I Really Want to Beat Him to Death!

Seeing the conflicted look on Houka's face and the faint struggle in his expression, Orochimaru smiled with his eyes. "Houka-kun?"

Houka snapped out of it as if waking from a dream. "Ah, oh... then... shall we give it a try?"

Houka was really not fond of Orochimaru's cursed seals, mainly because activating one changed the user's appearance.

Like Uchiha Sasuke in the original story—when he activated his cursed seal, fleshy wings resembling hands had actually sprouted from his back. Just looking at them was nauseating.

As a seasoned member of the Appearance Committee, Houka could not accept that. But not accepting it did not mean he had no way to deal with the cursed seal.

The last time Orochimaru had planted the Cursed Seal of Heaven in Haku, hadn't he removed the thing in the end with Yakushi Nonō's help?

With Haku's case as a precedent, even without Yakushi Nonō this time, Houka could remove the cursed seal on his own!

I'll just treat it like a tattoo.

Houka comforted himself a couple of times, then stepped forward like a righteous martyr, bravely offering himself up.

Orochimaru showed not the slightest tenderness and ruthlessly left a clear Cursed Seal of Heaven on Houka's fair neck.

"Houka-kun, how does it feel?" Orochimaru watched him with a smiling expression, expectation glinting in his eyes.

Houka closed his eyes and carefully sensed the Cursed Seal of Heaven on his neck.

There seemed to be some living thing hidden within the cursed seal, stirring restlessly. It also resembled dry kindling, ready to erupt into flame at the first spark.

Houka slowly activated the cursed seal. In an instant, it gave off a scorching aura, flowing over the surface of his body like magma. A burning agony immediately spread outward from the cursed seal at