Konan (小南, Konan?) is the only female ninja in Akatsuki. She is also the only member to call her partner and the Akatsuki leader, Pain, by his name. When she was younger, Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko were left orphaned by one of Amegakure's many wars, forcing them to fend for themselves. The three eventually encountered Jiraiya, who looked after them and taught them basic ninjutsu. Jiraiya had believed Konan to have died with Nagato and Yahiko some time later.

Konan has a natural talent for origami, as seen with the paper flower she keeps in her hair. This talent extends to her type of jutsu, as she can divide her body into countless numbers of paper sheets. These sheets can be controlled individually and formed into various shapes for a number of purposes, such as butterflies for scouting or generic weapons for attack. Konan can even form wings that mirror her title as "God's Angel" amongst the villagers of Amegakure, as she often carries out Pain's will. Her abilities are constrained while wet, as paper clings to itself and loses its stiffness.