On the last day of Shinki's research mission, Gaara called his son to check on the mission progress and see how he was doing. As predicted, Shinki reported that the mission was on track to be completed, and he enjoyed working with his cousin Shikadai. Hearing that made Gaara very happy. It was his hope for the two cousins to get along better and become real friends. Then, Shinki brought another topic.
"Father, I was hoping you could ask the council to evaluate a Leaf kunoichi as a candidate for me to formally court. She is from a noble clan, well educated, and a strong shinobi."
"Son, if you have met someone that you like, you don't need the council's involvement. You can get to know that person."
"I am aware that in my position, I have to be strategic about a potential marriage that will benefit the Sand. I should not get involved with someone without having the approval of the council."
"My dear son, your commitment to the Sand is admirable, but marriage is not about strategy; it is about feelings. My generation fought tirelessly for peace, so our children could love freely. Please don't worry about the council. If you want to get married, marry someone you are in love with."
Shinki reflected on his father's words, but still, he wanted to benefit the village first. He was not looking for a crazy romance. He wanted a woman that would prioritize the village and the people. But, it would not hurt if the woman was pretty, and they got along well.
"Son, is Chocho Akimichi the person you had in mind to propose to the council?" Gaara inquired.
Astonished with his father's guess, he asked, "How did you know, father?"
"It was obvious she caught your attention in Naruto's office. I assumed that you also enjoy her personality now that you have been working together."
"She is a captivating person."
Gaara could tell that Shinki would not share much about his new interest in Chocho, but he could tell he was not in love with the little that he shared. Not saying he could not fall in love in the future with her. At that moment, Gaara's assessment of the situation was that Shinki was attracted to a pretty girl that checked many boxes.
"Get to know her better and go from there," Gaara suggested.
Since it was the last day of Shinki's research, Naruto invited him over for dinner at his home with Chocho and Shikadai. It was a big deal to be invited to the Hokage's house since he barely had time to be home due to his hectic schedule. As the three young shinobi were finishing for the day, Chocho realized something.
"Oh, no! We are the most ungracious dinner guests in all of the Leaf Village! We did not get anything to bring for our hosts."
Laid-back Shikadai playing with a pencil, said, "You are right. But we still have plenty of time to get something."
That etiquette oversight concerned Shinki. He was so busy with work that he completely forgot his manners.
"Here is the plan. Shinki and I will go to the Yamanaka's flower shop and get a plant or flowers or whatever that Inojin tells us to get. And you can go to the bakery and get some dessert," Shikadai resolved.
After Shinki's conversation with his father that morning, he decided he would ask Chocho on a date, but he had two impediments. His time at the Leaf Village was coming to an end. He had finished the research project and was scheduled to go on a mission the next day transporting classified documents for Naruto. The other impediment was that he didn't know how to ask out a girl and felt insecure. Since he was a brilliant young man, he decided to take advantage of this little opportunity that Shikadai presented.
"Thank you for the suggestion. However, I'd prefer to go to the bakery with Chocho if that is okay with both of you. I want to get some baked goods to bring home." Shinki stated.
Chocho's eyes were shining with excitement. She did not even have to plot to have Shinki go with her to the bakery. Her luck did not end there. Shikadai got a message from Boruto saying that dinner was delayed an hour since his father was running late. That meant that Chocho would have an extra hour alone with Shinki.
They picked a nice fruit tart at the bakery, and since they had time to kill, Shinki suggested having a cup of tea, to which Chocho happily agreed. In addition to the tea, Chocho ordered some desserts.
"Are you sure you want to eat those desserts? You might spoil your appetite?"
"I am sure. My appetite never gets spoiled." She had been controlling the amounts of foods she consumed in front of Shinki, but it was too hard for her to restrict herself in the bakery. She felt foolish trying to hide who she was. If he liked her, he would not mind her eating habits.
"People in my clan need to consume large amounts of food because we transform calories into chakra. That is why we can expand our body sizes and use Jutsus like the human boulder that I used on you in the Chunin exams."
"I apologize for the things I said that day. I was discourteous and full of myself." Shinki remembered his young self.
"Thank you for the apology, but has your perception of me as a shinobi changed? Don't you think I only bring brute strength?"
"I have learned a lot more about you while working on the research. I know you are a multifaceted person with many talents."
"Thank you! You have surprised me too. I thought you would struggle to get in sync with Shikadai and me. But my question was if your perception of me as a shinobi had changed."
"I would have to challenge you to a duel to find that out."
Chocho took a sip of her tea, and playfully replied, "It can be arranged. But make sure to be prepared."
"Looking forward to it. I'd like to see the other Akimichi Jutsus."
"When I fought you, I used the Human Boulder Jutsu for the first time in public. I was so embarrassed to do it in front of everyone. But now it is one of my favorite and more effective jutsus. I wished I started truly appreciating our abilities earlier in life."
"What made you change your mind?"
"I was studying the role of the Akimichi clan in the 4th Shinobi War. My clan was instrumental in the fight. My dad alone ended a brutal battle in the oceanfront when he seized his true power. My grandpa protected many soldiers too. They both are kind-hearted and always want to avoid battle, but at the same time, they are some of the strongest shinobi. When I am the head of the clan, I want to be like them and teach those values to the next generations."
Those words resonated with Shinki. He wanted to be the best Kazekage for his people and to make his father proud. "I feel the same way. I wish I would be at least as half as good of a Kazekage as my father is."
"We don't feel in the same way. I want to be better than my dad. He has trained me to surpass him. If I don't, he will be disappointed."
She laughed and added, "I also plan to make the Akimichi clan the most fashionable of the shinobi world."
There was a lot more about Chocho that Shinki did not see before. He became more interested in her. Although he had never planned on having a girlfriend, spending time with her made him reconsider his plans.
"I know you don't want to spoil your appetite, but try a bite of this cheesecake. You are going to love it." Chocho offered and fed him a piece of cake with a fork.
Shinki could not resist Chocho's kind offer. Even though he felt silly accepting being fed like a little kid, he took the bite because he wanted to show Chocho that he could relax and go with the flow.
He loved the cheesecake to the point that a little half-smile appeared on his face. Since Chocho noticed, she suggested, "If you are willing to risk losing your appetite, I am willing to share this cheesecake with you."
He replied with a softer facial expression that was atypical on him, "Thank you for your generosity, Chocho. I will take the risk." That was the closest thing to see Shinki flirting. He got another fork, and the two finished the cake.
Outside of the bakery, a pair of crushed yellow eyes saw what was happening outside.