The Moon is White

Chapter 15

Madara blinked, before bending his neck marginally to look downwards at the two touches of warmth that had crashed and was now latched onto his thighs, bunching the fabric in their small fists. The two small children, only seven this year, grinned at him mischievously, their dimples making them appear twice as adorable. The corner of his eyes crinkled with fondness as he smiled gently at his two baby brothers.

"Why hello there, sweetie, sweetheart," He greeted Takumi and Yakumi respectively, keeping his tone soft and tender, "What are you both doing out here all on your lonesomes?"

"Looking at the pretty birdies!" The twins chirped in unison.

"Hm? Are my two darling angels taking interest in falconry?"

"Un!" Yakumi and Takumi cutely bobbed their head, hands behind their backs and feet shuffling with too much contained energy, "Will Ani-ue teach us how to care for the pretty birdies?"

"Of course," Madara crouched to their height and brought the eyas that was sitting obediently on his gloved fingers in front of two pairs of wide, interested eyes, "This is Toboe. Would the two of you like to pet him? You'll have to be really gentle, though - he's still a baby."

"Younger than us?" Takumi asked.

"Younger than even you, sweetie," Madara nodded.

"He's so pretty," Yakumi cooed, a pudgy finger clumsily but gently stroking the bird of prey's breast.

"And soft!" Takumi chimed not a second later.

"Indeed. He's a very special red-tail hawk. Do you know what albinism is, sweetie, sweetheart?"

Takumi and Yakumi both shook their heads, eyes full of curiosity and the desire to learn.

Madara chuckled, patting his baby brothers' soft, silky strands whilst simultaneously keeping an eye on his beloved hawk. The eyas was still young, and as Madara was still in the midst of training it, it was unused to other humans. Therefore, there still existed a slim chance of them being pecked at. Especially by this particular one.

"An albino is someone who lacks pigment - color - in their skin, hair, and eyes. Toboe lacks coloring in all of his feathers except for this part of his tail here. See?" Madara rotates his wrist to display a small section of the bird's tailfeathers.

"Uwaa! It's red! Like the Sharingan!" Yakumi squeaked in excitement, jumping up and down with his hands clasped on his chest.

"The Sharingan, hm? Perhaps, sweetheart, perhaps," The elder Uchiha hid a secretive smile behind his mantle's high collar, "His eyes do appear to be a similar shade," Was mumbled out almost inaudibly.

"Toboe's eyes don't look red, ani-ue," Takumi pointed out innocently, causing Madara to flush at having his musings be heard.

"Ah, yes. You're right, sweetie. How silly of me. Do you want to try holding him?"

"Ani-ue will let Takumi hold him?!"

"What about Yakumi?!"

"Absolutely. Wait for me here. Onii-san has to get smaller gloves for both of you to wear."

Madara's slip of the tongue was all but forgotten at the prospect of holding a bird of prey. Thank the Sage for children and their short attention span.

When he came back with a pair of kiddie gloves, he helped Yakumi and Takumi both equip them properly before whistling sharply twice. Toboe and his nestmate, Touryou, swooped down and landed with practiced ease on Yakumi and Takumi's fingers respectively, causing the children to let out exclamations of delight and awe.