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Since the optic nerve was undamaged, there was room for potential treatment.
The problem likely lay with the eye itself.
Midorima re-examined Garaga's eyeball and the surrounding tissue. His final diagnosis was that blood vessels around the eye had ruptured, causing significant internal bleeding. The blood had coagulated, adhering to the eyeball and the inner socket, and this injury was indeed impairing Garaga's vision.
After a thorough examination, Midorima relayed the findings to Garaga.
Garaga didn't fully understand, so Midorima gave him the bottom line. "There's a chance your eye could regain sight, but it would require surgery."
"If you can truly do it, then I'll acknowledge you," Garaga said, flicking out his tongue.
Although they had formed a contract, Garaga's wariness towards humans hadn't lessened.
His agreement to Midorima's terms wasn't born of trust but of circumstance.
Midorima turned to Jūgo, signaling him to patrol the perimeter and ensure no one approached.
After all, this was surgery. Any disturbance could have severe consequences.
Additionally, Midorima wanted to test his Mangekyō Sharingan ability, "Shunkan," in this context.
This technique, when activated, could sever biological matter. As long as the severed tissue was reconnected before the technique's effect ended, it wouldn't cause permanent harm to the subject.
Of course, this was merely a space-time ninjutsu. The actual healing would rely on his medical ninjutsu. However, "Shunkan" facilitated the procedure. For example, he could use it to neatly open Garaga's eye socket, then proceed with the chakra scalpel to clear the clotted blood.
But clearing the blood clots was just the beginning. He still had to repair the atrophied, even ruptured, blood vessels.
This was extremely challenging. Surgeries involving vascular repair were never simple, especially in such proximity to the eye.
Once Midorima began the procedure, Garaga felt a peculiar "coolness" in his blinded eye but couldn't pinpoint its source. His other eye was on the opposite side, so he couldn't even see Midorima performing the surgery.
However, this cool sensation soon faded. Throughout the subsequent surgery, his left eye lost all sensation, becoming completely numb to any pain on that side of his face.
Was he actually trying to heal it?
Garaga's mind was full of questions. His suspicion of Midorima remained undiminished, but he dared not move—if Midorima failed to heal the wound properly, he'd likely blame Garaga's fidgeting.
Humans were all like that.
Always making excuses for their failures!
So, if this human made things worse, Garaga would have every reason to eat him.
The serpent seethed inwardly.
But the intense battle with this man had left him weary. Lying prone and unable to move also bred boredom. Unnoticed, drowsiness crept over him.
Midorima was unaware that Garaga had dozed off during the surgery. He remained wholly focused, meticulously treating the eye while continuously maintaining the "Shunkan" state.
He remembered that Obito, with a single eye, could only sustain "Kamui" for five minutes.
Of course, "Shunkan" chakra consumption couldn't compare to "Kamui," since "Kamui" literally created a separate dimension.
However, even with a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, maintaining "Shunkan" for extended periods still drained a tremendous amount of chakra.
The entire surgery lasted six hours. Midorima even had to spend two hours in the middle resting and recovering chakra.
When the surgery concluded, Midorima let out a long sigh of relief. He needed a full half-hour's rest before his spirits revived.
Just then, Jūgo, who had been watching from a distance, saw Midorima stand and hurried over, carrying a woven basket.
"What is it?"
"Nothing… earlier, Tagitsuhime brought some food. She told me to give it to you once you'd rested…" Jūgo handed the bamboo basket to Midorima.
"Food?" Midorima took the basket, an uneasy premonition suddenly flashing through his mind.
When Naruto went to Mount Myōboku, he dealt with insects daily. While they were indeed protein-rich, eating bugs every day required great fortitude—though he might have adapted to life there, becoming a full-fledged "bug enthusiast" who forgot what ramen even was.
The Ryūchi Cave probably didn't serve insects, right?
No, no. Snakes don't eat insects; they eat meat. The most common prey would be… mice…
Suddenly, the muscles in Midorima's face stiffened. He swallowed hard, nervously lifting the cloth covering the basket. A neat row of mice lay inside.
Seriously? Even if it's mice, shouldn't they at least be skinned?
"Jūgo… do you want to eat these?" Midorima handed the basket back to Jūgo.
Jūgo licked his lips. "You really don't want any?"
"Just give me two military ration pills."
Midorima extended his hand, thinking that once actual training began, he'd have to prepare his own food.
Jūgo handed over the pills and quickly scurried off with the basket.
Garaga opened his eyes, looking around in surprise. When his gaze met Midorima's, he saw the man waving at him.
"Your vision won't be fully restored yet; things will still appear blurry for a while. Right now, you need to rest to allow the blood vessels to heal. Also, some of the clotted blood has been absorbed by the eye tissue, so you might see a red spot in certain parts of your field of view," Midorima explained, walking over to stand beside the formidable serpent.
"No… it's fine. This is already much better," Garaga said, deliberately lowering his head to bring it closer to Midorima. "It's hard for me to describe what I'm feeling inside… My experience tells me humans are not to be trusted."
"True," Midorima nodded. "In this world, untrustworthy people far outnumber the trustworthy. Moreover, even the most untrustworthy person can become utterly reliable under specific circumstances. Conversely, someone always dependable can become unreliable because of certain events. But everyone needs someone they can trust with their back. I don't want to end up with nothing in the end."
Midorima gently touched the tip of Garaga's snout. "Will you help me? Even if the enemies we face in the future are overwhelmingly powerful."
"I'm not afraid, and I won't trust you blindly. But I'll keep watching you, to see how far you grow," Garaga replied.
"Bragging. If you weren't afraid of dying, would you have formed a contract with me?" Midorima shot Garaga a look of mild disdain.
"That's because it wasn't worth it. Think about it—a serpent as renowned as me, starving to death trapped in mud? How utterly humiliating would that be?" Garaga turned his head away, ignoring Midorima.
Midorima stretched his limbs. "When I summon you in the future, put in some extra effort."
After receiving Garaga's affirmative grunt, Midorima's gaze turned toward the distance.
The matter with Garaga was settled. Next, they could finally begin formal Sage training, right?
*****
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