Don't be fooled by how, in the original story, a whole bunch of people used the Sharingan like a USB drive—plugging it in and pulling it out as if it were a joke. In reality, surgery involving the eyes was highly technical, especially when the patient was not a ninja, but an ordinary civilian child.
Of course…
considering that people in the ninja world were basically built like plants, even a five-year-old child had cellular activity several times higher than a child of the same age on Earth. So as long as the surgeon's skills were solid, the success rate was not too low.
At once, the three of them discussed several key risk points for a while and finally settled on a surgical plan.
Hebishi put away the diagrams and let out a long breath.
"That's basically everything we need to consider. I'll go prepare the instruments and medicine. Yuu, Rin, go calm the child down. For the surgery to succeed, we'll need his cooperation."
"Alright."
After Hebishi left,
Yuu and Rin stood up and turned toward the corner. There, Yakushi Kabuto—or rather, "Inumaru"—was sitting quietly on a small stool, both hands placed on his knees. His small body was perfectly upright, and his eyes looked somewhat hollow.
Rin walked over, crouched down, and softened her voice.
"Inumaru, tomorrow we're going to do a small surgery on your eyes. Um… it might feel a little uncomfortable, but after it's done, you'll be able to see much more clearly than you do now. Are you willing to cooperate with us?"
"…"
Kabuto did not speak. He only nodded gently.
"Then, are you scared? If you're scared, you can say it. Big Sister and Big Brother will think of a way to help you."
Rin asked again.
Kabuto was silent for two seconds, then shook his head.
"Good boy."
Rin smiled and stroked Kabuto's hair. He remained quietly seated in place, like a little puppy.
Yuu stood at the side, watching this scene, and said softly, "This little guy listens to you pretty well."
"Mm."
Rin nodded and lifted her head with a smile.
"I didn't notice much before, but this child is actually very smart. He understands everything. He just doesn't like talking very much. He feels… a little like Kakashi when he was young."
"Kakashi?"
Yuu froze slightly, then understood.
True.
When Kakashi was young, he had always looked mature beyond his years. After suffering the blow of his father's suicide, he became even more dispirited and silent. That trait of hiding all emotions beneath a calm exterior did indeed resemble the Kabuto before them somewhat.
As for the adult Yakushi Kabuto…
his image was closer to a disguise. After all, he was someone who could act as a triple agent.
"By the way, Rin."
Yuu looked at Kabuto, who had been soothed, and spoke again.
"After this surgery is done, I'm planning to leave camp for a few days."
"Hm? Did you receive a new mission? Are Obito and I going too?"
Rin froze for a moment.
"No. It's a personal action. I'll be gone for about a week, to the border of the Land of Wind."
Yuu paused. "Before I leave, there's something I want to give you."
"Eh? Give me? Is it a gift?"
Rin was a little surprised. Then sudden joy appeared on her face. Her fair little face flushed slightly under the lamplight, and her light chestnut eyes widened as much as they could, blinking as she looked at Yuu.
"What is it?"
Yuu smiled and raised one finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture.
"A secret."
What Yuu wanted to give her was a Seed of Vitality.
In his plan, two of those five Seeds of Vitality were meant to be planted in Mikami Tajima and his wife. One was already inside himself. As for the remaining two, he had originally planned to keep them in reserve for emergencies. But if it was Rin, planting one in her was fine.
In any case, even if he did not plant one now, sooner or later, one of them would have to be used on Rin.
At once,
Yuu did not directly reveal the existence of the Seed of Vitality.
Although Rin was curious, she did not continue asking.
Kabuto's surgery took place the next afternoon.
Hebishi was the chief surgeon.
Yuu and Rin assisted from the side.
Since Tsunade could not personally operate due to her hemophobia, Hebishi was basically one of the most outstanding medical ninja in Konoha's medical team. Yuu, meanwhile, was Tsunade's prized student and a genius who had "mastered" the Mystical Palm Technique in just a few months. Add Rin to that…
It could be called a top-tier lineup.
After the anesthetic was injected, Hebishi used a chakra scalpel to cut the skin at the corner of Kabuto's eye. With Yuu and Rin's cooperation, she separated, repaired, reset, and micro-sutured the displaced nerves… Every step was carried out precisely according to the optimized plan.
"Disinfection…"
"Hemostasis…"
"Observe vital signs…"
After the series of operations, when Hebishi finally covered Kabuto's eyes with gentle Mystical Palm chakra and carefully wrapped them in disinfected gauze, her tense shoulders finally relaxed. Yuu and Rin also let out breaths of relief at the same time.
"The retina was reset well. No obvious damage or rejection reaction was found. For now, there shouldn't be any problem…"
Hebishi let out a long breath and said, somewhat tiredly, "We've done everything we can. Next, it depends on the recovery period. Yuu, Rin, take him down to rest. Pay attention and observe him. If anything abnormal happens, call me in time—or the two of you should be able to handle it as well."
"Alright."
Yuu and Rin answered, then began cleaning up the medical instruments used in the surgery.
Kabuto, his eyes covered, fumbled as he sat up from the bed. Just as he tried to get down, Rin supported him from the side.
"Be careful. Take it slowly."
The little boy remained silent. Rin led him down from the bed, and he took small steps toward a nearby sickbed. With the gauze covering his eyes, his expression could not be seen. Only that extraordinary quietness remained.
Rin quickly settled Kabuto onto the sickbed and carefully tucked in the corners of his blanket.
Yuu watched this scene from the side, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Speaking of which…"
In the original timeline, before Yakushi Kabuto entered Konoha's orphanage, he had always been alone and helpless. Yakushi Nonō was the first person to give him a name and warmth, which was why he saw her as his mother. In a certain sense, it was the embodiment of an "imprinting" complex.
But now, he and Rin had intervened in Kabuto's fate ahead of time. They had not only saved him, but also helped treat his eyes. Add to that Rin's personality, which had a somewhat maternal quality…
Could it be that this time, he would see Nohara Rin as his "mother"?
If that happened, the future trajectory would become rather strange…