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 Gekkō'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, he knew 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 identified Kabuto Yakushi, who was disguised as a Konoha ANBU as the person who had cast the genjutsu. He then engages the enemy forces alongside his comrades. In the anime, he also used the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique to attack several of the enemy shinobi at once. He later stands alongside Kurenai Yūhi, Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy after they had defeated the enemy shinobi. He is later seen at the Third Hokage's funeral mourning his loss.

Search for Tsunade Arc
After hearing the news that Itachi Uchiha had returned to Konoha looking for Naruto Uzumaki, he bursts into Kakashi's room inadvertently telling Sasuke Uchiha, 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 exasperated with Guy sighing and Kurenai 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 Utatane.

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.

Confining the Jinchūriki Arc
In the anime, Aoba is present at the war council meeting that Tsunade convened and was 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 tended to a seasick Might Guy. Once on the island and Guy gets his bearings they went with Motoi to the Falls of Truth, after he informed them that Naruto had gone there to learn how to control the Nine-Tails. Guy expressed the desire to undergo the same training as Naruto so he tries to channel his inner self at the falls. Aoba joked to Motoi that Guy's inner self probably wasn't human and both are surprised when this appears to be true and a blowfish-like creature appeared from the falls to face Guy. After they realised, however, that this was actually Kisame Hoshigaki, Aoba tried to stop him with his Secret Technique: Stone Needles but only created an easy opportunity for Kisame to absorb his chakra causing Aoba to collapse.

When Aoba recovers he goes after Kisame, finding that he has been captured and beaten unconscious by Guy. While Yamato restrains him, Aoba read his mind to gather information on Akatsuki. Before he could see who the individual controlling the Fourth Mizukage was however, Kisame regained consciousness by biting his tongue, shocking Aoba. Before they could respond Kisame commits suicide. Deciding to check just how much Kisame knew by opening the scroll, but upon opening the scroll a booby-trap is activated and the shinobi are imprisoned while a shark swims away with the intel.

Growing concerned that Akatsuki would be coming after them now that they know the island's location. Motoi tells them that that was 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. Acting immediately, Aoba moves to read Kabuto's mind as was done with Kisame, but upon approaching Kabuto on a wooden bridge created by Yamato, Kabuto escapes, pushing Aoba into Kurotsuchi's quicklime lava. After the Third Tsuchikage arrived on the scene and helped to free Aoba, Aoba tries to assure him that it wouldn't be easy to get information out of Yamato but the Tsuchikage states that Tobi possessed a very powerful dōjutsu and as such it wasn't a matter or whether or not Yamato wanted to divulge the alliance's intelligence. 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