Naruto: The Akatsuki’s Worst Decisions, Ranked

Throughout most of the Naruto series, the Akatsuki served as the main antagonists. This group was largely made up of highly skilled, rogue ninja – powerful enough to challenge even the strongest leaders or those possessing immense power. While individual members often had their own goals, the Akatsuki generally operated effectively, and their actions had a lasting impact on the ninja world. However, they also made some significant mistakes that ultimately weakened the organization.

The Akatsuki made several poor choices that needlessly complicated their plans and delayed their progress. These mistakes often centered around individual members. For example, they allowed a valuable member to die in an avoidable fight, and in another instance, they chose not to save a comrade even though they had the means to do so.

6. The Akatsuki Should Have Eliminated Orochimaru Immediately

When Itachi joined the Akatsuki, Orochimaru was already a member, but he wasn’t interested in the organization’s main objectives. He joined simply to gain access to their resources and information for his own research. Initially paired with Sasori, Orochimaru requested to work with Itachi after his original partner, Juzo, died. However, this was a ploy – Orochimaru actually wanted to steal Itachi’s body and Sharingan.

Both Itachi and Orochimaru had the potential to become Hokage, but Itachi proved much stronger, easily defeating Orochimaru with a powerful illusion and even cutting off his left hand. This led Orochimaru to abandon the Akatsuki, and Sasori declared he would personally hunt him down, with Nagato surprisingly agreeing. The Akatsuki really should have mobilized their entire team to eliminate Orochimaru immediately after he left. He knew too much about their operations – their plans, hideouts, and each member’s abilities – making him a huge threat. Relying on Sasori alone wasn’t a good idea; Zetsu and Obito could have tracked him down much more quickly. Since they hadn’t even started seriously collecting the Tailed Beasts yet, finding and eliminating Orochimaru should have been the organization’s main focus.

5. Deidara Should Have Been Ordered Not To Attack Sasuke

Deidara joined the Akatsuki solely because Itachi soundly defeated him, a loss that deeply humiliated him. He developed a strong hatred for Itachi and the Sharingan, even creating a special technique designed to overcome its abilities with the goal of eventually killing Itachi. When Sasuke was rumored to have defeated Orochimaru, Deidara saw an opportunity to prove his strength by targeting Sasuke, who had previously been Orochimaru’s intended target.

Deidara, a powerful ninja from the Hidden Stone Village, failed to kill Sasuke and ultimately lost his life trying. It was a mistake by the Akatsuki leadership not to recall him from the mission, especially since he’d hinted at his intentions during a meeting. The organization was already struggling with limited numbers after losing Kakuzu and Hidan, and was in the critical final stages of collecting the Jinchuriki. At that point, risking another member’s life over a personal rivalry with Sasuke simply didn’t make strategic sense; ordering Deidara to stand down would have been the smarter choice.

4. The Akatsuki Should Have Never Sent Sasuke To Capture Killer B

After Konan left and Itachi and Nagato died, only three members remained in the Akatsuki. Obito took over as leader and partnered with Sasuke and his team to rebuild the group. However, Sasuke only joined to gain the power he needed to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village. He was assigned the mission of capturing Killer B and the Eight-Tails, but the attempt failed when Killer B switched places with a tentacle during the fight.

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While Obito was curious about Sasuke’s Mangekyo Sharingan’s power, sending him to fight Killer B was a mistake. Sasuke hadn’t faced a fully transformed Jinchuriki or even used his Mangekyo in a real battle before. He only survived thanks to Karin and Jugo’s help. Obito and Kisame would have easily captured Killer B themselves – Kisame could have stolen B’s chakra, and Obito could have used Kamui to take him. Zetsu could have located B by searching the Land of Lightning, and Obito could have gathered information from Cloud ninja using his Sharingan, just as Sasuke did, to find B’s exact location.

3. The Akatsuki Should Have Captured More Than One Tailed Beast At A Time

Nagato explained that the Akatsuki aimed to collect all the Tailed Beasts, intending to use their immense power to force peace upon the ninja world. They carefully captured each beast individually to avoid alerting the major ninja villages, though this caution ultimately didn’t prevent the villages from discovering their plans. It was also believed that the Tailed Beasts had to be sealed into the Gedo Statue in a specific order, but this requirement was disproven during the Fourth Great Ninja War when Madara quickly sealed them all without following any particular sequence.

Very few characters in Naruto were powerful enough to defeat a Tailed Beast, and many of those capable fighters were members of the Akatsuki. This organization was strong enough to capture four or five Tailed Beasts simultaneously, which would have greatly accelerated their plans. They could have finished the most challenging part of their scheme in just a few weeks. Nagato, on his own, could have used his black rods to effectively contain the Jinchuriki. Had the Akatsuki captured several Tailed Beasts, it would have severely weakened some of the major nations, potentially leading them to hire the Akatsuki to eliminate the remaining Jinchuriki themselves.

2. The Akatsuki’s Surviving Members Decided To Not Rescue Hidan

I watched Hidan, a true believer in Jashin, and it was clear he lived only to cause death and destruction. Despite this, he was surprisingly effective for the Akatsuki. A few characters in the Naruto world managed to achieve immortality, and Hidan was one of them, thanks to some rituals connected to his faith. This immortality, combined with his creepy voodoo doll technique, allowed him to take down some really powerful opponents, including a host of the Nine-Tails, and secure valuable wins for the Akatsuki.

As a huge Naruto fan, it still bothers me how the Akatsuki just left Hidan! Shikamaru totally blew him to pieces in the Forest of Death, and then basically buried him, but he was still alive! It’s crazy to think Zetsu or even Obito could’ve grabbed what was left of him, and Nagato definitely could’ve put him back together with the Naraka Path. Seriously, Hidan would’ve been so helpful during Pain’s attack on Konoha, and imagine if he’d teamed up with Kisame during the Five Kage Summit? Killer B wouldn’t have stood a chance! It’s just a missed opportunity that bugs me to this day.

1. The Akatsuki Decided To Not Capture Naruto When He Was A Child

The Akatsuki planned to capture Naruto last because the powerful Nine-Tails sealed within him would have been difficult to contain right away. While this seemed logical, it would have been smarter to capture him soon after the Chunin Exams. Back then, Naruto hadn’t mastered using the Nine-Tails’ energy, making him much more vulnerable. Itachi and Kisame almost had him during their first encounter, but because Itachi was still secretly loyal to the Leaf Village, their attempt likely wouldn’t have succeeded.

One of the most memorable fights in Naruto happened between Naruto and Sasuke at the Final Valley, just before the time skip. Naruto lost the battle and was left unconscious on the ground until Kakashi found him. Zetsu watched the whole thing and had the opportunity to capture Naruto while he was helpless, which would have benefited the Akatsuki, but surprisingly, he chose not to.

2026-05-11 01:38