Summary
Sage Mode is an incredible power that exists in the world ofNaruto. This power was introduced quite late into the series, however, it is one that ended up becoming central to the power system of the story.Sage Mode was very well integratedinto the power system by Kishimoto and it is an ability that is, in some ways, still relevant to this day even in the sequel series,Boruto.
While Sage Mode might be straightforward by taking a look at how it works, there are multiple facets to disability. Not all types of Sage Mode are similar and not all of them can be acquired in similar ways. Some are natural, while some are acquired and it is quite clear to see that this is a power that truly needs to be dissected to be understood perfectly by the fans.
What Are Sage Powers?
Sage powers are special abilitiesthat stem from utilizing sage chakra. Sage Chakra itself is something that one cannot utilize out of the blue. It needs to be created and the creation of sage chakra relies on nature itself. Essentially, every user of Sage Mode needs to be one with nature. However, they acquire it in different ways. Becoming one with nature requires a user to feel the presence of natural energy around them. This is the very first step that any user of Sage Mode needs to take. Once they are able to feel this energy around them, they can then start to absorb this energy inside their bodies. The energy present in the nature around them is limitless and because of that, sage chakra can truly never run out. However, absorbing natural energy and creating sage chakra takes some time and, for this reason, the user has a limited amount of energy available.
To access the power of Sage Mode, one needs to create sage chakra first. The natural energy present in the surroundings is not sage chakra itself. To create sage chakra, the user needs to absorb the natural energy that is present around them and then combine it with their own chakra. The chakra essentially becomes three parts, which are, body, mind, and of course, natural energy. When all three things are combined, it gives rise to sage chakra. Sage Chakra can then be utilized by the user through a transformation known as Sage Mode. Simply put, Sage Mode heightens the user’s powers to appoint where they are in a league of their own. It gives them more stamina, strength, and speed and allows them to imbue their jutsu with sage chakra, which makes them much stronger. They’re also granted incredible sensory abilities and taking them down in combat becomes an arduous task for even the strongest.
The Natural Way To Attain Sage Chakra
Throughout the entirety ofNaruto, fans have seen quite a lot of characters attain Sage Mode from different places. Different Sage Modes have made their appearances in the world ofNaruto, however, there is also a natural way to attain this power that only a handful of people can access. This ability primarily belongs to those of Jugo’s Clan. Due to some strange phenomena, these people are born with the ability to passively absorb natural energy. Since they can absorb this energy, they can access a transformation that is unique to them and this is called Sage Transformation. Sadly, the people of this clan have never been able to properly control this power. This often causes them to go berserk and then go on a killing spree. Jugo himself, who is one of the side characters inNaruto, has been seen going berserk on countless occasions. In fact, Sasuke was the primary reason why he could stay calm at most times.
Orochimaru, the genius scientist of theNarutoworld, studied this power and, using it, he created cursed seals. These cursed seals actually granted sage powers to the users, however, when they were introduced, fans were not aware of this fact. Essentially, every user of cursed seal has access to sage powers and that is something that was made clear later on in the series.
Nonetheless, there is certainly a natural way to attain Sage Mode and that is possible only if one has the powerof Jugo’s Kekkei Genkai.While it is only the people of Jugo’s Clan who are naturally born with it, synthetic humans are now present in the world of Naruto. Mitsuki, Orochimaru’s son, had this power ingrained in him when he was created. As such, he can also naturally access Sage Mode whenever he wants through Sage Transformation.
The Three Sage Institutions
Of course, if one does not possess the power to naturally attain this form of chakra, they can still gain the powers of Sage Mode. To attain that power, they would then need to seek one of the three sage institutions. Fans have seen two of these sage institutions in the story and have a good idea of what the last one is. The very first one is Mount Myoboku. This is the place where Jiraiya and Naruto both learned the ability to control natural energy and use Toad Sage Mode. Fukasaku and Shima were responsible for teaching them. Through the usage of Toad Oil, extreme concentration, coupled with Frog Kumite, a person could then manifest Sage Mode after grueling training. Of course, this Sage Mode is not perfect for everyone. Fans know of three characters who went to this area and only two manifested Perfect Sage Mode. Both Naruto andMinato were able to manifest perfect forms of this Sage Modewhile Jiraiya had an imperfect Sage Mode.
Another area in the world ofNarutothat grants the powers of Sage Mode to the user is Ryuchi Cave. This is the area where Orochimaru went for the very first time, however, due to his weakening body and his chakra reserves not being enough, he was not able to attain Sage Mode properly. That is why he relied on the usage of curse marks. Kabuto, his successor, was successfully able to gain this power. To gain Snake Sage Mode, a person is bitten by the White Snake Sage. The chances for them to survive are very low. If they do manage to survive, they are granted the ability to make use of Sage Mode.
The third sage institution is unknown at the moment, however, fans are quite sure that this area is the Shikkotsu Woods, where Katsuyu is from. Hashirama, who possesses a unique version of Sage Mode, likely attained it from there, and the fact that his granddaughter, Tsunade, has Katsuyu as a summon all but confirms that.
Six Paths Sage Mode
By far, the strongest form of Sage Mode that fans have seen in the Naruto series is the Six Paths Sage Mode. This form was accessible only to Naruto Uzumaki afterhe met the Sage of Six Paths himself.
Once he did that, Naruto was able to combine the Six Paths Chakra that he received with his own Sage Mode and give rise to this unique transformation. To take things even a step further, he also combined this with the powers of Kurama that he had, giving him a form strong enough to go ahead to head with the likes of Madara and even Kaguya.
