When You're Out Making Your Way in the World, Your Identity Is Yours to Make!

"Is Iemon going to convert to Jodo Shinshu?"

Horio Yoshiharu and Hachisuka Masakatsu cried out in unison, their jaws practically dropping.

"But isn't the Yamauchi family made up of Nichiren Buddhism believers?" Horio Yoshiharu asked.

The religious powers within Mino and Owari were sharply divided. Most upper-ranking samurai believed in Zen, the Rinzai Sect in particular, with the Myōshin-ji School being the foremost.

Middle- and lower-ranking samurai mainly followed Nichiren Buddhism, also known as the Lotus Sect. The Yamauchi family, Hachisuka clan, and Horio clan were all among them.

Low-ranking samurai and farmers, meanwhile, believed in Jodo Shinshu, because its barrier to entry was the lowest.

Among all religions, Nichiren Buddhism was the most exclusionary and often stirred up conflicts with other sects. During the Tenbun era, it even caused a huge uproar in Kyoto, setting fire to Yamashina Honganji, the headquarters of Jodo Shinshu.

The famed Ishiyama Gobo was rebuilt at a new site after Yamashina Honganji was burned down. In other words, Nichiren Buddhism had driven Jodo Shinshu out of Kyoto.

Seeing Nichiren Buddhism's influence growing ever stronger, Enryaku-ji Temple of the Tendai Sect could no longer sit still a few years later. It joined forces with Jodo Shinshu and other temples, mobilizing nearly a hundred thousand believers to grind Nichiren Buddhism into the dirt.

Waving the banner of striking down Nichiren Buddhism, the ikki took the opportunity to burn and plunder Kyoto, destroying more than a third of the city. The devastation surpassed even the Ōnin War.

This was the famous Tenbun Hokke Disturbance.

Unable to suppress it, the shogunate and the imperial court ultimately had no choice but to issue a ban on Nichiren Buddhism. Nichiren Buddhism in Kyoto nearly perished completely, until Rokkaku Sadayori of Omi stepped forward ten years later to mediate between the sides, finally allowing Kyoto's Nichiren Buddhists a chance to catch their breath.

So, if the relationship between Nichiren Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu could not be called swords drawn and bows bent, then it could certainly be called needle against needle, point for point.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo suddenly saying he wanted to convert to Jodo Shinshu was like a thunderclap over the heads of Horio Yoshiharu and Hachisuka Masakatsu, who also followed Nichiren Buddhism.

"The Yamauchi family is, of course, devout followers of Nichiren Buddhism. My late father's grave is still at Horenji Temple in Kuroda Township," Yamauchi Kazutoyo immediately replied.

Hachisuka Masakatsu asked, "Then why did you say you wanted to convert to Jodo Shinshu?"

"I'm only pretending to convert. I can repent later, can't I?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo spread his hands and smiled.

"Didn't Koroku just say Matsukura Castle can't protect us? Does Jodo Shinshu have that kind of strength?"

Yamauchi Kazutoyo's question truly left Hachisuka Masakatsu speechless.

When it came to Jodo Shinshu within Owari, there was one name that absolutely could not be avoided—Nagashima Gansho-ji.

As its name suggested, Nagashima was an island. Yet it was not some isolated island far out at sea, but a sandbar formed where the Kiso Three Rivers met the sea, similar to China's Chongming Island.

The Kiso Three Rivers were the Kiso River, Ibi River, and Nagara River. During Japan's Warring States period, these three great rivers intertwined with one another and had not yet been separated.

Situated on the border between Ise Province and Owari Province, Nagashima Gansho-ji sat astride the mouth of the Kiso Three Rivers. Its influence extended into Owari, Mino, and other regions, making it the largest Jodo Shinshu temple across the three provinces of Nōbi Region and Ise.

For Nagashima Gansho-ji to expand, conflict with the surrounding daimyo was inevitable.

Relations between the Oda clan of Owari and Nagashima Gansho-ji were extremely poor. At the heart of it was the immense profit from river transport along the Kiso Three Rivers; both sides wanted control of that economic lifeline.

While Oda Nobunaga and Imagawa Yoshimoto were locked in a contest over Narumi Castle and Odaka Castle, Nagashima Gansho-ji supported a local ikki from Kaisei District known as the Hattori League, which sealed off the mouth of the Kiso Three Rivers.

Faced with Nagashima Gansho-ji's relentless advance, Oda Nobunaga could do nothing.

Nagashima Gansho-ji possessed the privilege of "the shugo may not enter"; a daimyo's authority could not reach into the temple's lands.

At the same time, Nagashima sat right in the middle of the three trade centers of Kuwana in Ise, Tsushima in Owari, and Atsuta. It was the hub of sea and land transport in northern Ise Bay. Thus, not only Oda Nobunaga, but even Saito Yoshitatsu of Mino had to show Nagashima Gansho-ji some respect.

There really was room for Yamauchi Kazutoyo to wrap himself in Jodo Shinshu's tiger skin and stir things up along the Kiso River.

"If Iemon wants Jodo Shinshu's support, ordinary Jodo Shinshu temples in Owari and Mino probably won't be enough. He can only go to Nagashima Gansho-ji."

"Shh!" Yamauchi Kazutoyo placed a finger to his lips. "Remember this: Yamauchi Iemon of Kuroda Township, Haguri District, has always been a devout believer in Nichiren Buddhism."

"The one converting to Jodo Shinshu is a man named Ogawa Saburo. He has absolutely nothing to do with Yamauchi Iemon."

Horio Yoshiharu could not help laughing. This was the name Yamauchi Kazutoyo had casually made up when they fled Matsukura Castle and encountered the Oda clan's pursuit.

Only now did Horio Yoshiharu finally understand what Yamauchi Kazutoyo was plotting.

"How about I convert to Jodo Shinshu too?" Horio Yoshiharu asked, struggling not to laugh.

"And what would Lord Horio's story be?" Hachisuka Masakatsu felt he was having trouble keeping up with these two.

Horio Yoshiharu scratched his forehead. "What does this have to do with Horio Mosuke? It's Ogawa Jiro who wants to convert."

Yamauchi Kazutoyo patted Hachisuka Masakatsu on the chest. "Koroku, it's decided. You're Ogawa Taro now."

"When you're out making your way in the world, your identity is yours to make. From now on, the three of us are the Ogawa Band."

Hachisuka Masakatsu suddenly felt as though he had boarded a pirate ship. But on second thought, it seemed rather thrilling, didn't it?

After settling the two of them in, Yamauchi Kazutoyo went to find Maeno Tokiyuki and said he wanted to borrow a boat to go to Tsushima and "move some stolen goods."

Upon hearing this, Maeno Tokiyuki simply asked Yamauchi Kazutoyo to make a trip to Myōkō-ji Temple in Nakashima District along the way and repay some money for him.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo did not refuse. Since he would be passing through anyway, he could listen in on a few Jodo Shinshu "lectures."

A "lecture" was a grassroots organization of believers similar to a sōson village association, and every sect had them. Jodo Shinshu monks regularly rallied believers in each village to hold gatherings, much like later generations sweet-talking old men and women into lining up for free eggs—a method of brainwashing, really.

Converting to Jodo Shinshu was easy, but gaining Nagashima Gansho-ji's endorsement would not be simple.

If he went directly to Nagashima, Ganshoji Temple would surely ignore him. Yamauchi Kazutoyo first had to scout the road ahead and establish local connections before he could climb upward.

Sobue Kan'emon and Hachisuka Masakatsu boarded a boat and headed south down the Kiso River straight for Tsushima Harbor, while Yamauchi Kazutoyo and Horio Yoshiharu took the land route to Myōkō-ji Temple.

Myōkō-ji Temple's full name was Myōkō Hōon Zen Temple. It had once been the prayer temple of Ashikaga Yoshiakira and Emperor Go-Kōgon, and at its height possessed eight pagodas and thirteen temples.

But as the Muromachi shogunate declined, Myōkō-ji Temple's days grew difficult as well. Its once vast temple lands were steadily encroached upon, and by now, only its name remained.

"Iemon, it looks like they're holding a sutra-chanting assembly inside the temple. There are so many people here today," Horio Yoshiharu remarked as he watched the dense crowd filling the grounds.

It truly was Owari's largest Zen temple. Even in decline, its power to gather people was astonishing.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo swept his gaze around and found quite a few people who looked like samurai among the crowd.

Seeing that the two had lingered outside without entering, the novice monk at the gate yawned and reluctantly approached them. "Are you two here to offer incense?"

"If you are not entering the temple, then please do not block the mountain gate."

Yamauchi Kazutoyo pulled out a handful of Koshu gold and a letter from his robes. Golden light spilled everywhere. "We have come at someone's request to present a donation."

"Esteemed patrons, please come inside at once! This humble monk will go find the abbot immediately!" The young novice instantly became overflowing with enthusiasm.

Horio Yoshiharu and Yamauchi Kazutoyo stood firm as pines. "We are believers in Nichiren Buddhism, so we will not enter."

At the words "Nichiren Buddhism," the smile on the novice monk's face instantly froze.

If Jodo Shinshu was something hated by men and dogs alike, Nichiren Buddhism's reputation was not much better.

Nichiren Buddhism's slogan was "the sole true Dharma." In other words, every sect besides Nichiren Buddhism was trash—heretical and evil teachings!

Nichiren, the founding monk himself, had even declared outright: "The Shingon Sect is a teaching that destroys nations, Zen is the way of demons and heretics, chanting the Buddha's name in Jodo Shinshu is useless, the Ritsu Sect is traitorous to the nation, and only our Nichiren Buddhism is the sole remedy that saves the suffering and rescues the world..."

This style of railing against heaven and earth made Nichiren Buddhism widely hated. Thus, when the Tenbun Hokke Disturbance broke out, the moment Enryaku-ji Temple of the Tendai Sect raised the call, temples of Kyoto's other schools all took up arms to join the grand occasion, and a hundred thousand believers fiercely vented their pent-up rage.

"Oh, right. Could you tell me where there might be a Jodo Shinshu lecture nearby?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo asked again, deliberately raising his voice.

This was simply bullying people beyond all reason!

Yamauchi Kazutoyo's point-blank provocation made the novice monk tremble from head to toe with rage. His eyes immediately reddened.

"Leave the gold and get the hell out!"