"Just as I thought. With your personality, I figured learning Sage Mode would be easy."
Inside the Northern Base, Wu Yu smiled at Jugo, who sat facing him.
Jugo sat quietly, absorbing nature energy. Unlike his usual instinctive Sage Transformation, he followed Wu Yu's guidance, restrained his instincts, and deliberately drew nature energy into the pathways throughout his body, balancing it with his own chakra in strict proportions. The markings of a proper Sage Mode began appearing on his face. Then smoke hissed from both sides of the top of his head, and two masses of horn slowly began growing out.
Snake Sage Arts!
As far as Wu Yu knew, Orochimaru had obtained Ryūchi Cave's Summoning Contract when he was very young, but only after discovering Jugo's clan, whose members were born capable of Sage Transformation, had he followed the clues to Ryūchi Cave's actual location.
Although they were collectively known as the Three Great Sage Lands, they did not all pass down their teachings in the same way. Toads, slugs, and snakes clearly did not share the same temperament, either.
Mount Myoboku treated humans kindly. Thanks to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, it even had something of a protagonist's mindset, seeking to guide the Shinobi World's child of destiny—and becoming heavily involved in human affairs.
Konoha even kept a messenger toad to maintain contact with Mount Myoboku.
Shikkotsu Forest was much more laid-back. The Slug Sage had an excellent temper, but she did not offer help unprompted. Her home was unsuitable for human habitation, but if humans insisted on coming, she did not object. If they wanted to learn her Sage Arts, she did not object to that, either. If they died practicing, that was none of her concern.
It was all about letting things take their course!
Compared