The Final Piece of the Puzzle!

Having joined Jodo Shinshu, the Ogawa Band could at least fly the banner of an Ikko-ikki for the next three months.

Having persuaded Matsubara Naiku, the stretch of the Kiso River around Inuyama Castle was safe for the time being.

With Uncle Maeno Tokiyuki at Matsukura Castle, temporary supplies for the Ogawa Band's "merchant ships" would not be a problem either.

The Ogawa Band now had everything in place. They lacked only one thing.

"We still need a base!" Yamauchi Kazutoyo shouted from the bow.

"So many people can't keep living on ships forever, and the goods need somewhere to be stored."

Wary of causing trouble for his uncle Maeno Tokiyuki, the Ogawa Band could not directly use the storehouses of Matsukura Castle.

A naya meant a warehouse. Sakai Port had a wealthy merchant named Imai Sōkyū who had made his fortune in the warehousing trade.

"Then it looks like we have no choice but to make a trip to Unuma Castle." Horio Yoshiharu spoke up as well.

"Koroku, do you know Osawa Masatsugu of Unuma Castle?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo looked toward Hachisuka Masakatsu.

Hachisuka Masakatsu shook his head. "Not very well. Back when my father served the Saito clan, the Osawa clan had not yet joined them. They were considered retainers of Toki Yorinori."

"After Toki Yorinori was driven out, Osawa Masatsugu married Dōsan's daughter. But Dōsan was soon killed, so the Osawa clan has not yet been absorbed into Saito Yoshitatsu's retainer corps."

Yamauchi Kazutoyo thought for a moment. "In that case, if we want to drag the Osawa clan aboard, we'll have to start from the Jodo Shinshu side."

"Mosuke, go back to Matsukura Castle first and find Kan'emon. Sell the goods on the ship."

"Koroku, come with me to Unuma Castle."

"Alright!"

The Ogawa Band was now like a high-speed train with its accelerator welded down. There was no way to stop anymore.

What Yamauchi Kazutoyo needed to do was bind as many people as possible onto that train. When it ran out of fuel and came to a halt, those aboard could only follow him onto the next train.

He had already chosen that next train in advance. Now Yamauchi Kazutoyo had to make sure he could secure himself a better seat when the time came.

Once the tasks had been assigned, Horio Yoshiharu took the ship laden with goods to Matsukura Castle, while the banner of Jodo Shinshu was hidden away.

Hachisuka Masakatsu and Yamauchi Kazutoyo continued north toward Unuma Castle.

Though it was called a castle, Unuma Castle was really just a wooden stockade built atop a hill, and it was quite small.

Yet because of its crucial location, as well as being the only high ground nearby, it was perfectly suited for collecting tolls.

Half an hour later, Yamauchi Kazutoyo reached the waters outside Unuma Castle.

Though he had passed this place several times already, whenever he saw Unuma Castle rising from the hilltop across the river, Yamauchi Kazutoyo was still deeply shaken.

This castle had been built with far too much finesse!

Unuma Castle stood atop a lone little mountain by the Kiso River. The mountain was surrounded by water on three sides, with sheer cliffs all around. Even the words "easy to defend, hard to attack" were not enough to describe Unuma Castle's strategic peril.

"There is a ferry crossing at the foot of the mountain, allowing travel between Owari and Mino."

"Honryuji Temple stands beside Unuma Castle. It was founded by Ryōsei, the father of Osawa Masatsugu. This Honryuji Temple is the largest Jodo Shinshu temple around Unuma Castle."

After the ship docked, Hachisuka Masakatsu introduced Unuma Castle's situation to Yamauchi Kazutoyo.

Standing by the shore, Yamauchi Kazutoyo kept his gaze fixed on the surface of the Kiso River.

Hachisuka Masakatsu knew Yamauchi Kazutoyo was thinking, so he did not urge him.

They stood like that for about half an hour before Yamauchi Kazutoyo's expression gradually relaxed. He already knew how to persuade Osawa Masatsugu.

"Come on. Into the castle!"

"Into the castle?"

"Who are you people? You think you can just enter Unuma Castle whenever you please? Does our Osawa clan have no pride?"

"Ah, officials from Gansho-ji Temple! Please, come in, come in!"

The moment Yamauchi Kazutoyo revealed his Jodo Shinshu identity, the warrior monks who had just stopped them immediately snapped to attention.

Honryuji Temple had been built by the Osawa clan themselves. It was called an Ikko sect temple, but in truth, it had no official standing at all.

If Nagashima Gansho-ji was a directly administered temple of Jodo Shinshu, and Shotokuji Temple in Owari was a franchisee under its banner, then Honryuji Temple was like a "Mixue Ice City" in some remote county town—riding the wave while passing itself off as the real thing.

Of course, it could not be called entirely fake. At the very least, the doctrine preached by Honryuji Temple was exactly the same as that of Jodo Shinshu.

"Officials from Nagashima Gansho-ji?"

Osawa Masatsugu set down the matchlock in his hand, pinched out the fuse, and placed it on its rack.

His attendant nodded. "Yes. They have tags from Gansho-ji Temple and Shotokuji Temple. Their credentials also bear Shimotsuma Yorinari's signature, so their identities should be genuine."

With that, the attendant handed over Yamauchi Kazutoyo's tags and identity credentials.

This era had not yet implemented a system like the Temple Registration Certificate for verifying identities. That was a product of the Edo period.

Monks of various sects generally still used ordination certificates, while ordinary believers mostly used tags. A tag was a "worship credential"; only those holding one were permitted to enter a temple and worship.

Because of its union of religious and political authority, Jodo Shinshu managed its grassroots believers with greater rigor and detail. Local Honganji temples registered believers and issued identity credentials for them.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo possessed tags from Gansho-ji Temple and Shotokuji Temple, as well as identity credentials given by Shimotsuma Yorinari. In his heart, Osawa Masatsugu already believed him seven or eight parts out of ten.

"Honryuji Temple has stood for forty years and has never had dealings with Jodo Shinshu. For Gansho-ji Temple to send officials here at a time like this... I cannot tell whether it is fortune or disaster!" Osawa Masatsugu furrowed his brow, his heart in turmoil.

The Osawa family had not built Honryuji Temple to truly develop Jodo Shinshu. They had merely used Jodo Shinshu's name to take root at Unuma Castle and expand their strength.

For that very reason, Honryuji Temple had never received Jodo Shinshu's recognition. Or rather, Ishiyama Gobo did not even know such a temple existed.

"Let's go. Whether it's a mule or a horse, it has to be led out for a walk."

"I shall meet this official from Gansho-ji Temple myself!"

As defensive strongholds, mountain castles were generally not used as residences. They were only garrisoned when battle broke out, so the samurai mostly lived in residences at the foot of the mountain.

Osawa Masatsugu returned to his room and changed into a plain kamishimo, formal samurai dress, before heading to the audience chamber.

Mino in June was already unbearably hot. The moment Osawa Masatsugu entered the room, his forehead was beaded with sweat.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo was no better off. His monk's cap completely covered his head like a steamer, and sweat ran down his back, soaking even his loincloth.

In ancient times, loincloths were called kun. They originated in China and were later brought back to Japan by envoys to Tang China. After becoming widespread in Japan, they gradually developed into loincloths.

Kun meant "trousers with a crotch," while another kind without a crotch was called ku.

After these clothing styles entered Japan, they set off trends in Japanese dress. During the Nara period, Japan fully imitated the clothing styles of the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the court even specially promulgated the Clothing Edict for this purpose.

"I am Osawa Jirozaemon, lord of this castle. May I ask what business brings you two temple officials here?"

Perhaps because the heat was simply too unbearable, Osawa Masatsugu did not exchange much small talk and immediately asked Yamauchi Kazutoyo's purpose.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo did not stand on ceremony either. "I have come specifically to save the Osawa clan from fire and water!"

"Fire and water?" Osawa Masatsugu was dumbfounded.

The weather was certainly hot, but what did that have to do with the Osawa family? The way he put it, it was as if the Osawa clan had already reached the end of its rope.

"Though our Osawa clan cannot be called a powerful local house, we possess the strong castle of Unuma and the temple market of Honryuji. We collect taxes along the Kiso River, and life is passable enough."

"Lord Ogawa, surely you are exaggerating the danger?" Osawa Masatsugu looked at Yamauchi Kazutoyo with a faint, ambiguous smile.

The corner of Yamauchi Kazutoyo's mouth curled up as he deliberately said with hesitation, "Oh? Is that so?"

"If you collect taxes, where do those taxes come from?"

"From passing merchants, of course!" Osawa Masatsugu answered without hesitation.

Honryuji Temple's predecessor had been a temple market, also built by the Osawa clan. It was a modest but established trading node along the Kiso River.

"So, passing merchants." Yamauchi Kazutoyo and Hachisuka Masakatsu exchanged a smile, their faces full of mockery.

Seeing the pair's contemptuous expressions as if to say That's all?, anger rose in Osawa Masatsugu's heart.

"You two came all this way to Unuma Castle merely to ridicule my house?"

"Quite the opposite!" Yamauchi Kazutoyo declared with ringing force. "Our Ogawa Band has come to discuss cooperation with the Osawa clan."

"Cooperation?" Osawa Masatsugu wore another puzzled expression.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo smiled faintly and winked at Osawa Masatsugu. "Lord Osawa, Inuyama Castle and Unuma Castle are separated by only one river."

"Yet Oda Nobukiyo fills his coffers by collecting passage fees every year from merchant ships on the Kiso River, while you can only pick at scraps from a few itinerant peddlers."

"Lord Osawa, you do not want to watch Oda Nobukiyo make money with your eyes wide open, do you?"

"Can you truly accept that?"