Chōza Akimichi

is the father of Choji Akimichi and former teammate of Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka, and together they are the Previous Ino-Shika-Cho trio. The kanji on his chest armor means "eat".

Background
Not much is known about his past only that he was part of the first "Ino-Shika-Cho Trio" alongside Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka, his name beeing the Cho part of the Group Name. His first known appearance in the story is, as seen in a flashback during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, when his son Choji is sad about not having any friends, and he is sitting alongside his son trying to cheer him up, he said to him "Someday you'll have a group of real friends who see your kind heart inside of you and respect you for it. You'll find friends who believe in you, who trust you with their lives.  Cherish those friends, Choji." At that moment the son of his former Teammate Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru Nara, arrives and tells Choji that he sitting in his favorite spot. There Choza watched his son make a friend and smiles.

Personality
He seems to be a gentle and caring man, even sage-like at times, and has deep concern for his son, Choji, as seen in the flash backs during the Sasuke Retrieval arc. Like the rest of his clan, he has a large appetite, and is prone to eat everything on an entire page on the menu. It can also be speculated that he has the same bad temper as his son, should someone call him fatty.

Chunin Exam
He makes his official appearance, during the Chunin Exam Festival, sitting alongside his former teammates who are talking about the fact that Inoichi had a daughter, and, according to Shikaku, how troublesome it is, while he is looking at the menu only to order everything on the page that he was looking at. When Shikamaru comes to pick up his dad he even offers him to come and eat with them.

Konoha Invasion Arc
He makes his next appearance during the end of the Konoha Invasion Arc using the Super Multi-Size Technique, to trample some Sound Shinobi and later meets up with Inoichi and Shikaku agreeing when Shikaku, calls it the reunion of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio.

Sasuke Retrieval Arc
During his battle with Jirobo of the Sound Four, Choji thought back on his childhood when he was persecuted by his peers for being overweight. He spoke to his father Choza about this, and Choza responded that Choji had a kinder heart than anyone appreciated at the time, and that one day he would have friends who would see that quality and respect him for it. Immediately following this prediction, the pair were joined on their rooftop by Shikamaru Nara, son of Choza's old friend Shikaku, who spoke with Choji and soon became friendly with him, to Choza's delight. After the Sasuke Retrieval Squad returned home unsuccessfully, Choza spoke with Inoichi's daughter Ino Yamanaka about a recovering Choji, informing her that he was still unconscious but that he would pull through. Choza also expressed his gratitude for Tsunade's return to the village, as without her Choji would likely have perished.