Yahiko (弥彦, Yahiko) was a shinobi from Amegakure. Alongside his fellow war orphans, Nagato and Konan, he founded and led the Akatsuki in an attempt to bring peace. Following Yahiko's death, Nagato would turn his body into the Deva Path of his Six Paths of Pain, which he used as the continued public image of Akatsuki's leadership. Yahiko was orphaned during the Second Shinobi World War, forcing him to steal food in order to survive prior to teaming up with a fellow war orphan named Konan. Soon after they found a place to call home, Yahiko expressed his displeasure from Konan bringing another war orphan, Nagato, into the group.[3] However, Yahiko eventually accepted Nagato and his dog Chibi into his group. Angered by how unfair the world was to them, Yahiko declared that he would become a god to end the fighting.[4] Soon, after the death of Chibi, Yahiko and the others eventually encountered Jiraiya, who looked after them and taught them basic ninjutsu. At one point, Nagato saved Yahiko after an Iwagakure chūnin attacked them. Afterwards, Yahiko vowed to become strong enough to protect Konan, Nagato, and eventually all of Amegakure.
During their time with Jiraiya, he created a defence system so they could protect themselves, should enemy ninja find their hideout. It was comprised of four planks, each with one red side and one white which had a frog picture on it. The four planks were attached to a part of a wall of the hideout with their names underneath each respective plank (Nagato's on the left, Yahiko's in the middle and Konan's on the right while Jiraiya's was on a separate wall). The purpose of the planks was a defence mechanism: if one of them were in the hideout they would simply turn their plank to the red side. If for some reason the red plank was turned yet the person was not there it could alert the others that that member had been kidnapped. If one of them were to leave the hideout they would simply have to flip their plank to the white side