"Madara, are you mad?"

"…"

Madara said nothing while Ikari rested her chin on his shoulder. He was carrying her over his back to bring her to her room in the clan compound. She'd collapsed again during endurance training from the instructor pushing her too far, and Madara was struggling with his tolerance.

This all began because of him. This was his fault that the elders noticed her physical improvements too early.

Madara understood that Ikari needed this kind of training, but nothing stopped him from using his rest time to constantly glare at her assigned instructor. How this effected said instructor was something he cared little for. He was there as a warning.

"Madara?"

Step over the line of what he deemed appropriate for Ikari's age and abilities, and Izuna's ideas were nothing in comparison to Madara's own.

This was the second time Ikari had collapsed in exhaustion like this from this instructor. Madara would make sure that there would not be a third.

Remember…Uchiha live twice, and an instructor the student could not interact with, was no instructor.

"Big bro? Y-You're ignoring me?"

Father would likely punish him severely, but he wouldn't be branded as a kin slayer if the bastard would still be alive anyway. Only true death against a fellow clansmen would give him that brand-

"-Madada?"

"The hell you just call me?!" Madara's features finally twisted in aggravation. It didn't help that even if this was the family compound, they were still near enough to the training grounds that many heads had suddenly turned.

His cheeks grew flushed, his eyes twitching as he did his best to simmer down his fluster. Unlike Ikari who couldn't notice Kei and Kagami trailing behind them as silent guards, Madara was well aware that they'd heard her.

For the first time in a long while, Ikari's mouth tugged into an amused smile at Madara's expense.

"Hehehe." She poked at his red cheeks, claiming her victory. "I finally broke the stick up your butt."

What?

Madara could hear the abrupt cackling of his brothers. Professional Shinobi they called themselves. More like clowns.

"I do not-" Madara could still hear the cackling of his brothers, but came to a sudden realization. "Who taught you to say that?"

"Shisui, the Body Flicker."

Shisui, their third cousin?

Madara would have words.

Who does their third cousin think he is, daring to pollute the mind of his youngest? And Body Flicker? Madara had seen their third cousin Body Flicker into a tree. It was far from impressive, but Madara couldn't help but imagine that their third cousin had taken advantage of his little sister's naivety to dare mistake a jester for a skilled shinobi.

Maybe he could show her what a body flicker really was. If not him, then Izuna or their brothers. He'd have to let it slip that they shouldn't focus on showing Ikari their fancy Jutsu, and show her how good they were at the basics instead?

Fortunately, Madara wasn't the only one who heard Ikari speak.

Madara, Kei, and Kagami were too old to find trouble with their third cousin, therefore there was only one brother left.

Izuna, it's on you.

Break his legs.

Izuna would sweat drop at the request.

Why were his elder brothers so extreme?

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious