Shikamaru doesn't often mention the depth of his attachments to people. That means he has a reason for including information Chouji could infer well enough on his own. It must be for Masaomi's sake, and he recognizes the same consideration and reassurance that make him so comfortable around his best friend. Chouji could never hold that against Masaomi. It's just as well that Shikamaru wasn't on his own in Luceti all this time. Time to stop wishing he'd been here sooner.

Chouji also takes a seat in the living room, his movements slower and more deliberate than Masaomi's. "It's nice to meet you, Masaomi," he says politely, accompanying it with a friendly smile. "I'm Chouji."