Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to Kishimoto-sama.

Note/Warning:

This story my contain spoilers for those who haven't read the Naruto Manga up to chapter 460. This oneshot contains hints of Shisui x Itachi, which is a yaoi (boy x boy) couple, my dears. If you have a problem with these things, please don't read!

When I read about Shisui's abilities I wondered how a thirteen year old Itachi was able to kill him. So here is my explanation. It's my first Naruto fan fiction. Please enjoy it!

Rating: Rated T for murder, slight violence, a bit love relationship between boys… I don't know. Just in case.

When something ends

Itachi knew where he would find him. The small sun-lit clearing right next to the Nakano River had always been their special place. Here they had laughed, talked and trained together- all these years. It was already late September, some dry, crippled up leaves were flowing down on the smooth surface of the dark river, it was a bit chilly and stripes of mist were hovering above the ground.

Shisui stood in the middle of the clearing, shirtless and exhausted, the last rays of sunlight gleaming on his sweat-drenched body. It was strangely familiar and yet breath-taking scene. Itachi assumed that he probably had been there since noon, training. And he would probably stay there until it was time to set off to the meeting. He knew only few people as ambitious as Shisui.

"Itachi" Suddenly Shisui was standing behind him, his hand on Itachi's shoulder, leaning down, whispering his name, as if it was a secret. Itachi wasn't really surprised. Shisui, the body flicker, had earned his nickname for a good reason. Even with a well trained Sharingan it was nearly impossible to follow his movements.

Itachi turned around to face his best friend. Slightly taller, slightly more handsome, even calmer than and just as gifted as himself, Shisui was the only person Itachi had ever looked up to, had ever admired. Itachi had always surpassed everyone else in the Clan by far, everyone except Shisui. Maybe that had been the reason for them to become so close. The two prodigy children: both admired and envied for their talent. They had been able to understand each other, even with their age difference and their difference in ideology and aims; they accepted each other as equals.

The cold and calculating eyes of the older Uchiha warmed up as they met Itachi's. "It has been quite a while since we last met here."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "You are a Jonin now, after all. And I've been busy with ANBU missions." It was the truth or at least one side of the truth. The other side was that Itachi had avoided Shisui. He had been afraid to look into this beautiful, well-known face, afraid if he looked into it for too long he would not be able to do, what had to be done.

***

Shisui gazed at Itachi's distinctive features, at the face that just didn't match up with a teenage boy. Then again nothing about Itachi was boy-like. He looked so much older, talked so much wiser, acted so much more grown up… he could only recall a few moments in which Itachi had acted childlike. Now his face was tired, worried and used-up, he seemed older than he had ever appeared before.

Something was wrong. He knew it since a long time, now even the rest of the clan had noticed the change in Itachi. The sudden arrogance, the coldness, the absentmindedness, the way he isolated himself more and more. When the heads of the Police Office had asked him to keep an eye on his young friend, Shisui had felt uncomfortable. He felt like betraying Itachi, betraying their friendship. On the other hand, he knew it was important to do so for the sake of the Clan. He had been relieved that he hadn't seen Itachi too often in the past weeks, so that he hadn't been forced to decide between loyalty to his friend and loyalty to his family.

"Let's walk." Itachi said suddenly and started walking down the river bank. Shisui quickly caught up with him and they walked side by side, their silhouettes mirrored by the even, black water surface. "What's bothering you?" Shisui asked bluntly after the walked a couple of minutes in silence.

***

The direct question slightly startled Itachi. "ANBU missions are harder than I expected. I'm worried about the situation with the clan as well." Again this was part of the truth. He couldn't bear lying to Shisui.

Shisui just looked at him with his unreadable face. "Is that really it?" he asked. Itachi just nodded, he didn't dare to say something. Shisui sighed. "I know you always think we're focusing too much in the clan. You are against this whole coup d'état, but it's necessary, don't you see? It's for the greater good. And think of the possibilities. Us two, the most talented members of the family, we have the chance to change the world, to make this world a better place. I know, it's hard for you, but you have to make a choice. Your loyalties are with the family, not with the Senju's dogs, who suppress us."

Itachi tried not to listen. He had heard this same talk from his father over and over again, the same stupid justifying of what they were about to do. It hurt him to hear Shisui talking like this. It made him sick. But then again he was relieved about it; it made what he had to do easier. "It has always been like that, hasn't it?" He said in barely more than whisper.

"What?" Shisui asked frowning slightly.

"We always had disagreements about those things. Every free evening we would walk along the river and talk about our dreams. You always wanted to become Hokage, remember? You laughed at me for wanting to be a teacher." Itachi chuckled at the memory. "This place holds a lot of memories. It's were we first talked to each other, that day nearly 7 years ago when we were both bored with this stupid family party and hid here." Itachi glanced at Shisui, who was smiling slightly. He could tell that he as well remembered this very afternoon.

Itachi let his mind wander further, he didn't even mean to say all this, it just came out. "We trained here nearly every day, you taught me a lot of stuff… During one match with you I awakened my Sharingan. You were the one who taught me how to use it, who helped me getting better… We both learned walking on water right here. In the summer we used to swim here... We even used to sleep here sometimes, right under the stars. This is where…" His voice trailed off. He just remembered something. He remembered what happened right here just two months ago, when they came out of the river, dripping wet and laughing on a warm summer evening.

Itachi was throwing back is long wet hair to thigh it up again into his usual ponytail. "Do you love someone?" Shisui asked abruptly. Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I suppose so" he answered vaguely. "Like who?" "Well like my parents and my brother and you." "Oh come on." Shisui groaned. "You know what I mean. More like… romantically." Itachi rolled his eyes. He hated that sort of conversation. "Does puberty finally catch up with you?" he asked mockingly. "You're one to talk, little boy.", countered Shisui, "So, how is it?" "I… I don't think so.", replied Itachi after a small pause. Shisui shook his head. "That's a waste. There are so many pretty girls who are crazy over you. You are after all a genius and a quite good-looking one." For some reason, Itachi felt embarrassed. He gave Shisui a doubtful look. "You are one to talk. You are even more popular with the girls… and definitely better looking as well."

Shisui grinned. "So you think I'm really good-looking?" Itachi started to get really annoyed about all this. "Does your self-confidence need a pushup? Did some girl turn you down? Or why are nagging about this?" "Okay, okay." Shisui raised his hands in defense. "I will stop talking about my looks. But aren't you curious?" "About what?" Itachi was seriously irritated now. "About how it feels." Shisui stared into the depths of Nakano River. Itachi really wanted this conversation to be over. This was like Shisui, always being curious for new things, testing his limits. "Why don't you find some cute girl, who likes you and try it?" suggested Itachi with a sigh, "but can we please just stop talking about this."

"Fine let's stop talking." Shisui agreed and suddenly leaned over to Itachi. One moment Itachi saw his best friend's handsome face and cold eyes close up like never before, felt his wild, wet hair tickling his face, Shisui's lips gently connected with his.

Itachi watched their reflections in the water. They had stopped walking. There was an odd silence between them. It was hard to decide if it was an uncomfortable one or not. It was obvious that Shisui was recalling the same event. They had never talked about it. Never mentioned that evening again. "Why are we talking about the past?" Shisui finally interrupted the silence in an attempted light tone. Itachi closed his eyes for a moment and pushed all the memories far away, focusing on what needed to be done. "Well, when something ends, you are remembering the beginnings."

***

Shisui looked into the now blood-red eyes of his friend. He had known it, hadn't he? Known, that Itachi hadn't come to the clearing just for a little talk about the good old times. He had seen it in his eyes all along. He had tried to push that thought away, tried to ignore the uneasiness he had felt. But there was no way Itachi would actually do this. Because Itachi…

"You are already under my genjutsu." Itachi said, his voice and face impassive. Shisui nodded, he could feel the strings, which he knew only existed inside his head, pull him down on his knees. He gave in without struggling, letting himself getting bound to the ground. "Why aren't you fighting it?" Itachi asked astonished. Shisui just gazed up into the face he loved so much, which had now changed so much. "Why don't you fight me? Fight me!!" This was one of this few moments when Itachi acted childlike, stubborn, when his self-control slipped through his grasp. Shisui nearly smiled. "There is no need to fight you." Itachi frowned. "Do you underestimate me? Do you think it's unnecessary to use your mind-controlling jutsu against me?" He almost sounded a bit sulky. Shisui was now almost unable to move, Itachi's genjutsu was getting stronger with every moment, soon he would not be able to get out of it. But there was no need to do that anyway. "I would never use the mind-controlling against a friend." Itachi's face softened. "You still call me a friend, even though I will kill you?"

"You are not going to kill me."

Itachi raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Because you love me."

Shisui knew this was true. He saw the proof in Itachi's face. The boy before him nodded slowly and kneeled down beside him. "Yes. Love makes everything complicated, huh?" Itachi took Shisui's face into his hands. "It is nearly unbearable to hurt a loved one. And it tears your heart apart if you lose a loved one." he went on. Shisui closed his eyes in relieve at his words. He was the Itachi he knew after all. "Imagine how many will lose their loved ones if the Uchiha start a war. Imagine all those torn apart hearts. That's why I made my choice. That's why I'm willing to tear my own heart apart. I'm doing so for, to use your words, the greater good." It was only then that Shisui knew he had made a mistake. The soft and gentle hands holding his face were tightening, pushing his head down. His head broke through the surface of the river. His body was weak and numb, there was no point in fighting. Even if there had been, he wouldn't have.

The cold water closed up above Shisui, leaving the surface smooth and black like nothing had happened.

***

They found Shisui Uchiha the next morning, stones in his pockets, at the bottom of the river. A few fallen red leaves got tangled up in his hair as they pulled him out. A suicide note was found on his kitchen table.

Itachi had been standing by the river all night, staring into the depth of the water, reflecting his new eyes. Blood was running down his face, slowly mixing up with tears.

Some years later Itachi Uchiha would also die by the hands of the one he loved the most. And his murderer as well, would be standing there, crying for him, while gazing into the dark water beneath.

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it. English is not my first language, so please overlook some mistakes. Thanks ;) I wrote it in a bit of a rush so it's probably not that good. Please comment, now! 