Sage Cursed Seal

"Now that's some skill, isn't it?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu stared at Chukichi after the surgery and let out a string of exclamations.

After the operation, Chukichi looked like a completely different person. He had gone from short and stocky to tall and slender, and his round face had become long.

Even if he went into the village, no one would recognize him as long as he didn't use his signature jutsu.

But Chukichi was still under anesthesia and had no idea what he looked like now.

"This is the power of science!"

Amachi said with a smug smile.

He had once been Orochimaru's right-hand man. Half of the human modification surgeries at the base had been performed by him.

Not bad!

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded.

With this, Chukichi's identity was protected. Even if he strolled openly into Kirigakure, no one would suspect a thing.

"That's not all!"

Amachi pushed up his glasses. "I also modified his body to make it more flexible and resilient, and added an underwater breathing system. He's now capable of amphibious combat."

He had already received the first installment of the funding Hōzuki Mangetsu had sent, so it was only natural to return the favor.

Modifying Chukichi had taken a great deal of effort.

In truth, Amachi was a research fanatic, much like Orochimaru. He had no interest in anything besides experimentation and research.

Now that Orochimaru had abandoned him, Hōzuki Mangetsu had the perfect opportunity to recruit him. After all, he was short on medical talent.

"Here's the data on the Cursed Seal you wanted."

Amachi pulled out a scroll and handed it to Hōzuki Mangetsu.

He had also been involved in Orochimaru's Cursed Seal research and had obtained most of the research data, though he didn't understand the core principles behind the seals.

If Orochimaru had shown him no loyalty, then Amachi owed him none either.

It was a good deal to use this secret to get Hōzuki Mangetsu to fund his research.

Hōzuki Mangetsu opened the scroll, looked over the experimental data, and smiled.

As a transmigrator, he knew Orochimaru's Cursed Seal technique very well.

It was an energy vessel Orochimaru had developed to find suitable vessels for Senjutsu training. It was created by combining Jugo's bodily fluids with Orochimaru's Chakra and Sealing Jutsu.

Jugo had been born with the ability to practice Senjutsu. Unfortunately, he often went berserk after absorbing too much Natural Energy.

That was why he had willingly joined Orochimaru.

There was no denying that Orochimaru was a genius in the field of research.

After failing to learn Senjutsu, he had used Jugo's body and his own vast knowledge to develop an imperfect form of Senjutsu: the Cursed Seal.

In truth, the Cursed Seal transformation was a weakened version of Sage Mode. Though it couldn't match the original Sage Mode, it was still formidable.

After conducting experiments for a long time, Orochimaru had finally developed two relatively stable Cursed Seals: the Heaven Cursed Seal and the Earth Cursed Seal.

Even this imperfect form of Senjutsu could multiply a person's strength in an instant.

Now...

A smile appeared on Hōzuki Mangetsu's lips.

With this technique, he could fully equip his subordinates. It put a great strain on the body, but it was still one of the most powerful power-ups in the early days of Naruto.

The Cursed Seal was complete!

Hōzuki Mangetsu wiped the sweat from his face and looked with satisfaction at his handiwork, a smile playing on his lips.

As a transmigrator, he had long known how the Cursed Seal was made. Now that he also had Amachi's research data, all he had to do was follow the instructions.

Bodily fluids, drugs, Chakra, and Sealing Jutsu formulas—combine them in the right proportions, and the result was the Cursed Seal.

After developing it, Hōzuki Mangetsu's first test subject was Chukichi, who was asleep before him.

The experiment went smoothly. Chukichi had fused with the Cursed Seal while unconscious.

The Hōzuki Mangetsu version of the Cursed Seal had officially been created.

"You really recreated it?"

Amachi stared at Chukichi, whose body had transformed under the Cursed Seal, and felt a chill run down his scalp.

He had always thought Orochimaru stood at the pinnacle of research, but he hadn't expected Hōzuki Mangetsu to be just as capable.

As Orochimaru's former right-hand man, Amachi knew how Orochimaru had conducted his research. But he hadn't understood the core principles, so he had never been able to unravel the secrets of the Cursed Seal.

Over the years, he had secretly conducted experiments, hoping to reproduce Orochimaru's Cursed Seal technique, but every attempt had failed.

Although he had given Hōzuki Mangetsu the experimental data, he hadn't believed for a second that he could succeed.

But the facts proved him wrong. Hōzuki Mangetsu had reverse-engineered Orochimaru's Cursed Seal technique using nothing but his notes.

A genius?

Amachi stared blankly at Hōzuki Mangetsu, a jumble of emotions flashing in his eyes.

Hōzuki Mangetsu's abilities had shaken him. He had begun seriously considering how he might work with him.

After all, Orochimaru had cast him aside, and he needed a new patron. Hōzuki Mangetsu was young, but he had demonstrated impressive strength, and Amachi was starting to feel tempted.

"The technique is excellent, but unfortunately, there's still one huge risk."

Amachi pushed up his glasses and spoke unhurriedly.

Really?

Hōzuki Mangetsu looked at Amachi with displeasure.

He had based his calculations on this experimental data. How could anything go wrong?

Amachi smiled faintly. "The reason Orochimaru dared to place Cursed Seals on his subordinates was that he was powerful enough to handle them. Even if they transformed, they still wouldn't be a match for him. But..."

He shot Hōzuki Mangetsu a chilling sidelong glance. "You're a capable shinobi, but this test subject is no weaker than you. Once he gains the power of the Cursed Seal, why would he willingly follow your orders?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu froze. That really was a problem.

Orochimaru had carefully raised Sasuke and given him the Heaven Cursed Seal. In the end, Sasuke had still turned against him.

Hōzuki Mangetsu wasn't as powerful as Orochimaru yet. It was better to be cautious now than regret it later. He couldn't afford to overlook this.

If he ended up with a traitor like Sasuke on his hands, he'd be in trouble.

"What do you think we should do, Mr. Amachi?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu humbly asked for his advice.

After all, anyone who had become Orochimaru's right-hand man must have had a few tricks up his sleeve.

The word "Mr." brought a smile to Amachi's face.

It was a good start, after all.

"Actually, we can add a little Illusionary Technique to it."

Amachi spoke unhurriedly.

Illusionary Technique?

Hōzuki Mangetsu blinked.

Could an Illusionary Technique really be incorporated into a Cursed Seal? He had never heard of that before.

"Illusionary Technique is a special kind of jutsu. Or perhaps it doesn't belong to ninjutsu at all—it's a unique art in its own right."

Amachi pushed up his glasses and continued at length. "When discussing Illusionary Technique, we have to mention the mysterious substance known as Chakra. According to the accounts passed down over time, Chakra is a new kind of energy produced by combining spiritual energy with physical energy. People can expend Chakra to perform ninjutsu, harming others and protecting themselves. In short, Chakra is used for combat. The Shinobi World seems to have accepted this idea, too. But after years of research, I've reached a different conclusion. Chakra is actually a bridge that connects people to one another."