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

Chapter 57 Elite Jonin of Shinano!

The two of them are old acquaintances.

One was Shimazu Tadanao, and the other was Izuura Morikiyo.

Upon seeing Nobuyuki Sanada enter, the two quickly bowed in greeting.

Sanada Masayuki, who was in the main seat, also spoke up, "Gensaburo, you know these two people, so there's no need to introduce them."

"When you go to Takai County this time, I plan to have Shimazu and Izuura as your assistants to help you handle the affairs of Takai County."

"In addition, the Mizuchi County will also be temporarily under your command." Sanada Masayuki added more responsibility to Sanada Nobuyuki.

Nobuyuki Sanada nodded without hesitation and said, "Yes, Father."

After saying that, Sanada Nobuyuki looked at Izuura Morikiyo standing to the side and asked, "Why is Lord Izuura here?"

"Haha, to be honest, I have long been a retainer of the Sanada family."

"Before, because the situation was still unclear, I did not reveal my identity. Now, I don't need to have those concerns anymore," Morikiyo Izuura replied frankly.

After hearing Morikiyo Izuura's explanation, Nobuyuki Sanada suddenly understood.

Yesterday, Nobuyuki Sanada was wondering why all the vassals of Shinano had been given separate arrangements except for Morikiyo Izuura.

Moreover, when Morinaga was retreating, Izuura Morikiyo took the initiative to help out and act as his straight man, which means he had already sided with Sanada.

“Tsushima no Kami is a renowned ninja of Shinano. With his help, you will be able to quickly grasp the situation within the territory,” Sanada Masayuki continued to explain.

The ninja originated in Koga County of Omi Province and the neighboring Iga Province, and were a large autonomous region formed by a group of villages.

Despite being called ninjas, they weren't as fantastical as one might imagine; they were essentially just a group of poor, struggling farmers.

However, because Koga, Iga and other places are surrounded by mountains and have many forests, the arable land is small and cannot support so many people.

So these ninjas began to engage in other professions, such as merchants, prostitutes, monks, and of course, the most well-known of them were "mercenaries".

In addition to farming, the people of both regions would practice military strategy, horseback riding, archery, and even long-distance running in their spare time to improve their physical fitness. When war broke out in the surrounding areas, these "ninjas" would serve as mercenaries for both sides in the conflict.

They were generally engaged in tasks such as reconnaissance behind enemy lines, sabotaging transportation, and attacking logistics. Some exceptionally talented individuals would also undertake tasks such as delivering messages and spying.

In general, there are many types of ninjas, and Izuura Morikiyo was a leader among the ninjas of the Hokushin region, with hundreds of experienced intelligence and combat personnel under his command.

The Sanada family's ability to repeatedly switch sides in northern Shinano was largely due to their excellent intelligence capabilities.

Besides Izuura Morikiyo, the Sanada family also had another intelligence unit composed of the Mochizuki clan.

Overall, Izuura Morikiyo was more inclined towards combat troops, while Mochizuki was specifically responsible for intelligence.

"That's wonderful! With Lord Izuura's help, we're truly like a tiger with wings."

Nobuyuki Sanada also understood the importance of Morikiyo Izuura.

With the local samurai of Takai and Minouchi counties having fled to Echigo, the Sanada family had to start managing these two counties from scratch after losing their local warriors.

Upon arrival, one is bound to be completely clueless, but with the help of Izuura Morikiyo, his ninjas can infiltrate various regions to help the Sanada family gather information on the specific situations of each village and town.

This way, Nobuyuki Sanada can keep abreast of the situation within his territory.

"Shimazu Awaji Moritada has met Genzaburo-sama directly."

"From now on, I will obey orders under Lord Genzaburo. I hope you will take good care of me." Shimazu Tadanao, who was standing to the side, also spoke up when the opportunity arose.

He was very grateful to Nobuyuki Sanada.

If Sanada Nobuyuki hadn't shown mercy on Kawanakajima that day, he would already be beheaded by now.

"Lord Shimazu, there's no need for such formalities. The Mizuchi District still needs your strong support," said Sanada Nobuyuki with a smile.

Unlike Izuura Morikiyo, Shimazu Tadanao was a native of Mizuchi District and had considerable influence in the region.

With Shimazu Tadanao's help, the Sanada family could avoid directly negotiating with the unfamiliar Somura and Jiji, who were easily deceived due to their lack of understanding of the situation. Shimazu Tadanao could then step in and resolve these issues.

It was clear that Sanada Masayuki had carefully chosen Izuura Morikiyo and Shimazu Tadanao, with the aim of enabling Sanada Nobuyuki to quickly get up to speed. "Gensaburo, when do you plan to depart?" Sanada Masayuki continued to ask.

"I plan to visit my mother in Yangui City before I set off."

Sanada Masayuki nodded. "It's time to go see your mother. Genjiro isn't here either. He's been thinking about you all the time."

"What does Father intend to do with Uehara Castle?" Sanada Nobuyuki suddenly brought up the Suwa family.

Sanada Masayuki immediately perked up, "The Suwa Taisha Shrine has a special situation, so we can't be too harsh on the Suwa family."

"Once Lord Suwa has recovered his composure, I will explain things to him."

"It's good that Father understands." After saying that, Sanada Nobuyuki stood up. "I'll take my leave now."

After leaving Toishi Castle, Sanada Nobuyuki rode his horse eastward, crossing the Torii Pass and entering the Ueno region. Following the Azuma River eastward leads to Iwatoki Castle.

Along the way, they passed through the Kamahara family's territory, Kamahara Village, but Sanada Nobuyuki did not enter Kamahara Castle. He still needed to enter Iwato Castle before dark.

Upon learning that Nobuyuki Sanada had arrived, Yamate-dono, who was arranging flowers in his residence, immediately dropped what he was doing and came out.

"Genzaburo, let me take a good look at you."

"You've lost weight." Yamate-dono looked Sanada Nobuyuki up and down with a concerned gaze.

As the saying goes, "A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles," and Sanada Nobuyuki's recent trip to Kyoto caused Yamate-dono great concern.

"Mother, rest assured, your son is already a warrior capable of standing on his own."

Yamate-dono glared at Sanada Nobuyuki, "In your mother's eyes, you'll always be a child."

“That Genjiro guy has been in Echigo for so long and hasn’t sent a single letter.”

"And your sister, she's with your brother-in-law all the time, but she still hasn't gotten pregnant."

"Speaking of pregnancy, what about you?"

"Genzaburo, Ayuki."

Seeing that Lord Yamate had suddenly brought up the topic of himself, Nobuyuki Sanada quickly interrupted him and then pulled out three family trees from his pocket as if presenting a treasure.

"Mother, what do you think this is?"

Yamate-dono took the family tree without understanding why, but after flipping through it, he suddenly covered his mouth and showed an expression of disbelief.

"This...this is..." Yamate-dono was already incoherent.

“When I went to Kyoto the other day, I made a special trip to the Sanjo Residence in Kyoto to get this for my mother.”

"woooooo"

“Gensaburo, you…” Yamate suddenly hugged Sanada Nobuyuki and burst into tears. For her, the name on this Sanjo family tree was undoubtedly the best gift she had ever received in her life.

A maid suddenly gained this recognition.

From this day forward, she can finally proudly introduce herself to others as "the daughter of a noble family in Kyoto".

Previously, she could only give vague answers when asked, but now she can proudly say that she is the daughter of the "Sanjo family".

After chatting with Lady Sanjo for a while, Nobuyuki Sanada did not stay in Iwato Castle, but continued on to Numata Castle, which is east of Iwato Castle.

In addition to telling Lord Yamate the good news, Nobuyuki Sanada also planned to make some arrangements in Ueno during his visit.

Because Ueno is about to face a major battle.

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(End of this chapter)