Sage mode or Senjutsu is one of the Naruto series’ most rare forms of jutsu, drawing natural energy into the body to create a special form of chakra – Senjutsu Chakra. This type of chakra can empower the user’s current capabilities, along with adding several new techniques to their arsenal. Sage Mode’s rarity is mostly attributed to the fact that a shinobi can only attain this power through training with the mystic animals, such as toads and snakes.
However, this limitation further begs the question as to why most characters in the series never learned Sage Mode, despite having contracts with animals. Sakura and Tsunade had a contract with slugs, Kakashi with dogs, and Hiruzen with monkeys, yet they never learned Sage Mode from their respective animal familiars. A few plausible reasons have been explained in the series for the lack of Senjutsu users, while the rest can be pieced together with a few speculations, making the matter worth looking into.
Limitations to Learning Sage Mode
Given the significant power boost that comes with utilizing Sage Mode, it’s natural for the prerequisites to attain this power be just as grueling. The foremost limitation to learning Sage Mode is having a summoning contract with an animal species that can perform sage art themselves. While many shinobi have a summoning contract with some sort of animal or beast, others lack this necessary prerequisite, making Senjutsu limited to a few.
However, entering into a contract with the animals isn’t enough, as learning Sage Mode also requires the Shinobi to possess an immense Chakra pool, along with stringent Chakra control necessary to wield nature energy.
Even with enough Chakra control, most shinobi tend to falter while concentrating on drawing nature energy. Those that lose focus and acquire too much natural energy can turn into statues of stone, as witnessed during Naruto’s training at Mount Myoboku. This bars many shinobi from acquiring this power, as those that lack Chakra control run the risk of turning into stone forever.
Moreover, the intense power that comes with utilizing Sage Mode cannot be withstood by regular shinobi, further deterring many from pursuing this power. This is especially true in the case of those learning sage art from the snakes at Ryuchi Cave, as one must be bitten by the White Snake Sage, which then injects nature energy into the person. Those that can withstand the snakebite gain Sage Mode, while those whose bodies cannot bear the overwhelming power succumb to the snakes and become their prey. This is primarily why Orochimaru never acquired Sage Mode despite having a contract with the snakes, while Kabuto took the gamble and became an all-powerful being.
Contenders for Acquiring Sage Mode
Considering the limitations and prerequisites set by the series for learning Sage Mode, a few characters tick all the boxes for being perfect contenders, yet they were oddly never able to acquire this power. Sasuke’s scenario seems perfect for learning Senjutsu, as he was already in a contract with the snakes from Ryuchi Cave, and with his natural talent and skill, mastering nature energy and chakra control would have been a simple feat. Sakura could have also learned Sage Mode from Katsuyu, especially considering the fact that was able to master the Hundred Healings Mark, a technique that requires impeccable Chakra control, something not even Shizune could achieve.
A few other characters could potentially acquire Sage Mode, but their unique circumstances would bar them from learning Senjutsu. Kakashi’s Chakra reserves are some of the lowest in the entire series, mostly due to his perpetually active Sharingan. Madara could have also acquired the sage arts, though his lack of summoning animals barred him from ever getting the opportunity to learn Sage Mode.
Why It Makes Perfect Sense for Sage Mode to be Limited
Despite other characters being perfect candidates for Sage Mode, it makes perfect sense for Sage Mode to be limited, at least from a writing perspective. Senjutsu holds the status of being one of the most rare yet powerful techniques in the entire series, and part of its reverence can be attributed to the fact that not many can access this power. This further adds to the series power-scaling system, since every other character possessing Senjutsu would take away its novelty, turning it into a regular technique.
Moreover, other characters have their own unique techniques, such as Sasuke’s Mangekyo Sharingan and Sakura’s Hundred Healings Technique, while Naruto lacks such novel abilities. Sage Mode became heavily attributed with Naruto and his arsenal, and giving this ability to every other character would take away its place as Naruto’s trump card. Under these considerations, granting Sage Mode to only certain characters is certainly a logical decision, as it would otherwise take away the air of novelty that surrounds the sage arts.