"Is that so... Is that so, is that so... You saved Chiba, and then Chiba saved you."
After listening to the young man before him, the Third Hokage nodded as he spoke, his eyes and brows brimming with delight.
He did not look like the leader of the Shinobi World's strongest ninja village, a Hokage who had weathered three Ninja World Wars and possessed absolute authority.
Instead, he looked like an elder who had heard something deeply comforting. In both his words and demeanor, he no longer treated Haneda Yu Ze as the leader of an allied village, but as a close junior.
"Yes."
Haneda Yu Ze was slightly taken aback by the Third Hokage's reaction, but then nodded and replied.
He really doesn't mind Chiba teaching ninjutsu to people from another ninja village without permission! This thought crossed his mind.
Honestly, seeing the Third Hokage like this, Haneda Yu Ze could scarcely think of the old man as Konoha's highest leader.
However, he knew that the Third Hokage's attitude was not because of him, but because of the parts of his account concerning Chiba.
It was because he had heard that Chiba had received treatment when he had been on the verge of death and had luckily survived that he revealed such an expression.
The old man was sincerely happy that Chiba had survived. He had even extended that affection to Haneda Yu Ze, gaining quite a bit more goodwill toward him.
Even though it was all in the past.
Even though Chiba was alive and well now, the old man still showed concern and joy whenever he heard about Chiba's injuries and rescue. While Haneda Yu Ze had been recounting the story, Chiba's circumstances had continued to affect his emotions.
His concern for Chiba was plain to see.