"I will not fail like those kids did". This is what Anko told herself while she trained. All of the kids who had came so close to capturing Saskue, had all nearly lost their lives, and all of them were Genin who she had proctored in the second stage of the Chuunin Exams. Including that Naruto kid, the one who fought the Uchiha brat.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!" Anko cried, as four snakes extended from her wrist, and their teeth slammed into a tree, injecting venom, which left a dead patch of bark.

Orochimaru had taught her. So, he would know everything that she was capable of. However, something he never understood was that simple fact that one person alone, can never be as strong as a group united by a common cause.

Daihiro then showed up at the field where Anko was practicing her technique, and, as per usual, was very quick to make a comment.

"Anko, isn't it about time you worked on something else. You know, we will have to work as a squad to take on Orochimaru, if we meet him." he said, almost shouting the name Orochimaru.

That was a big mistake. Anko directed her snakes towards Daihiro, and, only stopped herself when the snakes were inches away from impacting.

"You...know...not...to...do...that!" Anko gasped, clutching her shoulder suddenly. While her teammates did not know, whenever Anko's emotions got out of check, she had to struggle to keep her Curse Seal under control, stop Orochimaru from turning her with the influence, as he did with Sauske.

The kid had been branded in the exact same way, the Curse Seal of Heaven, and, ever since he was branded with it, occasionally, Anko would have to fight for control, even when she was calm, or her normal self.

Why this was, Anko did not know.

Still, Daihiro was standing stock still, shocked, as per usual, that Anko almost killed him.

'Man, that woman is scary when she is angry. Even if I could become a Jounin if I wanted to, she'd still tear me to bits, with that reaction time, after all, she did hold her own against Orochimaru.' Daihiro thought.

Then, a third set of footsteps echoed through the field. Anko was aware of this, before the voice commented. The clam voice of Shihiko.

"Daihiro's right, Anko, we need to train as a team. After all, maybe the snakes would like trying our new combination technique." Shihiko said.

"You're right, just... had another one of my moments..." Anko said. Her 'moments' being her battles for control over the seal.

"Alright, well, let me do my thing, Doton: Sticking Swamp Jutsu!" said Daihiro, turning a rather large area of grassy ground into a bog, while nowhere near as impressive as the Great Swamp that Jiraiya could conjure, but, it was impressive enough. "Anko, Shihiko, your up!"

"Hidden Shadow: Snake Catapult!" said Anko, before many snakes flew from both her arms, and, several smaller ones from her mouth.

"Futton: Wind Waves!" said Shihiko, generating waves of wind with his chakra.

The result was the smaller snakes being swept up, and attacking from the air, along with the blades of chakra in the wind, that formed the 'wave' that the small snakes rode, and, the larger snakes dove, unhindered, into the bog, and swam through it. A foe who stayed on the ground, would be bitten in the bog, and one who jumped, bitten by the smaller snakes. It was a no-win situation, and, while it still needed some work to be a blanket effect, due to certain inaccuarcies with the wind, and the snake launching, not to mention how draining the jutsu was on Daihiro, it was still effective, having been used during the Invasion to trap and kill five Sound Invaders at once.

Anko liked the results, the Sound Ninja writhing in pain from the snakes thrashing on them, dying from the venom, while sinking in the bog, and being dragged under. The waves of air-chakra also didn't do much to help. Too bad she passed out from a sudden 'moment' before the ninja died. That one was partually bad. Shihiko and Diahiro had claimed that they had heard a deamonic scream, and the sounds of chirping birds in the area, not too far away, but refused to investigate, due to Anko's state.

'Curse Orochimaru... not only do I suffer these 'moments', but, I missed the after-effects of our justu... and, to top it all off, I inherited his bloodlust!' Anko thought.

She looked down at the snake-filled bog that had formed, and, Shihiko used small waves of air to knock the snakes out of the bog, before Daihiro used some chakra, less than it took to form the bog, to dissapate it.

"Man, that takes it outta me." complained Daihiro.

"Well, you'll get a reat if we happen to fight at a boggy area, won't you?" said Shihiko, coldly.

"And the odds of that are?" screamed Diahiro, hating Shihiko's comment.

"We don't know how high. We could be going to the Land of Bogs, considering how Orochimaru likes snakes, and my snakes like the bogs!" said Anko, cheerfully, and jokily.

"Daihiro, before you ask, there is no 'Land of Bogs'" said Shihiko, before his slightly slow partner either shouted about it, or asked him.

The ginger haired ninja just folded his arms, and grunted. He didn't know how their team would infiltrate the Land of Sound, and get Sauske, with Anko's hyperactivity, his anger issues, and... well, Shihiko had a chance.

Suddenly, Anko doubled over, clutching her shoulder.

"Damn it! It's getting more frequent, and stronger!" she cried, as a single black flame mark sprouted from the seal. It was going down her arm, so remained concealed from anyone else, but Anko could feel Orochimaru, writhing in that seal, inching down her arm.

"I'll need to see a sealing specialist." said Anko, through gritted teeth.

"What? Isn't it a shoulder issue? Wouldn't a medic be better?!" shouted Daihiro.

"I'll explain later! I need a seal specialist!" Anko roared, as the seal's darkness began to effect her mind, and a few more flames sprouted, despite Anko's efforts to keep it down.