By trading the Human Scroll and the Heaven Scroll, Kabuto's team had also completed their set of scrolls right in front of Shikamaru's team.
Since they were all Konoha ninjas, Shikamaru invited them to finish the exam together.
Once Shikamaru's team went to finish, it would have drawn too much attention if Kabuto's team held back. With no other choice, they entered the tower together.
Through this strange turn of events, Kabuto had cleared both the First Exam Arena and the Second Exam Arena without accomplishing much of anything.
And because they had finished so early on the first day, his original plan to withdraw from the remaining exams on grounds of ill health had fallen apart.
There were still nearly five whole days left.
Never mind a few bones broken by that chubby kid from the Akimichi Clan—even if he were half-dead, Konoha's Medical Unit, under Tsunade's guidance, could bring him back!
Yes, Tsunade was here too.
Standing in the center before all the candidates was Jiraiya, one of the Konoha Sannin and the chief examiner for the entire exam.
Beside him stood the current Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, as well as Princess Tsunade, another of the Konoha Sannin.
Behind them were the examiners in charge of the three stages: Ibiki Morino, Mitaraishi Anko, and Gekko Hayate. Beside them were several other examiners who were elites even among chunin... including a young blond boy who looked as though he had sneaked into the group.
Only then came the jonin leading each team.
That arrangement gave people plenty to think about.
Some candidates below the platform failed to grasp its significance, but up on the platform, Baki, the jonin leading Sunagakure's teams, and the jonin leading Kirigakure's teams were drenched in sweat.
*Lord Kazekage previously said we'd be joining forces