naruto being able to deflect the attack. Remarking that the distance between them was good as he had limited mobility, Nagato jokingly retracts this, after [[Summoning Technique|summoning]] his [[Giant Multi-Headed Dog|dog]] and [[Giant Drill-Beaked Bird|bird]]. As they clashed, Nagato told Naruto to attack him instead of the summons, because the dog would just continually [[Amplification Summoning Technique|multiply when struck]].
 
   
  +
[[File:Ningendo.png|thumb|left|A revitalised Nagato trying to remove Naruto's soul.]]
After a [[Itachi's Crow|crow]] emerged from Naruto's mouth and sensing a change in Itachi, Nagato warned Naruto that the latter was about to use [[Amaterasu]]. However, when his summon is attacked instead, Nagato discerned the crow's purpose but only after he himself was engulfed in black flames. Falling to the ground, he began to burn before later repelling the flames with Shinra Tensei.
 
  +
Itachi joins forces with Naruto and B against Nagato. Nagato hides within his chameleon so he can move around undetected and attacks B with Shinra Tensei. B immediately counters with a version 2 [[Lariat]], resulting in Nagato absorbing B's version 2 chakra. The [[Eight-Tails]]' chakra he absorbs has a rejuvenating effect on him, restoring his mobility. He begins removing Naruto's soul, prepares to kill B, and readies the [[King of Hell]] to restore them to life when Kabuto is ready for them. Itachi interrupts him with [[Susanoo]], releasing Naruto and B.
   
[[File:Ningendo.png|thumb|left|A revitalised Nagato removing Naruto's soul.]]
+
[[File:Nagato Impaled.png|thumb|right|Nagato pierced by the Sword of Totsuka.]]
  +
Needing to deal with all three at once, Kabuto has Nagato use Chibaku Tensei. Itachi, Naruto, and B simultaneously use their strongest long-range attacks to destroy the growing planetoid. As Kabuto's attentions are distracted by its destruction, Itachi stabs him with Susanoo's [[Sword of Totsuka]], which also restores his consciousness to him. Nagato apologises to Naruto for not only this fight after death, but his actions during life, believing his story was unworthy of following Jiraiya's. He expresses his hope that Naruto's story will conclude so spectacularly that nobody will remember the disappointment of his own. He bids farewell as his body is sealed.
With Kabuto erasing his consciousness, now regenerated and concealed within his summoned [[Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon|chameleon]]'s mouth, Nagato unleashed a large-scale Shinra Tensei on his opponents. Aiming to attack B amidst the devastation, he is instead struck by the former's [[Killer B's Jinchūriki Forms#Version 2|Version 2]] [[Lariat]], but avoids any significant injury by [[Blocking Technique Absorption Seal|absorbing]] B's [[chakra]]. This chakra revitalised Nagato's body, returning him to his state prior to being emaciated by the [[Demonic Statue of the Outer Path]]. Casting B aside and whilst Naruto was restrained by the still invisible chameleon, he attempted to [[Absorption Soul Technique|remove the latter's soul]].
 
 
[[File:NagatoImpaledAnime.png|thumb|Nagato pierced by the Sword of Totsuka.]]
 
After Kabuto decided to confine the [[jinchūriki]]'s bodies and souls separately within the [[King of Hell]], Nagato halted B's attempt to save Naruto, using [[Asura Path|two additional arms]] grown from his shoulder. With the two restrained, he started charging a [[Asura Attack|powerful blast]], only to be separated from them through Itachi's intervention. Nagato then proceeded to use [[Chibaku Tensei]] but even this was stopped, when its central sphere was destroyed by the combined effort of their [[Yasaka Magatama|strongest]] [[Tailed Beast Ball|long-range]] [[Wind Release: Rasenshuriken|techniques]]. Impaled by Susanoo's [[Sword of Totsuka]] before the dust settled, Nagato apologised to Itachi as his consciousness returned. Taking this opportunity to impart his last words, he told Naruto that he was part of a trilogy that included [[Jiraiya]] — who was perfect, himself — whom he deemed a failed work, even his master can't acknowledge him, and finally Naruto — whom he asked to create a masterpiece so as to erase his wrongs. Bidding them farewell as the sword seals him, Nagato remarked that he was going to rejoin his teacher in the afterlife. With Nagato sealed, Kabuto cursed the fact that Nagato's mobility was hampered.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 552, pages 2-3</ref>
 
   
 
== Legacy ==
 
== Legacy ==
 
[[File:Ame Memorial.png|thumb|left|The shrine where Nagato and Yahiko's bodies lay.]]
 
[[File:Ame Memorial.png|thumb|left|The shrine where Nagato and Yahiko's bodies lay.]]
  +
[[Tobi]] feels personally betrayed when he learns that Nagato gave his life to revive the villagers of Konoha, believing the [[Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique]] should have been reserved exclusively for his [[Eye of the Moon Plan]]. He is also confused, believing Nagato to have been very firm in his convictions and thus not likely to give up so willingly. He tracks down [[Naruto]] not long after Nagato's death and asks him what he could have said to sway Nagato, but is unmoved by Naruto's claim that Nagato truly did desire peace. With Nagato gone, Tobi is forced to seek out his corpse and take his [[Rinnegan]] to fulfil his ultimate plans. When he finds Nagato smiling at him, he interprets it as if Nagato is continuing to mock him even in death.
With Nagato's death, Konan defected from the Akatsuki as she stated that she no longer had a reason to remain since both Nagato and Yahiko were dead. She took Nagato's body, and that of Yahiko's back to Amegakure with her for burial. Both of their bodies were dressed in Akatsuki mantles, and laid in a large body of flowers within a [[Nagato and Yahiko's Shrine|shrine]]. Because Nagato gave his life to help Naruto achieve peace, Konan vows Amegakure's allegiance to him in this pursuit. It was also due to this battle that Naruto noted that he knew what true loss was, and from the subsequent meeting with Nagato and Konan that spurred Naruto on to find peace in the world.
 
   
  +
[[Konan]] followed through with Nagato's change of heart, vowing hers and Amegakure's cooperation with Naruto in his future pursuits of peace. She takes Nagato's and Yahiko's bodies back to Amegakure and creates a secret [[Nagato and Yahiko's Shrine|shrine]] for them, laying their bodies on beds of flowers. She breaks away from the Akatsuki that Tobi has corrupted, trying to fight for the ideals that the organisation originally represented. She tries to kill Tobi when he comes looking for Nagato's Rinnegan, only to die herself after being forced to reveal the location of Nagato's body.
Tobi was surprised by news of Nagato's death and, more so, his "betrayal", having wanted Nagato to save the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique for him. He later confronted Naruto about this to found how he could have swayed Nagato. Naruto asserts that Nagato truly did aspire to bringing peace unlike Tobi, who is solely obsessed with power, despite his ambition being the same as Nagato's.
 
   
  +
Naruto is deeply affected by his encounter with Nagato and is compelled to start trying to achieve peace and end the ongoing desires for revenge between ninja. He forgives Nagato for all the missteps he took during his life, thinking of him with as high a regard as he thinks of [[Jiraiya]].
Soon after, Tobi arrives to Amegakure and kills Konan to get the location of the shrine where Nagato is laid to rest. Stating that he was the {{Translation|"''Third Six Paths''"|三人目の六道|Sanninme no Rikudō}}, Tobi takes Nagato's body into the [[other dimension]]. Soon after, Tobi replaces the left Sharingan he lost from fighting Konan with one of Nagato's Rinnegan eyes. Later, during the [[Fourth Shinobi World War]], Tobi duplicates Nagato's [[Six Paths of Pain]] method on the reincarnated [[Yugito]], [[Yagura]], [[Rōshi]], [[Han]], [[Utakata]], and [[Fū]] as his Six Paths of Pain. Nagato himself viewed the legacy he left behind as a poor one and hoped that Naruto, his fellow disciple would leave a better one that would erase his own.
 
   
== Video Games ==
+
== In Other Media ==
  +
=== Video Games ===
 
{{playable in}}
 
{{playable in}}
   
Nagato himself is only playable in ''[[Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3]]'', while all other appearances ''Pain'' is playable. The [[Deva Path]] is playable in all of Pain's appearances with the remaining paths all playing roles in his attacks. The [[Asura Path]] and first [[Animal Path]] are playable in ''[[Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3]]''.
+
In almost all of the above-listed games, it is one or more of the [[Six Paths of Pain]] that is playable. Typically it is only the [[Deva Path]] that is playable, with the other Paths appearing as part of its moveset. The games that Nagato himself is actually playable in are ''[[Ultimate Ninja Storm 3]]'', ''[[Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution]]'', and ''[[Ultimate Ninja Storm 4]]'', where his reincarnated, restored vitality form is available.
   
 
== Creation and Conception ==
 
== Creation and Conception ==
[[File:Pain Concepts.png|thumb|left|Sketches and unused concept designs for Pain, by Masashi Kishimoto.]]
+
[[File:Pain Concepts.png|thumb|Sketches and unused concept designs for Pain, by Masashi Kishimoto.]]
In ''Naruto Hiden: Sha no Sho Character Official Data Book'', Kishimoto briefly explained the philosophy behind Pain's design, stating, "He's Akatsuki's leader, so he has to look fairly cool, but I still wanted him to look dangerous. Since his name is 'Pain', I decided to add some piercings to his body, like he's the kind of guy who would inflict pain upon himself". Notable among the few unused concept designs is a small sketch in which he appears to wear a partial face mask and feather, or horn-like accessories fitted to his forehead protector.
+
In ''[[Sha no Sho]]'', Kishimoto briefly explains the philosophy behind Pain's design, stating, "He's Akatsuki's leader, so he has to look fairly cool, but I still wanted him to look dangerous. Since his name is 'Pain', I decided to add some piercings to his body, like he's the kind of guy who would inflict pain upon himself". Notable among the few unused concept designs is a small sketch in which Pain appears to wear a partial mask and feather, or horn-like accessories fitted to his forehead protector.
 
When first appearing in the anime, Pain's eyes were depicted with an incorrect colour scheme where the two centre rings of the Rinnegan were coloured separate shades of grey, while the outermost ring was flesh-coloured, and the ring in between was white. Following his appearance in chapter 377 of the manga, which featured the first official colour illustration of his face, the colour scheme was corrected.
 
 
Several of Nagato's abilities were inspired by Buddhist beliefs and terminology, and he thought that enlightenment was reached through experiencing and understanding pain and suffering, similar to a path the Buddha took but then later rejected.
 
 
{{-}}
 
{{-}}
   
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==
  +
{{youthwiki|Nagato, Pain}}
* Nagato's name means "long-lasting gate".
 
 
* The name "Nagato" means {{translation|"long-lasting gate"|長門}}. He may be named after the famous ninja Fujibayashi Nagato who, in the 16th century, was considered to be one of three greatest Iga jōnin. The other two were Hattori Hanzō ([[Hanzō]]'s supposed namesake) and Momochi Sandayū ([[Zabuza Momochi]]'s supposed namesake). In line with [[Fusō|his]] [[Ise|parents]], Nagato is also named after a World War II Japanese battleship.
* The original Six Paths of Pain were composed of individuals whom Jiraiya met during his search to find the "Child of Prophecy".
 
  +
* Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets of Nagato show that he was 149 cm around the time he killed the Iwa chūnin to protect Yahiko, and 163 cm when Jiraiya left Amegakure.
* As the creatures Nagato summoned with the Animal Path were pierced with chakra receivers, much like his Six Paths of Pain, it could be assumed that they were also being controlled. Nagato was also able to see through their eyes.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 551, page 6</ref>
 
  +
* During [[Kazekage Rescue Mission]], Nagato's Rinnegan were depicted with wrong colours due to the Rinnegan not having been illustrated with colours in the manga yet.
* When he was young, [[Orochimaru]] offered to kill Nagato and his friends so they would not have to suffer the horrors of war (at least any more than they already had), but many years later he let Orochimaru join [[Akatsuki]]. It is unknown if Orochimaru is aware that two of the three orphans he proposed to kill became his superiors.
 
* Jiraiya stated that because Nagato manifested the Rinnegan he believed him to be the reincarnation of the Sage of the Six Paths himself. This would later be proven false when it was revealed that the Rinnegan was surgically implanted into his sockets by Madara, instead of them being a natural manifestation.
 
 
* In keeping with his "God" theme, his theme-song is "Girei" — a haunting theme that consists of holy chanting.
 
* In keeping with his "God" theme, his theme-song is "Girei" — a haunting theme that consists of holy chanting.
* Nagato may be named after the famous ninja Fujibayashi Nagato who, in the 16th century was considered to be one of three greatest Iga jōnin. The other two being Hattori Hanzō ([[Hanzō]]'s supposed namesake) and Momochi Sandayū ([[Zabuza Momochi]]'s supposed namesake).
 
 
* According to the databook(s):
 
* According to the databook(s):
 
** His hobby was practising [[ninjutsu]].
 
** His hobby was practising [[ninjutsu]].
Line 196: Line 205:
 
** Nagato's favourite phrase was {{Translation|"The stars are hidden on a rainy night"|雨夜の星|Yuya no hoshi}}. As a child, it was "Growing up".
 
** Nagato's favourite phrase was {{Translation|"The stars are hidden on a rainy night"|雨夜の星|Yuya no hoshi}}. As a child, it was "Growing up".
 
** As Pain, he wished to fight [[Naruto Uzumaki]] (or more specifically the [[Nine-Tailed Demon Fox]]).
 
** As Pain, he wished to fight [[Naruto Uzumaki]] (or more specifically the [[Nine-Tailed Demon Fox]]).
 
 
== Quotes ==
 
== Quotes ==
* (To [[Jiraiya]]) "''Peace… I don't know how to get there… but… but someday I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it!''"<ref> ''Naruto'' chapter 448, pages 6-7</ref>
+
* (To [[Jiraiya]]) "''Peace… I don't know how to get there… but… but someday I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it!''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 448, pages 6-7</ref>
* (To [[Hanzō]], through the [[Yahiko|Deva Path]], before killing him) ''"Have you forgotten my face? [[Danzō]], who we had allied with, had betrayed us. You, who completely focused on your own protection, are trash. There was a time when I respected you. But now, you've changed. And you can't even figure out why you've lost to me… Vanish, Hanzō."''<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 531, page 15</ref>
 
 
* (To [[Akatsuki]]) "''We're both of the same breed, after all… motives for war are of no concern. Religion, ideology, resources, land, grudges, love, or just because… No matter how pathetic the reason, it's enough to start a war. War will never cease to exist… Reasons can be thought up after the fact. Human nature pursues strife.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 329, pages 10</ref>
 
* (To [[Akatsuki]]) "''We're both of the same breed, after all… motives for war are of no concern. Religion, ideology, resources, land, grudges, love, or just because… No matter how pathetic the reason, it's enough to start a war. War will never cease to exist… Reasons can be thought up after the fact. Human nature pursues strife.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 329, pages 10</ref>
 
* (To [[Jiraiya]]) "''Even a foolish child can grow up in a right way, when he learns what pain is. Knowing pain controls ones thoughts and decisions.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 374, page 8</ref>
 
* (To [[Jiraiya]]) "''Even a foolish child can grow up in a right way, when he learns what pain is. Knowing pain controls ones thoughts and decisions.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 374, page 8</ref>
* (To Jiraiya through his Six Paths) "''We are Pain! We are God!''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 380, pages 4-5</ref>
 
 
* (To [[Tsunade]]) "''You think you're the only ones who matter. You think you can put off death. But that peace made you foolish and thoughtless. If you kill someone, someone else will kill you… this hatred binds us together. I want you to feel pain, to think about pain, to accept pain, to know pain.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 429, pages 2-3</ref>
 
* (To [[Tsunade]]) "''You think you're the only ones who matter. You think you can put off death. But that peace made you foolish and thoughtless. If you kill someone, someone else will kill you… this hatred binds us together. I want you to feel pain, to think about pain, to accept pain, to know pain.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 429, pages 2-3</ref>
  +
* (To Naruto) "''We are both ordinary men, driven to seek vengeance in the name of justice. However, if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will breed only more vengeance. And trigger a cycle of hatred.''"<ref name="c436p10" />
* (To [[Naruto]]) "''I see… That is noble of you. That is justice indeed. However… My family… My friends… My village… They suffered the same fate as this village by you ninja of Konoha. How is it fair to allow only you people to preach about peace and justice?''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 437, pages 7-8</ref>
 
* (To Naruto) "''Love breeds sacrifice… which breeds hatred… Then you can know pain.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 437, page 15</ref>
+
* (To Naruto) "''To create short these periods of peace through pain that interrupt the endless cycle of hatred… that is my dream.''"<ref>Naruto chapter 436, page 16</ref>
* (To Naruto) "''We are both but men, driven to seek vengeance under the banner of justice. However… if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will breed only more vengeance… thus forging more links in a chain of hatred.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 436, page 10</ref>
+
* (Last words to [[Naruto]] before dying) "''Dying like trash… never ending hatred… pain that never heals… that is war… Naruto… this… is what you must face… The book… and you… It's like… someone… set this all up… Or… maybe… this… is… the hand of the real God… My role is over now… Naruto… you… can really—''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 449, pages 12-13</ref>
 
* (Last words to Naruto before being sealed) {{translation|"''Naruto… I'll be returning to where our master is, so I can see your story… If you ask me… You're the third part that concludes the series… The first part was Jiraiya… He was flawless… But… The second part was me, an almost complete failure… I couldn't even get our master to acknowledge me… Ending the series is the third part… The final work will settle it all! Become such a masterpiece that that failure will be like it was cancelled altogether… Naruto!''"|「ナルト………オレは師匠の所へ戻ってお前の物語を見ておくと…するよ…オレから言わせりゃ…お前は三部作目の完結編だ…一部が自来也…完ペキだった…だが…二部作目ってのはたいがい駄作になるオレのようにな……師にも認めてもらってない……シリーズの出来ってのは三作目…完結編で決まる!駄作を帳消しにするぐらいの最高傑作になってくれよ…ナルト!」|"Naruto… Ore wa shishō no tokoro modotte omae no monogatari o mite oku to… suru yo… Ore kara iwaserya… Omae was Anbusakume no kanketsuhen de… Ichibu ga Jiraiya… Kanpeki datta… Daga… Nibusakume tte no wa taigai dasaku ni naru ore no yō ni na…… Shi ni mo mitomete morattenai ……Shirīzu no deki tte no wa sansakume… Kanketsuhen de kimaru! Dasaku o chōkeshi ni suru gurai no saikō kessaku ni natte kure yo… Naruto!"}}<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 551, page 16</ref>
* (To Naruto) "''If you don't share someone's pain, you can never understand them. But just because you understand them doesn't mean you can come to an agreement. That's the truth.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 441, page 9 </ref>
 
* (To Naruto) "''You and I are no different. We each act according to our own sense of justice. The justice I have meted out against Konoha is no different than what you are trying to mete out against me.''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 436, page 9</ref>
 
* (To Naruto) "''You are an odd kid… You remind me of myself when I was young… I couldn't believe in what Jiraiya believed in… nor believe in myself… but you chose a different path. In you I can see another future. I… will believe in you…''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 448, pages 16-17</ref>
 
* (Last words to Naruto before dying) "''Dying like trash… never ending hatred… pain that never heals… that is war… Naruto… this… is what you must face… The book… and you… It's like… someone… set this all up… Or… maybe… this… is… the hand of the real God… My role is over now… Naruto… you… can really—''"<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 449, pages 12-13</ref>
 
* (Last words to Naruto before being sealed) {{translation|"''Naruto… I'll be returning to where our master is, so I can see your story… If you ask me… You're the third part that concludes the series… The first part was Jiraiya… He was flawless… But… The second part was me, an almost complete failure… I couldn't even get our master to acknowledge me… Ending the series is the third part… The final work will settle it all! Become such a masterpiece that that failure will be like it was cancelled altogether… Naruto!''"|「ナルト………オレは師匠の所へ戻ってお前の物語を見ておくと…するよ…オレから言わせりゃ…お前は三部作目の完結編だ…一部が自来也…完ペキだった…だが…二部作目ってのはたいがい駄作になるオレのようにな……師にも認めてもらってない……シリーズの出来ってのは三作目…完結編で決まる!駄作を帳消しにするぐらいの最高傑作になってくれよ…ナルト!」|"''Naruto… Ore wa shishō no tokoro modotte omae no monogatari o mite oku to… suru yo… Ore kara iwaserya… Omae wa sanbusakume no kanketsuhen de… Ichibu ga Jiraiya… Kanpeki datta… Daga… Nibusakume tte no wa taigai dasaku ni naru ore no yō ni na…… Shi ni mo mitomete morattenai ……Shirīzu no deki tte no wa sansakume… Kanketsuhen de kimaru! Dasaku o chōkeshi ni suru gurai no saikō kessaku ni natte kure yo… Naruto!''"}}<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 551, page 16</ref>
 
   
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
<references/>
+
<references />
  +
 
[[de:Nagato]]
 
[[de:Nagato]]
  +
[[es:Nagato]]
  +
[[fr:Nagato]]
 
[[ka:ნაგატო უზუმაკი]]
 
[[ka:ნაგატო უზუმაკი]]
  +
[[pl:Nagato]]
  +
[[pt-br:Nagato]]
 
[[ru:Нагато]]
 
[[ru:Нагато]]
  +
[[tr:Nagato]]

Latest revision as of 22:37, 30 December 2023

editNagato Camera font awesome Browse Information[1][2][3]
Nagato
長門 Nagato

Debut
Manga Naruto Chapter #372
Anime Naruto Shippūden Episode #128
Novel Akatsuki Hiden: Evil Flowers in Full Bloom
Movie Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie (Pain)
Game Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 (Pain)
Appears in Anime, Manga, Novel, Game, Movie
Voice Actors
Japanese
English
Personal
Birthdate Astrological Sign Virgo September 19
Sex Gender Male Male
Age
  • Part II: 35
Status Deceased
Height
  • Part II: 175.5 cm1.755 m <br />5.758 ft <br />69.094 in <br />
Weight
  • Part II: 40.1 kg88.405 lb <br />
Blood type A
Kekkei Genkai
Classification
Occupation
  • Akatsuki Leader
Affiliation
Team
Partner
Clan
Family
Nature Type
Jutsu

Nagato (長門) was a shinobi of Amegakure and descendant of the Uzumaki clan. Forming Akatsuki alongside his friends (and fellow war orphans) Yahiko and Konan, Nagato dreamed of bringing peace to the violent shinobi world. However, following Yahiko's death, Nagato adopted the alias of Pain (ペイン, Pein) and, along with Konan, began leading a new Akatsuki — one that would force the world into peace using any means necessary.

Background

Nagato lived with his parents: Fusō and Ise on the outskirts of Amegakure. When he was very young, Madara Uchiha secretly transplanted his Rinnegan into Nagato without his or his parents' knowledge.[8] Sometime later, during the Second Shinobi World War, Nagato and his parents took shelter in their home to avoid the fighting going on around them. One day, two Konoha shinobi broke into their home looking for food and Nagato and his parents tried to sneak out unnoticed. When they were discovered, his parents attacked the shinobi so that Nagato could escape. The Konoha ninja killed his parents in self-defence and, upon realising they were only civilians, tried apologising to Nagato. Overcome with grief, Nagato used Madara's Rinnegan for the first time to kill them and avenge his parents.[9]

Child Nagato

Nagato as a child.

After burying his parents, Nagato, now an orphan, was forced to leave home and begin wandering in search of food and shelter. With resources scarce due to the ongoing war, no one he met would help him until Nagato, who had collapsed from hunger, was found by Konan and Yahiko, orphans like himself. They banded together, acquired food to survive through any means, and shared dreams of a future where they were in charge and could use their power to eliminate war. Yahiko was particularly passionate about this point, which inspired Nagato to adopt the same goal.[10] In order to accomplish this, the three would need to become ninja. With few options to choose from, they approached Konoha's Legendary Sannin and asked to be taught ninjutsu. Orochimaru offered to kill them in order to end their suffering, but Jiraiya, guilty over his participation in the war, offered to teach them how to look out for themselves.[11]

Jiraiya found a place for them to live and taught them how to fish, but he would not teach them ninjutsu. While the orphans were out one day, they were found and assaulted by an Iwagakure chūnin. Fearing for his friends' lives, Nagato used his Rinnegan to kill the Iwa-nin. When Jiraiya arrived on the scene to help them, he noticed Nagato's eyes for the first time and was reminded of the legends of the Sage of the Six Paths, the original possessor of the Rinnegan. Because of this, Jiraiya changed his mind and began teaching them ninjutsu.[12] Nagato was remorseful for killing the Iwa-nin, but Jiraiya convinced him that sometimes violence and personal pain was necessary to protect others. In time he even shared his belief that Nagato was the Sage of Six Paths' reincarnation and that, like the original Sage, Nagato would use his Rinnegan to usher in a world of peace.

Statue Summoned

Nagato summons the Statue for the first time.

Jiraiya trained the orphans for three years. Because of his Rinnegan, Nagato easily mastered everything he was taught.[13] Once they were able to defeat one of his shadow clones in a fight, Jiraiya decided they were ready to forge out on their own and he returned to Konoha, confident they would bring reform to the country.[14] The three formed an organisation they called Akatsuki, with Yahiko as its leader, and began advocating an end to war. Their message proved popular and they gathered many followers;[15] even Jiraiya would sometimes hear news of their exploits.[16] During the Third Shinobi World War, they were approached by a disguised Obito Uchiha. Introducing himself as Madara Uchiha, he offered to help them in their pursuits and show Nagato how to unlock the full potential of his Rinnegan. Yahiko refused the offer, suspecting Tobi only meant to use them.[17]

Nagato Statue

Nagato wounded following his fight with Hanzō.

Throughout their quest for peace, Akatsuki's ranks swelled and became known throughout Amegakure, so much so that Hanzō of the Salamander, the village's leader, began to feel Akatsuki threatened his rule. He approached Akatsuki, offering to work together with them to help negotiate with the other warring villages. The next day, at a meeting to finalise the arrangement, Yahiko and Nagato were ambushed by Hanzō and his men, with support from Konoha's Danzō Shimura. Using Konan as a hostage, Hanzō threatened to kill her if Nagato did not kill Yahiko. Unwilling to let Nagato have that on his conscience, Yahiko impaled himself on Nagato's kunai, using his dying breath to state his faith that Nagato would change the world.[18] Enraged by Yahiko's death, Nagato took Konan back from Hanzō, though his legs were badly damaged in the process. He then summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and, upon linking with it, used it to slaughter Hanzō's men, though Hanzō himself escaped.[19] Afterwards, Nagato severed his ties with Amegakure by slashing the village's symbol on his forehead protector, no longer wishing to be affiliated with Hanzō's village.

Yahiko Turned Deva

Now crippled, Nagato turns Yahiko's body into the Deva Path.

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. Only through direct experience of war and all the losses and agonies it brought could anyone truly desire peace. Intending to personally bring that level of despair to the world, Nagato took on the name of "Pain". As the damage he'd received from Hanzō's attack and the link with the Demonic Statue left him frail and immobile, Nagato created the Six Paths of Pain out of corpses that he controlled remotely. For the Deva Path he used Yahiko's body — still wanting him to lead the organisation in spirit — and for the other five he used the corpses of other miscellaneous shinobi that, without his knowing it, had met Jiraiya when they were alive. Pain began leading Akatsuki in a new direction, secretly accepting Obito's earlier offer of support. Akatsuki composed itself with S-rank missing-nin and started offering its services as a mercenary group to ninja villages, earning the money necessary to fund its long-term plans.

Pain confronts Hanzō

Pain confronting Hanzō.

Years later and still loyal to his own version of Amegakure, Pain and Konan began a civil war in the village to overthrow Hanzō.[20] Much of the village rallied behind Pain, believing him to be a god because of his immense power. The Six Paths of Pain eventually cornered and killed Hanzō, earning control of the village, but not before expressing his disgust with how Hanzō had fallen from the man he admired and the fact he cannot even understand how, in his self-preservation, his skill and conviction have diminished. In order to prevent anyone from challenging him, Pain proceeded to eliminate everyone even remotely connected to Hanzō, from members of his family to distant acquaintances.[21] Because of Amegakure's already secretive nature, news of Hanzō's death never made it outside of Amegakure and the village was believed to still be divided by the civil war. Pain embraced the villagers' idea of his being God and single-handedly crushing remnants loyal to Hanzō whenever they surfaced. Every Sunday, Pain would make it rain within Amegakure or if he had to be away.[22]

Personality

Nagato was a sensitive child, prone to crying over the sufferings of himself and others. When he met Yahiko he tried to break this habit by following Yahiko's philosophy that crying wouldn't change anything, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Jiraiya later pointed out to him that his sensitivity was actually a strength, as it allowed him to understand pain better and, in turn, be kinder to others. This view resonated with Nagato and caused him to realise that he wanted to take on all of his friends' pain so that they wouldn't have to. It also finally succeeded in ending his crying; when Jiraiya left their group it was Yahiko who cried to see him go, while Nagato only thanked him for all the guidance he'd provided.

In one form or another, Nagato spent his entire life placing the needs of others before his own: his main motivation for becoming a ninja in the first place was so that he could protect Yahiko and Konan; he viewed his role in the original Akatsuki as a powerful tool meant to help Yahiko bring peace to their country; as leader of his own version of Akatsuki, he felt it was his responsibility to save the world from itself, inflicting pains of such magnitude that nobody would ever harm anyone else ever again. While this indicates a growing self-importance Nagato regarded himself with, it was encouraged by the similarly growing esteem others regarded him with due to his Rinnegan: Jiraiya believed he was the reincarnation of the Sage of the Six Paths; Yahiko and the rest of Akatsuki believed he was the "Saviour of the World"; the villagers of Amegakure believed in him as if he were a "God".

As a child that grew up in the middle of other countries' wars, Nagato did not like killing and was horrified by his early acts of violence against those who had harmed his friends and family. He supported Yahiko's Akatsuki because it wanted to end the wars and deaths that he hated so much. After Yahiko's death, Nagato compromised his aversion to killing to a large extent, believing the deaths of specific individuals or even hundreds at a time could be justified if it served a greater and/or long-term purpose. But Nagato remains very clear in this distinction, as he shows mercy to those willing to cooperate with him and discourages others from defying him because it will only force him to strike them down. Minato Namikaze believes that, at some point along the way, Nagato's views were corrupted and subsequently manipulated by Tobi.[23]

As leader of Akatsuki, Nagato projected a great charisma through his public mask of the Deva Path so that even Akatsuki held him in great awe. Despite his power and self-appointed divinity, Nagato was incredibly patient with defiance from the group, likening Hidan's open threats against him to those of a child who needed guidance. Utterly confident in his own abilities, Nagato showed no hesitation in fighting even the strongest opponents, nor in asserting himself against powerful Akatsuki members when need be. When speaking of Akatsuki's goals, Nagato demonstrated a contemplative side as to the nature of war and peace, matching his belief that war was the inevitable result of the nature of humanity. While he declared his godhood to his enemies, Nagato would privately admit that he was never anything more than an ordinary man who was seeking peace through the best means he knew how. When encountering enemies who disagreed with his philosophy, Nagato would often request their own solution to the problems of the world before almost inevitably being dissatisfied with the response due to his low opinion of human beings as a whole. Despite this, Nagato is stated to have gone as far as kill anyone from Amegakure who even questioned his ideals and even went as far as to kill infants of people who were even remotely associated to Hanzō, and in the anime, antagonised him even in death, preventing his remains from being given a proper burial.

When leading the Akatsuki, Nagato could also be possessed of a cold, wrathful side. He showed no hesitation in attempting to kill his former teacher Jiraiya, stating that all love for Jiraiya had long since died. When he attacked Konoha, Nagato demonstrated cold fury at Tsunade for defying his proclamations as to the justice of his attack on the Leaf. Believing that the only way humans could understand one another was through shared pain, Nagato showed no hesitation in obliterating the Leaf village or attempting to kill Hinata Hyūga when she came to Naruto's defence in order to demonstrate a lesson on pain and the inability of human beings to understand one another. Despite this, he had a high value in comrades as he chastised Kisame for speaking ill of Hidan and Kakuzu.

One further constant in Nagato's life was the esteem he placed in his childhood friends. Nagato viewed himself as having inherited Yahiko's will to change the world and kept Yahiko's corpse as his most treasured and powerful Path of Pain. Konan, his partner and childhood friend, remained his most ardent supporter. Nagato likewise demonstrated equal esteem and concern for her, with Konan as one of the few who could sway or influence his decisions to the extent that Tobi confided in Zetsu a fear of what Nagato might do without Konan's calming influence on him.[24]

Despite the number of personal changes Nagato went through during his life, he always remained fundamentally kind and respectful. With his fellow members of Akatsuki, he mourns those who die in the pursuit of Akatsuki's goals[25] and disapproves of name-calling amongst peers.[26] He extends similar courtesies to his opponents, being honoured to meet one so strong as Kakashi Hatake,[27] despite also being determined to kill Kakashi because that very same strength would inevitably interfere with Akatsuki's plans. For all his kindness, Nagato has a certain prejudice against Konoha because its ninja have played a role in a number of his life's tragedies. He tried to change this opinion because of Jiraiya's positive influence, but ultimately decided that Konoha's successes were predicated on the misfortunes of others.

Despite his conviction in Akatsuki's goals, Nagato is re-convinced of his former pacifism by Naruto Uzumaki, who believes the struggle for peace is worth any personal cost to the point of sacrificing his life to atone for his actions. Recognising the person he once was, Nagato decides to believe in Naruto's answer for peace, also regaining his faith in Jiraiya. Upon his revival, Nagato demonstrates a far friendlier side, joking with and praising Naruto. Before he is sealed away, Nagato reveals that he has gone from viewing himself as a god to viewing himself as the failed middle volume of a trilogy started by Jiraiya and ended with Naruto. He also regains his high regard for Jiraiya as he referred to Jiraiya was the "perfect first volume".

Appearance

Nagato had pale white skin with straight red hair, a sign of his Uzumaki heritage. When he was very young, his eyes were covered by his hair, preventing his Rinnegan from being visible. When he started training to be a ninja he parted his hair so that only his right eye was covered. Linking with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path left a number of black receivers embedded in his back and caused his body to become very emaciated, limiting his mobility. For this reason he spent most of his adult life in a mechanical walker from which he controlled the Six Paths of Pain. He likewise did not personally wear any of the typical Akatsuki clothing, having his Paths wear it instead.

After he performs Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique his hair turns white as a side-effect of the jutsu, and it remains that colour after Nagato is reincarnated, during which he is donned with a maroon long sleeved cloak. From absorbing some of the Eight-Tails' chakra, his hair became red again, as well as his frail body reverting to his fit self.

Abilities

Nagato using the Asura Path

Nagato overwhelming Naruto and Killer B.

Nagato's position as the leader of Akatsuki was well-deserved, being regarded as its most powerful member. Despite his fragile state and damaged legs, Kabuto Yakushi regarded Nagato as a powerful reincarnated shinobi. Upon restoring and rejuvenating his body using the Tailed Beast chakra he absorbed from B, he simultaneously overwhelmed and immobilised the Eight and Nine-Tails jinchūriki with ease although his legs remained weakened. Despite his effectiveness being reduced due to Kabuto Yakushi's direct control, it still required a combined effort of Naruto, Killer B, and Itachi Uchiha to defeat and seal him. As Pain, he was regarded as unbeatable by various individuals,[28][29][30][31] and his strength allowed him to defeat and kill Hanzō, though Hanzō's skills had long since diminished.[32] He was also able to defeat Jiraiya, his former teacher, though he notes that he may have lost if Jiraiya knew his true identity. Not only that, he could face the entire village of Konohagakure and destroy it single-handedly, only losing one of his Paths in the various battles with Konoha ninja. Before he faced Naruto, Nagato had never lost a single battle, still pushing Naruto to employ the most powerful abilities he had at his disposal.[33]

Chakra and Physical Prowess

Nagato Releases his Chakra

Nagato exerts his chakra through the Deva Path.

As a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, Nagato's chakra was naturally resilient. His actual chakra reserves were unusually vast, enough that he could perform various, chakra-taxing techniques all in the same day. Upon exerting his chakra in the form of a shockwave, one of the Fifth Hokage's Anbu bodyguards suspected that his already powerful chakra was enhanced by his Rinnegan.[34][35] Nagato also had remarkable control over his chakra and could alter its frequency constantly, negating the possibility of a sensor pinpointing his location when he controls the Six Paths of Pain unless they stab themselves with one of his chakra rods.

Following his first fight with Hanzō, Nagato's legs were badly damaged and his body was left frail. This limited his mobility for the rest of his life and rendered his original body largely defenceless. He regained some of his former mobility after being reincarnated and restoring his body and legs with some of the Eight-Tails' chakra. When not handicapped, Nagato could rapidly move around a battlefield, closing the gap between himself and his opponents fast enough to force them to retreat.[19]

Ninjutsu

During his training with Jiraiya, Nagato mastered every technique he was taught, covering numerous styles, all of the basic nature transformations, and Yang Release,[3] accomplishments extremely rare even for adults, let alone ten year-olds.[13] Many of the miscellaneous techniques he was seen performing were used to facilitate Akatsuki's meetings, such as allowing members to meet astrally across great distances, protecting the site of their meetings, and distracting opposing forces. Adept with the Shadow Clone Technique, he was even capable of cloning his summoned creatures.[36] One of his more noteworthy techniques was the Rain Tiger at Will Technique, which allowed him to create perpetual rainfall to monitor everyone moving within Amegakure.

Nagato was also an adept sensor, able to pinpoint the location of others across great distances, even penetrating beyond barriers erected for the express purpose of blocking detection.[37]

Rinnegan

Rinnegan

Nagato's Rinnegan.

Nagato's skill in so many types of ninjutsu was due in large part to his Rinnegan.[38] Though he was not the eyes' original owner, being an Uzumaki allowed Nagato to wield both eyes without drawbacks even while still an untrained child, whereas Obito could barely handle a single eye despite his various modifications and in-depth knowledge of the dōjutsu. Ultimately, Nagato's skill was great enough to earn recognition as the "Third Six Paths" (三人目の六道, Sanninme no Rikudō); a title which he inherited after Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki and Madara Uchiha.[7]

The greatest advantage of the Rinnegan was that it gave Nagato access to all of the Six Paths Techniques: the gravitational powers of the Deva Path; the menagerie of summons available to the Animal Path; the limitless energy absorption of the Preta Path; the control over souls with the Human Path; the various mechanisations in the Asura Path; access to the King of Hell through the Naraka Path. Because of the limitations of his real body, Nagato had few chances to use any of these abilities directly. When the opportunity arose, though, he could shift between the different Paths seamlessly and instantly, performing the many abilities on a level he wasn't capable of when using them through others.[39]

The one branch of Six Paths Techniques that Nagato reserved for himself was that of the Outer Path. As the Outer Path, Nagato could summon and control the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path,[8] produce black receivers into which he can channel his chakra,[40] and use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive the dead.

Six Paths of Pain

Six Paths Pain

The Six Paths of Pain.

With the Outer Path, Nagato could form what he calls his "Six Paths of Pain". By embedding black receivers throughout the bodies of six corpses – arranged to resemble body piercings – Nagato was able to control all of them remotely as though they were his own. He could control the Paths across great distances, but for more chakra-demanding techniques, it was necessary for the Path to first be brought closer to his position. An alternative to this was cutting off control of five of the Paths and focusing all of his chakra into one. The Paths can be used to react to threats in mere seconds and, because they are corpses, the bodies are unfazed by all but the most debilitating types of damage.

In theory, each of the Six Paths of Pain could be used to perform any technique that Nagato himself was capable of. In practice, however, he limited each body to one branch of the Six Paths Techniques, the exception being the Deva Path through which he performed a number of miscellaneous jutsu. Each Path served a specific purpose, be it offensive, defensive, reconnaissance or repair. None of the Paths specifically specialised in taijutsu, but all were able to keep pace during hand-to-hand combat with even the most practised opponent. Though he considered all six Paths to be part of the Pain identity he gave himself, Nagato still regarded them as separate entities from himself, referring to them by whichever Path they embody.[41]

Although the Six Paths were individually strong, they were at their most formidable when used together, with the simultaneous use of all six being the primary reason for Pain's infamous invincibility.[42] This was because the six Paths, as well as the Animal Path's summons and the King of Hell, let Nagato share their vision,[43] allowing him to coordinate their movements with maximum efficiency. They could attack from multiple angles and dodge attacks they couldn't have seen but that occurred within another Path's field of vision. During his attack on Konoha, when the Six Paths were dispersed throughout the village to act strategically, they managed to wreak devastation and kill many powerful shinobi, effectively allowing Nagato to almost singlehandedly overpower the village. Each of the Paths had its own importance in a fight – the Naraka Path's ability to restore all the other Paths, making it the most valuable – and therefore, Nagato would sacrifice other Paths to protect those further up the hierarchy.

Despite the advantages the six bodies granted him in a fight, Nagato tried to limit his usage to as few bodies as possible to reduce the likelihood of anyone discovering the secret of how the Six Paths of Pain work. When Konoha began to understand the idiosyncrasies of the ability, he destroyed the village in an effort to kill anyone who might know that none of the six Paths were the real one.

Part I

Sasuke Recovery Mission

Main article: Sasuke Recovery Mission Pain gathers the members of Akatsuki to discuss Sasuke Uchiha's recent alliance with Orochimaru, as well as the anticipated completion of their plans three years hence.

Interlude

In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths

Main article: In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths In the anime, two years after the Akatsuki meeting, Amegakure is invited to participate in the Chūnin Exams being held jointly by Konohagakure and Sunagakure. Not ready to take Akatsuki public yet, Pain accepts the invitation and sends several teams of genin to keep up appearances.[44] The messenger, Kakashi Hatake, later sneaks back into the village to investigate the rumours surrounding it. Pain immediately detects Kakashi and sends guards to capture him, forcing him to retreat.[45]

Part II

Kazekage Rescue Mission

Main article: Kazekage Rescue Mission After Gaara is captured by Deidara and Sasori, Pain convenes Akatsuki to begin extracting the One-Tail from Gaara's body. Konoha ninja start to convene on their location during the three day process, so Pain uses the Shapeshifting Technique to send copies of Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha to distract them. The copies are defeated, but they buy the necessary time and the One-Tail is sealed. As the rest of Akatsuki disperses, Pain instructs Deidara and Sasori to deal with the Konoha ninja that have arrived outside their lair.

Akatsuki Suppression Mission

Main article: Akatsuki Suppression Mission Following the captures of the Two-Tails and Three-Tails (the Three-Tails is captured later in the anime), Pain once again gathers Akatsuki to seal them. Because Pain's summons interrupted a fight he was in the middle of, Hidan, the second-newest member, demands an explanation of Akatsuki's ultimate goal. Pain obliges him, remarking on the state of the world and how Akatsuki plans to capitalise on that to take control.

Itachi Pursuit Mission

Main article: Itachi Pursuit Mission

Pain And Konan

Konan and Pain meet with Tobi in Amegakure.

Before Akatsuki prepares to seal the Four-Tails, Pain informs its members of the deaths of Hidan and Kakuzu, as well as news that Sasuke Uchiha has killed Orochimaru. Shortly after the Four-Tails is sealed, Zetsu reports the deaths of Deidara and Tobi in a fight with Sasuke. Pain expresses no love lost over Tobi, but encourages the remaining members of Akatsuki to mourn Deidara. As soon as they adjourn, Pain and Konan meet with Tobi in Amegakure. Tobi instructs him to go after Naruto Uzumaki, the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.

Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant

Main article: Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant

Rain Tiger at Will Technique

Pain prepares to stop rainfall to search for intruder.

Before he can set out in search of Naruto, Pain senses an intruder arriving in Amegakure. He cannot identify who it is, but from their chakra signature he can tell they are powerful. He sends Konan to track down whoever it is while he deploys the Animal Path. A short while later, Konan sends a report that the intruder is Jiraiya. Surprised, Pain bids her to kill him if she can while he moves the Animal Path to intercept. On arrival, he frees Konan from the restraints Jiraiya has placed her under and sends her away. Although Jiraiya does not recognise the body, Jiraiya assumes that Pain is Nagato because of his Rinnegan. Jiraiya expresses his disappointment that Nagato has turned away from his once-righteous path towards peace by leading a criminal organisation like Akatsuki. Pain asserts that, as a god, his plan to liberate the world through destruction is the definition of righteousness.

Jiraiya vs Preta Path

The Preta Path facing Jiraiya.

In response to all of the Animal Path's summons, Jiraiya summons Gamaken to hold them off while he prepares himself. From the safety of his chameleon, Pain sends a multi-headed dog, drill-beaked bird, and giant ox at them, but Jiraiya is able to successfully enter Sage Mode with the help of Shima and Fukasaku. Shima locates and neutralises the chameleon, forcing Pain to summon the Preta Path and Human Path to the fray. Jiraiya quickly blinds the Human Path then attacks with Sage Art: Goemon, which the Preta Path absorbs. He makes separate attempts to attack the Human Path and Animal Path from behind, but both block him. Suspecting their shared vision, Jiraiya withdraws.

The three Paths pursue Jiraiya. They eventually hear the signing of Shima and Fukasaku as they ready a genjutsu. The Paths track them down and try to stop them, but Jiraiya is ready for them. After confirming that they do indeed share vision, Jiraiya distracts the Preta Path and immobilises the Human Path, allowing him to fight the Animal Path one-on-one long enough for Shima and Fukasaku to cast Toad Confrontation Singing. While the Paths are caught, Jiraiya stabs them with Stone Swords and believes they, and by extension Nagato, are dead. As he leaves, the Asura Path attacks him from behind, severing his arm. The full Six Paths of Pain – with the three he defeated restored by the Naraka Path – face Jiraiya. He recognises the Deva Path as Yahiko, causing him to question his assumption that Pain is Nagato.

Jiraiya killed by Pain

Pain finishes off Jiraiya.

After a prolonged battle, Jiraiya retreats into his Barrier: Toad Gourd Prison. The Animal Path follows him, but ends up getting captured; as its last act it stabs him with a black receiver. Jiraiya contemplates returning to Konoha with what he's learned, but decides this is his only chance to discover the secret of Pain. He returns to the battlefield with Fukasaku and draws the remaining Paths' attention, and in doing so figures it out. The Asura Path crushes his throat before he can tell Fukasaku what he's learned and the other Paths stab him. Believing him dead they start to leave, but Jiraiya uses the last of his energy to etch a coded message into Fukasaku's back. The Paths try to stop him, but Fukasaku escapes and Jiraiya's body sinks into the sea. Pain holds a moment of silence for his passing.

Six-Tails Unleashed

Main article: Six-Tails Unleashed

Pain confronts Utakata

The Six Paths of Pain confront Utakata.

Pain replaces the Animal Path Jiraiya captured with a new body in preparation for finally going after Naruto. In the anime, he is first sent to Kirigakure to capture the Six-Tails. The new Animal Path summons the multi-headed dog to scout the area where the Six-Tails' jinchūriki, Utakata, was last seen. When it comes across a group of hunter-nin led by Tsurugi, it slaughters them all. Utakata eventually comes looking for Tsurugi, but instead finds Pain, who quickly captures him. The Six-Tails is later extracted from Utakata's body.

Pain's Assault

Main article: Pain's Assault

Pain's Invasion Begins

The Six Paths infiltrate Konoha.

The Six Paths of Pain and Konan arrive on the outskirts of Konoha and eliminate all the border guards. Pain explains the plan of attack: the Asura, Animal, and Preta Paths will destroy the village's infrastructure and draw the attention of its ninja while Konan and the Deva, Human, and Naraka Paths try to find information on Naruto's location. The Animal Path infiltrates the village by itself so that Konoha's sensors will think there's only one intruder, and once inside it summons Konan and the others. They scatter immediately afterwards and begin fulfilling their assigned roles.

Kakashi vs Pain

Pain fighting Kakashi.

Early in the Deva Path's search it is found by Kakashi Hatake, who has guessed the misdirection Pain is employing. Knowing by reputation that Kakashi poses a threat to Akatsuki's plans, the Asura Path arrives to help the Deva Path fight him. The two nearly defeat Kakashi, but Konoha reinforcements arrive in time. Kakashi has already discovered the recharge time the Deva Path needs between attacks and coordinates Konoha's forces to create a window for him to strike. The Asura Path uses itself as a shield to take the attack, creating an opportunity for the Deva Path to level everything and everyone in the area. The Deva Path leaves, victorious. After it's gone, a badly-injured Kakashi sends Chōji Akimichi to the Fifth Hokage to tell her what they've learned about the Deva Path. The still-functioning Asura Path attempts to stop Chōji, but Kakashi intercepts it with Kamui in time, dying from exhaustion in the process.

Pain at Konoha

The Deva Path preparing to destroy Konoha.

Across the village, the remaining Paths continue their tasks: the Preta Path locates the Animal Path that Jiraiya captured and collects its black receivers; the Deva Path locates the Hokage and encourages her to surrender Naruto; the Animal Path assaults the building where a prisoner Jiraiya captured is being interrogated, killing him in the process; the Human Path discovers Shizune and, from reading her mind, finally learns that Naruto is at Mount Myōboku. Though their mission is complete, Pain is frustrated by the Hokage's refusal to cooperate. Combined with the numerous examples that Konoha's ninja are starting to understand how the Six Paths of Pain work, Pain decides to destroy the village and show it true pain. He has the Animal Path summon Konan and all but the Deva Path to a safe distance while the Deva Path performs a large-scale Shinra Tensei.

As the smoke clears, the Deva Path finds Naruto has arrived in the village with several toad allies. After the Naraka Path restores the Asura Path, the other Paths join the Deva Path; Konan withdraws to attend to Nagato. When the Hokage angrily confronts Pain for destroying the village, the Asura Path moves to kill her, but is destroyed by Naruto before it can land a blow. The remaining Paths take formation around the Deva Path during its prolonged recharge. The Animal Path sends its summons to attack Naruto, but the toads confront them instead. Using Sage Mode, Naruto quickly neutralises the Preta Path, the Human Path is destroyed getting the Animal Path out of the way of Naruto's Rasenshuriken, and the Animal Path is shortly afterwards trapped within Gamabunta's mouth and defeated with Spiralling Serial Spheres.

Naruto pin down

Pain pins Naruto down.

Naruto begins focusing on the Deva Path. He nearly succeeds in hitting it with another Rasenshuriken, but a restored Preta Path absorbs it. Seeing what the Naraka Path can do, Naruto prioritises it, distracting the Deva and Preta Paths while he hits it with another Spiralling Serial Spheres. Although the Naraka Path is gone, the Deva Path's powers are restored. It expels the larger toads from the village and helps the Preta Path capture Naruto. As the Preta Path absorbs his senjutsu chakra to immobilise him, it finds itself unable to balance the natural energy and turns to stone. Shima and Fukasaku, meanwhile, prepare to cast a genjutsu like they did before. The Deva Path kills Fukasaku and, in the same motion, pins Naruto down with black receivers.

With Naruto no longer able to offer resistance, Pain lectures him on the cycle of hatred the world suffers under and the endless conflict that produces. His plans to gather the tailed beasts will be used to cause overwhelming destruction and achieve peace through fear. Because peace is what Jiraiya, who both of them trained under, always wanted, Pain asks if Naruto has a better solution, but Naruto does not respond. As they talk, Pain is attacked by Hinata Hyūga, who makes a desperate attempt to save Naruto. The Deva Path deals with her easily and apparently kills her. Her seeming death enrages Naruto, causing him to enter a version 2 state. Unprepared to fight Naruto in this state, the Deva Path leads Naruto closer to Nagato's location so that it can use Chibaku Tensei. Naruto enters a nearly full Tailed Beast Mode and escapes its confines, forcing Pain to let the Chibaku Tensei dissolve.

Naruto defeating Deva path

Naruto defeats the last of the Six Paths of Pain.

Having regained his senses, Naruto attacks the Deva Path. He takes one of its black receivers and briefly interfaces with it in order to trace Nagato's location. As his attack continues, he has numerous disguised shadow clones emerge from the rubble of Chibaku Tensei and attack during the Deva Path's short cooldown, but they don't make it in time and it repels them. With so many clones, however, the Narutos are able to resist the Shinra Tensei, enabling Naruto to strike with a Rasengan. Now that all of his Six Paths are defeated, Nagato permits Naruto to come meet with him. He shoots Naruto with a black receiver as soon as he arrives and tries to control his body, but Naruto successfully resists him.

Naruto meets nagato

Nagato and Konan meet Naruto.

Naruto has been thinking about the question he was asked earlier, about how he would accomplish peace. He thinks he has an answer finally, but first wants to hear more about Nagato, especially since they both trained under Jiraiya yet turned out very differently. Curious, Nagato indulges him and tells him about the tragedies he experienced in his life and how they drove him to seek peace through pain. Naruto understands Nagato's logic and even sees some merit to his conclusion, but rejects it. His method to achieve peace is to no longer continue the cycle of revenge that fuels the shinobi world. Although he is angry with Nagato for killing Jiraiya and destroying Konoha, Naruto will not harm him, as that would only cause others to seek revenge against him and repeat the cycle.

Nagato's Death

Nagato dying with a smile.

Nagato is amazed by Naruto's answer, and is reminded of not only Jiraiya but himself when he was younger. He does not know if Naruto's solution can succeed, but Nagato decides that he will place his faith in it. As a sign of this faith, Nagato uses Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique over Konan's protests to revive everyone that died during his attack. As his life fades from performing the technique, Nagato cautions Naruto over the challenges he will face on the path he has chosen, but wishes him all possible luck. Nagato dies with a smile on his face, wondering if perhaps all the circumstances that led him to this end were the work of a real god.

Power

Main article: Power In the anime, Kabuto Yakushi reincarnates Nagato to be used against Team 7. The summon fails almost immediately afterwards, causing Kabuto to wonder if the Impure World Reincarnation was still incomplete.[46]

Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown

Main article: Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown When the Fourth Shinobi World War looms, Kabuto approaches Tobi offering to join forces. To that end he reincarnates Nagato and four other dead members of Akatsuki as offerings for Tobi's war plans.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation

Main article: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation

Itachi and Nagato

Nagato and Itachi mobilised.

When the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, Nagato is mobilised with the rest of Kabuto's collection of reincarnated ninja. Still unable to move even in his reincarnated state, Nagato is carried by Itachi Uchiha. They discuss Akatsuki and how little they, particularly Nagato, actually knew about the organisation; both were only pawns kept by Tobi because of their dōjutsu, and now they've been revived so Kabuto can use them for the same reason. Nagato is at least able to sense where Kabuto is controlling them from, which he communicates to Itachi.

Naruto kills dog

Nagato clashes with Naruto.

Nagato and Itachi are found by Naruto and Killer B. Nagato is glad to see Naruto has finally gained control of the Nine-Tails, but is not actually surprised since they both trained under Jiraiya. Kabuto forces Nagato and Itachi to attack them, with Nagato summoning various animals to help him move around. Because their personalities are intact, Nagato gives Naruto and B advice about how to counter his summons and jutsu and warns them about Itachi's own. Itachi is able to implement a fail-safe he left on Naruto before his death, which frees him from Kabuto's control. Fearful that Nagato may also break his control, Kabuto suppresses his personality and sends him into battle against the trio.

Ningendo

A revitalised Nagato trying to remove Naruto's soul.

Itachi joins forces with Naruto and B against Nagato. Nagato hides within his chameleon so he can move around undetected and attacks B with Shinra Tensei. B immediately counters with a version 2 Lariat, resulting in Nagato absorbing B's version 2 chakra. The Eight-Tails' chakra he absorbs has a rejuvenating effect on him, restoring his mobility. He begins removing Naruto's soul, prepares to kill B, and readies the King of Hell to restore them to life when Kabuto is ready for them. Itachi interrupts him with Susanoo, releasing Naruto and B.

Nagato Impaled

Nagato pierced by the Sword of Totsuka.

Needing to deal with all three at once, Kabuto has Nagato use Chibaku Tensei. Itachi, Naruto, and B simultaneously use their strongest long-range attacks to destroy the growing planetoid. As Kabuto's attentions are distracted by its destruction, Itachi stabs him with Susanoo's Sword of Totsuka, which also restores his consciousness to him. Nagato apologises to Naruto for not only this fight after death, but his actions during life, believing his story was unworthy of following Jiraiya's. He expresses his hope that Naruto's story will conclude so spectacularly that nobody will remember the disappointment of his own. He bids farewell as his body is sealed.

Legacy

Ame Memorial

The shrine where Nagato and Yahiko's bodies lay.

Tobi feels personally betrayed when he learns that Nagato gave his life to revive the villagers of Konoha, believing the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique should have been reserved exclusively for his Eye of the Moon Plan. He is also confused, believing Nagato to have been very firm in his convictions and thus not likely to give up so willingly. He tracks down Naruto not long after Nagato's death and asks him what he could have said to sway Nagato, but is unmoved by Naruto's claim that Nagato truly did desire peace. With Nagato gone, Tobi is forced to seek out his corpse and take his Rinnegan to fulfil his ultimate plans. When he finds Nagato smiling at him, he interprets it as if Nagato is continuing to mock him even in death.

Konan followed through with Nagato's change of heart, vowing hers and Amegakure's cooperation with Naruto in his future pursuits of peace. She takes Nagato's and Yahiko's bodies back to Amegakure and creates a secret shrine for them, laying their bodies on beds of flowers. She breaks away from the Akatsuki that Tobi has corrupted, trying to fight for the ideals that the organisation originally represented. She tries to kill Tobi when he comes looking for Nagato's Rinnegan, only to die herself after being forced to reveal the location of Nagato's body.

Naruto is deeply affected by his encounter with Nagato and is compelled to start trying to achieve peace and end the ongoing desires for revenge between ninja. He forgives Nagato for all the missteps he took during his life, thinking of him with as high a regard as he thinks of Jiraiya.

In Other Media

Video Games

Nagato is a playable character in the following video games:

Game nameJapanese releaseEnglish release
Naruto Mobile20162016
Naruto Shippūden: Shinobi Rumble22 April 20108 February 2011
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 310 December 200911 May 2010
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Impact20 October 201118 October 2011
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 221 October 201019 October 2010
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 318 April 20135 March 2013
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 44 February 20169 February 2016
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations23 February 201213 March 2012
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution11 September 201416 September 2014
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker30 August 201831 August 2018
Naruto x Boruto: Ninja Voltage22 November 201722 November 2017
Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections16 November 202317 November 2023
Naruto: Shinobi Collection2014
Naruto: Shinobi Collection Shippū Ranbu27 July 2015
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Online14 April 201320 July 2016

In almost all of the above-listed games, it is one or more of the Six Paths of Pain that is playable. Typically it is only the Deva Path that is playable, with the other Paths appearing as part of its moveset. The games that Nagato himself is actually playable in are Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution, and Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, where his reincarnated, restored vitality form is available.

Creation and Conception

Pain Concepts

Sketches and unused concept designs for Pain, by Masashi Kishimoto.

In Sha no Sho, Kishimoto briefly explains the philosophy behind Pain's design, stating, "He's Akatsuki's leader, so he has to look fairly cool, but I still wanted him to look dangerous. Since his name is 'Pain', I decided to add some piercings to his body, like he's the kind of guy who would inflict pain upon himself". Notable among the few unused concept designs is a small sketch in which Pain appears to wear a partial mask and feather, or horn-like accessories fitted to his forehead protector.

Trivia

Springtime of Youth
The Springtime of Youth wiki has an article about this topic:
  • The name "Nagato" means "long-lasting gate" (長門). He may be named after the famous ninja Fujibayashi Nagato who, in the 16th century, was considered to be one of three greatest Iga jōnin. The other two were Hattori Hanzō (Hanzō's supposed namesake) and Momochi Sandayū (Zabuza Momochi's supposed namesake). In line with his parents, Nagato is also named after a World War II Japanese battleship.
  • Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets of Nagato show that he was 149 cm around the time he killed the Iwa chūnin to protect Yahiko, and 163 cm when Jiraiya left Amegakure.
  • During Kazekage Rescue Mission, Nagato's Rinnegan were depicted with wrong colours due to the Rinnegan not having been illustrated with colours in the manga yet.
  • In keeping with his "God" theme, his theme-song is "Girei" — a haunting theme that consists of holy chanting.
  • According to the databook(s):
    • His hobby was practising ninjutsu.
    • His desired opponent was anyone in order to protect his friends.
    • His favourite food was grilled fish and stew.
    • Nagato's favourite phrase was "The stars are hidden on a rainy night" (雨夜の星, Yuya no hoshi). As a child, it was "Growing up".
    • As Pain, he wished to fight Naruto Uzumaki (or more specifically the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox).

Quotes

  • (To Jiraiya) "Peace… I don't know how to get there… but… but someday I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it!"[47]
  • (To Akatsuki) "We're both of the same breed, after all… motives for war are of no concern. Religion, ideology, resources, land, grudges, love, or just because… No matter how pathetic the reason, it's enough to start a war. War will never cease to exist… Reasons can be thought up after the fact. Human nature pursues strife."[48]
  • (To Jiraiya) "Even a foolish child can grow up in a right way, when he learns what pain is. Knowing pain controls ones thoughts and decisions."[49]
  • (To Tsunade) "You think you're the only ones who matter. You think you can put off death. But that peace made you foolish and thoughtless. If you kill someone, someone else will kill you… this hatred binds us together. I want you to feel pain, to think about pain, to accept pain, to know pain."[50]
  • (To Naruto) "We are both ordinary men, driven to seek vengeance in the name of justice. However, if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will breed only more vengeance. And trigger a cycle of hatred."[9]
  • (To Naruto) "To create short these periods of peace through pain that interrupt the endless cycle of hatred… that is my dream."[51]
  • (Last words to Naruto before dying) "Dying like trash… never ending hatred… pain that never heals… that is war… Naruto… this… is what you must face… The book… and you… It's like… someone… set this all up… Or… maybe… this… is… the hand of the real God… My role is over now… Naruto… you… can really—"[52]
  • (Last words to Naruto before being sealed) "Naruto… I'll be returning to where our master is, so I can see your story… If you ask me… You're the third part that concludes the series… The first part was Jiraiya… He was flawless… But… The second part was me, an almost complete failure… I couldn't even get our master to acknowledge me… Ending the series is the third part… The final work will settle it all! Become such a masterpiece that that failure will be like it was cancelled altogether… Naruto!" (「ナルト………オレは師匠の所へ戻ってお前の物語を見ておくと…するよ…オレから言わせりゃ…お前は三部作目の完結編だ…一部が自来也…完ペキだった…だが…二部作目ってのはたいがい駄作になるオレのようにな……師にも認めてもらってない……シリーズの出来ってのは三作目…完結編で決まる!駄作を帳消しにするぐらいの最高傑作になってくれよ…ナルト!」, "Naruto… Ore wa shishō no tokoro modotte omae no monogatari o mite oku to… suru yo… Ore kara iwaserya… Omae was Anbusakume no kanketsuhen de… Ichibu ga Jiraiya… Kanpeki datta… Daga… Nibusakume tte no wa taigai dasaku ni naru ore no yō ni na…… Shi ni mo mitomete morattenai ……Shirīzu no deki tte no wa sansakume… Kanketsuhen de kimaru! Dasaku o chōkeshi ni suru gurai no saikō kessaku ni natte kure yo… Naruto!")[53]

References

  1. Third Databook, page 120
  2. Third Databook, pages 153-157
  3. 3.0 3.1 Fourth Databook, pages 126-129
  4. Naruto chapter 369, page 7
  5. Naruto chapter 376, page 4
  6. Naruto chapter 376, page 13
  7. 7.0 7.1 Naruto chapter 510, page 17
  8. 8.0 8.1 Naruto chapter 606, page 13
  9. 9.0 9.1 Naruto chapter 436, page 10
  10. Naruto chapter 445
  11. Naruto chapter 446, pages 1-5
  12. Naruto chapter 373, page 4
  13. 13.0 13.1 Naruto chapter 375, page 11
  14. Naruto chapter 446, pages 5-10
  15. Naruto chapter 446, pages 10-11
  16. Naruto chapter 372, page 7
  17. Naruto chapter 607, pages 1-5
  18. Naruto chapter 446, pages 11-17
  19. 19.0 19.1 Naruto chapter 447
  20. Naruto: Shippūden episode 405
  21. Naruto chapter 369, pages 9-14
  22. Naruto chapter 368
  23. Naruto chapter 440, page 11
  24. Akatsuki Hiden: Evil Flowers in Bloom
  25. Naruto chapter 363, page 9
  26. Naruto chapter 353, page 11
  27. Naruto chapter 420, page 10
  28. Naruto chapter 364, page 15
  29. Naruto chapter 406, page 3
  30. Naruto chapter 407, pages 15-16
  31. Naruto chapter 450, page 7
  32. Naruto chapter 531
  33. Naruto chapter 364
  34. Naruto: Shippūden episode 162
  35. Naruto chapter 428, page 10
  36. Naruto: Shippūden episode 131
  37. Naruto chapter 580, page 7
  38. Naruto chapter 425, page 9
  39. Naruto chapter 551, page 10
  40. Naruto chapter 444, page 4
  41. Naruto chapter 443, page 3
  42. Naruto chapter 422, page 10
  43. Naruto chapter 551, page 6
  44. Naruto: Shippūden episode 395
  45. Naruto: Shippūden episode 398
  46. Naruto: Shippūden episode 290
  47. Naruto chapter 448, pages 6-7
  48. Naruto chapter 329, pages 10
  49. Naruto chapter 374, page 8
  50. Naruto chapter 429, pages 2-3
  51. Naruto chapter 436, page 16
  52. Naruto chapter 449, pages 12-13
  53. Naruto chapter 551, page 16