𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 | sasuke uchiha

88

"On your best behaviour, Madara."

"Why must you treat me as if I'm a little child? What could I possibly get up to within the next two hours?"

"One can never be too sure."

Madara sneered at the Senju accompanying him as they approached the front steps leading towards Sasuke and Sakura's home, from which they could just discern the sounds of children playing within. Tobirama narrowed his eyes distrustfully at the Uchiha, just wanting this visit to get over and done with. Once he had done what he wanted to do, Hashirama had insisted that his brother lay off of Madara if everything appeared to be in order. Up until now, the Uchiha hadn't given Tobirama any reason to be suspicious of his actions, but he could never be a hundred percent sure that he wasn't scheming anything.

"W-Welcome, Tobirama-sama... Madara-sama."

Tobirama nodded reassuringly at Sakura as she opened the door, a tinge of fear in her eyes as she glanced at the Uchiha standing behind the village's second-in-command.

"Good evening, Sakura," said Madara pleasantly, waving at the Haruno over Tobirama's shoulder. The pinkette nodded curtly at the disgraced clan leader, stepping aside to allow the two into the house.

"Please, follow me," she said weakly, bowing her head at the pair. "Sasuke and the children are waiting in the dining room."

"Lovely. I have faith that you've raised my daughter well, Sakura?" asked Madara smoothly as he glided through the hallways, following their hostess down to the back of the house. As they approached the family dining room, Madara could just make out children's banter.

"... Sayuri-chan! Otou-san, Sayuri won't give me back Tatsu!"

"Mine!"

"Sayuri, don't say that. Sarada, just let her play around with it, okay? It's her birthday, after all."

Madara scowled as he heard his nephew's voice from behind the paper door, regaining his composure as Sakura opened it for himself and Tobirama and led the way in. Aside from their council meetings, which were the only times Tobirama couldn't be present, Madara had never seen his nephew otherwise.

"Hello, Sasuke," greeted Madara with a forced smile, which was returned from an equally disdainful glare from the raven. "Oh, Sayuri- how much you've grown!"

Madara's gaze drifted to the one year old child seated in his nephew's arms, who was earnestly toying around with a golden dragon pendant in her hands as she smiled in awe.

"No thanks to you, obviously," stated Sasuke coolly, earning him a warning look from Tobirama.

"Now, now, Sasuke," he said heavily, shaking his head at the Uchiha's comment. "We're all here for a peaceful time. Isn't that right, Madara?"

Nodding at the Senju, Madara made his way towards Sasuke and crouched down, holding out his hand to her. Sayuri eventually tore her gaze away from her newfound toy and looked up at the strange man before her, blinking curiously.

"Hello, Sayuri," said Madara softly, his heart softening as he looked into his daughter's eyes. This feeling was further exacerbated when Sayuri beamed and said, "Hi!" brightly, eliciting a feeling of remorse within the Uchiha. While she had inherited his physical traits, he could already tell that she had mannerisms that could be attributed to her mother.

The Uchiha chuckled as his daughter took his hand, wrapping her fingers around his and standing up out of Sasuke's lap.

"Oh? Do you want to come to me?" he asked tenderly, watching carefully as the young child held out her hands to him. From the other side of the room, Sarada wasted no time in running back to her own father and taking Sayuri's vacated seat, pouting as she watched her younger sibling enthusiastically leap into Madara's arms. Sasuke and Sakura both watched Madara with the utmost concentration, the icy silence between the trio making even Tobirama uncomfortable.