Konan

Origin

Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato were all war orphans from the areas near the Amegakure. One day, they followed Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, three ninja from the Leaf Village. They begged for food and were given some by Jiraiya. While following the three ninja, Konan used the wrappings from the food they were given to make a flower of paper as thanks. They also wanted to be trained in ninjutsu. Jiraiya agreed to stay and train the kids as the other two left them. Jiraiya stayed to train them in a small shack for three years until they were skilled enough to defeat one of his "Shadow Clones". With their training completed, he returned to his land.

Together Konan and the others formed an organization, Akatsuki, with Yahiko as the leader. They gained many followers behind their cause. Hanzo, leader of the Hidden Rain Ninja, requested a meeting to get them to join his forces. It had all been a trap organized by Hanzo with Danzo Shimura, leader of the Leaf Village's Root organization. They had captured Konan and ordered Nagato to kill Yahiko. However, Yahiko choose to commit suicide. Before Hanzo's soldiers could wipe out Nagato, he awakened the powers of his Rinnegan.

Konan and Nagato would then go on to use their Akatsuki to overtake Hanzo and leadership of Amegakure. They even accepted the aid of Madara Uchiha, who's help Yahiko had earlier rejected. They formed a new Akatsuki with the intention of capturing all the Tailed-Beasts of the world.

Creation

Konan (小南, Konan) is an antagonist of the Naruto series that was created by Masashi Kishimoto, It first began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in November 1999. She was later introduced during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc that began in Volume 20.

She first appeared in Naruto Volume 27, CH. 238 "Departure!!". She originally appears as a shadowy figure through astral projection. Her first full appearance is in Naruto 40 Volume Ch. 363 "Sasuke's Death".

Major Story Arcs

Sasuke Retrieval Arc

The Akatsuki had gathered to discuss their plans as news came out that Orochimaru capturing Itachi Uchiha's brother, Sasuke, into his grasp.

Kazekage Rescue Arc

Once Gaara, the Kazekage and jinchuriki of the One-Tails, was captured, Konan aided the rest of the Akatsuki in removing the Tailed Beast from him.

Itachi Pursuit Arc

After Madara came to see Pain about capturing the Nine-Tails, Pain detected someone had infiltrated Amegakure. Konan used her paper jutsu to search for the person, and she discovered that it was Jiraiya. Konan attacked him to buy Nagato time to gather his Six Paths of Pain. Konan fell back as Nagato fought and ultimately killed their former master.

Invasion of Pain Arc

After invading Konohagakure with the Six Paths, she interrogated the Leaf Ninja to find the location of Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. As their search provided no clues, Konan fall back as Nagato prepared to use one of his ultimate techniques. She stayed with Nagato during the rest of the invasion as Naruto appeared. She tried to stop him from reaching Nagato as he found their location, but Nagato stopped her from attacking. Naruto managed to change Nagato's heart as she listened to him talking. Nagato eventually gave up his life to use the Rinnegan's Forbidden Revival to revive those they killed during the invasion.

Konan wrapped Nagato and Yahiko's bodies in her paper as she prepared to return to Amegakure. She trusted Nagato's choice to trust Naruto with their dream of finding peace for the world. She passed on a bouquet of paper flowers to symbolize their truce.

Battle with Tobi

After Nagato's death, Tobi, now leader of Akatsuki, tracked down Konan in search of Yahiko's body and his Rinnegan. He finds her on the outside of Amegakure, waiting for him, as she knew he would eventually come and was prepared. Before the fight actually started, Tobi asked her what Naruto could possibly have told her and Nagato to convince them to betray Akatsuki, to which she replied that Naruto carries a flower she called "hope" and that her and Nagato saw the chance to make the world better in him. Tobi decides to then tell her that it was originally him that coerced Yahiki to form Akatsuki all those years ago and was actually the one who implanted the Rinnegan into Nagato when he was young. Angered by this revelation, Konan charged in to attack him, eventually revealing that she had littered the ground with explosive tags for miles. As she literally "split the earth", she told him that the reason she betrayed him was that he was darkness, and a flower cannot bloom in darkness. As Tobi falls down into the large crevice, Konan tells him that she has studied his technique through their years working together and understands it. The paper bombs that created the makeshift earth numbered in the millions, enough to create explosions constantly for ten minutes, while Tobi's ability only let's him be intangible for a majority of five before he becomes tangible again.

The paper bombs went off and once they were done, Konan relaxed, thinking she had finally won. She was completely shocked when Tobi appeared behind her, heavily injured, and stabbed her through the heart with a chakra receiver. Astounded as to how he survived, Tobi revealed that he used a forbidden Uchiha clan technique to survive, called "Izanagi". After he explained the jutsu to her, she tried a last ditch attempt to take him out, but was stopped and forced to give up the location of Yahiko and Nagato's body after he used a genjutsu on her. Tobi then uses this information to find Nagato's eyes as Konan is left back outside Amegakure as her life fades away.

Powers & Abilities

Konan is a kunoichi with incredible skill in offensive and defensive ninjutsu. As a young child, she was trained by Jiraiya from Konohagakure. They were trained for several years till they were skilled enough to defeat one of his shadow clones. She specialized in a unique jutsu that uses paper.

Jutsu

• Paper Shuriken (紙手裏剣, Kami Shuriken):
• Shikigami Dance (式紙の舞, Shikigami no Mai):
• Paper Chakram3
• Paper Clone (紙分身, Kami Bunshin):
• Paper Ocean Technique
• Sacred Paper Emissary Jutsu (神の紙者の術, Kami no Shisha no Jutsu)

Weapons & Equipment

Explosive Tags

Other Media

Manga

Rock Lee's Seishun Full Power Ninden (2010)

On top of being a character in the main Masashi Kishimoto Naruto manga, Tenten also appears in a gag-spinoff manga that stars Rock Lee and others in chibi design. The series is titled Rock Lee Seishun Fullpower Ninden (ロック・リー青春フルパワー忍伝, Rokku Rī Seishun Furupowaa Ninden) and it written and illustrated by Kenji Taira. It began publication in Shueisha's Super Strong Jump magazine on December 2010.

Anime

Naruto (2002)

The Naruto anime series is the first direct adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto's original manga. It's produced by Studio Pierrot and first began airing in October 3, 2002. The series lasted for 220 episodes. The last of which aired on February 8, 2007, and it was then followed by the direct equal, Naruto Shippuden. Konan's first anime appearance was in Naruto - Episode 135 "The Promise That Could Not Be Kept", which aired on May 18, 2005. Konan only appears as a shadowy figure in this episode and she has no spoken lines. This is her only appearance in this series.

Naruto Shippuden (2007)

The Naruto Shippuden anime series is the second direct adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto's original manga. This series is produced by Studio Pierrot and first began airing in February 15, 2007.As with the original anime, Konan has a few brief appearances as a shadowy figure with no spoken lines. Konan's very first appearance is in Naruto Shippuden Ep. 9 "The Jinchūriki's Tears", which aired on April 12, 2007.

Konan's first major appearance in this series is in Naruto Shippuden Ep. 125 "Disappearance", which aired on September 3, 2009. This was her first clearest appearance. Her character in the Japanese series has two separate voice actresses. The standard adult voice is done by Atsuko Tanaka, and the child version is voiced by Kaori Mine. The U.S. dub produced by VIZ Media is done by Dorothy Elias-Fahn.

NARUTO Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals (2012)

The NARUTO Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals (NARUTO-ナルト- SD ロック・リーの青春フルパワー忍伝 , NARUTO Sugoi Doryoku: Rokku Rī no Seishun Furupowā Ninden) is a short-comedy adaptation of the of the Naruto spin-off manga series, Rock Lee's Seishun Full Power Ninden. It's produced by Studio Pierrot and first began airing in April 3. 2012. While not a direct adaptation of the spin-off manga, it follows the same theme of chibi-style characters that focuses on Team 9 in wacky adventures and situations that frequently breaks the fourth wall.

Konan's first appearance NARUTO Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals Ep. 38 "Infiltrate Akatsuki's Hideout! / Cleanup is a Chance to Wash Away the Past!". Her character in the Japanese series is voiced by Atsuko Tanaka, and the series has not been dubbed in English.