Honoring Your Responsibilities

[endless_scrolls]

Title: Honoring Your Responsibilities
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Word count: 583
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke; brief mentions of Rock Lee
Pairing(s): Maybe a small hint of Sasuke/Tenten
Warning(s): None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Short and randomly written fic/drabble inspired by a conversation concerning [ THIS ] quiz.
Dedicated to: its_game_time and alory_shannon

There were days where Tenten often found herself wondering why she had settled for the infantry division of the military. Several times in her career, she had been approached by officers from other divisions of the government with offers of better pay and opportunities for servicing the community she worked so hard to improve and protect. She was in no way a big damn hero that Lee tended to see himself as, nor did she wish to become one, much as they were using that point to help promote their cause. But the thought of helping and using her skill for the betterment of society was more than appealing. She could see herself leading a unit into the mountains of Earth Country in a convoy sent to stop a rebellion. She could easily picture infiltrating the inner crime rings of Kiri in order to take down the faceless overlord that filled it's shadows and streets with death and fear. Even baking under Suna's summer sun while waiting to snipe out terrorist leaders sounded like a thrilling rush she could more than be comfortable with for the sake of her nation and city. In the end, though, Tenten had turned them all down. And despite that, time and time again, the offers would continue to arrive on her desk in their white envelops of promise. But while the reasons and lure all changed, the answer remained the same.

Because she already had a place and a purpose; because she already had a responsibility to someone.

Working their way over to the fallen debris of the Akastuki Corps. Lab facility had been fairly easy. It was in reaching their destination that things started to take a turn for the worse. The air was ripe with death, choking them with the smell of the decaying bodies of those who had been unfortunate enough to get trapped there when the test subjects had escaped from their reinforced prisons. They had been unprepared. They had been ambitious. They had all been fools. But then, with all the preparations and precautions sent in place, no one had ever expected things to go so horribly wrong. And to anyone else, the scent would have been sickening. But with every breath she took, her own senses only became clouded with a growing want and need to seek out the source. And to feed. And that only brought light to one of other concerns.

If she was already suffering this much under the effects of the virus, then that meant...

Unconsciously, her arm raised to press against the bite mark cut into her shoulder as a low rumble echoed through the hollow remains of the building. And in turning towards the sound, the gunner was met with the sight of her commanding officer and occasional friend straining and gripping at his head, nearly tearing at the skin and ripping at the hairs while his entire body seemed to shake with restraint. Concerned at first, Tenten managed to stumble back a few steps before stopping in her tracks entirely. Because even from this distance, she could see the pink patches of rotting flesh starting to dot along his arm.

"Shit..."

Reaching for her gun, she took aim. But even though the young woman had a clear shot, the tip of Tenten's finger still toyed with the trigger in hesitation. Because she had to make sure. She had to be certain that he was already too far gone. She owed him that much. "Sasuke!"