Chōchō Akimichi

is a kunoichi and a member of Konohagakure's Akimichi clan. Together with her teammates Inojin Yamanaka and Shikadai Nara, she forms the seventeenth generation of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio.

Background
Chōchō is the only child of Karui and Chōji Akimichi. As her parents continued to stay close to their childhood friends over the years, Chōchō ultimately came to know the various parents' respective kids well. In the anime, when she was younger, Chōchō had very high fever. Her parents worked earnestly to get a special medicine for her, which caused Chōji trim down so much that Chōchō didn't recognise him, making her have lingering doubts about her parentage. On the day of the Seventh Hokage's inauguration, Chōchō attended the ceremony with her parents, where she ran into Sarada Uchiha.

Personality
Like her father, Chōchō never turns down an invitation when it comes to food. This is evident when she skips her training with her fellow Ino–Shika–Chō members in favour of going to eat with her sensei, Anko Mitarashi. Rather than feeling guilty for this, Chōchō displayed indifference to the consequences. In stark contrast to her father, who was always quick to rile when his weight was brought up, she was easily able to brush off being called fat. Her weight, in fact, doesn't seem to bother her at all, rather, Chōchō appears to be quite confident and self-assured — a trait she perhaps inherited from her mother.

A few years later, however, Chōchō started to become conscious about her appearance, and would actively try to lose a few pounds, only to fail upon seeing her father's excessive eating habits. This, coupled with her own mother having no problem with weight, has humorously caused Chōchō to believe she is adopted. She became impulsively convinced that any random adult she would find impressive is possibly her real parent. Ironically, upon approaching Chōji's slimmer form after using his Calorie Control, she approached him in the same manner. Having chosen to walk down her own path, Chōchō believes in doing everything at her own pace. She seems to be somewhat self-centred, as she thinks that many situations and events revolve around her. Chōchō also possesses a competitive nature, challenging her father to frequent eating contests.

Despite her rather eccentric nature, Chōchō is also a very caring friend and kind girl who shows great concern and esteem for her best friend Sarada while taking time to assist others in ways she believes are helpful when they are in trouble. Like many others in her generation, she admires the Seventh Hokage.

Appearance
Chōchō is a dark-skinned girl with amber-coloured eyes and a noticeably heftier physique, similarly to most people of her clan. She inherited her father's brown hair (portrayed as orange (or blonde) in the Boruto manga), which she styles in two spiky ponytails, kept back with a pink hair-band. The rest of her hair is left hanging down behind her back, with her bangs hanging over her left eye. She was first seen wearing a sleeveless red shirt, and white pants. Chōchō later upgraded her attire, donning a sleeveless white kimono with a net t-shirt under it, a yellow sash, tied with a dark-yellow ribbon, a pair of black arm warmers, and a pair of black long shinobi boots. As customary of her clan, both of her ears are pierced by grey stud earrings. However, unlike the rest of her clan, she lacks the Akimichi facial markings.

In her Academy days, Chōchō was seen wearing a sleeveless pink kimono, with a net t-shirt under it, a red sash with butterfly decorations tied around her waist, a pair of black arm warmers and regular shinobi sandals.

Abilities
Being a practitioner of Lightning Release, Chōchō can perform the technique.

Ninjutsu
In the anime, she is able to effectively perform Cooperation Ninjutsu and Fūinjutsu, able to use both to restrict a person's movements and expand the might of this alongside fellow users.

Akimichi Clan Techniques
As a member of the Akimichi clan, Chōchō is able to convert her calories into chakra to use for various body-expanding hiden techniques. Before graduating from the Academy, she was already able to use the Partial Multi-Size Technique. In the anime, by using her enlarged fists to deliver powerful punches to the ground, she can smack the debris at her opponent to use as a ranged assault. By the time of her Chūnin Exams, Chōchō had mastered more advanced techniques of her clan, such as the Multi-Size Technique and Human Bullet Tank. While her physical power is decreased, she is able to use Butterfly Mode for extended periods of time without using the clan's Three Coloured Pills at all.

Academy Entrance Arc
In the anime, two weeks into the Academy, Chōchō was left amazed at how reckless Boruto Uzumaki was compared to his father, and asked Sarada whether she knows him. Later, she joined the rest of the class to watch the fight between Boruto and Iwabee Yuino, after which Chōchō teased Sumire when she expressed her happiness with how Boruto was able to get along with the classmates. During a class introducing students to summoning techniques, Boruto and Sarada got into another argument, which sparked an argument between all the boys and girls. During lunch break, Chōchō bought nearly all the yakisoba buns, which sparked another fight between Sarada and Boruto over the last one. Shino appeared, insisting that they boys and girls settle things with a race challenge for a flag. The challenge quickly got heated, leading to a desperate Boruto using a summoning scroll and miraculously summoned a snake-like creature. The creature went on a rampage, attacking the students and launched Chōchō off the roof, to which Boruto managed to save her with the help of some other students. After the creature was subdued by the timely arrival of Konohamaru, the contest ended with the girls getting the flag. Despite their victory, the girls made peace with the boys.

Later, the class gained a new transfer student from Otogakure named Mitsuki. Wanting the students to warm up to Mitsuki, Shino organised a welcoming party for the new student. Chōchō quickly began digging into the food. When Shino's efforts for the party backfired with his insects, the class began to freak out, with Denki begging someone to make the insects go away, which Mitsuki did with his Wind Release: Breakthrough, causing even more damage to the Academy. When one of the repairmen went berserk and started to destroy the Academy, while her classmates went into actions, Chōchō decided to stay behind and "guard" the potato chips.

Later, Sumire realises that she is being stalked. Eventually, Chōchō and her friends discover that it is Magire Kakuremino a shy student from a different class. When Chōchō assumed that he was interested in her, Magire quickly denied it and accidentally admitted his feelings towards Sumire. Chōchō insisted that he be more forward with his feelings. When Magire meekly asks her out, Sumire turned him down, leaving him distraught and running away in shame. The following day, various creepy messages are left for Sumire. While Chōchō and the others decide to watch over her, they are systematically separated from Sumire. Eventually, the perpetrator is revealed to be a possessed Magire, who kidnaps Sumire. Chōchō and the others soon find them, where Magire quickly attacked them with his concealment skills. Eventually, Chōchō was able to reach Magire, noting that such an indecisive nature will never win anyone over. Accepting his poor methods of trying to make Sumire like him, the spectre was rejected from Magire. As Magire began to apologise for his actions he fainted, resulting from severe chakra drain caused from his possession. The group then quickly take him to the hospital.

Later, the class was assigned by Shino to split into groups of three and each tail a different workplace for a few days to better understand non-shinobi life. Chōchō convinced Sarada to check out both the nail salon and the pastry factory. The following day, Chōchō angrily went to the post office, noting that her special order of a limited-edition potato chip was suppose to arrive the day before. It was soon deduced that Boruto's sloppy delivery of mail was behind this. Later, Chōchō checked on some of her friends after learning that they were hospitalised from a recent attack. Afterwards, she was recruited by Shikadai to go after the culprit. She and her friends the met up at the post office to discuss their plan. After splitting up to patrol the village, the culprit of the attacks unleashed their Shadow Spectre on the post chief Komame. Chōchō's group however quickly appeared, having anticipated this move as all their recent efforts were clearly being spied on. While half the team stayed to save the possessed Komame, Chōchō's half pursued the masked culprit. While the post chief was saved, the spectre and the culprit ultimately got away.

Several weeks later, Shino decided to change up the three-man teams for their next challenge to determine the optimum pairings for graduation. Chōchō decided to team up with Inojin and Shikadai. When Iwabee noted that they were essentially forming the Ino-Shika-Chō trio like their respective parents, the team admitted that their techniques were naturally compatible. Chōchō also noted that good teams don't need to be friends, only work well together. During their challenge to capture a flag, Shikadai took advantage of Lee's social-anxiety, noting how everyone was watching him. While Lee froze up, Chōchō quickly knocked him out. Shino was then called aside concerning Sumire. As the class began discussing rumours that Sumire was being transferred to a different school, they were relieved to see her return to their class.

Chōchō met Sarada while she was looking for a lost parcel in the train and helped her retrieve it, eventually find it in a river.

After their sensei ended classes early due to the impending Five Kage Summit, Chōchō skipped her training with Inojin and Shikadai when Anko invited her to the dango shop to eat some anmitsu, despite Inojin's protests. She casually dismissed him even after being called fat and left.

Sarada Uchiha Arc
Upon hearing that her class will be going through the graduation exam in a week, Chōchō was only interested in if it could help her lose some weight. Later, she met up with Chōji, who embarrassed Chōchō simply because of his choice of flavoured chips to walk around with. In a restaurant, Chōchō complained that her father's excessive eating is making it difficult for her to control her own eating habits when she's trying to lose weight, only to be further annoyed with her mother's "hands off" policy on the matter. Chōchō told Sarada that she believes she is adopted, due to how different she found herself to her parents, much to Sarada's humour as she was actually suffering from a possible discrepancy in her own parentage. Mitsuki simply told her that drama of this type is typical of a girl her age, but Chōchō ignored him and invited Sarada on a road trip to "find her real parents". Later, when Sarada began to tail Naruto, Chōchō followed her, still believing they are embarking on a journey to discover her "real parents" and even assumed that her "real father" might be good-looking.

As she learned that Sarada was looking for her own father as well and was going to follow the Seventh Hokage to do so, Boruto soon appeared with a lunch prepared by his mother for Naruto. As Naruto had already left the village, Sarada decided to use this as an excuse to meet up with Naruto and asked Boruto to let her deliver it. After it was agreed that Chōchō and Sarada would bring the lunch, the two quickly took off. Soon afterwards, they were ambushed by Shin. While Chōchō and Sarada were quickly overwhelmed, the two were soon saved by Naruto's timely arrival. After a quick display of Seventh Hokage's might, Shin retreated and Chōchō was left in awe, hoping that maybe Naruto was her "real" father, much to Naruto's confusion. Deciding it would be safest to keep the two kunoichi with him, Naruto decided to let them join him on meeting with Sasuke Uchiha. Before setting out, the three shared some bento.

Soon afterwards, Sarada went ahead under the guise of using the restroom while Naruto stayed to watch Chōchō catch her breath. Upon catching up with Sarada, they found her in the company of her estranged father, Sasuke, who Chōchō thought might be her real father simply because he was handsome. She then offered Sasuke her bag of chips to try and make up with his daughter. Later, Chōchō joined everyone in the search for Shin. When Sasuke activated his Rinnegan and prepared to take everyone with him in his Susanoo, Chōchō again admired Sasuke's abilities. In the new dimension, they ultimately found Sakura Uchiha engaged in battle with Shin. As Sasuke subdued Shin with Susanoo and checked on his wife's condition, Chōchō complained about Sasuke being Sarada's father and not hers. Chōchō then overlooked the battle against thousands of Shin clones.

After the Shin clones were defeated, Chōchō approached Sarada, voicing her amazement at her friend's strength and noted with surprise that Sarada's eyes had become similar to her father's. On their way back to the village, Chōchō expressed her annoyance at being unable to find her real father but finding Sarada's instead. However as they approached the village gates, Chōchō approached a man whom she felt was familiar and might be her real father. She was shocked to find out that it was actually Chōji, who had just got back from a mission with Ino Yamanaka. She then began questioning her father on how he had suddenly lost so much weight and asked if it was some sort of secret technique passed down through their clan. Now in awe of her father's weight loss, Chōchō demanded that he will begin training her the next day.

School Trip Arc
In the anime, to improve relationships with other villages and symbolically show the warring era was over, the Seventh Hokage set up an official class trip for the Academy to go to Kirigakure. Upon arriving, they were met with Kagura Karatachi, who was appointed by to act as the class' tour guide. The class was later taken to meet Chōjūrō, the Sixth Mizukage, who welcomed the class to the village.

Chōchō arrives late over having brought along numerous souvenirs.

Graduation Exams Arc
In the anime, taking up Shino's subtle offer to try stealing the test answers for the written portion of the Genin Exams, Inojin and his friends were able to pass the test. The next day, the students for set against Academy teachers and Kakashi Hatake during the twenty four hour practical portion of the exams. While the teachers would still evaluate the students' respective improvements, their true test was against the Hokage. As the test began, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio fought Anko Mitarashi alongside other students, which resulted in them all being defeated and captured. During the night, his classmates rescued the restrained students after they defeated Anko. Strategising, all the students transformed into copies of Boruto and attacked Kakashi, during which they got into position to restrain him so Boruto could grab his bell. During their struggle, the exam reached its time limit. Despite not getting the bell, Kakashi chose to pass everyone as they succeeded in the test's true goal; team-work and loyalty. Having become a genin, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio was placed on Team 10 under Moegi Kazamatsuri's leadership.

Genin Mission Arc
In the anime, the Seventh Hokage personally assigned Team 10 their first mission, which involved chauffeuring around a client. During the mission, she walked around Konoha while chatting with the client. During another mission, Team 10 was tasked with clearing rocks off the Thunder Rail.

Byakuya Gang Arc
In the anime, with the continued thefts performed by the Byakuya Gang throughout Konoha, Team 10 was assigned alongside other genin teams to help stop the thieves. However, they weren't permitted to engage the gang without aid from a higher-ranked shinobi. When protesters began accusing the Kaminarimon Company of corrupt practises, Team 10 was tasked with being stationed at a key point during the protest. When Shikadai ran off during their assignment, Chōchō and Inojin followed him, during which they are joined by Boruto and told that he believed the Ninjutsu Research Centre was being targeted by the Byakuya Gang. Arriving at the institute, the genin discovered it was robbed, and given a way to track the thieves by Katasuke Tōno. Catching up to the gang, Chōchō and Inojin faced the majority of the group while Shikadai and Boruto chased after Gekkō and Ryōgi. Defeating all but one of the thieves, Shikamaru Nara arrived and defeated the final member. Acknowledging that it was an urgent situation, Shikamaru let the pair off the hook for engaging in battle, much to their relief.

Versus Momoshiki Arc
While shopping with her father, Chōchō was irritated to find that all the food on the shelves had been bought by Naruto's shadow clones. Later, Chōchō enters the Chūnin Exams alongside Inojin and Shikadai. The first round is a true or false quiz which turned out to be a sham as both answers were incorrect and every team was dropped into an ink pit. Shikadai, however, was able to use his shadow to prevent him and his teammates from falling into it, passing the first round. In the second round, the genin had to capture an enemy team's flag. While Chōchō went to retrieve one, Shikadai and Inojin guarded their respective flag. She successfully captures a flag, securing victory for her team. During the third round, however, Chōchō is defeated by Shinki.

Later, Chōchō happily watched the finals alongside her friends, which was a three-way battle between Sarada, Boruto, and Shinki. She and her team-mates cheered for Boruto when he defeated Shinki to win the tournament, but were very distraught when learning that he cheating used an advanced ninja tool, the Kote, which was deemed banned from the Chūnin Exams and thus was disqualified. When Momoshiki and Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki appeared and began devastating the arena, Chōchō used her expansion techniques to help evacuate civilians.

Chōchō Arc
In the anime, as Chōji began teaching Chōchō more of their clan's advanced techniques, including the maxed-out calorie control skill Chōchō showed more interest watching a popular TV drama, particularly its lead actors Tomaru and Ashina. Determined to find love, Chōchō committed herself to maintaining her Butterfly Mode due to its slimmer appearance, despite the fact that her limited control of this state actually diminished strength. When the two lead actors of her favourite show received a death threat if they continued filming their show, Team 10 was assigned to protect the actors alongside Team 7. Chōchō and her team were assigned to watch Tomaru, much to her delight. Chōchō decided to put on a considerate but indifferent demeanour to get Tomaru to like her, which seemed to work. When the stage was attacked by a masked Ame-nin, the two Konoha teams defended the cast. While they initially pinned down the assailant, Chōchō moved into finish him with her Partial Multi-Size Technique, she at the last minute returned to her slim form, not wanting Tomaru to see her naturally plump form. This reduced performance let the assailant escape. Afterwards, one of the actors was injured. Tomaru suggested that Chōchō take the actress' place for the scene, much to Chōchō's bliss, seeing this as her chance for love.

As Tomaru's kindness towards Chōchō continued to sway her, he ultimately had her try on a prop dress to rehearse a scene together. After Mitsuki interrupted a kiss scene, she began lashing out at him for ruining her "moment of love". Her relentless anger ultimately made her changed back to her normal plumper self, ruining the dress. When Tomaru appeared again, not recognising Chōchō, he revealed to be a very vain and shameless man, only interested in the beauty of Chōchō's Butterfly Mode. Even more, he mocked Chōchō's plumpness. Despite this crushing Chōchō's feelings, she chose not to reveal the truth who she was, instead focus on finishing the mission.

Later, masked attacker managed to capture Tomaru while Chōchō went to get water for Ashina. A ransom was left that demanded 20 million ryō and for Ashina to be the one to deliver it. As Chōchō's friends continued telling her to stop focusing on how she looks as her continued usage of Butterfly Mode was weakening, Chōchō ignored their request. Ultimately, Mitsuki talked to her through her love of potato chips, noting that what matters is not the outside appearance, but the quality. During the exchange, as Konohamaru already captured the attacker and disguised himself as the Ame-nin, Ashina was revealed to be the mastermind behind the assaults as she desperately wanted to rekindle her fame as an actress. In a last blind effort to keep her fame by burying the truth, she attempted to blow up the area. While Konohomaru stopped her from using them, the explosive tags went off, causing a landslide. As Tomaru was in danger of be crushed, Chōchō dropped her Butterfly Mode and saved him. Afterwards, amazed by Chōchō's heroic display, he came to appreciate Chōchō for her, regardless of how she looked. While he offered to let her stay on as a regular for the show, she politely declined, wanting to live a life as the real her.

Mitsuki Arc
After Mitsuki's apparent betrayal of Konohakagure, the village was put on lockdown. Despite this, Boruto and Sarada decided to sneak out to find Mitsuki. Team 10 was assigned to find and bring back the two genin. The following day, they managed to intercept them.

Shikamaru Shinden: A Cloud Dancing in Forlorn Falling Petals
Chōchō appears in this novel.

Ao Arc
At the Training Hall, Chōchō watched Boruto fight the Seventh Hokage alongside other genin.

Trivia

 * According to character trivia from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations:
 * Chōchō's hobbies are eating contests and appreciating TV dramas.
 * Her favourite foods are just about anything.
 * Her least favourite foods are just about nothing.
 * Her attributes are: 70 in intelligence, 110 in negotiations, 120 in dexterity, 150 in strength, 80 in perception, and 145 in chakra.
 * She was also given a skill rating in these particular areas:
 * Mental Resistance: ★★★★☆
 * Drug Resistance: ★★★★☆
 * Unarmed Hand-to-hand Fighting: ★★★☆☆

Quotes

 * (To Mitsuki) "Hey, Mr. Know-it-all!! You don't know the first thing about the delicate and sensitive heart of a girl!"
 * (Reacting to Naruto's boast) "Wait a second… there's only one person who's the only top… This is beginning to sound a little fishy."
 * (Attempting to give Sasuke chips) "I don't have any other flavours except lightly salted… But if this doesn't patch things up between you guys, then I'm totally out of brilliant ideas!"