[Chouji just keeps smiling, doing his best not to blush at the continued compliment.]
Our whole team is here, even Asuma-sensei. [But he falters at the mention of their fathers. His father is an impressive ninja. Shikamaru and Ino's fathers were impressive ninja, and verb tense is always such a stark reminder. He carefully skirts that issue altogether in his own answer.]
I've always looked up to my father and his teammates. [He says it with feeling and sincerity. It is, after all, nothing but the truth. Chouji refuses to lie, but he isn't going to say what happened. That's hardly the greeting to give someone so newly arrived. He uses the practice he had after his own arrival to full avail.]
[video]
Our whole team is here, even Asuma-sensei. [But he falters at the mention of their fathers. His father is an impressive ninja. Shikamaru and Ino's fathers were impressive ninja, and verb tense is always such a stark reminder. He carefully skirts that issue altogether in his own answer.]
I've always looked up to my father and his teammates. [He says it with feeling and sincerity. It is, after all, nothing but the truth. Chouji refuses to lie, but he isn't going to say what happened. That's hardly the greeting to give someone so newly arrived. He uses the practice he had after his own arrival to full avail.]