Akatsuki (暁, literally meaning: "Dawn" or "Daybreak") was a group of shinobi that existed outside the usual system of hidden villages. Over the course of several decades, Akatsuki took different forms and was led by different individuals. Though each iteration is viewed as either subversives or criminals, all seek to make the world a better place through their own means. Each Akatsuki tended to have multiple lairs across the world, inaccessible either due to their remoteness or the various security measures that protected them.
Under Nagato, Akatsuki members are organised into teams of two, usually paired based on perceived similarities (such as Itachi or Kisame) or advantageous combinations (such as Hidan and Kakuzu). Although some pairs get along better than others, few seem to actually like each other; Sha no Sho notes that members always have separate rooms when staying at hotels. Hostilities tend to exist even between members who aren't partners, though they so rarely meet that this is rarely an actual problem.[16] Teams travel the world pursuing Akatsuki's goals, only convening when summoned by Nagato, typically to seal a tailed beast.