Naruto Shippuden took Naruto’s story to the next level, bringing many new points: from the story, characters, new jutsu and even villains.
Talking about villains, Konan, the only woman in the Akatsuki organization and also Nagato/Pain’s teammate, has left many unforgettable impressions in the hearts of fans. But did you know that Masashi Kishimoto imagined her very differently from what we see in the series?
In Databook No. 3, the author revealed to everyone some sketches of the characters, including Konan. In her original design, Konan had a more monstrous appearance.
Looking at the image above, it can be seen that Konan is not wearing the traditional Akatsuki robe but is wearing a tight dress that shows off more of her body. She even has a piercing in her navel and a bandana tied to her waist, just like Ino.
Additionally, Konan’s original appearance was covered up by Akatsuki’s guise. Author Kishimoto had this look in mind for her in Naruto Shippuden, but then changed his mind and gave her a red cloud cape. Obviously the new shape looks much cooler.
In the Naruto series, Konan, like Nagato, is also one of three orphans in Amegakure, accepted by Jiraiya as a disciple and taught ninjutsu. Konan’s ability is to manipulate paper, she can make weapons from paper and can even turn herself into a weapon.
In the ranks of Akatsuki, Konan plays the role of an angel, helping Pain transmit messages to his subordinates. She left Akatsuki after Pain died, taking Yahiko and Nagato’s bodies back to Amegakure. She was then killed by Tobi to destroy the traitor as well as to take Nagato’s Rinnegan eye.
So what did you think when you saw Konan’s initial sketches? Which shape do you like more?