Chapter 121: Cursed Seal
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"Tsunade," Orochimaru greeted, his grin widening, a mix of mockery and genuine intrigue coloring his tone. "Long time no see."
The tension in the air thickened palpably, the stakes of the encounter rising with the arrival of the legendary Sannin. Horyu, despite the pain racking his body, couldn't help but feel a morbid fascination at the unfolding scene. Here he was, a mere freshly promoted Chunin, caught in the crossfire of titans, his fate hanging by a thread.
Tsunade's response was a sharp, piercing glare, her disgust for the man before her palpable. "Orochimaru," she said, her voice cold and steady, "Your depravity knows no bounds."
Orochimaru merely chuckled, seemingly unfazed. "Always so harsh, Tsunade. And here I thought you'd be pleased to see an old teammate."
Horyu watched the exchange, a part of him analyzing the dynamics, another part reeling from the cursed seal's effects. He knew he was out of his depth, yet the absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on him. 'From one fucked-up situation to another. Just my luck,' he thought bitterly.
Tsunade's focus shifted from Orochimaru to Horyu, her brows knitting together as she took in his condition. "This is what you resort to, Orochimaru? Corrupting the young?"
Orochimaru's smirk was all the answer she received, his amusement at the situation clear. "Merely encouraging potential," he retorted smoothly.
Horyu tried to push himself up, refusing to appear completely helpless in front of his adversaries and allies alike. The effort was Herculean, his body rebelling every inch of the way. The damned seal,' he cursed inwardly, his gaze hardening.
Kurenai, her eyes filled with concern, moved as if to assist him, but Tsunade raised a hand, stopping her. "Let me," Tsunade said, her voice carrying the authority of a seasoned medic-nin. She knelt beside Horyu, her hands glowing with a green, healing chakra. As she placed her hands over the seal, Horyu felt a slight alleviation of the pain, a small mercy in the sea of his torment.
Orochimaru, watching the exchange, tilted his head, curiosity apparent. "How touching. The legendary healer in action. But tell me, Tsunade, can you truly remove my seal?"
The question hung in the air, a challenge laid bare. Tsunade's expression remained focused, her attention on mitigating the cursed seal's effects. "Your tricks are as vile as ever, Orochimaru. But you underestimate the will of those you mark."
Horyu, feeling a modicum of relief under Tsunade's skilled hands, couldn't help but snort. 'Yeah, underestimate my ass. This thing fucking hurts.' Despite the situation, his inherent sarcasm refused to be quelled, a coping mechanism in the face of overwhelming odds.
Tsunade's treatment continued, her brow furrowed in concentration as she worked to mitigate the cursed seal's corrosive influence on Horyu. Despite her legendary skills in medical ninjutsu, the seal, a vile concoction of Orochimaru's making, proved stubbornly resistant. Around them, the forest seemed to hold its breath, the tension palpable in the air.
As Tsunade's chakra flowed into him, Horyu felt the System blaring alerts in his vision, an intrusive cascade of messages that seemed to dissect his current predicament with clinical precision:
[System Notification: Alert! Cursed Seal detected. Analysis complete.
Debuff: Chakra Restriction. Current chakra capacity is reduced by 30%.
Buff: When activated, Cursed Seal enhances physical strength and speed but reduces cognitive functions. Chakra capacity increases by 50%.
New Perk Acquired: Berserker. Activation increases combat aggression but decreases critical thinking abilities.
Cursed Seal Status: Level 1 - Initial Seal. Control Percentage: 10%. Warning: Increasing control percentage may lead to unpredictable side effects.
Level Progression:
Cursed Seal Activation
Cursed Transformation
Free Transformation
Nature Chakra Transformation
Alert! Alert! Foreign soul piece detected within the cursed seal. Initiating isolation protocol...]
Horyu, despite the pain and the dire situation, couldn't help but let out a muffled, "Well, shit," at the deluge of information flooding his vision. The idea of a 'Berserker' perk sounded like something straight out of a bad action novel, yet here it was, a new, dangerous reality he had to contend with. The notion that part of Orochimaru's soul might be mingling with his own was even more disturbing, prompting a visceral reaction of disgust and fury.
Tsunade's chakra pulsed again, stronger this time, her fingers moving with precise, practiced motions over the darkened skin of the cursed seal. "This will take time," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else, "The seal is deeply embedded, intertwining with his chakra system in a way that's... insidious."
Orochimaru watched the scene unfold with an interest that bordered on academics. "Ah, Tsunade, always so dramatic. The boy will be fine... or not. The seal does have its... quirks."
Horyu, grappling with the influx of system notifications and the physical reality of Tsunade's healing efforts, felt a surge of defiance. The seal, with its debuffs and the newly acquired 'Berserker' perk, represented a challenge, one he was not about to back down from. 'Control percentage, huh? Let's see how you like being bent to my will,' he thought, a stubborn streak of rebellion lighting up within him.
As the System isolated the foreign soul piece, a wave of disorientation washed over Horyu, a sensation akin to being pulled in two directions at once. He gritted his teeth, focusing on Tsunade's chakra as a lifeline, a beacon in the stormy sea of the cursed seal's influence.
[System Notification: Foreign soul piece isolation successful. Initiating containment protocol.]
As Horyu let out a scream and fell to the ground, the cursed seal spread from his shoulder across his body. The shape of the seal was like flame embers, spreading all over his body, each mark burning into him with an intensity that felt like his very blood was aflame. Hinata, her face etched with worry, rushed to Horyu's side, but another figure landed next to Orochimaru, drawing everyone's attention.
Horyu, despite the agonizing pain, forced his eyes open and used Observe on the new arrival.
[System Notification:
Target: Sasori (inside Hiruko puppet)
Level: ?????
Chakra: ?????
Strength: ?????
Intelligence: ?????
Agility: ?????
Stamina: ????]
'I was right when I thought it was either Orochimaru or Sasori, but never thought they would both be here as allies,' Horyu thought grimly, the realization doing nothing to ease the sharp, biting pain of the cursed seal that now seemed to be carving its way deeper into his flesh.
Hinata kneeled beside him, her hands hovering hesitantly, wanting to help but unsure how. "Horyu, hold on. Tsunade-sama is here; she'll know what to do," she said, her voice a soft whisper of hope amidst the chaos.
Sasori looked at Horyu and the others then said to Orochimaru, "Time to go." Orochimaru nodded, his gaze lingering on Horyu with a mix of amusement and anticipation. "Come and find me when you need power, Uchiha Horyu," he said, his voice echoing with a sinister promise. His initial plan had been to kidnap Horyu, but Tsunade's arrival forced a change in tactics. Marking Horyu was a compromise, a way to ensure he would come into his orbit eventually.
Horyu, still writhing in agony on the ground, managed to catch Orochimaru's words through the haze of pain. 'Need power, my ass,' he thought bitterly, the sentiment a silent vow of defiance against the sannin's manipulation.
As Orochimaru and Sasori retreated, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, Tsunade's attention returned to Horyu, her chakra intensifying as she fought against the cursed seal's spread. Hinata, kneeling beside him, looked on helplessly, her byakugan activated in a futile attempt to understand the chakra malformation that tormented him.
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