Chapter 84

In the first year of Genki (1573), mid-August, in the village of Hyougo in the Hyougo District of Tamba Province, at Hyougo Castle, Mura Kiyomasa stood.

There was a small hut-like building in one corner of Hyougo Castle.

"I am Mura Jiroemon."

When he called out, a hoarse voice from inside the room said, "Come in." He pulled out his sword from its scabbard and held it in his right hand, saying, "Excuse me," as he entered the room. Inside, the lord of this castle, Hatano Mimasaka-no-kami Masahiro, was sitting alone. Our Tamba ninja group, the Mura Party, does not receive orders from the head of the Hatano family, Saemon-no-suke Masaharu, but always from Mimasaka-no-kami Masahiro. When meeting Mimasaka-no-kami, we always use this hut and do not allow the presence of others. What is spoken here is a secret between Mimasaka-no-kami and us.

The room was dim, but he could see the solemn expression on Mimasaka-no-kami's face. Kiyomasa sat in front of Mimasaka-no-kami and placed his sword in his right hand.

"Kuki will indeed raise an army by the end of August."

"Is that so, it will be soon. Including the attack on Tango, it will be the third deployment of the year. It is something we cannot imagine."

Mimasaka-no-kami shook his head.

"They are also active in Ise and Noto. It is not unusual for Kuki."

"Yes, they are mercenaries hired with money. They are convenient and can be pushed to the limit."

Mimasaka-no-kami sighed. Peasant soldiers cannot do that. Especially at this time of year, it is the most important period for rice harvesting. Normally, there would be no war, but Kuki does not follow this common sense.

"How are the food reserves?"

"We have bought rice from nearby areas, but the timing is bad, and it is expensive. We have spent a lot of money, but we have no choice. However, how long will it last... Kuki's target is probably our rice."

"Most likely."

If the rice is harvested before it is ripe, we will have no income. Even if we can fight this year, we cannot fight next year without rice. Mimasaka-no-kami said he has spent a lot of money. There will probably be no money to buy rice next year.

"What about the Hongan-ji?"

"The disputes among the followers have not yet settled. How about you, Mimasaka-no-kami?"

Mimasaka-no-kami shook his head.

"A letter from Kennyo-dono has arrived. It says that it is difficult to act in Settsu now, but it might be possible next year. Your investigation matches this, so we cannot expect support."

"It seems that Kuki's influence has reached the Hongan-ji."

Mimasaka-no-kami looked at him intently.

"Eight Gates?"

His voice was low.

"Most likely. Or it might be Iga. We cannot rely on them next year. You need to be prepared for that."

Mimasaka-no-kami sighed.

"It's a nasty business, can you do it?"

"It's quite difficult."

"Ah, even the Tamba Mura Party finds it difficult. The Eight Gates and Iga are tough."

Kiyomasa bowed his head in silence. The Eight Gates, though they do not engage in battles or assassinations, are skilled in reconnaissance, spreading rumors, and subversion. They are particularly troublesome because they are battle-hardened. They originally had settlements in Tamba, but they disappeared at some point. They probably decided to fight us. I was surprised by their efficiency. They are always ready for battle. Of course, Kuki's soldiers can move at any time, so the ninjas must be the same. There is no time to relax.

"If the Hongan-ji cannot act, then Harima will be difficult."

"There are over 30,000 Kuki soldiers in Settsu. They cannot move easily."

"As the saying goes, 'If the lips are gone, the teeth will feel cold'..."

"We won't know until it gets cold."

"It's tough, very tough."

Mimasaka-no-kami sighed. Nearly 10,000 Kuki forces are deployed on the border between Settsu and Harima. The Others, the Hosokawa, the Koyama, and the Akamatsu cannot ignore them. Kuki has used subversion and soldiers to neutralize any potential allies in Tamba. Tamba is undoubtedly isolated. The only hope is the unity of the Tamba kokujin, centered around the Akai and the Hatano.

"Where will Kuki attack?"

"From Yamashiro and Tango. From Yamashiro, the Shogun of Omi will attack, and from Tango, Akechi Jubei will invade."

"Indeed, the attack on Tango was a stepping stone for the attack on Tamba. I suspected as much, but... I am not happy that my suspicions were correct."

Mimasaka-no-kami smiled bitterly.

"If they had attacked us forcefully at that time, we could have gained the cooperation of the Akai. But if they attack from Tango, the Akai will be busy with their own affairs. They are tough, they will come one by one. It's not flashy, but it's tough."

"..."

"The only relief is that the Akai has divorced the sister of the Kanpaku. This way, the Akai will not betray us. We can fight without worrying about the rear."

"Forgive me, Mimasaka-no-kami, but is it not possible to submit to Kuki now? If we continue like this..."

Mimasaka-no-kami shook his head, saying, "It would be futile."

"I have recommended this to Saemon-no-suke many times. From what we have seen with Katsutoshi, Kuki is not an easy master to serve. The only ones who have been purged by Kuki so far are the Kitabatake of Ise, but they cannot be blamed for Kuki's actions. Besides, the Kitabatake clan has not been completely destroyed. If they do not think strangely, they can be treated accordingly."

Mimasaka-no-kami's judgment is correct. That is why I also recommend submission.

"But, Saemon-no-suke cannot accept it. He says they do not fit, their ideas are different, and he does not like Kuki's methods."

"..."

"Yes, Kuki requires the permission of the Shogun of Omi to build temples and imposes strict restrictions on proselytizing. He says, 'What arrogance, what arrogance, to try to control both gods and Buddhas.'"

Mimasaka-no-kami exhaled.

"Kuki is in a fierce battle with the Ikko-ikki..."

"Yes, in Tamba, there is no conflict with temples and shrines. But Kuki has fought the Ikko-ikki and Enryaku-ji. Their attitude towards temples and shrines must be different from ours, and it must be strict."

Mimasaka-no-kami's tone was heavy. He probably thinks it is too harsh to blame Kuki for this issue. The conflict between the Ikko-ikki and Kuki was initiated by the Ikko-ikki. But it is hard to imagine that the Ikko-ikki expected the conflict to be so brutal.

In the root-cutting in the Hokuriku, tens of thousands of followers were killed, and the Ikko-ikki were eradicated. Normally, one would think of making peace somewhere, but Kuki chose to eradicate the Ikko-ikki rather than make peace. He probably saw that eradicating them would be more beneficial in the long run than making a half-hearted peace. It is a scary thing, Kuki is not afraid of bloodshed. Neither the head nor the vassals are.

"Mimasaka-no-kami, it is difficult to say, but if we continue like this, the Hatano family will be destroyed."

"Yes, it will be destroyed."

"What will you do? Will you sit and wait for the time to come?"

Mimasaka-no-kami looked at him intently.

"Jiroemon, can you kill someone for me?"

"..."

"The Shogun of Omi, please."

"..."

"Is that acceptable?"

Mimasaka-no-kami nodded. They had been speaking in whispers without realizing it. Indeed, it had to come to this. He had been prepared since he was called here. There were two options, and one was presented to him.

"To win a battle, we must not choose our means. If a battle is decided by leading an army, it can also be decided by a single dagger."

"..."

"What do you think?"

Mimasaka-no-kami looked at his face closely.

"It will be difficult. I do not think no one has ever tried to take the Shogun of Omi's life. But no one has succeeded."

Mimasaka-no-kami nodded. Kuki's weakness is that the head is still young and the heir is young. If something happens to the Shogun of Omi, Kuki's momentum will stop and it will go downhill. Those who have opposed Kuki must have noticed this. It must have been attempted several times and buried in darkness. It is not a promise to be made lightly.

"Eight Gates?"

"Most likely. The Shogun of Omi is surrounded by skilled shadow warriors. It will not be easy to take his life, and if you fail, even if you surrender, the survival of the Hatano family will not be allowed. Is it really acceptable to target the Shogun of Omi's life? There are other options to prevent the war."

Mimasaka-no-kami averted his gaze.

"Can't you do it, Jiroemon?"

A sigh escaped him.

"Understood, I will try. We, the Tamba Mura Party, have our pride. But I cannot guarantee success."

"Thank you."

Mimasaka-no-kami bowed. He did not stop him. Many of the Tamba Mura Party will die, and he thought of it as a memorial for them.

"By when?"

"By next June. Without this year's harvest, that is the limit."

June, there is not much time. If we target him, it will be during the army's movement, but there is not enough time to prepare from now. He will probably be in the camp for the rest of the year, and the security will be tight. From January to February, Tamba will be surrounded by snow, and Kuki will probably withdraw their troops. But can we target him in Omi? There is room for consideration, but it is difficult. The best option would be to target him during the movement of the troops after the New Year. But the Eight Gates are well aware of this. Where to target... We need to consult with everyone.

That night, three men gathered at his residence in Mura Village. Ishikawa Sanzaemon Yorimitsu, Saiga Gorobei Masahiro, and Ryuji Sentauro Masahiro. The best men of the Tamba Mura Party. He told them everything about his conversation with Mimasaka-no-kami.

"I have received orders from Mimasaka-no-kami."

"..."

"To take the life of the Shogun of Omi. The deadline is next June."

The three men exchanged glances. They did not seem surprised.

"Kuki's forces will soon invade Tamba. We must start preparing immediately."

"The enemy is the Eight Gates, it will not be easy."

"There may be only one chance, if any."

"We cannot fail."

Ishikawa Sanzaemon and Saiga Gorobei spoke. Ryuji Sentauro remained silent.

"Sentauro, what's wrong?"

"Leader, are you really going to target the Shogun of Omi's life?"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't it be easier and more certain to take the life of Saemon-no-suke to protect the Hatano family?"

Ryuji Sentauro's words did not surprise Ishikawa Sanzaemon and Saiga Gorobei. They probably expected this.

"I have pressed Mimasaka-no-kami several times. He said to target the Shogun of Omi's life."

"..."

"Taking the life of Saemon-no-suke is not difficult. But if we do that, we must leave Tamba. No daimyo would hire ninjas who assassinate their master. We will be buried in darkness. Mimasaka-no-kami chose for us to survive and for the Hatano family to survive. It is a difficult choice, but..."

"Understood. I will take the Shogun of Omi's life."

Ryuji Sentauro answered, and the other two nodded.

"I will set up the operation in Tamba. You three should lead your subordinates to Omi."

"..."

"The Shogun of Omi will probably spend the end of this year and the beginning of next year in Omi. Target him there. The Eight Gates probably do not expect us to attack in Omi, where we do not have the advantage. They will be on guard, but there will be a gap somewhere. Target that gap."

"Hai."

The three men bowed. There is still enough time if we start now. We should be able to find a gap.

In the first year of Genki (1573), late August, in Kawasaki Village, Banwa District, Awa Province, at Kawasaki Castle, Mihara Nagayoshi.

When he returned to his residence, Kusunoki Castle, his son Kusunokimaru came to greet him.

"Welcome back, are you not tired?"

"It's just a trip to the main castle. It's not even a mile, don't treat me like an old man."

"I apologize."

His apology was a smile, not sincere. He huffed and went to his room. Kusunokimaru followed.

"What did you talk about with Buzen-no-kami?"

He asked as soon as they entered the room. He seemed very concerned.

"A letter from Kyoto has arrived."

"From Kyoto? Then?"

Kusunokimaru looked at his face, and he nodded.

"That's right, a letter from the Shogun. It says to attack Kuki."

Brother is brother, and son is son... He still only thinks about using others. It is unpleasant.

"He quickly took control of Tango. It is not interesting for the Shogun, he must feel like he is being stripped naked."

"Do you rely on a man who does not attend the Shogun's court? It is not reliable."

"That's true. ...Indeed, we attended the court. It makes sense for the Shogun to rely on us."

"Fool."

They both laughed.

"A notice will soon be issued to gather at Kusunoki Castle. We will decide how the Mihara family will act there."

"What do you think, father? What did you say to Buzen-no-kami?"

"I expressed my thoughts, but I am old. I recommended that the young people's opinions be heard before