Chapter 7

Leaving Meikansen, Ita Masahiro walked out of the cage that had confined him for over a decade. The view before him suddenly opened up to a vast expanse of blue sky, white clouds, green mountains, and clear water, and the oppression in his heart dissipated considerably. Although Ita Masahiro had always hoped to go to Owari to join Oda Nobunaga, he had always been a homebody. Before his穿越, he stayed at home, and after his穿越, he stayed in the temple, never venturing beyond his own little world. If it weren't for the many people who knew the way, he might have ended up going in the wrong direction.

Meikansen is located in a small valley. In fact, much of the land in the Tetsu and Awa districts is mountainous, with many rivers running through the mountains. The Kojima River runs north to south, and many castles are built on the rocky hills along its banks. The land along the river is fertile, and the mountains have been cultivated, making even the small Bitchu Province boast nearly 200,000 koku of land.

In this sense, his teacher can be considered a standout among monks. Ita Masahiro had heard his teacher speak of his past, including his time in Kyoto and his role as the deputy head of Tokuchoji Temple near Yachi Castle. It seems he wasn't exaggerating.

Following the Oba River would lead to the Kojima River. Kagerou and Nakayama are both located along the Oba River. Nakayama is at the bend where the Oba River meets the Kojima River, with more fertile land. If it weren't for the copper mines in the Kagerou area, which gave it greater control, Kagerou Castle would have been one-third smaller than Nakayama Castle during its peak.

The Oba River floods in spring, with rapid currents. The group initially moved quickly, giving the impression that they would soon reach Nakayama. However, once they left the area around Meikansen, their speed slowed considerably.

Although the path along the Oba River is relatively easy to travel, it's important to remember that this was the chaotic Sengoku period, not a unified later era with funds for road and bridge construction.

At the time, except for a few unified regions, no one would be foolish enough to spend money on road construction. Every penny was stretched to its limit, with people scrimping and saving to gather more troops. Land and food could recruit more people, and more people could seize more land and food, creating a vicious cycle.

Bitchu Province is mountainous, and the straight-line distance between Kagerou Castle and Nakayama Castle is not very far. However, the journey takes about two hours. Fortunately, it hasn't rained for over ten days. If it had, the river would have flooded, destroying the land along its banks, and landslides would have made the journey impossible.

It was not yet noon, and after crossing two mountains and three shallow fords, some people were exhausted. No one complained, but the increasingly slow pace told Ita Masahiro that everyone was very tired. To be honest, Ita Masahiro, who had just recovered from his injuries, was also struggling.

Ita Masahiro knew that if Nakayama Masahiro had set out to welcome him, he should have sent scouts to investigate the area and find a suitable battlefield. The terrain was crucial, so he ordered everyone to stop and rest, eating some rice balls.

Ita Masahiro stopped and called out loudly, "Everyone, take a break and eat some rice balls. Two of you go down to the Saho River to fetch some water, and send a small group to the mountain ahead to see if the enemy has arrived."

He then wandered around, giving orders to ensure everyone rested properly and personally inspecting the surrounding terrain.

Yama Masahiro, leading four men, had just climbed the mountain ahead when he stopped and crouched down, turning to the samurai behind him and saying, "There's a situation, Sajiro. Go back and inform the lord to prepare for battle." Sajiro did not hesitate and immediately turned to leave.

Soon, Ita Masahiro, along with the others who had eaten rice balls and drunk water, slowly climbed the mountain. Seeing Yama Masahiro crouched on the mountain, looking down without any signs of trouble, he quietly approached and asked if Nakayama Masahiro had appeared.

"Hey, Lord, it seems someone has the same idea as us," Yama Masahiro said, pointing to the shadows on the mountain slope, clearly indicating an ambush. "The leader is quite capable, knowing that our battle with Nakayama would likely be in this area. Beyond this point, the terrain becomes open, and we would lose our advantage, so they've set up an ambush here, hoping to catch us off guard."

Ita Masahiro chuckled and said, "Being overly cautious is a sign of weakness. Once they're discovered, they'll become our shield."

Yama Masahiro smiled, understanding Ita Masahiro's point, and said, "They're probably afraid of being discovered, so they didn't send scouts. This makes it easier for us to approach the mountain."

Ita Masahiro's single eye narrowed, and he said to Yama Masahiro, "Have everyone retreat quietly to the bottom. We'll watch the show from here. Once Nakayama Masahiro appears, we'll disrupt them, and they won't be able to play the role of the sparrow."

Seeing that someone was trying to take advantage of the situation, Ita Masahiro was initially startled. If he hadn't been cautious and sent scouts, it would have been difficult to discover. Once the two sides started fighting and were both exhausted, a fresh force could easily turn the tide.

Now that he had discovered this, Ita Masahiro's anxiety eased considerably. To be honest, this was his first battle, and he had never been in a gang fight. In his previous life, he was a homebody and had never seen such scenes in real life.

He had little confidence in defeating Nakayama Masahiro and capturing Nakayama Castle.

But he had no choice. To survive, he needed more land, and with more land, he could recruit more people to fight for him. Capturing Nakayama Castle was a necessary step.

Attacking Nakayama Castle, Ita Masahiro had little confidence. With 46 men against over 200, the numbers were clearly against him.

Although he had never been in a gang fight, he had seen enough movies to know that in a fight, the more ruthless side usually wins.

In the movies, 200 men against 40 is a significant disadvantage. If Nakayama Masahiro hadn't been killed in the initial battle, the fight would have been tough.

However, time was short, and the task was urgent. Ita Masahiro had to make this decisive battle for the fate of the Ita clan. Who knew when Shinno Sadaharu would launch a full-scale attack.

If he didn't expand his power before then, he might have to flee alone, a bleak and uncertain path.

In the current chaos, one wrong move could mean death without a proper burial.

No matter what, he had to try. Even if he failed, he wanted others to see the hopelessness and follow him to Owari.

Seeing that someone was trying to take advantage of the situation, Ita Masahiro finally felt relieved. Instead of the ambushers being the sparrow, they would be the sparrow, attacking the exhausted Nakayama clan and nullifying their numerical advantage.

As Ita Masahiro was pondering his next move, Yama Masahiro whispered, "Lord, Lord, look, the Nakayama forces are here."

On the side of the Saho River, a large group of men was advancing through the mist and noise. From a distance, they could see the group moving slowly, and the dust they kicked up indicated the size of their force and their direction.

"Two hundred twenty, thirty? No, there must be three hundred or more..." Yama Masahiro muttered, his face showing shock. "When did Nakayama Masahiro get so many men? It's impossible. Could the rumors be true? Did they receive support from Shinno Sadaharu and recruit ronin?" His words were filled with frustration and anger.