"Have they arrived?"
Hearing Chiba's sudden words, Might Guy seemed a little slow to react. He instinctively glanced at Chiba first, then let out a puzzled sound before finally turning his gaze toward the path leading to the Japanese-style wooden house.
In other words, the edge of the sea of flowers.
And at that moment, two figures appeared in his eyes. They were none other than his students, Neji Hyuga and Tenten.
"Ah! They're here..."
However, upon seeing his two students, Might Guy still seemed somewhat unable to process it and muttered softly.
Uh...
I agreed, but what exactly am I supposed to do next?
At that moment, as he looked at Tenten and Neji Hyuga approaching with doubtful expressions on their faces, Chiba found himself in a difficult spot.
Yes, unlike Might Guy, who was still slow to react, Chiba was troubled.
And the reason for his trouble was as simple as ever.
At this moment, watching Tenten and Neji Hyuga walk over, Chiba's old problem of being withdrawn, poor at socializing, and clueless about interpersonal relationships resurfaced after nearly twenty years.
Originally—or rather, before seeing Neji Hyuga and Tenten—he had believed that the antisocial and socially inept habits accumulated over two lifetimes had been healed by his bond with Kushina, Hirohiko, and Yukina.
At least during that time, though he was still a little awkward, he had gradually begun adapting to being surrounded by friends, trusted by others, and deliberately approached by people.
It could be said that during that period, he had become increasingly comfortable with ordinary interpersonal interactions.
For more than twenty years, he had even believed that he had escaped the shadow of isolation and social awkwardness.
He had even secretly tested it before.
During that drinking session with Asuma, Kakashi, and the Might Guy