First Meeting—What Did Hideyoshi Do to Deserve This?!

Miyago Village, at the village entrance.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo did not go straight in to find Hachisuka Masakatsu. He was waiting for someone.

Sobue Kan'emon and Gotō Kichibē squatted beneath a tree, yawning without end. "My lord, why don't we find a post station?"

"No money." Yamauchi Kazutoyo's answer was plain and unadorned.

"But we can't keep waiting like this. It'll be dark soon. We can't possibly sleep out in the wilderness tonight, can we?"

Yamauchi Kazutoyo nudged Kichibē with his foot. "Go gather some firewood from the woods and get a fire going first."

"No way, my lord. We're really sleeping out in the wild?" Sobue Kan'emon groaned bitterly.

"When I asked on the way here, a night at the post stations of Miyago Hachiman Shrine or Maeno Tenmangu Shrine was thirty mon. Too expensive."

"We already spent eight mon on flatbreads today. Save where we can." Yamauchi Kazutoyo looked up at the sky, hoping it would not rain that night.

Not long after Kichibē entered the woods, a figure slowly appeared on the path ahead.

Sobue Kan'emon raised his matchlock, but Yamauchi Kazutoyo hurriedly pressed it down and called toward the figure, "Is that Brother Kichisuke?"

"Iemon!" Horio Yoshiharu's voice rang out from ahead.

As he spoke, Horio Yoshiharu had already reached them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I went to Maeno Village before I was told that Iemon had already come to Miyago Village." Horio Yoshiharu gave Yamauchi Kazutoyo a bear hug.

Horio Yoshiharu's hometown was Gokasho Village in Niwa District, just two ri south of here.

Before coming to Inagi Estate, Yamauchi Kazutoyo had immediately thought of Horio Yoshiharu. He had sent him a letter in advance, arranging to meet at Inagi Estate.

"Didn't we agree to wait for me in Maeno Village? Why did you suddenly come to Miyago Village?"

"The plan changed. We may have to draw blades on this trip." Yamauchi Kazutoyo gave a full account of his encounter with Nehei in Yamajiri Village.

After hearing it, Horio Yoshiharu said indignantly, "Count me in! I didn't want to stay in the countryside farming anyway. At worst, I'll roam the world with Iemon."

"I heard that the Azai clan of Odani Castle in Omi has just renounced the Rokkaku clan. Kannonji Castle is recruiting men to prepare for war against the Azai clan. If all else fails, we can go to Omi and scrape together a living."

"Brother, you're well informed!" Yamauchi Kazutoyo exclaimed.

Asai Katamasa of neighboring Omi Province had just sent his wife back to her family and declared independence from the Rokkaku clan. There were indeed reports that Rokkaku Yoshikata intended to muster a great army to punish the Azai clan the following year.

"Alas, without any path to enter service, all I can do is look for a way everywhere." Horio Yoshiharu sighed.

After returning to Gokasho Village, the Ikoma family of nearby Obori Castle had extended an olive branch to him, but the job was raising horses. How could Horio Yoshiharu bring himself to lose that much face?

"If Iemon needs men, there are quite a few useful people in my Horio clan. Shall I go back and bring them here right away?"

Yamauchi Kazutoyo was deeply moved. He had not acknowledged this elder brother for nothing.

"I appreciate your kindness, Brother, but this matter should not involve too many people. If the Horio clan gets dragged in, its nature will change."

Though Yamauchi Kazutoyo had selfish motives in this matter, it was ultimately an internal affair of the Maeno family. Bringing in outsiders from beyond Inagi Estate could easily provoke an armed brawl.

If the situation spiraled out of control and the matter grew too large, even Maeno Muneyasu would not be able to protect them.

Since Yamauchi Kazutoyo put it that way, Horio Yoshiharu could only let the matter drop.

After thinking for a moment, Horio Yoshiharu said again, "Who did Iemon come to Miyago Village to find?"

"A man named Hachisuka Koroku."

"Hachisuka?" A name suddenly flashed through Horio Yoshiharu's mind. "Isn't that Hachisuka Masakatsu? He's actually here?"

"You know him, Brother?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo asked curiously.

"Not very well," Horio Yoshiharu replied. "Years ago, the Hachisuka clan were local lords of Hachisuka Village in Kaito District. His father was a retainer of Saito Dosan, and Hachisuka Masakatsu even served as Dōsan's close attendant."

"After Saito Dosan died, Hachisuka Masakatsu joined the Iwakura Oda clan. After the Battle of Ukino, that fellow disappeared. So he had been hiding here."

Yamauchi Kazutoyo could not help sighing that Owari Province was still too small. Everywhere he went, he ran into acquaintances.

By then, Sobue Kan'emon had also brought back Gotō Kichibē, who had gone to gather firewood. Before long, a bonfire blazed by the roadside.

The four sat around it. Worried that Yamauchi Kazutoyo and the others had not eaten, Horio Yoshiharu had even brought several steamed buns.

"Brother, I'm truly sorry. I've even dragged you into sleeping out in the wild with us." Yamauchi Kazutoyo lay on a pile of grass with both hands behind his head.

Horio Yoshiharu crossed his legs with a stalk of rice in his mouth. "Don't be such a stranger. We're comrades bound by life and death!"

"Fine. I'll take first watch tonight. You relieve me in the second half of the night!"

"Alright!"

Deep in the night, all was silent.

The cool night wind swept across the haystacks, and the thickets on both sides of the road rustled softly.

Kichibē was young and slept soundly. Yamauchi Kazutoyo and the others took turns keeping watch, and before long, morning arrived.

At the same time, within the Hachisuka Estate in Miyago Village, Hachisuka Masakatsu stretched and walked into the courtyard.

Thirty-four-year-old Hachisuka Masakatsu wore coarse hemp clothes. Unshaven and rough-featured, he looked rather rugged.

"Koroku, Uncle said guests would be coming today. What distinguished guests are they that he has to personally go receive them?"

The speaker was Hachisuka Masakatsu's wife. Her name was very ordinary—Matsu. She was the daughter of the Miwa clan, the hereditary shrine family of the local Hachiman Shrine in Miyago Village.

A shrine family was a family that had overseen the rites of a particular shrine for generations.

Before Hachisuka Masakatsu could answer, Miwa Matsu pointed toward the gate. "Someone's coming. Did Uncle come back so soon?"

Hachisuka Masakatsu stepped forward and pulled open the gate. The word "Uncle" had already reached his lips, only to be swallowed back down.

"Unc—who are you?" Seeing several unfamiliar faces at the gate, Hachisuka Masakatsu instinctively moved to close it.

"I am Yamauchi Iemon, and this is Horio Kichisuke. Please forgive our presumptuous visit." Yamauchi Kazutoyo reached out and stopped the gate.

Hachisuka Masakatsu gave Yamauchi Kazutoyo a suspicious look. "Yamauchi? Horio?"

"Retainers of the Iwakura Oda clan?"

"We once were. Now, like you, we are ronin." Yamauchi Kazutoyo smiled.

Then Yamauchi Kazutoyo added, "Lord Jikan of Maeno Village sent me here."

"I see. Then please come in and speak." Hachisuka Masakatsu stepped aside.

"Please do not take offense. I thought my uncle, Yasui Gohei, had returned." Hachisuka Masakatsu spoke as he led them inside.

Yasui Gohei's full name was Yasui Shigetsugu. He was a local lord of Miyago Village, and his elder sister, Yasui Gozen, was Hachisuka Masakatsu's mother.

Hachisuka Masakatsu's mother had died young, while his father had taken another wife. Thus, Hachisuka Masakatsu had effectively been raised by Yasui Shigetsugu, before later marrying Omatsu, the daughter of Miwa Nobumasa from the same village.

"Lord Yasui isn't here?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo asked.

Hachisuka Masakatsu nodded. "A guest from Kiyosu Castle is coming today, so Uncle has gone to receive him."

"Then I've come at a bad time?"

"It is no matter. All who come are guests. Please sit inside for a while. I'll change clothes and return shortly." Hachisuka Masakatsu gave a slight bow, his manners still impeccable.

After Lady Miwa returned to the inner room, she had a maid bring out a plate of sweets. It seemed Hachisuka Masakatsu was living quite comfortably.

Sobue Kan'emon and Gotō Kichibē were starving. Seeing no one in the room, they immediately grabbed the sweets and began devouring them.

Kichibē did not forget to offer one to Yamauchi Kazutoyo. Yamauchi Kazutoyo looked at Horio Yoshiharu beside him, but the latter shook his head.

Just as he put the sweet into his mouth, the wooden gate outside creaked open, and a little girl of around three stumbled into the courtyard.

"Yaya, slow down! Be careful not to fall!" A slender girl followed her through the gate.

The words had barely left her mouth when the girl in front fell heavily onto the stone path.

"Waaah!"

Yamauchi Kazutoyo stepped forward, picked up the sobbing little girl, and softly comforted her.

"Please forgive us. My younger sister is a little mischievous. I hope this lord will not take offense." A graceful figure walked up before Yamauchi Kazutoyo, an apologetic expression appearing on her lovely face.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo handed the little girl to her. When he raised his head and clearly saw her face, he could not help losing himself for a moment.

The young woman before him was not very old, but she was sweetly beautiful. Especially those bright, watery eyes—they seemed capable of stealing a person's very soul.

"I am Yamauchi Iemon. May I ask this princess's name?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo asked instinctively.

"How could I be any princess? Lord Yamauchi may call me Nene." The girl lowered her head shyly, seemingly not daring to meet Yamauchi Kazutoyo's eyes.

Upon hearing her name, Yamauchi Kazutoyo froze again. But he quickly came back to himself. Could this be the Nene who would become Toyotomi Hideyoshi's lawful wife, known to history as Kita no Mandokoro?

No, what had Toyotomi Hideyoshi done to deserve eating this well?!