"No, see, that's not really true. Haven't you ever heard that it's better to look your superiors in the face so that you can save them from being stabbed in the back than to stare at your toes after a bow and leave the person you're talking to at a disadvantage?"

He stared at her hair, then gave a small shrug, a wry, slightly sad look on his face. "You're a Konoha shinobi Haruno-san, you have no reason to look down, especially not in such an informal setting."