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

Chapter 97 Hojo has done a lot of harm!

Suruga.

Since the Imagawa clan suffered a major setback at the Battle of Okehazama, Suruga briefly fell into the hands of the Takeda clan, but it is now the territory of the Tokugawa clan.

Through generations of management by the Imagawa family, Suruga can be considered a fertile land in the Tokaido region.

After Tokugawa Ieyasu took over, he actively developed the region and already planned to make Suruga his main base.

"Heihachiro, what are you doing dressed like that?"

Inside the Sunpu Mansion, Tokugawa Ieyasu looked at Honda Tadakatsu, who was fully armed and carrying a dragonfly cleaver, with a puzzled expression.

I didn't issue the order to go into battle.

"My lord, I request permission to lead the army to fight in Shinano."

"I've been out of action for so long, I'm practically going crazy from being idle." Honda Tadakatsu brandished his dragonfly cutter, his eyes gleaming with intense longing.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was so frightened that he quickly stepped aside; the dragonfly blade almost grazed his face.

Heihachiro, with his perpetually carefree attitude, was a real headache for Tokugawa Ieyasu.

"Shinano has a captain named Saemon, so you'd better stay at the Sunpu residence."

"The Sanada family is nothing to trouble our clan's top general!"

Upon hearing Tokugawa Ieyasu's words, Honda Tadakatsu's lips practically curled into a wide grin.

"Isn't the Junior Assistant Minister of War training the Red Guards? If you really have nothing to do, you can go and help out."

“These Takeda samurai are all unruly men,” Tokugawa Ieyasu continued.

Honda Tadakatsu carefully put the dragonfly cutter away in the corner, then plopped down on the floor. "That Ii kid has always thought too highly of himself. Unless he asks me for help himself, I'm not going."

After conquering Kai, Tokugawa Ieyasu gathered a large number of former Takeda samurai and appointed Ii Naomasa to manage them.

These are all elite soldiers who have fought alongside the Takeda clan for many years. If they could be recruited by the Tokugawa clan, the Tokugawa clan's military strength would be greatly enhanced.

Importantly, the Battle of Mikatagahara back then left Tokugawa Ieyasu with a great psychological trauma due to the cavalrymen dressed in bright red camouflage.

"Lord!"

Just as Tokugawa Ieyasu and Honda Tadakatsu were staring at each other, Honda Masanobu walked in from outside with a heavy expression.

Seeing Honda Masanobu's expression, Tokugawa Ieyasu immediately had a bad feeling.

"Don't tell the main family that something happened in Shinano."

A hint of seriousness flashed across Honda Masanobu's face. "Although I don't want to spoil the lord's good mood, it is indeed the case."

"Our main clan suffered a defeat at Uehara Castle, losing several hundred men. Lord Sakai has already retreated to Matsuo Castle."

Tokugawa Ieyasu snatched the letter from Honda Masanobu's hand and quickly opened and read it.

The letter was sent from Ina County three days ago, and it was written by Tadatsugu Sakai himself.

The letter detailed the events of the Battle of Uehara Castle to Tokugawa Ieyasu and requested that he send reinforcements from Kai Province.

"Sanada Awa-no-kami, could he really do that?"

"He really shouldn't be underestimated." After reading the letter, Tokugawa Ieyasu couldn't help but sigh.

Honda Tadakatsu, who had been quiet, suddenly got excited again.

"Haha, Sakai can't beat him, so why don't you send me to Shinano?"

"I, Honda Heihachiro, will surely sweep away Uehara Castle for my lord!"

Tokugawa Ieyasu looked at Honda Tadakatsu with disdain. "Heihachiro, is the defeat of our clan something to be happy about?"

Honda Tadakatsu quickly realized what was happening, immediately lowered his head, and lost his earlier excitement.

"My lord, judging from the recent situation in Shinano, the Sanada clan must have been prepared for this uprising of the Shinano lords."

"Both Komoro Castle and Uehara Castle were heavily defended, and the Muroga-yayo family suffered a crushing defeat."

"Kizumi is also unable to fight again after this battle. Without the support of the people of Shinano Province, it is unlikely that Sakai Tadatsugu's few thousand men will be able to achieve any further results."

Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded in deep agreement, "I originally intended to use these local lords in Shinano to keep the Sanada family in check, but I didn't expect the Sanada family to be prepared."

"I underestimated Sanada Yasufu no Kami."

"Continuing the attack on Shinano is no longer possible. What does my lord intend to do now?"

Tokugawa Ieyasu put his finger in his mouth and fell into deep thought.

After a long pause, Tokugawa Ieyasu finally spoke, "How is the situation in the west?"

Honda Masanobu immediately replied, "Shibata has already marched from Echizen to Omi, and Hashiba is leading his troops to Omi to meet him in battle."

"The great battle is about to begin." A strange glint flashed in Tokugawa Ieyasu's eyes.

"But time is running out for our clan." Honda Masanobu asked with a puzzled look, "Does my lord believe that the outcome in the west will be decided soon?"

"Only that idiot Odawara Castle would think this is a protracted war."

"Given Shibata's personality, once he sends out troops, it will be a decisive battle."

Honda Masanobu nodded silently, then continued, "Is there anything the main family should do?"

"For example, sending troops to reinforce Sakai and the others?"

Tokugawa Ieyasu quickly shook his head, "Suruga and Kai have just fallen into our family's hands, and the most important task now is to govern them as soon as possible."

"Sending Sakai troops is the only thing our clan can do. If we send more troops, Suruga and Kai will become unstable."

"Moreover, Sanada and Uesugi have been secretly communicating frequently lately. If the main clan launches a major attack on Shinano, Uesugi will certainly not stand idly by."

Suruga and Kai still require Tokugawa Ieyasu to devote a great deal of energy to their governance, and some newly acquired territories require a large military force for garrisoning and suppression.

At this point, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not have enough troops to continue fighting in Shinano.

Thinking of all this, Tokugawa Ieyasu also showed a worried expression.

It's all that damned Hojo clan's fault. If the Hojo clan hadn't held me back in Kai for months, Shinano would have been my Tokugawa Ieyasu's possession long ago.

How could Sanada get it for nothing!

In early March, as the snow melted in the Hokuriku region, Shibata Katsuie led 30,000 troops from Echizen to Omi.

When Hideyoshi Hashiba, who was besieging Takigawa Kazumasu in Ise at the time, learned of the news, he left Gamo Ujisato and Oda Nobuo to continue fighting Takigawa Kazumasu in Ise, while he himself led a large army back to Omi to confront Shibata Katsuie.

At this time, inside Nagahama Castle in Omi Province.

A letter from Shinano was delivered to Hideyoshi Hashiba.

"Sanada Awa-no-kami has sent another letter?" Hashiba Hideyoshi was currently preoccupied with Shibata Katsuie's military expedition and had no intention of paying any attention to the Sanada family's letters.

It was nothing more than another request for Hideyoshi Hashiba to mediate the war between the Sanada and Tokugawa clans; he had received several such letters recently.

Fukushima Masanori handed the letter to Hashiba Hideyoshi, saying, "It wasn't Awa no Kami, it was Genzaburo who sent it."

"Genzaburo?"

Isn't that still Sanada?

However, driven by curiosity, Hideyoshi Hashiba opened the letter.

The letter was very short, only a few dozen words.

Contrary to Hideyoshi's expectations, the letter did not contain any request from the Sanada family for him to mediate the war with the Tokugawa family, but rather a string of seemingly nonsensical words.

"As spring transitions into winter, the weather becomes unpredictable. Please take care of yourself, Lord Hashiba Chikuzen-no-kami, and avoid catching a cold."

? ? ? ?
Hideyoshi Hashiba looked at the letter in his hand with a surprised expression. What did Sanada Genzaburo mean by this?
How could someone have time to care about their own health while facing an attack from the Tokugawa clan?
"He really is an honest person." Hideyoshi Hashiba couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for his actions.

The Sanada family treated me this way, yet I discarded them like trash; that would be truly inhuman.

After some thought, Hideyoshi Hashiba decided to intervene in the war in Shinano. If the Sanada clan could not hold out, he would have them retreat to Mino.

"Sakichi!" Hideyoshi called out to the outside.

A young samurai in his early twenties hurriedly entered.

"Sakichi, have you received any new intelligence from Shinano recently?" Hideyoshi asked casually.

"My lord, please wait a moment while I search."

The samurai named Sakichi hurriedly ran to the archives next to him, and after searching around, a message from Mino Kanazan Castle dated March 6th caught his eye.

Returning to the mansion with a solemn expression, the young samurai presented the letter with both hands.

Hideyoshi Hashiba only glanced at it, but his eyes widened in surprise.

"Tokugawa actually lost?" Hashiba Hideyoshi looked incredulous.

"Yes, I have made a preliminary confirmation of the news about Musashi no Kami. I have also received similar news from Tōtōmi, Mikawa, Owari and other places."

"This is unbelievable!" Hideyoshi Hashiba sat heavily on the ground, holding the letter.

When he tacitly approved of the Tokugawa clan's offensive against Shinano, he had already considered the Sanada clan as a sacrifice. He had even decided that if Sanada Nobuyuki survived the war, Hideyoshi intended to take him as a retainer.

But the Sanada clan actually defeated the Tokugawa clan, and the uprising in Shinano was also contained.

This gave Hideyoshi Hashiba a new idea.

But before Hideyoshi could think any further, another hurried figure rushed in from outside.

“Something terrible has happened. Oda’s retainer (Oda Nobutaka) has raised an army in Gifu Castle and is attacking the Inaba family’s territory.”

(End of this chapter)