After taking over the snake uncle's foundation, Sasuke came to surrender on his own initiative.

Chapter 265 Inheritance

An abandoned orphanage in the Land of Rain was covered in vines, its broken windows framing a gray sky. Kabuto crouched before the rusty iron gate, his fingertips brushing against the faint incisions carved into the panel—the word "home" he had carved with the orphans as a child, its edges still etched with the gentle curves of Nono's teacher's touch. The medical badge in his pocket pressed against his palm, and pale green medical chakra flowed through his fingertips, attempting to repair a crack in the orphanage's wall. But as they touched a wisp of black poisonous mist, they suddenly trembled violently.

"I never thought Orochimaru's 'abandoned child' would return to such a shabby place to reminisce." A sinister laugh echoed from behind the wall, and three dark figures shot out. Their poisonous blades glowed purple-black, and their chakra was coated with the familiar snake-scale curse seal. They were Orochimaru's former subordinates, the "Three Poison Ninjas," who specialized in hunting down test subjects who had escaped his control. "Today, your body will be used to commemorate Orochimaru-sama's curse seal!"

Kabuto's snake pupils suddenly constricted, and the cursed lines on his arm instantly heated up. The first wave of the poison ninja's attack arrived. The instant the poison blades sliced ​​through the air, a black toxic mist spread, instantly withering any grass it touched. He instinctively stepped back, his medical chakra forming a barrier before him, but the toxic mist corroded tiny holes in it—this was Orochimaru's specially crafted "Heart Corruption Poison," capable of penetrating the heart through chakra. It was the same toxin that had nearly killed Nono.

"Heart-Corrupting Poison... You're courting death!" Kabuto's voice was laced with suppressed fury. His Snake Style chakra suddenly surged, swirling a lavender hue around him, only to falter again upon contact with the poisonous mist. Memories suddenly flooded back: when he was ten, Nono held him, poisoned, kneeling in the pouring rain, using her own healing chakra to absorb the poison. Tears streaming down her pale face, she said, "Kou must live, and become a healer who can save lives." When he was fifteen, he was coerced by Orochimaru into poisoning Nono, watching his teacher writhe in agony on his hospital bed, yet he lacked the courage to even approach.

"What? You don't dare to attack?" The leading poison ninja sneered and swung his poison blade again, aiming at a little girl behind the orphanage door - that was the orphan Kabuto had just found hiding in the closet, who looked very much like himself back then. "You're just like Orochimaru, both of you monsters who only know how to use poison. Why are you pretending to be a doctor?"

"I'm not a monster!" Kabuto's roar echoed through the orphanage, his snake-like kaleidoscope suddenly lighting up, scales swirling wildly within his crimson pupils. He lunged forward, shielding the little girl with his body. A deep gash opened on his back from the poisonous blade, and black poisonous mist seeped into the wound. Amidst the excruciating pain, Nono's voice suddenly echoed in his mind: "Kabuto, medicine isn't about revenge, it's about protection—even if your opponent is evil, don't let hatred stain your hands."

The pale green healing chakra suddenly became incredibly pure, interweaving with the crimson energy of the snake's pupils to form a two-toned film of light. Kabuto pressed his palm against the wound, and a flash of the "Chakra Purification Technique" Nono taught him flashed through the kaleidoscope. The image from his memory overlapped with reality: Nono's fingers traced healing seals on his palm, saying, "The key to purifying poison isn't fighting it, but understanding its essence."

"Snake eyes? Memory resonance!" Kabuto's kaleidoscope erupted with blinding light, chakra spreading along the ground, converging into a memory image of Nono in the center of the orphanage—she wore a white doctor's uniform, clutching a familiar medical bag, her smile identical to the one in her memory. Pale green chakra gathered from the image's fingertips, syncing perfectly with Kabuto's medical chakra, forming a "purifying light array."

The poison mist from the poison ninja instantly froze within the light array, the black poison being stripped away bit by bit, transforming into harmless vapor. The leading poison ninja's pupils constricted, attempting to activate the curse seal to enhance the poison, only to find his chakra firmly trapped by the light array. Kabuto's snake pupils penetrated the light array, detecting the weakness of the seal within him. Light green healing chakra surged back along the poison blade, precisely severing the connection between the seal and the poison sac.

"This is... Nono's healing technique?" another poison ninja exclaimed in shock. They had seen Nono use this technique to purify Orochimaru's toxins, but they had never expected Kabuto to inherit it completely. "Impossible! You are clearly Orochimaru's test subject!"

"I am Nono-sensei's disciple." Kabuto's voice was firm. Nono-sensei nodded gently in his memory. A shadowy hand rested on his back, infusing him with more purifying chakra. The wound on his back healed at a visible speed. The crimson in his snake eyes gradually faded, replaced by a gentle light green—pure healer's chakra, without a trace of the coldness of the snake escape technique.

The light array suddenly contracted, and a flood of purified chakra surged toward the three poison ninjas like a tide. There was no violent collision, only the hissing sound of the poison being stripped away. The poison blades in the ninjas' hands transformed into ordinary iron blades, and the curse seals on their bodies dimmed. They collapsed to the ground, watching Kabuto's eyes shift from ferocity to fear—this "poison doctor" once controlled by Orochimaru, now using the most gentle healing technique, neutralized all their attacks.

"Get out." There was no murderous intent in Kabuto's voice, only unquestionable determination, "Don't use Orochimaru's poison to harm others again, and don't come near here again."

The three poison ninjas fled, and peace finally returned to the orphanage. Kabuto's snake pupils slowly closed, and the shadow of Nono in his memory began to become transparent. Her voice echoed in the air: "Kabuto, you did it. You are a true healer."

"Teacher..." Kabuto reached out his hand, only to find nothing. He looked down at the medical badge on his palm. The patterns on the badge suddenly lit up, a pale green glow condensing into the words in Nono's handwriting: "A medical heart is a heart of compassion. It's not about power, it's about the original intention."

Familiar footsteps were heard in the distance. Ototake arrived with Karin and Neji. Karin immediately rushed over, and her sensory network swept over Kabuto's body: "Kabuto! Is your back injury okay? The poisonous fog just now was very dangerous!" Neji's Byakugan also flashed with golden light, confirming that there was no residual toxin in the surroundings.

Kabuto shook his head and raised the medical badge with a smile: "I'm fine, the teacher is helping me." He looked at the iron gate of the orphanage, and the medical chakra at his fingertips flowed again. This time he was no longer repairing the cracks, but re-engraving the word "home" on the door panel, and added a line of small words next to it: "Healing to protect."

Yin Zhu watched him change. A message popped up on the system panel: [Kabuto's medical chakra purity is 100%, the snake-eyed Mangekyo has unlocked a new ability, "Healing Heart Purification," and the bond inheritance is complete.] He walked over and patted Kabuto on the shoulder. "Nono would be proud of you."

Kabuto nodded, his eyes no longer filled with the past confusion, only a determined glint. He knew Nono hadn't truly left—her medical heart, her protection, were all hidden in his medical chakra, in every flicker of his snake-like eyes, and in his determination to protect more people.

The setting sun filtered through the clouds, casting a warm glow over the orphanage. Kabuto followed Ototake, Karin, and Neji out of the orphanage. He glanced back at the newly carved "home" character, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He was no longer the test subject held captive by Orochimaru, no longer a lost orphan. He was now a guardian who had inherited Nono's original aspirations as a doctor, a member of the Otogakure Village, a man with a new "home."

On the way, Karin asked curiously: "Kabuto, is the phantom you summoned just now teacher Nono? She looks so gentle."

Dou nodded, the medical badge on his palm gleaming faintly. "She is the best teacher. In the future, I will be like her, using my medical skills to protect everyone and this family."

Neji's Byakugan shone with a gentle light: "Your medical skills can protect your companions better than my Baguazhang. In future battles, I will use my Byakugan to see through the enemy's weaknesses. You will be responsible for healing, and we will cooperate."

Yin Zhu watched the interaction between the three and added with a smile, "The medical department of the Otogakure Village will be handed over to you from now on. Your snake pupils can see through the essence of toxins, and Karin's vortex bloodline can quickly heal wounds. Together, you will be the strongest medical team in the ninja world."

A warm feeling welled up in Kabuto's heart. He looked up at the distant Otogakure, where the lights gradually lit up, like countless warm stars. He knew the road ahead would be full of ups and downs, but he was no longer alone. He had Nono's legacy, Ototake's guidance, companions like Karin and Neji, and a heart he would never forget as a healer.

And Nono's voice seemed to still echo in the wind, gentle but firm: "Kabuto, live well and protect the people you want to protect." This time, Kabuto could finally answer with a smile: "Teacher, I will."