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Throughout theNarutoseries, Sasuke Uchiha has undergone several evolutions, along with receiving multiple power-ups. The most intriguing of Sasuke’s evolutions was his Curse Mark, a significant power amp that was given to him by Orochimaruduring the Chunin exams. Despite being a curse of sorts, the Curse Mark became a great source of power for Sasuke, allowing him to rival Naruto’s strength with the Nine-Tails.
InNaruto Shippuden, however, the Curse Mark was removed from Sasuke’s arsenal, which served as a major nerf for his overall power level. While he was eventually able to regain his strength with the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, along with the Rinnegan, possessing the Curse Mark would have potentially amplified Sasuke’s power to an even greater level. While there is no denying that the Curse Mark’s power comes with grave disadvantages, it could have also given Sasuke a greater outlet of power.
Air Date
Jun 22, 2025
Known asthe Cursed Seal of Heaven, the Curse Mark is a sort of sealing technique that Orochimaru had perfected as a means to grant his followers more power. By biting the neck of his victim, Orochimaru can implant a Curse Mark, one that binds the target to Orochimaru in a way. The name might suggest that the Curse Mark is a power that has more of a negative effect on the victim, especially since they are bound to Orochimaru, yet the seal also grants the target an immense power boost. The Curse Mark grants its users a higher base chakra, increased physical prowess, and an increase in efficacy in their ninjutsu.
Moreover, the Curse Mark is aresult of senjutsu accumulation, meaning that the curse mark doubles as a sort of Sage Mode, since it grants its users senjutsu chakra. The curse mark has many intricacies, as it is reliant on the user’s will to use it. If its power is not tapped into, the curse mark will become dormant over time. However, if the user willingly taps into the Curse Mark’s power, it will grow stronger, as in the case of Sasuke, whose curse mark grew to the second stage after he gave himself into the seal’s power. The Curse Mark acts as a soul binder for Orochimaru, meaning as long as there is a Curse Mark on an individual somewhere out there in the world, Orochimaru can never truly die.
Sasuke’s Potential Strength With the Curse Mark
The Curse Mark Could Offer Sasuke Several Benefits
While Sasuke may have lost his Curse Mark after Itachi sealed away Orochimaruin his Yata Mirror, Sasuke gained a number of other power-ups that made up for the loss of his Curse Mark. With the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and Rinnegan in his possession, Sasuke, by the end of theNarutoseries, is already a powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with.
However, adding thepower of the Curse Markto Sasuke’s endgame power levels would possibly deem him the strongest shinobi inShippuden. Since the Curse Mark provides a number of benefits, some that even synergize well with his current powers, boasting the Curse Mark would have definitely made Sasuke stronger by multiple folds.
Sasuke Wouldn’t Run Out Of Chakra That Easily
Arguably the biggest drawback to Sasuke possessing the Rinnegan and the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan is the immensestrain on his chakra reserves. Both of these dojutsu are incredibly chakra-demanding, and even a single ability through either of these dojutsu results in a major loss of chakra for Sasuke. While the Mangekyou Sharingan is Sasuke’s own Kekkei Genkai, therefore his body is accustomed to the constant chakra drainage of this dojutsu.
However, the strain on his chakra by using the Rinnegan is quite profound, especially since it is a borrowed power given to him by theSage of Six Paths. Each instance of usage of the Rinnegan ability fatigues Sasuke significantly, and this is evident throughoutBoruto, as using the Rinnegan’s interdimensional travel renders Sasuke incapacitated for some time. With the Curse Mark, however, Sasuke’s chakra drainage would no longer be a major problem.
Since the Curse Mark expands the user’s chakra pool by a considerable margin, Sasuke would have much more chakra to tap intoto use his Mangekyo Sharinganand Rinnegan. While it is pertinent to note that the curse mark also continuously drains chakra while being active, the increase in base chakra that it offers makes up for the minimum chakra drainage in the backdrop.
Sasuke Would Have Access to Senjutsu
When comparingSasuke and Naruto’s power scaling, both characters are almost at an equal level, though Naruto has an edge over Sasuke due to his Sage Mode. Senjutsu is a significant asset for any shinobi, as even the Rinnegan fails to counter any technique that is imbued with Senjutsu Chakra. Despite being an all-powerful shinobi with god-like powers, Sasuke still lacks this Sage Mode in his arsenal. However, having the curse mark would mitigate this issue for Sasuke, as he could tap into the seal’s power to imbue his techniques with Senjutsu Chakra.
Originally, Jugo’s curse seal is Senjutsu. When I tried to inject Jugo’s chakra into him as an experiment, Sasuke was indeed able to release the seal’s power.
Duringthe Fourth Great Ninja War, fans got to witness Sasuke’s Susanoo donning a curse mark sign, allowing Sasuke to imbue his technique with Senjutsu Chakra. However, this was only due to Jugo imbuing his power into Sasuke’s Susanoo. While this scene was able to give Jugo a shining moment during the war arc, it would have had an even bigger impact if Sasuke himself had the curse mark to imbue his Susanoo with Senjutsu Chakra. If Sasuke had never lost his curse mark, he could have easily fought Obito and Madara in their Ten-Tails forms, along with defeating Naruto in a one-on-one battle.
The Drawbacks of Possessing the Curse Mark
Using the Curse Mark Is Accompanied By a Few Drawbacks
While Sasuke still donning the Cursed Mark would have granted him a considerable power boost and a plethora of new abilities, it’s also worth considering the drawbacks and side effects that would have come about due to this power. The foremost problem with tapping into the Curse Mark’s power is that if the user’s own chakra runs out, the Curse Mark will take over their body. This was witnessed inSasuke and Itachi’s battle, as Orochimaru was able to slither out of Sasuke’s Curse Mark after he had depleted his entire chakra reserves.
If Sasuke were to have kept his Cursed Mark, this major drawback would have been ever-present, especially since his Rinnegan and Mangekyo Sharingan can be quite chakra-demanding. Moreover, Orochimaru’s soul would have been permanently bound to Sasuke, meaning he could witness all of Sasuke’s actions through the Curse Seal. This would potentially be a major security concern forthe Hidden Leaf Village, since Orochimaru is already kept under strict check and surveillance in the Boruto series.
Lastly, the Curse Mark is a power that thrives on negative energy and giving oneself into darkness. The only reason Sasuke was able to tap into the Curse Mark’s power to such an extent was due to his hatred for Itachi and his hunger for revenge. Due to his grim sentiments and willingness to go to any length to seek vengeance, Sasuke was able to make the most out of the Curse Mark. However, donning the Cursed Mark even after his redemption would make no sense, since it would be a liability that could potentially push him towards the dark side once more. While the Cursed Mark presents a number of drawbacks to Sasuke, there is no denying that it offers a great deal of power, meaningSasuke would be leagues abovehis current power levels if he still kept his Curse Mark.
