Japan's Sengoku Period: The Sanada Clan's Ambition

Chapter 129 My Kang only plays in the peak competition!
Sanada Nobuyuki instinctively reached for his sword. In the midst of the chaos of battle, when people were being slashed, no one cared who they were; anyone not wearing red armor was an enemy.

"Oh, it's Kagami Jinjiro!" Sanada Nobuyuki recognized Kagami Motonari and immediately stopped what he was doing.

When he returned to Shinano from Kyoto last year, it was Kagami Motonari who escorted him through the city.

"Lord Sanada, you've come at just the right time." Kagami Motomasa wiped the sweat from his face, then pointed to the routed Toyama clan army ahead. "Don't pursue a desperate enemy. My mission is to hold Iwamura Castle. Once the enemy has retreated, that's enough."

“Yes.” Nobuyuki Sanada agreed with Motomasa Kagami’s suggestion.

He only had two hundred cavalrymen under his command. He decided to charge out after seeing the Toyama clan's army collapse from the mountaintop. His goal was to reach Mino and join the Hashiba army.

Now that the siege of Iwamura Castle has been lifted and the roads are open, he has no reason to sacrifice his precious Red Guards just to help Mori Nagayoshi defend the castle.

What is the current situation in Meinong?

"Lord Hashiba has arrived with his army, but the two sides are still locked in a standoff in the Komakiyama and Rakuda area." Kagami Motomasa hurriedly explained the situation of the main battlefield to Sanada Nobuyuki.

Nobuyuki Sanada breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad he hadn't missed it; otherwise, the trip would have been in vain.

"The siege of Iwamura Castle has been temporarily lifted. I still need to continue to Komakiyama. Which way can I get to the battlefield?"

Kagami Gensei looked around, then pointed to the valley ahead, "Follow this valley, and after passing a pass, you will enter the heart of Mino."

"Don't go to the right. I know that places like Meiji City have been occupied by the enemy," Kagami Motomasa specifically warned.

Nobuyuki Sanada nodded and continued, "Jinjiro, our clan has reinforcements that will arrive in two days. If the enemy wants to besiege Iwamura Castle again, you can ask our clan's reinforcements for help."

"Understood, thank you, Lord Sanada." Kagami Motonari breathed a sigh of relief. He had just been wondering if the Sanada family's reinforcements would consist of only a couple hundred cavalrymen.

At that moment, Nobushige Sanada also returned.

"Big brother!"

"I just took down thirteen enemy soldiers, how exhilarating!" The cross-shaped spear in Sanada Nobushige's hand was still dripping blood, and together with the red armor on his body, he looked like a demon god who had returned from hell.

Many of the Mori family samurai looked at Sanada Nobushige with fear in their eyes.

Kagami Motomasa swallowed hard, then asked with a curious look, "Lord Sanada, who is this?"

"Oh, this is my younger brother, Sanada Genjiro."

"So it's Lord Genjiro! He's truly brave and extraordinary!" A few dozen men chasing after more than a thousand enemy soldiers—if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Kagami Motomasa would never have believed it.

Sanada Nobuyuki glanced at the sky; it was just past noon.

"There is fodder and food in the city. We don't have much food left. The main thing is that the horses need to be fed."

Kagami Motomasa slapped his forehead. "Lord Sanada, please wait a moment. I will have someone bring it over right away."

An hour later, Sanada Nobuyuki and the others, having eaten and drunk their fill, bid farewell to Kagami Motonari and continued their march toward the main battlefield.

They continued walking along the valley pointed out by Kagami Motomasa, and by the time they reached darkness, Sanada Nobuyuki and the others still hadn't made it out.

Continuing forward, they didn't know how much longer they would have to walk, and turning back to Iwamura Castle would be a waste of time. Sanada Nobuyuki was speechless at this desolate place, far from any village or shop.

Sanada Nobushige looked up at the surrounding mountains and forests, and said with a bewildered expression, "Big brother, are we lost?"

"Shut up!" Nobuyuki Sanada glared at Nobushige Sanada. This brat probably inherited Masayuki Sanada's jinx; nothing good ever comes out of his mouth.

Fortunately, they replenished their food and water supplies in Iwamura Castle during the day, so they wouldn't go hungry for three to five days.

"It's getting dark, let's set up camp here."

"Shimonoseki, keep a close eye on the horse."

"Kotaro, take two men and scout ahead, but don't go too far."

"what!"

Owari, Rakuda Castle.

Hideyoshi Hashiba looked at Komakiyama Castle, which resembled a skyscraper rising from the ground, with a worried expression.

Because they were a few days late, Tokugawa Ieyasu had already built strong fortifications at Komakiyama Castle, so even though Hashiba Hideyoshi had the advantage in numbers, he dared not launch an attack easily.

But similarly, he can't afford to waste time here.

Chosokabe Motochika is launching a fierce attack on Sogawa Moriyasu in Shikoku, and Sengoku Hidehisa, whom he sent to provide support, has already been defeated.

Although Kishiwada Castle has temporarily held off the allied forces of Kii Province, the situation remains extremely dangerous. Once Kishiwada Castle falls, Osaka and Kyoto will be directly exposed to the enemy.

The Mori clan in the west also had an ambiguous attitude. What if they couldn't deal with Oda Nobukatsu and Tokugawa Ieyasu for a long time? Who knew if the Mori clan would actually attack them?

Anyway, he couldn't figure out what the Mori family was thinking; the Mori family had always been unpredictable.

Not to mention, the Hojo clan in Kanto was also a formidable force, with pleas for help from Kanto daimyo like Satake, hoping for mediation from Hashiba Hideyoshi. But Hashiba Hideyoshi had no time to concern himself with Kanto's affairs.

Back to the present.

There are many reasons why Owari became Oda Nobunaga's "place of origin," but one important factor is that it is located on the Nobi Plain.

In other words, Owari is a flat area.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was indeed experienced; the Komaki-yama he chose was the only mountain within a radius of more than twenty miles.

If it were a flat plain, Hideyoshi Hashiba would have charged straight in.

However, Tokugawa Ieyasu chose to deploy his forces at Komakiyama, relying on the terrain and fortifications to wage positional warfare, which made Hashiba Hideyoshi hesitant to make a move.

"Gentlemen, we've already been stuck here for more than ten days. We can't keep going like this, can we?"

"It's a pity that my strategist, Kanbei, is not here, otherwise..." Hideyoshi shook his head and sighed, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

When Hideyoshi Hashiba said this, it wasn't just a simple tantrum; there was a hint of provocation in it.

Sure enough, as soon as Hideyoshi Hashiba finished speaking, Tsuneoki Ikeda, who was sitting below, was the first to get restless.

He had just been transferred from Settsu to Mino and had not yet firmly grasped control of his territory. In other words, his current resources were meager, and he didn't want to linger here for long.

You should know that the thousands of people under his command are all fed by his grain.

“The enemy is determined to hold Komakiyama, and Owari is Oda-sama’s stronghold. It is also convenient for the enemy to obtain food and supplies through Ise Bay.”

"I believe that rather than confronting the enemy here, we should send a portion of our forces to bypass Komakiyama and take Mikawa directly."

"If we can capture Mikawa, then Tokugawa's rear line in Mikawa will be cut off, and the enemy will collapse without a fight," Ikeda Tsuneoki said confidently.

These past few days he has been thinking about a good way to defeat the enemy. He discussed it with his son-in-law Sen Changke for several days, and in the end they both thought that launching a surprise attack on Sanhe was a very good option.

Back in the day, Takeda Shingen did the same thing, and it worked quite well.

If the Mikawa region can be cut off, Tokugawa Ieyasu will be forced to leave Komakiyama. Once Tokugawa Ieyasu leaves Komakiyama, the numerically superior Hashiba army will have room to maneuver in a decisive battle on the plains.

Mori Nagayoshi quickly stepped forward to chime in, "Father-in-law is absolutely right. If we are to go to the Three Rivers, I am willing to be the first to go."

Like Ikeda Tsuneoki, Mori Nagayoshi also cannot afford to waste time.

His territory is currently under heavy attack by the Toyama clan, and Mori Nagayoshi also wants to end this war as soon as possible.

Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi represented Mino, and when they spoke, Inaba Ittetsu and others from Mino responded one after another.

Hideyoshi Hashiba lowered his head and pondered for a long time, but could not think of a more suitable plan than this method.

"Kyutaro, what do you think?" Hashiba Hideyoshi looked at Hori Hidemasa, who was standing to the side.

Hori Hidemasa was a senior retainer in the Oda clan during the Oda Nobunaga era and was very capable, so Hashiba Hideyoshi wanted to hear Hori Hidemasa's opinion.

“What Kii no Kami and Musashi no Kami said makes sense, but if we divide the troops, the number of people is too small and probably won’t be very effective.”

“We need to send more people.” Hori Hidemasa did not believe that Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi alone could conquer Mikawa; Tokugawa Ieyasu was not so easy to deal with.

Seeing that Hori Hidemasa did not object, but was only worried about insufficient troops, Hashiba Hideyoshi smiled.

What he has no shortage of right now is troops.

“Sun Shichiro!” At that moment, Hideyoshi Hashiba’s gaze fell upon a young samurai.

The man remained lost in thought during the military council, his eyes vacant, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

"Sun Shichiro?" Hashiba Hideyoshi raised his voice.

Miyoshi Nobuyoshi finally realized, "Uncle?"

"What uncle! In formal occasions, call me lord!" "Ha!" Miyoshi Nobuyoshi was sweating profusely. He knew that his out-of-character behavior had made Hashiba Hideyoshi very unhappy.

Miyoshi Nobuyoshi, later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was the elder sister of Hashiba Hideyoshi. In his early years, Miyoshi Nobuyoshi was adopted by Miyabe Tsunetsugu and became known as Miyabe Yoshitsugu.

Later, Hideyoshi Hashiba adopted him to Yasunaga Miyoshi, and he inherited the Miyoshi family.

"Sun Shichiro, you will be the commander-in-chief of the attack on Mikawa. I will have Kyutaro assist you."

"Musashi no Kami and Kii no Kami will lead the charge."

"You four, depart immediately and strike Mikawa!" Hideyoshi Hashiba waved his military paddle in his hand.

Mori Nagayoshi and Ikeda Tsuneoki immediately accepted the order, while Hori Hidemasa and Miyoshi Nobuyoshi exchanged a glance and could only follow orders.

After the order was given, Mori Nagayoshi and Ikeda Tsuneoki led their team to set off first, followed closely by Hori Hidemasa, and Miyoshi Nobuyoshi set off last.

To avoid being discovered by the Tokugawa clan, Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi deliberately marched towards the left side of the battlefield, closer to the mountains, preparing to rush straight to Obata Castle.

Ikeda Tsuneoki's force numbered 5000, Mori Nagayoshi and Hori Hidemasa each had 3000, and Miyoshi Nobuyoshi's main force numbered 9000. The entire army of 20,000 marched in long, imposing columns toward Mikawa.

At dusk, while passing through a village, one of the foot soldiers quietly broke away from the group and disappeared into the darkness.

April 8, Komakiyama Castle.

Tokugawa Ieyasu naturally received the news that Hideyoshi Hashiba had personally led a large army to Rakuten Castle, and he held military councils every day to arrange the defenses of Komakiyama and ensure that the position was foolproof.

At this time, the main camp of Komakiyama Castle was filled with brilliant stars and outstanding generals, though there were also a few slackers mixed in.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sakai Tadatsugu, Honda Tadakatsu, Kanbara Yasumasa, Ii Naomasa, Oda Nobuo, and others were all present.

"I've heard that Hashiba Hidenaga is launching a fierce attack on Ise. I wonder if Ise can hold out." Tokugawa Ieyasu glanced at Oda Nobukatsu beside him, somewhat uneasy about his elder brother Oda Nobunaga's son.

Oda Nobuo, however, remained completely calm and said, "Matsushima Castle is a formidable castle in Ise, so don't worry, Mikawa-no-kami, there will be absolutely no problem!"

Seeing Oda Nobuo's confident demeanor, Tokugawa Ieyasu felt somewhat relieved and then had the meal brought in.

Just as Tokugawa Ieyasu was engrossed in showing off his rice, a figure strode into the main camp.

"Hanzo, why are you back?" Tokugawa Ieyasu put down the bowl in his hand.

"Didn't I send you to find out about the strength of the Hashiba army?"

Hattori Hanzo knelt on the ground. "My lord, yesterday, 20,000 troops of the Hashiba army left Rakuda and bypassed Komaki Mountain, heading east."

After hearing Hattori Hanzo's words, Tokugawa Ieyasu immediately lowered his head and looked at the map in front of him.

"Eastward to Mikawa!" Tokugawa Ieyasu's eyes sharpened, and at the same time, he caught a glimpse of a bowl of miso soup placed under a map out of the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, a memory that had been hidden deep within him and that he didn't want to recall surged into his mind.

That place called Mikatagahara was a shadow that he could never shake off for the rest of his life.

"My lord, the enemy is probably planning to divide their forces to attack Mikawa and cut off our retreat route," Sakai Tadatsugu was the first to react.

Tokugawa Ieyasu said with a solemn expression, "Mikawa cannot be lost."

"Hanzo, who is leading the enemy army?"

Hattori Hanzo answered without hesitation, "The enemy's vanguard consists of Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi, numbering around ten thousand."

"Hori Hidemasa and Miyoshi Nobuyoshi followed behind, and their numbers also exceeded ten thousand."

After listening to the report, Tokugawa Ieyasu lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then turned to look at a middle-aged samurai to his left.

"Koheita, take 4500 men and rush to the rescue immediately. If the enemy wants to attack Mikawa, they will definitely attack Obata Castle first."

Kambara Yasumasa stood up without hesitation, “Yes, my lord!”

"Lord Oda, would you mind joining me in battle?" Tokugawa Ieyasu then looked at Oda Nobuo beside him.

Logically speaking, Oda Nobuo should be the supreme commander of this great battle.

However, Oda Nobuo had virtually no sense of involvement; almost all the orders were issued by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and he was merely a ruthless machine of following orders.

Although he disliked Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Oda Nobukatsu had an unusually high level of trust in Tokugawa Ieyasu.

"Mikawa no Kami, whatever you say goes, I'll do whatever you say." Oda Nobuo had no ideas at all.

Anyway, Tokugawa Ieyasu wouldn't harm him, would he?
This was his father's most reliable ally, and he was the first to come to his aid when he was in trouble.

With Tokugawa Ieyasu by his side, Oda Nobuo felt exceptionally at ease.

"Everyone must march under cover of night, and we must not let Hideyoshi discover our movements."

"understand!"

In the evening, before leaving Komakiyama Castle, Tokugawa Ieyasu specifically summoned Honda Tadakatsu.

"Heihachiro, I'm entrusting Komakiyama Castle to you."

"The Hashiba army will definitely launch an attack once they learn that I have left this place. You must defend Komaki Mountain at all costs, understand?"

Honda Tadakatsu, holding the Dragonfly Cutter, his eyes blazing, said, “Rest assured, my lord, if the enemy wants to take Komaki Mountain, they must first step over me, Honda Heihachiro!”

"please."

After saying this, Tokugawa Ieyasu quietly led his army away from Komakiyama Castle.

The area around Komakiyama Castle was swarming with Hattori Hanzo's ninjas, making it impossible for the Hashiba clan's scouts to get close to Komakiyama.

Furthermore, Tokugawa Ieyasu only began his operation in the evening, so Hashiba Hideyoshi was completely unaware of it.

Meanwhile, in the valley of Higashimino.

Sanada Nobuyuki scooped up some mountain stream water to wash his face, while the Sanada cavalry below rested and let their warhorses drink water.

"Still haven't found the way?"

"If Sasuke were here, that would be great." Sanada Nobuyuki was dumbfounded.

We've been wandering around this mountain valley for three days. If we still can't find a way out, we'll run out of food in two more days.

"Hikonojo hasn't returned yet?" Sanada Nobuyuki stepped forward and sat down next to Sanada Nobushige.

Before he could figure out the direction, Nobuyuki Sanada dared not move any further.

Sanada Nobushige shook his head, took off his shoes and shook them a few times, then said, "Big brother, do you think the fighting might have already started by now?"

"A massive battle involving tens of thousands of people, I really want to see it for myself."

"We've found the way!"

Just then, Tokishige Oyamada arrived at full speed with two cavalrymen.

"Lord Sanada, we just met some mountain people who said there is a road ahead that leads out of this valley."

Sanada Nobuyuki immediately asked anxiously, "How long does it take? Where does it lead?"

"At our pace, we can get out of here tomorrow."

"As for where it leads, we didn't find out. These mountain people don't really know either. They only know that once you leave the valley, you'll find the main road."

Sanada Nobuyuki looked around and, seeing that everyone had rested enough, quickly mounted his horse. "Everyone, let's go!"

"Yan Zhicheng, lead the way."

"what!"

　Just a heads-up: to be honest, the wars in Japan's Sengoku period were really poorly organized.

　　Lack of training and extremely low social productivity resulted in most war scenes being exceptionally ugly.

　　To be honest, the most difficult part of writing novels about Japan's Sengoku period is the war scenes.

　　He was like two foot soldiers on either side, each wielding a spear several meters long, striking each other from a great distance. The fierce battle could result in dozens of casualties in a single day.

　　Kira could only try his best to make the war scenes look good. If any readers are not satisfied with the depiction of the battlefield, Kira can only hope that everyone will understand.

　　thank you all.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)