While Jūgo initially appeared quite bloodthirsty, Karin noted that this was only common behavior when he was enraged; Jūgo himself didn't want to kill anyone. Jūgo's fits of rage are random, and thus, the reason why he willingly remains confined. The only reason he agreed to go with Sasuke is because he views Sasuke as the only person capable of preventing him from killing people while enraged, by the means of killer intent or the Sharingan. Before Sasuke, it was Kimimaro who kept Jūgo in check, and as Kimimaro was the only person Jūgo came into any contact with, the two grew close. After hearing that Kimimaro sacrificed his life to deliver Sasuke to Orochimaru, Jūgo believes that Kimimaro's spirit continues to live on in Sasuke. Suigetsu couldn't stand Jūgo at first, and commented that one of the reasons he had to retrieve the Kubikiribōchō was because of him. Karin noted that Jūgo is mentally unstable, a view confirmed when Jūgo was muttering to himself over who he would kill next, which he would determine by gender. While discussing Sasuke Uchiha's team with the other members of Akatsuki, Pain referred to Jūgo as Jūgo of the Scales (天秤の重吾, Tenpin no Jūgo; Viz "Bipolar Jugo"), referencing his dual personality.After defeating Orochimaru, and recruiting Suigetsu and Karin, Sasuke Uchiha travelled to Orochimaru's North Base, to recruit Jūgo. Initially unwilling to join forces with Sasuke, Jūgo tapped into his Cursed Seal, but was then frightened into releasing it by Sasuke's killer intent. He then joined the newly formed Hebi in their mission to hunt down and kill Akatsuki's Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother.
Jūgo would later discover multiple hidden bases belonging to the Akatsuki, where Sasuke confronted a clone of Itachi in one of them, who challenged Sasuke to meet him at the Uchiha clan stronghold. Jūgo remained behind with the other members of Hebi and Kisame Hoshigaki as Sasuke confronted Itachi.
