Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"how?"

"It has been confirmed that there is indeed a pontoon bridge in Jinshan." Ma Hui shouted, his face contorted with rage. Although slightly out of breath, he was still able to finish the sentence.

"What a great opportunity!" To support Shichibei, Todo Takatora immediately stood up and raised his arms in a shout.

Before they could fully process the news that a pontoon bridge was being built beneath Jinshan Castle, Tōdō Takatora's shout drew all their attention to Shichibei.

"I request that Amago Izumo no Kami lead his troops directly to Kamono to confront the Eastern bandits!" Shichibei's first military order was officially issued.

"I understand!" Niko Katsuhisa did not hesitate or show any dissatisfaction. He had come to fight for his father-in-law.

I don't ask why we're fighting, nor do I ask who we're fighting. As long as the order is given, the Amago family's swords and spears are ready to charge for Lord Kawamura.

Based on our assessment, the force heading towards Jinshan must be a special detachment launching a flanking attack, circling back and forth for dozens of kilometers before launching their assault. If it were a large-scale advance, it would be almost impossible to conceal it. At most ten or twenty thousand men—that's already an overestimation. With a brave general like Amago Katsuhisa, coupled with Shichibei's trusted general Watanabe, they might even be able to launch a counter-offensive.

"With Inuyama Castle in front of us, led by Shimazu Satsuma-no-kami, are you willing to fight for me?" Shichibei turned to look at Shimazu Tadatsumi and the others. Although they were young and their force numbered only six thousand cavalry, their fighting spirit was high.

In fact, with the combined strength of Satsuma and Ōsumi, they could easily muster 25,000 men. However, firstly, they suffered a heavy defeat in the previous Battle of Takagi, and secondly, the Shimazu clan did not have any clear sense of loyalty to the Oda clan.

Therefore, the family made a decision to have Shimazu Tadatsumi, Kubo, and Toyohisa, representing the main family of Shimazu, the Yoshihiro family of Shimazu, and the Iehisa family of Shimazu respectively, recruit "volunteers" from the family to participate in the war.

They were all sons-in-law of Shichibei, so it was perfectly reasonable for them to come and fight, after all, they were adoptive father and sons. If they won, the Shimazu would be considered successful; if they lost, they would be "going it alone," since Shimazu Yoshihisa and the others didn't come.

"I will surely break through the enemy lines and achieve great merit!" Shimazu Tadatsumi's family business was all built by Shichibei, so why would he refuse?

Just do it!

"Then, with 3,000 cavalrymen including Sanada Hyobu-jo, Sanada Awa-no-kami, Sanada Izu-no-kami, and Sanada Saemon-no-suke as the left flank, and with 3,000 cavalrymen including Goto Mata-bei and Hara-hiko-jiro as the right flank, they will advance together."

We must either not act at all, or we must deploy our strongest forces. The battlefield is finite; although we have hundreds of thousands of troops, we can't possibly deploy them all on one battlefield. Since we've determined that the Eastern Army will deploy its main force around Inuyama, we'll send out our strongest troops.

These twelve thousand men were the most trustworthy and valiant troops under Shichibei's command. The others were either slightly less capable in combat or their loyalty was questionable.

The best!

"Hehe." The generals and soldiers whose names were called stood up and shouted in response.

"After the first battle, the second battle will be led by Ukita Bizen no Kami." Ukita Nagaie's fighting style was completely different from that of his adoptive father, Ukita Naoie.

Perhaps because he grew up by Nobunaga's side, he learned a bit of Nobunaga's essence. He was capable of both a straightforward, head-on assault and a direct, fierce attack. He was also capable of personally leading his brave and fierce warriors to charge straight into the enemy lines, using himself as the spearhead and leading the entire army in a daring charge.

If the first wave of troops can push the Eastern Army southward, then the capable and combat-ready Ukita Nagaie would be the best support force.

If the first wave of attacks fails, then Ukita's army can at least hold their ground, regroup, and hold off the Eastern Army surging from the south bank of the Kiso River. This will buy Shichibei time to reorganize his forces.

"Behold the bravery and strategy of the men of Bishu." Ukita Nagaie had even learned a bit of Nobunaga's pride, and he came in with great righteousness.

After Ukita Naoie's death, there was no unrest within the family, and the entire Ukita army remained fully intact. Veteran retainers such as Oka, Osafune, and Togawa, as well as senior retainers like Hanafusa, Akashi, and Nobuhara, were all present. The Nagaie left his father, Ukita Tadai, at home to guard the house, while all the elite troops were brought to Mino.

"Alright!" Shichibei nodded solemnly. "You'd better hurry up and mobilize the troops."

"The third team, I entrust to Lieutenant General Nakatsu Kagawa." Shichibei called out Kagawa Nobuzumi's name.

"Leave it to me." Kagawa Nobusumi's troops were also gathered by him bit by bit. He rose from Nobunaga's high-ranking vassal to a position with 300,000 koku in Nakatsu, Buzen Province. He had his own abilities.

"The rear guard will be led by Akizuki Sabei." The deployment on Inuyama's side is now complete.

"Understood." Akizuki Tanemori brought a total of two thousand men. He was actually still in a wait-and-see attitude, but since he had come, Shichibei could not trust him unconditionally, so he could only arrange for him to stay in the rear.

As for the Sunomata line, Shichibei thought for a moment and had already shifted his attention to Miyoshi Nobutaka's side. After all, as the vanguard of the army, he had in fact first cleared out the western Mino region and opened up a communication route with Kano Tsuda Nobuharu and Nobuhisa Kanojo before the army advanced to Ogaki Castle.

Shichibei stopped himself from speaking. He cited the Miyoshi Army's long march and exhaustion as reasons for handing over command of the Sunomata line to Kobayakawa Nobuhira, or rather, his adoptive father, Kobayakawa Takakage.

Firstly, Kobayakawa Nobuhira is the son of Nobunaga and the younger brother of Nobukatsu, a fact that cannot be questioned. Secondly, Kobayakawa Takakage is quite capable, making him a reliable choice.

The strategy of advancing in five routes to capture Kyoto, and inciting the Araki Murashige, Hatano brothers, and Bessho retainers to rebel, actually had a significant impact on the Oda clan. If the Oda clan had not been so powerful and Oda Nobunaga had not reacted so quickly, the Mori clan might have been able to reach Kyoto.

Even if they couldn't actually occupy Kyoto, the mere presence of the Mori army near Kyoto would severely damage the Oda regime at the time. It would shake Oda Nobunaga's prestige in the Kinai region and the imperial court, leading to a chain reaction.

The generals assigned to the Sunomata front, Chosokabe Nobuchika, Ikeda Naomasa, and Shibata Nagakatsu, are all sons-in-law and brothers-in-law, respectively. These are all men who can be fully trusted. They will certainly be able to withstand the Eastern Army's flank attack at Sunomata, and may even be able to push back.

At this point, someone suddenly stood up.

"Does the general underestimate us, the people of Bungo?" Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Shiga Chikaji; only this young man would say such a thing.

He was so straightforward, but because he didn't hide anything and gave Ōtomo Yoshitomo his wholehearted sincerity, everyone looked at him differently.

When Oda Nobukatsu offered him 70,000 koku of rice, he refused, insisting on serving Ōtomo Yoshitomo's son, Ōtomo Yoshinobu. This story spread throughout Japan, proclaiming that a strong wind reveals the strength of the grass, and that in times of turmoil, true loyalty is revealed. Even when the Ōtomo clan was on the verge of collapse, there was still Shiga Taro Chikaji.

"The Left Guard Commander's men are few but elite; they have other uses." Shichibei gestured for his younger brother to sit down.

Shiga Chikaji, Takahashi Shōun, and Tachibana Muneshige only managed to gather a total of 5,000 men. In a battle involving over 300,000 men, this number was negligible.

However, due to his formidable fighting prowess, Shichibei had high hopes for him. Once a breakthrough occurred on the Inuyama side, they could take advantage of the opening and charge directly towards Komakiyama.

Shichibei needs a well-rested and highly capable unit to carry out the "decapitation" mission.

The scouts had already discovered that the Eastern Army's main camp was most likely deployed at Komaki Mountain, because the defenses there were the strongest, making it almost impossible to penetrate. Places that couldn't be reached were either where supplies and provisions were located, or where the enemy's central forces were situated.

Ieyasu's supplies are either in Okazaki or Nagoya; they certainly wouldn't have advanced to such an advanced location so quickly. It must be in the central army.

"The general can't lie to me." Shiga Chikaji was indeed straightforward; even after Shichibei spoke, he was still worried.

"Hahaha, don't worry." Shichibei stood up and pressed Shiga Chikaji down, making him sit down properly.

"The plan has been decided, and I will now entrust everything to you all." Shichibei bowed to everyone present.

All the generals bowed in return and rose to leave. Only Miyoshi Nobutaka, who was ordered to stay behind to guard the main camp in Kano, was somewhat resentful, as Shichibei had not assigned him any military tasks.

Could it be that they guessed that I was colluding with the Eastern Army?

While Oda Nobushige of the Eastern Army was willing to grant him the rank of Junior Second-Rank Minister of the Interior and Acting Grand Councilor, he refused to allow him to advance to the rank of one of the Three Ministers. Shichibei, on the other hand, did the opposite, refusing to make him a minister but allowing him to advance to the rank of one of the Three Ministers.

Neither side could fully meet his demands, so he was still hesitant. However, the Eastern Army had given him a vague promise that they could discuss the matter of the Three Ministers afterward.

When seeing the generals off from their tents, Shichibei also saw off Miyoshi Nobutaka and asked him to guard the Kano main camp well. Shichibei prepared to move forward, positioning himself behind Akizuki Tanemi, and personally oversee the battle, ready to press forward in pursuit of victory.

On the surface, Nobutaka Miyoshi naturally nodded in agreement, indicating that he would take care of everything, but in his heart he only secretly remembered this plan.

Both the Western and Eastern armies began large-scale movements and transfers, with troops rushing to their respective battle positions.

The prelude to the decisive battle at Kiso River is slowly unfolding.

Chapter 652 Enemy to the North - Sudden Awareness

Soldiers, in huts and clumps, carrying spears and bows and arrows, surged past Shichibei's horse in an endless stream, heading towards the Inuyama front.

There were no cheers, no crowds, only the sound of footsteps, occasionally interspersed with the neighing of warhorses, which were quickly drowned out by the sounds of armor rubbing and clashing.

Unexpectedly, one day such a large army would be under his command, obeying his orders.

A surge of emotion was inevitable, even managing to suppress the fear and panic within. The dice for the decisive battle had been rolled, and all the generals and soldiers rushed to the battlefield to join the fight. Everything else, except for the swords and spears in their hands, was left to fate.

After passing Akizuki Tanemi and Tsukushi Koremon's rear guard, Shichibei explained his plan to his comrades Shiga Chikaji, Takahashi Shōun, and Tachibana Muneshige. Upon learning that they had taken on such a heavy responsibility, Shiga Chikaji, who had previously been loudly kissing Shichibei, fell silent, pacing back and forth, pondering how to quickly infiltrate Komakiyama.

Even though the vanguard units had engaged the Eastern Army facing Inuyama, the battle area was limited. Five thousand men were insignificant compared to three hundred thousand, but it was still difficult to infiltrate behind the Eastern Army in full view of everyone.

However, if successful, it would be an immense achievement. Whether it was the slaying of Oda Nobushige or Tokugawa Ieyasu, both could be considered praiseworthy and truly remarkable feats.

The three generals readily accepted the order. Since Lord Kawamura had entrusted them with such a task, it was the greatest trust he could place in them. The Bungo warriors had performed poorly in recent years, and they were grateful for Shichibei's recognition, vowing to do their utmost to repay that trust.

OK OK.

I won't go into further details. Please move to your starting positions and await orders. Once the orders are given, immediately advance along the south bank of the Kiso River, charging swiftly and attacking directly towards Komakiyama. Shichibei has already been deployed as our guide; the rest depends on your abilities.

Shichibei's main camp moved to Kagami-sho in Kagami District. This Kagami-sho was probably the birthplace of Kagami Masamoto, who became Mori Yoshinari's son-in-law after Mori's death. Of course, Kagami Masamoto was now called Mori Masamoto, and he assisted Mori Tadamasa, siding with the Eastern Army.

This area is now the territory of Tsuda Nobuyuki and has nothing to do with Kagami Masamoto anymore. After Shichibei moved in, he wanted to find a couple of his fellow villagers to ask about the situation, but unfortunately, they had all run away. Kagami Village is close to the front line; if the Western Army doesn't seize it, the Eastern Army will definitely come to take it if given the chance.

"Why haven't any messages come back from the north?" Shichibei sat down, looking at the soldiers in formation, and suddenly realized.

"Yes, everything is fine. However, there has been no news for the past few hours," Takenaka Shigeharu replied after a moment's thought.

The Kitano Mountains were never a hotspot, and Hida's Aneokoji Yoritsuna was related to Nobunaga by marriage, maintaining a long-standing friendly relationship with him. Shichibei's concern was for the Maeda and Sasa families in Etchu, both of whom had clearly sided with Oda Nobushige.

Because of the major earthquake, no troops were sent to participate in the war before. Who knows? Things are unpredictable.

"Send a few more men to go after them and check." Shichibei was relieved to hear that there had been no report for only two or three hours.

With the passage through that mountain valley in Belenung, it would take two or three hours to walk even a few steps. When the army set off from Ghana, there was not a single disturbance in Belenung.

"Please send someone from Prince Kano." Takenaka Shigeharu thought for a moment and decided to let Tsuda Nobushi do the job.

Although Tsuda Nobushi was from Owari, he and his father had been stationed in Kano for many years and had even served in Gifu before, so they were quite familiar with the geography.

At present, Shichibei's most trusted and powerful battalion commanders, such as Goto Mototsugu, Watanabe Ryo, Hara Nagayori, and Sanada Masaki, have all been sent out to fight. Only Todo Takatora remains by his side as the garrison commander, and Hiratsuka Tamehiro as the captain. It would be inappropriate to send elite troops north to explore the north again.

"Hmm." Shichibei had only thought of this one thing and didn't care who went to investigate.

The key point is that people keep sending back messages from all directions. In the end, Shichibei is very empty inside and afraid of losing, so he shows it by refusing to be deaf and blind.

“In addition, we might as well transfer the two thousand cavalry of the former Tokugen-in-dono, the Hatakeyama retainers to our main camp,” Takenaka Shigeharu suggested.

Shichibei recruited a total of 15,000 men to participate in the battle. Sanada Masaki took 1,500 men, Hara Nagayori took 1,500 men, and left 5,000 men under the command of Awakawa Sadanobu, Fukami Nagatomo, and Naritomi Moyasu at the key core location of Ōgaki Castle.

Therefore, Shichibei now has less than 10,000 troops around him. Takenaka Shigeharu believes that the war will not affect Ōgaki Castle, and Ōgaki does not need more than 10,000 troops to garrison it.

Two thousand cavalrymen from the largest force of the Nobuo-no-kami ...

Although the relationship between Hatakeyama Nobutaka and Shichibei was somewhat delicate, Hatakeyama Nobutaka and Oda Nobukatsu were truly like-minded brothers. In supporting Nobukatsu's son's succession, Hatakeyama Nobutaka was the most enthusiastic military officer in Oda Katsuhoshi's faction.

If it weren't for his limited abilities and insufficient reputation, he would have already been promoted to a senior retainer by Nobuo and involved in the organization of the Western Army.

"Him..." The relationship between Shichibei and this adopted son is quite complicated.

Ashikaga Nobuyoshi, the adopted son of the neighboring Ashikaga Princess, abandoned his mother and brother and fled to Edo, where he sought refuge with Tokugawa Ieyasu. Even if Shichibei wanted to help him, they wouldn't give him the time or face.

"The relationship between Hatakeyama and Tokugen-in is still very close." Takenaka Shigeharu smiled. It doesn't matter whether your adoptive father and son relationship is good or not. Right now, you're fighting for Oda Katsuhoshi.

"Then summon him."

The order was sent by fast horse to Ōgaki Castle, or as it's called for now, but it should be called Ōgaki Fortress, since the castle was burned to the ground long ago. It's now a large earthen fortress that has been urgently repaired by Miyoshi Nobutaka and Kanobu Otsuo.

The highest-ranking person in the fort was naturally the former shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki. However, he was only dragged into the battlefield as a political symbol, so he remained silent, wearing only a monk's robe, and wandered around Ogaki every day.

Thus, Nobutaka Hatakeyama, as the lord of Nagato Province, became the highest-ranking member of Nobuo's army. You might say that Yoshigane Shiba is also from a family of three governors? Well, Nobutaka Hatakeyama is the current governor of Nagato Province, so what?

When the central army issued an order, his men asked Hatakeyama Nobutaka if he wanted to go. Hatakeyama Nobutaka didn't say a word, donned his armor, and went into battle.

Admittedly, he didn't particularly enjoy personally leading troops into battle. But for his beloved elder brother Nobukatsu, and to ensure his son Oda Katsuhoshi's right to succession, he was willing to risk it all.

To be fair, Hatakeyama Nobutaka had been granted the entire province of Nagato for quite some time. However, during the previous Kyushu Campaign and the Odawara-Hojo Campaign, he only served as a member of the Imperial Guard, accompanying Oda Nobukatsu. He wasn't exactly a strategist, but he was capable in interpersonal relationships and handling paperwork.

Therefore, his Nagato soldiers were not exactly elite, and when his father, Hatakeyama Akitaka, was defeated and died, he gave away many of the Hatakeyama family's key retainers, who had been passed down through generations. What he absorbed were mainly local tyrants and retainers from Kii Province, as well as some local tyrants from Cho Province.

Their loyalty was average, and their combat ability was even more so, but seeing Nobutaka Hatakeyama so passionate and righteous, these people were suddenly emboldened.

Two thousand men marched slowly from Ōgaki. Since the Kiso River and its tributaries had not yet changed course due to the great flood, they had to turn north after leaving Ōgaki, first reaching Gifu, and then turning south to Kano. This was also to avoid Sunomata, which was the salient of the Eastern Army in Mino.