The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

After handing over Yoshimoto's body, Shinsuke and his party traveled swiftly and returned to Kiyosu Castle that very night.

After reporting the situation, Oda Nobunaga summoned Takigawa Kazumasu, who was skilled in intelligence work, and instructed him to monitor Motoyasu's movements.

Kazumasu Takigawa was also a general under Oda Nobunaga in history. After the Honnoji Incident, Nobunaga died, and with the army in chaos, he was unable to resist the Hojo and suppress the local lords, and finally met a tragic end.

Two days later, Takikawa Kazumasu sent back a report.

"Bury him on the spot? Ha, Takechiyo is quite an interesting kid."

Today happens to be the day when the Red Robe Clan is on duty, and Shinsuke happens to be right next to Nobunaga.

Nobunaga was sitting next to Hayashi Hideyoshi, so he first asked the scribe for his opinion.

"Buried in Okazaki?" Lin Xiuzhen judged without hesitation. "This is a show of force, ready to fight me to the bitter end!"

Nobunaga scoffed at this answer.

"I think it's just for show. If Matsudaira Motoyasu truly wanted to fight to the death, he should have solemnly returned Yoshimoto's remains to Sunpu in exchange for Imagawa Ujizane's full support. The current burial on the spot and the preparation of troops are merely to prevent Ujizane from causing him trouble, since the greater good is still in his hands, isn't it?"

Shinsuke nodded secretly; Nobunaga possessed an almost unparalleled keen understanding of politics.

"Gonroku," Nobunaga suddenly called to Shibata Katsuie, "What do you think?"

Shibata Katsuie pondered for a moment: "Whatever that kid's plan, since he's showing signs of wanting to fight, we should attack! While his foundation is still unstable, let's take Okazaki Castle in one fell swoop!"

"Absolutely not!" This time it was Niwa Nagahide who spoke. "Our army has just emerged victorious from the Battle of Okehazama, but we are exhausted. Although Mikawa is weak, the Matsudaira clan has been operating locally for many years. If we launch a direct attack, we risk significant losses. Moreover, while Imagawa Ujizane is mediocre, his general Asahina Yasutomo still has 2000 men stationed on the border between Tōtōmi and Mikawa..."

"Hahaha!"

Nobunaga smiled again.

Being by Nobunaga's side gave Shinsuke the feeling of watching Cao Cao in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

"You're all eyeing this tiny patch of land in Mikawa." He stood up, strode to the center of the hall, and said, "Forget about Takechiyo. I'm about to infiltrate Mino and seize the dowry my father-in-law gave to Nohime!"

Nobunaga's father-in-law was Saito Dosan, known as the "Viper of Mino." In 1557, his son Yoshitatsu launched a rebellion and killed him, and Nobunaga's efforts to rescue him were unsuccessful. Before his death, Dosan sent a letter to Nobunaga, essentially saying that Nobunaga did not need to send troops to help, and that Mino would be given to Oda Nobunaga as part of his daughter Saito Kicho's dowry.

Nobunaga's reasons for launching the invasion were flawless, but he seemed to have a mental problem. Mino Province was one of the richest of the 66 provinces of Japan, easily able to muster 20000 troops. Nobunaga could at most mobilize 3000 men, and having just emerged from a major war, invading Mino was tantamount to suicide.

Moreover, Saito Yoshitatsu was no ordinary person.

Has Nobunaga gone mad?

Everyone thought so, except for Shinsuke.

Nobunaga walked to the map hanging on the wall, pointed to the location of Kiyosu Castle, and then headed west, crossing the Kiso River.

"Marching towards here!"

"How many men does the lord intend to bring?" Lin Xiuzhen swallowed, as if confirming Nobunaga's condition.

"Is 1500 about right?"

"That Saito Yoshitatsu kid's been up to no good lately. I've heard he's trying to win over the Rokkaku family in southern Omi. Since Takechiyo's just putting on an act, I'll test his sincerity..."

This attack of 1500 men was merely a probing move to gauge the reactions of Mino and Mikawa.

"Send the order!" Nobunaga's voice suddenly rose, "Gather your forces and cross the Nagara River!"

"My lord, please reconsider!" Lin Xiuzhen almost knelt down.

Nobunaga seemed not to hear these suggestions, and said, "Shin-suke, go and give the order."

Shinsuke could only respond with a nod, thinking to himself: Since a fight isn't going to break out, let's just treat this as a group tour!

One day later, at dawn.

Outside Cheongju Castle, 1,500 soldiers had assembled.

Most of the soldiers looked weary. The Battle of Okehazama had just ended, and many of their wounds had not yet healed, but fortunately, the flame of miracle in their eyes had not been extinguished.

"Let's go!" Nobunaga, as always, took the lead.

Fortunately, the men in their maternal robes could ride horses, so Shinsuke caught up with them without much effort. The maternal robe he was wearing was like a parachute, billowing in the wind as he rode, much like the plastic bags he used to wave when running as a child.

The troops marched westward, and by evening they reached the east bank of the Nagara River. The opposite bank was Anhachi District, the territory of the Saito family.

At dawn the next day, the troops began crossing the river. The Nagara River was calm in this section, but wide. Nobunaga divided the troops into three groups to cross the river in batches, just in case.

After the troops assembled, they immediately attacked Anhachi County. Ikeda Tsuneoki and Kinoshita Hideyoshi (who changed his name after his meritorious service) led their men to set fire to various villages and towns.

Thick smoke billowed into the sky, standing out prominently in the early morning air.

The response came faster than expected.

Dust billowed first from the west, and judging by the direction, it was Marumo Mitsukane's troops, numbering about a hundred. Almost simultaneously, another force appeared from the southwest, its banner bearing the bellflower crest of the Ichihashi family, and its leader was likely Ichihashi Nagatoshi.

Nobunaga watched the approaching enemy army with great interest. "Marumochi and Ichihashi, quick reaction. Only two hundred men. Take them down!"

Shinsuke had no choice but to go and relay the orders to the monkeys and Ikeda Tsuneoki ahead.

Just as the enemy's two hundred men were about to be wiped out, a third plume of dust rose on the horizon, indicating a force of at least a thousand men.

Nagai Moeyasu of Ōgaki Castle arrived. He was considered a general of the Saitō clan.

With enemy forces advancing from three directions, Oda's army was no longer in a superior position. If they were bogged down, reinforcements would arrive in droves.

"My lord!" Even the usually composed Niwa Nagahide raised his voice.

Nobunaga sighed with slight regret, "The Saito clan's swift response shows that Yoshitatsu has never let his guard down... Retreat!"

Upon receiving the order to retreat, the Oda army immediately changed formation. Niwa Nagahide, along with Shinsuke and Hideyoshi, covered the rear, while Ikeda Tsuneoki protected Nobunaga and led the retreat.

However, the retreat did not go smoothly. Nagai Masayoshi led 100 cavalrymen.

These Mino cavalrymen were skilled in mounted archery and began firing arrows even before they got close. Several screams rang out from the Oda army ranks as several men fell to the ground, struck by arrows.

"Shield!" Niwa Nagahide shouted.

The foot soldiers in the front ranks raised their shields, but arrows rained down, and many were still hit. To make matters worse, Ichihashi Nagatoshi's troops had already approached from the south, cutting off their retreat route.

"East! East along the riverbank!" Shinsuke suddenly shouted.

"Are you kidding me? Heading east is deep into Mino!" Ikeda Kouki exclaimed in surprise.

"Listen to him!" Niwa Nagahide quickly understood Shinsuke's intention.

The troops turned east. This unexpected move caught both Marushige and Ichihashi's troops off guard.

Instead of retreating to the riverbank, the enemy ran inland.

There was originally a hilly area to the east with complex terrain, which was not conducive to the deployment of cavalry.

Sure enough, once they entered the hilly area, the cavalry's speed slowed down significantly. Oda's infantry, on the other hand, were much more agile in the mountains.

This change of course has also put Niwa Nagahide in trouble. If they cannot cross the river soon, the entire rearguard will be completely surrounded once Nagai Mamoru arrives.