Chapter Text
"Please don't fight," Madara begs as he brings the little plane in for a landing, even knowing that it's almost certainly futile. "Izuna's happy here, he really is."
"I will be perfectly dignified." Otousan says the words calmly, the very picture of restraint, and Madara groans.
This is going to be an absolute disaster, he knows it.
The wheels extend, meeting the ground at speed, and the plane bounces a little on the airstrip before it comes to a halt. Madara climbs out of the cockpit, thankful there are no giant magpies to greet them, but there is an idiot.
"Madara!" His best friend sounds ridiculously enthusiastic, but Hashirama's always been like that. "Hi! And you brought your dad! This is great!"
"You okay?" There are uncharacteristic lines of strain on that face though, and Madara squints at the man he's known since childhood. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong!" Hashirama grins cheerfully, but it looks wrong on his tanned face. "Happy to have you both!"
"Yes, it's always good to see you, Tajima." A smooth deep voice interrupts them, and Madara can feel otousan freezing up.
"Your father is here?!" He hisses in Hashirama's ear, aghast. "Why would you do this to me!"
"It wasn't my idea!" His best friend whispers back, equally vehement. "He just showed up on his own!"
"It's not a crime to visit two of my children, is it?" The ears of Hashirama's father are just as sharp as they ever were, and Madara flinches at the question, feeling the bite despite the perfectly polite tone. "And I see you're doing the same, Tajima."
"It's the duty of all fathers to support their sons," otousan returns the barb without hesitation, and it's Hashirama's turn to flinch. "No matter where in the world they might reside."
Oh gods.
Madara shares a long suffering look with Hashirama.
This can't possibly get any worse.
"Max! Car!" Izuna's yell is echoed by an unholy screech, and they all whip around to see a giant cockatiel bearing down on them. "Get it!"
Otousan takes an unconscious step back, and Madara understands, he really does.
No matter how many times he sees Izuna's pet T. rex, the sight never stops bringing home to him the insanity of his brother's work. Unfortunately, they're all paralysed by the instinctive atavistic fear that comes with seeing an enormous predator charging, and none of them act in time to try and stop it.
None of them except Tobirama.
"Max, stop!" Izuna's best friend bellows as he chases down the oversized bird. "Do not even think about it!"
Unfortunately the cockatiel does far more than think about it, and the plane's wing makes a terrible crunching noise in its beak.
Disaster, just as he predicted.
Damnit.