While being recognised as a jōnin in Amegakure, Aoi's overall skill as such was dubious at best as his promotion to it was mainly due to selling secrets to Amegakure, having originally been only a chūnin in Konohagakure. Aoi then later managed to become a jōnin of Amegakure. As Aoi attacked Ibiki, the latter escaped as well. When Ibiki Morino and two Anbu members caught up with them, Aoi had the Anbu quickly killed, and Ibiki ended up being captured by the Ame ninja, where Aoi then tortured him to read the scroll.
Once the sword was in Aoi's hands, he fled the country with Idate, who was ashamed of his actions, and they went to Amegakure. Idate was tricked into believing that this would grant him advancement to chūnin. A former instructor in Konoha, he tricked Idate Morino, his former pupil, to steal the legendary lightning chakra sword called the ' Sword of the Thunder God', which had once belonged to Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, along with a secret scroll of how to use the sword at full potential.