Aoba Yamashiro

is a Tokubetsu Jōnin-level shinobi of Konohagakure.

Personality
Aoba has a very laid back and jovial personality most of the time, joking with others. He is also prone to panicking at times, but when the situation calls for it he is decisive, calm, and collected. Aoba is an honour student as well as being a boastful person in private while having a more reserved demeanour in public.

Appearance
Aoba has dark, spiky hair and is always seen wearing red-framed sunglasses which obscures his eyes. He wears the standard Konoha shinobi outfit complete with flak jacket and forehead protector which is worn slightly tilted to the left.

Abilities
Aoba has demonstrated knowledge and aptitude in a wide cross-area of techniques which he uses with great proficiency in whatever the given situation such as gathering intelligence to using a murder of crows to blind his foes and hide his team-mate's movements.

His Scattering Thousand Crows Technique involves manifesting a murder of crows which he can command seemingly with hand gestures. The crows are primarily used to swarm the enemy, hindering their view and seem to be dispelled in a puff of smoke like shadow clones when struck. These can also be used tactically as seen when he used them to disguise Raidō Namiashi's movements. While fighting Kakuzu, it was also shown that he is adept at taijutsu able to hold his own against the Akatsuki member while his team-mates retreated to safety. In the anime, during the invasion of Konoha, it is shown that he is also able to use Fire Release using the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique against the invading Oto and Suna shinobi. During that same invasion, he was also one of the Konoha shinobi that were able to dispel the genjutsu that Kabuto Yakushi had cast on the arena. He has also shown the ability to send his chakra through a medium to be used as a paralysing agent on his foe. Aoba is also able to delve into a person's mind, though he admitted to not being as adept with this skill as Inoichi Yamanaka. In the anime, it was revealed that he can read a person's mind even while not physically touching the target, once that thought or feeling is strong enough. Aoba has also shown a high level of intelligence able to carefully analyse situation even under great pressure.

Chūnin Exam Arc
Aoba makes his début in a meeting called by the Third Hokage and the Konoha Council alongside other jōnin level shinobi discussing Hayate's death and Orochimaru's possible involvement. The Third then told them that he had the utmost trust in all of them and if the time ever came, they would assemble their strength and fight.

Konoha Invasion Arc
During the commencement of the invasion, Aoba is one of the shinobi able to cancel the sleep-inducing genjutsu that had been cast on the people at the arena. He indentifies Kabuto, who was disguised as a Konoha ANBU as the person who had cast the genjutsu. He then engages the enemy forces alongside other shinobi. In the anime, he also uses the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique to attack several of the enemy shinobi at once. He is seen with Kurenai, Kakashi and Guy after they have defeated the enemy shinobi. He is later seen at the Third Hokage's funeral mourning his loss.

Search for Tsunade Arc
Aoba later appears inadvertently telling Sasuke Uchiha of Itachi Uchiha's visit to Konoha and the fact that he was after Naruto, causing Sasuke to rush from the room in search of his brother. The jōnin, who seemingly did not want Sasuke to know about this were visibly aggravated with Might Guy sighing and Kurenai Yūhi calling him an idiot. After Tsunade returns to the village and accepts the title of Hokage, Aoba along with Genma are given the task of announcing her inauguration as the Fifth to the village by Koharu.

Hidan and Kakuzu Arc
Aoba appears in Part II as a member of the Nijū Shōtai. In the anime, they are seen scoping out a known Akatsuki hideout where they encounter an associate of the organisation. They take the man into custody and then lay in wait at the hideout in the hopes that someone would show up there. With no luck on their stake-out, they later receive a message from Asuma's team and rushes to provide backup. He used his abilities to obscure Hidan and Kakuzu's field of vision giving Raidō an opportunity to attack them as well as the chance for them to get Asuma's team to safety. He then fought briefly with Kakuzu to prevent him from getting to Asuma until the Akatsuki pair retreated. He is later seen at Asuma's funeral.

Adventures at Sea Arc
Aoba is put into a team consisting of Guy, Yamato, Naruto, himself and three unknown shinobi, whose goal is to take Naruto to a isolated location in the Land of Lightning for the upcoming Fourth Shinobi World War. As Tsunade orders them to take a longer route so Akatsuki wouldn't try to capture Naruto, they plan to go by sea. They go to the Land of Fire's harbour and chose a small boat. While there, they are warned about a sea monster by two fellow Konoha shinobi. Heeding the warning, Aoba and Guy sail out first to fight the monster. The sea monster, discovered to be a Giant Marlin summon, then attacks. As Yūsuke, a fisherman trying to capture the fish, is saved by Naruto after his boat is destroyed by the marlin, Aoba distracts it by using his Scattering Thousand Crows Technique so the group can make their escape.

Back at Yūsuke's hut, they all agree to to help Yūsuke capture the summoning. After an intense next day, in which Yūsuke captures the Marlin, who returns home, the Konoha shinobi set out.

The Konoha shinobi sail through a thick fog. Yamato tells Aoba and Naruto about a "Ghost Ship" to pass the time but they suddenly meet a ship that has the same description as Yamato's "Ghost Ship". After investigating the ship, they meet a dead crew and help get revenge against the creature that killed them, the Giant Corpse Crab. After defeating it, they set sail again.

Aoba later helps search for Guy, who has been kidnapped by a giant bird. He spots a mysterious girl watching them and decides to pursue her, discovering that the island is filled with giant animals that were bred to used as summons, as well as research dedicated to developing the ultimate summon. As he follows the girl, he is lead into an abandoned lab inside the volcano, which also houses a huge sleeping monster. Using the Mind Reading technique, he discovers that the monster had devoured many of the islands residents before going to sleep.

Later, he encounters Guy, Yamato and Naruto flying towards him on a giant bird. The beast suddenly awakens and goes on a rampage. Aoba fights along side Guy while Yamato protects Naruto while he enters Sage Mode, which he later uses along side Wind Release: Rasenshuriken to defeat the beast.

Confining the Jinchūriki Arc
In the anime, Aoba is present at the war council meeting that Tsunade convenes and is later selected as one of the shinobi sent to an isolated island in the Land of Lightning as Naruto's bodyguard. On the boat ride there he tends to a seasick Might Guy. Once Guy gets his bearings they seek out Naruto. Motoi leads them to the Falls of Truth, informing them that Naruto is there to gain control over the Nine-Tails. Guy expresses the desire to undergo the same training as Naruto so he tries to channel his inner self at the falls. Aoba jokes to Motoi that Guy's inner self probably isn't human and both are surprised when this appears to be true when a blowfish appears from the falls to face Guy. When they realise that this is only Kisame Hoshigaki, Aoba tries to stop him with his Secret Technique: Stone Needles. This only creates an easy opportunity for Kisame to absorb his chakra and Aoba collapses.

When Aoba recovers he goes after Kisame, finding that he has been captured and beaten unconscious by Guy. While Yamato restrains him, Aoba reads his mind to gather information on Akatsuki. Before he can see Tobi's face, Kisame regains consciousness by biting his tongue, shocking Aoba. Before they can respond Kisame commits suicide. They try to check the intel he had with him, but it is booby-trapped and they are imprisoned while a shark swims away with the intel.

Aoba grows concerned that Akatsuki will come after them now that they know the island's location. Motoi tells them that this is unlikely because the island is constantly moving. Reassured, Aoba and Yamato try to keep Naruto busy by having him take a survey of the island's native animal population. When Akatsuki eventually does find the island and attacks, Aoba convinces Naruto that the explosions going on outside are actually earthquakes. Naruto is satisfied by this and goes back to his survey while Aoba and the others investigate outside. They find Kurotsuchi restraining Kabuto Yakushi. To read Kabuto's mind as was done with Kisame, Aoba approaches Kabuto on a wooden bridge created by Yamato. As he gets close, Kabuto escapes, pushes him off - causing him to get stuck in the very same restraint - and kidnaps Yamato. As the Third Tsuchikage helps Aoba get free, Aoba tries to assure him that it won't be easy to get information out of Yamato. The Tsuchikage retorts that Tobi has a very powerful dōjutsu. Aoba later marvels at the Tsuchikage as he carries the entire island to Kumogakure.

Shinobi World War Arc
Aoba later joins up with the Intelligence Division and reports to Inoichi Yamanaka the events that took place during the mission, to which Inoichi laments that Aoba did not have an easy time over there.

Trivia

 * "Aoba" means while "Yamashiro" means 'mountain castle'.
 * According to the databook:
 * Aoba's favourite phrase is.
 * His favourite foods are grated yam and yamaimo