Shisui falls to the ground.

Itachi's cold unflinching eyes watch his disgraceful descent and even though he doesn't understand, it will take a much greater man to have him admit it. He waits for Shisui with the patience of a man who has seen this scene play out countless times before. He knows how it begins and he knows how it ends. He knows that in a few seconds, Shisui will pick himself up again and avoid his hard Sharingan eyes for the entire journey back to Konoha. And just as expected, Shisui stands up and fixes his scarlet gaze on the path straight ahead of him for the next few hours.

Shisui sits on the ground.

Itachi stands beside him. The sun glints on the surface of the memorial plate and three new names have been carved into it; the result of a mission gone wrong. Shisui's back is turned but the slight shiver and shake of his shoulders don't go unnoticed. Silence follows and eventually he cracks with the force of something Itachi will never fathom. His voice is a mere whisper on the wind, they didn't have to die. Itachi stares at the three inscriptions. No, he agrees, but they did.

Shisui is hurled to the ground.

He took a bone shattering blow for Itachi moments beforehand. His eyes are shut in pain and Itachi kills the man who dared to endanger his team mate. He tells Shisui that it was pointless of him to sacrifice himself because he still can't understand why. Shisui smiles weakly and calls him an ungrateful bastard.

Shisui collapses to the ground.

The dead eyes of an innocent civilian assassination target stare at everything and nothing. He throws away the bloodstained kunai in his hand and it skitters carelessly across the floor. Itachi halts its progress with the heel of his shoe and doesn't understand. He keeps silent and watches one of Konoha's elites crumple like paper. When Shisui eventually forces himself to his feet, they find themselves an inn in the next town over. At three in the morning, Itachi hears the shower water running. It stops two hours later and he pretends not to notice Shisui's raw hands on the way home.

Shisui kneels on the ground.

Itachi watches him suffer but this time, he's beginning to understand. He tells him, you were never meant to be ANBU. Shisui's smile is tired and he answers, neither were you.

Shisui falls.

Itachi watches him fall through bloody crimson eyes. Every second slows and every failing heartbeat rings like a gong in his ears. A hand reaches out for him and brushes the front of his cold white uniform but it feels like it touches much more. He falls to the ground with a lifeless thump.

Itachi understands.

Selandora (the sickeningly emotional undeniably sexy one you must fear)