Chouji chuckles at Lee's enthusiasm, but he sobers too quickly.
The word "Both," escapes before Chouji can stop it, raw and incredulous. Neji. Lee doesn't know; Neji is here. "Yes, having Ino and Shikamaru here will make things easier. But..." he pauses. If Neji is here, that lends even more credibility to the idea of Asuma being present as well. "Lee, Sakura said... she said Asuma-sensei is here."
If Chouji can distract Lee from wondering what prompted his initial outburst, Lee won't have to find out. He shouldn't find out like this.
[Voice]
The word "Both," escapes before Chouji can stop it, raw and incredulous. Neji. Lee doesn't know; Neji is here. "Yes, having Ino and Shikamaru here will make things easier. But..." he pauses. If Neji is here, that lends even more credibility to the idea of Asuma being present as well. "Lee, Sakura said... she said Asuma-sensei is here."
If Chouji can distract Lee from wondering what prompted his initial outburst, Lee won't have to find out. He shouldn't find out like this.