The Akatsuki were the primary antagonists of Naruto: Shippuden in the series' early arcs. Its intention as an organization was to herald mass destruction across the planet, hoping to unite all peoples through mutually shared suffering as conceived by the group's founder, Nagato.
Predictably, they faced heavy resistance in these aims and would ultimately not be successful. However, there were opportunities they ignored that could have reduced their casualties. Through identifying the ways the Akatsuki might have preserved itself and its members, we can better appreciate how deadly the group could have been under more thoughtful leadership.
10 Kisame Should've Avoided Fighting Might Guy Repeatedly
Kisame was an Akatsuki member whose Samehada sword feasted on the chakra of his enemies and was resilient against ninjutsu and genjutsu attacks. This made him a deadly shinobi against virtually everyone in the series.
In spite of these overwhelmingly useful utilities, many of his fights (including his ultimate defeat) were against Might Guy - a taijutsu user whose arsenal perfectly countered him. If he deliberately avoided the Green Beast whenever possible and allowed other members to battle the man instead (such as Deidara or Sasori), he would have had much more success against Konoha.
9 They Should Have Traveled In Groups Of Three Or More
The Akatsuki was divided into groups of two so that they could expediently capture all of the Jinchuriki and fulfill Pain's plan. As powerful as the organization's members were, this method was proven insufficient on a number of occasions, especially with how inclined the rogue ninja are to separate from each other (such as Deidara going on ahead of Sasori as he fought Kankuro).
If they traveled in groups of three, they would have been better protected against the threats they faced without significantly sacrificing their utility to capture Tailed Beasts.
8 Obito Should Have Been Useful
Perhaps the Akatsuki's most powerful member was also its most useless. Obito (then known as Tobi) did nothing to assist in the group's efforts to assemble the Tailed Beasts or even weaken Konoha by himself.
It wasn't due to a reluctance of showcasing his abilities. His Kamui was seen during the first encounter with Naruto, where he used it to taunt the heroes rather than to mount a sincere fight. Should Obito have taken his responsibilities seriously, he may have actually been able to capture the Nine-Tails before they realized how his power worked.
7 They Needed More Members
The original Akatsuki had many more members than its current iteration. After Pain reorganized the movement, it included no more than ten members, with that number only dwindling through betrayals and casualties of water.
If they dedicated time to expanding their ranks before becoming international fugitives, they would have had a better chance of capturing all Tailed Beasts when finally forced to contend with the Five Nations. Though this was half-heartedly attempted through Sasuke and his allies, their endeavors against Killer Bee would be fruitless.
6 Zetsu Should Have Been Used More Efficiently
Zetsu was an extremely underutilized resource for the Akatsuki. He could submerge himself inside physical objects and report his findings back to the others in the blink of an eye. Though useless in a battle, this ability would have allowed his teammates to find Jinchuriki and ambush them when they were vulnerable.
Should his skills have been employed during Kisame and Itachi's visit to the Leaf, they would not have attracted nearly as much unwelcome attention and would likely have been able to capture Naruto without Jiraiya's notice.
5 Konan Should Have Attacked Mt. Myoboku
Naruto was only able to perform as well as he did against Pain because he left three shadow clones behind on Mt. Myoboku to collect Sage chakra. By releasing each copy, he imbued himself with their energy.
If Zetsu had been spying on the Jinchuriki, the Akatsuki would have been privy to this plan. Since Konan was not preoccupied at the time of Uzumaki's battle against Nagato, she could have flown to the shadow clones and destroyed them preemptively. Doing so would have deprived Naruto of the necessary energy to bring Pain down.
4 Kakuzu Should Have Been More Responsible For Hidan
During Kakuzu and Hidan's battle against Konoha's shinobi, Shikamaru was able to lure the latter out to a secluded forest as part of their plan. Considering that the Akatsuki were assembled based on how their talents complemented one another, Kakuzu should have been alarmed by this and instructed his restless ally not to fall for Nara's obvious ploy.
If they stayed together, they would have been able to capitalize on another's durability and find victory. Moreover, the paper bomb trap Shikamaru assembled would be worthless.
3 Konan Should Have Been Smarter About Confronting Obito
After Naruto touched her heart, Konan was obliged to return the Akatsuki to its noble roots. This resulted in a confrontation between herself and Obito, one that, in spite of her preparations, resulted in her death.
Despite the power he wields, Obito could not survive being struck through the skull by a kunai. Should Konan have merely feigned allegiance to him until he didn't suspect her, she would have dispatched one of Konoha's greatest living threats - even if it meant that Nagato's body would be defiled first.
2 Pain Should Have Saved The Almighty Push For Naruto
A harrowing fact about Pain is that his defeat against Naruto was when he was already weakened. The Almighty Push taxed his chakra and imposed a brutal strain against his physical body.
Though it prevented other shinobi from assisting Naruto in their battle, the Akatsuki leader never struggled to defeat Konoha's warriors significantly (especially when one body could resurrect another). If he saved his deadliest tool for when Naruto was in range, he may have been able to defeat him before the hero harnessed his Sage jutsu.
1 They Should Have Made Jinchuriki With The Tailed Beasts They Already Had
The Akatsuki had already gathered a formidable number of Tailed Beasts by the time their organization was taken seriously. Though they intended to use this power to destroy the world, they could have infused it into initiates that would do their bidding in the meantime.
If they had, they would have effectively weaponized powerful and ancient monsters that could destroy villages with only moderately skilled ninja recruits. It would entail that the initiates died when they were prepared to finalize their plan, but every Akatsuki member was willing to make such a sacrifice.
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