Two Hundred and Fifty Two.
Ino stares at the questions in disbelief. What kind of questions are these? Sasuke is sitting directly in front of Ino, so Ino has a perfect view of Sasuke writing busily away as if she knows the answers. Ino watches the proctors, noticing the pattern in their patrol that allows each person in the room a small window of a few seconds every so often in which to do their cheating. All Ino needs is a plan.
Ino sighs and has another look at her test. Who would be the best person to steal these answers off?
Ino nearly jumps out of her skin when a note appears on her test paper. Mind Transfer me when I and Ki aren't looking. Tap pencil on desk 3 times as signal first. ~Sa
Sa? Sasuke, maybe? So I and Ki are the proctors? Ino waits a few minutes while they circuit the room. Just as the proctors look away, Ino taps her pencil on her desk three times, like she would if she were deep in thought, puts the pencil down and then casts the Mind Transfer jutsu on Sasuke. A moment later, she is inside Sasuke's head, looking down at Sasuke's paper, which has a strange seal on it. The seal is half erased.
Keep erasing the seal while I tell you my plan, says Sasuke.
Right, says Ino, and begins erasing the seal.
Okay, you know Naruto's Time Stop Seal? We managed to finish it, and I used it just now to get the answers and write that note on your test paper. I also drew a seal on your leg where the proctors won't see it. The seal will make your body keep writing, tapping the pencil on the desk and acting like you are still there, taking the test. I needed you to signal me so I knew when to activate the seal. Itachi and Kisame will notice right away if you just slump to the desk - and they both know all about your clan's jutsu.
I didn't think of that, admits Ino. I would've been disqualified if I'd used the mind transfer without your seal. Are you sure it will work?
It's the only plan I've got, so it better, says Sasuke. I've already copied the answers with my sharingan in the time stop seal. What I need you to do is memorise as many answers as you can and relay them to Choji. Signal me before you use the Mind Transfer on him, and signal me when you get back to your body by sniffing. The seal won't stop you from doing that. How well do you remember things you learn from other people's minds?
I can store them in my own. So both of us will have the answers memorized, it'll just be Choji who doesn't have them. Says Ino. Sasuke's plan is risky, but kind of exciting. She is glad they got Sasuke.
Okay, then write as much as you can while you are waiting for an opportunity to mind transfer to Choji. Says Sasuke. The seal also makes your body pick up the nearest pen or pencil and turn over the paper, so make sure you have your paper right side up when you signal me so the seal doesn't write all over your answers. It doesn't matter if you put your pencil down or not, but probably put it down.
Okay, your seal is erased now. Says Ino. Show me the answers.
Sasuke shows Ino the answers, and Ino ends the jutsu. When she returns to her body, Ino's body is writing random things on the back of her test paper. Ino sniffs as if her nose is running, and feels the seal release. While she waits for Itachi and Kisame to finish their circuit of the room, Ino starts writing down as many answers as she can.
Thunk. Itachi throws a kunai which lands in the middle of someone's test. "Cheating," he says calmly. "Your team is disqualified."
"But...!" the genin tries to protest.
"Talking without permission," says Itachi. "Leave, now."
The genin stands and heads for the door. Two other genins, her team mates, get up and head out too.
Ino gulps nervously. Sasuke's plan had better work. Just to be safe, Ino waits for the next circuit of the room. In that time, two more teams are disqualified. Ino needs to time this perfectly. The proctors turn away. Three taps on the desk and put the pencil down. Aim for Choji and cast the jutsu. All in three seconds.
And Ino's Mind Transfer to Choji is a success.
Ino? Says Choji. Isn't the Mind Transfer a bit risky with Itachi watching?
Sasuke's got it covered, says Ino. Sasuke used the Time Stop seal Naruto made to get us the answers. How's your memory today?
I'll only need a few answers, says Choji. We just need to answer some and keep from getting caught. And if you two have time once you've written all your answers down, give me the rest.
Got it, says Ino, and then remembers the new jutsu her Dad's been teaching her. I have a new technique that I haven't quite perfected yet. She tells Choji. It allows me to plant information into people's minds. I could try to use it now to give you the test answers.
What if it doesn't work? Asks Choji. Will we get caught?
No, you just won't have the information any more when I leave. Says Ino. If that happens, I don't know if we can risk trying again…
It will work! Says Choji supportively. I know you can do it, Ino.
Thanks, Choji, says Ino gratefully. Concentrating hard, she imprints the answers into Choji's memory. You'll remember these facts forever, sorry Choji.
When I'm old and grey and my mind is going, says Choji dramatically. I will ask my children who they are and then give them a comprehensive list of every breed of shark's lifespan.
Ino sniggers. Then she returns to her body and clears her throat. Sasuke releases her seal and all three get to writing.
Haku knows the answers to all the questions about sharks, thanks to Zabuza sensei and Suigetsu. She can answer half of the questions without needing to cheat at all. In fact, Haku reasons, she probably doesn't need to cheat at all. In the time it took Haku to write half of the answers she knows, four teams were disqualified, and a further two go out while she is deciding not to cheat. Perhaps they will get down to the last 15 teams. Haku will make sure she is one.
Namiko knows a few of the answers, Haku knows. And Suigetsu knows as many as Haku. They will be alright. Haku is glad that she is taking the chunin exams. It will be fun to test her strength against other shinobi her age.
She and her team mates entered as Team Akatsuki: Akatsuki's Mist ninja apprentices. Technically, Haku and Suigetsu are both genin, so they are taking the chunin exams in order to advance to the next level and qualify as full members of Akatsuki. Namiko is along to make up numbers, and because Nagato thinks she is ready. Rin is acting as their jounin for the exams.
Haku decides to guess some of the answers she doesn't know. There is no penalty for getting answers wrong, after all.
Hinata can't wait for round two. That's when she can have at Sasuke. That's why she didn't want Sasuke on her team - they'd have to wait for the finals that way. When Itachi and Kisame aren't looking, Hinata uses Naruto's cheating seal - which Naruto used in the first chunin exams they all entered. She is glad she got Shikamaru to teach her the seal when Naruto was off with...well, off with Sasuke at the Temple of Jashin.
Sasuke likes Shino indeed. No, Sasuke obviously has her sights set on Naruto.
Little floozy.
Hinata sets about copying out her stolen answers, anticipating her fight with Sasuke. Kiba and Akamaru will smell out the answers like they did in the first chunin exams they entered, and Madoka probably knows all the answers, the nerd.
Hinata's team has got this.
Neji knows some of the answers, and he is sure that his team mates know some too. He doesn't dare use his byakugan with Itachi watching. If all else fails, Neji will just wait until only 15 teams are left.
Lee is answering some of the questions on his paper. Maybe he's guessing? Tenten knows a bit about making dango, so maybe she'll get points there. Neji just hopes they don't try to cheat and get caught.
It's only 15 minutes in and already nine teams are disqualified. After the first team went, teams started failing at an alarming rate, almost as if people are losing their nerve.
Sai knows when the proctors are watching him without having to check. Every time one looks in his direction, Sai feels his skin crawl. He doesn't know the answers, but he can get them with his super beast scroll - but that's only if he can pull it off unnoticed. The nearest answer sheet is across the aisle from him and back two rows. It is the best of luck that that answer sheet is right beside Karin.
Sai will have only seconds to act. He spent ten minutes memorizing the Proctors' routines. When they are looking at him, but unable to see what he is actually writing, Sai draws a small animal. Then, as they turn away, he activates his jutsu and sends the mouse across the aisle.
Sai holds his breath until the mouse reaches the hiding place he chose for it. It hides until the Proctors are looking away from the hiding place and scurries up onto the desk, runs onto the test paper and spreads out into a puddle of ink. The person who owns the paper does not see because Karin, who was watching Sai, bumped the test's owner, making him drop his pencil. By the time the planted answer-bearer has finished retrieving his pencil, the mouse has copied the answers.
Karin deliberately blocks Itachi's view of the paper and the mouse runs off the test paper and onto Karin's lap. The answer-sheet owner finally finds his pencil and sits back up, none the wiser to what has happened.
As soon as it safely can, the mouse scurries back to Sai and transfers the answers to his paper. Sai makes two more mice with the answers and sends them to his teammates. They make it unnoticed.
During Sai's master operation, several more teams are disqualified.
By the time he is done, they are down to 30 teams.