Orochimaru keeps looking at him, and it doesn’t matter that Itachi turned away. He looks at the hair, at his profile, at how muscled and healthy Itachi has become. And under the clothes, lies the permanent mark.
“The mark I gave you is commonly called a ‘Cursed Seal’, but its official denotation is the Heaven Seal. I have been wanting to give you this for a long time.”

Cursed would be the correct word, yes.
But Itachi still does not give Orochimaru an answer. He has to maintain a careful balance, now. Too many negative feelings on the surface, and the seal happily eats at his chakra, and Itachi likes being in control.
Yet still, Itachi cannot force himself to pretend their dynamic is the same. It would be disingenuous anyways… with how angry he’s been thus far. Orochimaru did not ask permission. Orochimaru did not explain what would happen to his body. The violation of Itachi’s trust he so willingly gave– and thought he had in return…
Itachi shoos the hand away infront of him, and deigns to leave the room again.














