The Moon is White

Chapter 26

Two men were engaged in an intense staring contest inside Madara's office. Neither one of them wanted to yield in this battle of wills. It was only when the infant in Madara's arms started to squirm and whimper did her father break eye contact with the Senju.

Disgruntled at being rebuffed (and losing the staring contest), Madara this time refuses to even look at his friend, an involuntary pout playing across his lips as he rocks his daughter in an attempt to calm her from the beginnings of a tantrum.

"Be reasonable, Madara," Tobirama started, sounding simultaneously exasperated and exhausted. "It's not that I am unwilling-"

"But you are," Madara cut in mercilessly, his gaze focused solely on his tearful daughter. "There is no one near my office. And I know for a fact that you can sense that. Nobody will enter this wing unless I permit it - not even my brothers. The only reason left is that you simply prefer not to hold Kazuha. Why? You are her godfather."

Madara would prefer to not admit it even in his own mind, but it irritates him that Tobirama refuses to hold his daughter. Or even accept the position of Kazuha's godfather. What sort of person would reject the position of the Uchiha princess's godfather? Nobody sane, that's who.

(And if it hurt Madara to have his best friend in this life went ahead and turned his offer down, it was nobody's business to know but his own.)

"I am unfit to be her godfather, Madara!" Tobirama finally lost all patience and forcefully turned the stubborn Uchiha's head so that they could look each other in the eye. The Senju didn't let go of Madara's cheeks, steadily asserting his reasonings with a calm he did not feel. "Think, my friend. Our clan, I have no doubt, will become allies soon enough. But currently, the Senju and the Uchiha are still enemies. Disregarding the armistice, we are technically still at war! Please tell me you have kept this foolishness to yourself.

"You cannot, in your right mind, as the clan head, elect me - a Senju who is also an heir - as your heiress's godfather. What would the elders perceive from this verdict? What about your brothers? What about your clan? What about mine? This is madness, Madara. Your decision is farcical at best - rationalize with your mind, not your heart.

"I know that becoming a father is a new experience for you, and while your sentiments are appreciated, this is not the time to allow your emotions to cloud your clinical judgment. Prioritize the alliance."

By the end of Tobirama's tirade, Madara had long chewed his bottom lip raw in an attempt to keep his thoughts from leaving his tongue. He knows that if he were to speak right now, he would be yelling at the top of his voice - and it would no doubt startle his daughter into a crying fit.

It did not, however, stop him from trembling in utter rage.

How dare he?! How dare Tobirama believe that Madara chose him as godfather just because of self-indulgement?! Madara has his reasons! Logical ones!

Perhaps his facial expression had morphed into something ugly, for Tobirama did not hesitate to release the tight grip on his face and take a step back, finally giving Madara some needed space to breathe. With a stuttering exhale, Madara, with as much gentleness as he could muster at this point in time, places his sniffling daughter in a crib next to his desk and moves to stand just by the window with his back to Tobirama.

He couldn't bear to look at Tobirama right not. If he did, he might be tempted to throw his desk at the Senju in a fit of rage. Madara didn't want to be like Tajima - constantly violent in front of his children.