Quote Originally Posted by Necromas
*They could be using a similar jutsu to the one that they used to clone Itachi and Kisame...
Ah, indeed. I had totally forgotten about that technique. I suppose it would work for a while. Still, it would need to be a fancy modification to create the mirror image of not the jutsu user but someone else out there. And, well, the way those things were born didn't actually suggest there's a living human under the surface.

Still, Akatsuki must be having hard time finding new people for the lesser work; it probably doesn't increase the number of applicants when the job description is to hand over the control of your body to somebody else and then watch yourself recklessly fight to death...