Naruto's strongest characters that could have joined Akatsuki

Akatsuki is one of the most well-known organizations in the anime community. The black cloak with the red clouds has become iconic, and even anime fans who haven't watched Naruto can recognize the costume. Akatsuki became popular because of its members and how it operated.

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In Naruto, the story focused primarily on Yahiko's Akatsuki, which was founded during the Third Great Ninja War. The goal of the group was to save Amegakure from being destroyed. After Yahiko's death, Nagato took over the reins and Akatsuki took a different approach. Both iterations of the group had tons of members, but there were several powerful Naruto characters who could have joined Akatsuki and taken it to new heights.

6

Madara Uchiha

Affiliation: Hidden Leaf, Uchiha Clan

• Possessed the Eternal Mangkyou Sharingan

Madara Uchiha was the legendary leader of the Uchiha clan who led them to the top of the clan hierarchy during the Warring States period. He looked like a determined and cruel man on the outside, but he was the complete opposite. Madara Uchiha hated war and loved his siblings. After losing them all, he wanted to create a village where everyone could live peacefully, and no one else would lose their siblings or loved ones.

Unfortunately, Madara was corrupted by Black Zetsu, who consistently whispered in his ear about being betrayed. Someone like Madara (before he met Black Zetsu) would be a perfect fit for Yahiko's Akatsuki, especially since he felt the pain of losing someone close to him.

5

Shisui Uchiha

Affiliation: Hidden Leaf, Uchiha Clan

• Had access to Kotoamatsukami

Shisui Uchiha was a loyalist who served the Hidden Leaf Village for years. He worked hard to maintain peace in the village and even went so far as to spy on his own clan members. Shisui was also a great source of inspiration for Itachi, who followed in his footsteps. Shisui Uchiha was a phenomenal fighter who had access to Kotoamatsukami, arguably the strongest Genjutsu in Naruto.

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Shisui had also mastered the Body Flicker technique, making it extremely difficult to track his movements in battle. A peace-loving individual like Shisui would have been a good addition to Akatsuki. He could have helped increase their influence in other regions and helped save innocent people from war.

4

Haku

Affiliation: Land of Water

• Could use Ice Release, a rare Kekkei Genkai

One of the biggest complaints fans have with Haku is that he was introduced too early in the story. He was an incredible villain with an interesting past and a rare Kekkei Genkai. Haku was born in a village whose residents despised Kekkei Genkai users. When they found out about Haku and his mother, they killed the latter.

Haku barely escaped with his life and was eventually taken in by Zabuza, who turned him into a weapon. While Zabuza did not show any kind of feelings towards Haku, the latter respected the former Kirigakure ninja and willingly gave up his life to protect him. Haku's loyalty was a rare trait, so he could have joined any iteration of Akatsuki and proved his worth.

3

Neji Hyuuga

Affiliation: Hidden Leaf, Hyuuga Clan

• A genius who mastered the Byakugan

Many fans may be surprised to find Neji's name on the list, especially since he served as Jonin of the Hidden Leaf until his death. However, there was a good chance that the Byakugan genius could have easily ended up in Akatsuki.

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Due to being born into the Hyuuga Branch Family, Neji was treated badly by the Head Family. He was forced to put a curse seal on his head, and he had to remain subordinate to the Head family. Neji had every reason to hate the main family, and if someone from Akatsuki had tapped into that hatred, the organization would have gained a powerful fighter.

2

Zabuza

Affiliation: Hidden Mist Village

• One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist

Zabuza's case is not that different from Haku's. Like the latter, Zabuza suffered the misfortune of debuting too early in the story, which not only made him seem weak, but also caused fans to forget about him soon after.

Zabuza worked alone, but he could have joined Akatsuki along with Haku, after which the two could have teamed up. They had elite chemistry and could easily have been the antagonists in the second half of the story.

1

Gaara

Affiliation: Hidden Sand Village

• Was One-Tails' jinchuriki

If one were to look at Gaara in Naruto Shippuden, no one would believe that he was the same person who nearly destroyed the hidden blade and killed several people in the Chunin Exams. Naruto deserves a lot of credit for Gaara's development, as it was his speech that changed him.

But if Gaara had remained the same, he could have easily joined the Akatsuki, and it would have made sense in more ways than one. First, Gaara was severely abused by his father and the rest of the village. Second, his father tried to have him killed several times. Finally, Gaara was betrayed by the only person who cared about him. Considering he went through so much, there was no reason for him not to join the Akatsuki and exact revenge.

Naruto

Release date

2002 – 2007-00-00

Showrunner

Masashi Kishimoto

Directors

Hayato date

Author

Masashi Kishimoto

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