He should've listened. Apart of him knew he should, but a certain something or rather someone got the better of him and he was regretting it.
He paid no mind when one of his soldiers had mentioned how he should watch over his health, and he scoffed when his own advisor Yoshisugu, sick as a dog he is, told him how he was losing too much weight and looked rather unhealthy.
"No ailment, no hunger, no anything shall bring me down until I have Ieyasu's cold, dead body lying at my feet, his idealistic head on a pike and his filthy blood dripping my blade."
That's what he told himself and everybody else because that is what he believed, what he felt, what he knew.
His resolve was absolute. He would do everything and anything to enact revenge for Lord Hideyoshi. So of course he wanted some traitorous blood spilt when he heard news of how Hideaki was possibly considering going over to Ieyasu's side. How dare such a feeble minded, weak willed, stupid excuse for a person even think about abandoning Lord Hideyoshi's side.
So here he was, slashing down every soldier that wasn't his as if they were nothing but paper. They seemed to never end, but that wouldn't stop Mitsunari from teaching this imbecile some manners.
"How dare someone like him run away from Lord Hideyoshi. After everything, he dares run away to Ieyasu's side. I'll remind him, set him back on course."
And with that he swung his blade around, stabbed some soldier in the stomach, slide his sword back into his sheath, and moved on to the next and last base. Hideaki should be there, and the moment Mitsunari takes care of this little indiscretion, he'll head on back on what's really important, killing Ieyasu.
As he made his way over, he felt a slight pain on the sides of his stomach. Funny, he doesn't remember getting hit or slashed on his sides. Plus, there was hardly any blood and the pain he felt didn't feel like a slash. No, instead it felt like…
"Hunger?"
Then he got his answer.
His stomach growled slightly just as he entered the base. He paid no mind to it however because not only could he barely hear it over all of the fighting in the main camp, but this cretain was literally sitting on this humongous pot stuffing his face.
"If you have time to stuff your face, then you have time to work for the Toyotomi," scolded Mitsunari.
"Alright," Hideaki feebly replied.
How can he just-?
He was going to side with Ieyasu, right?
How can he be so weak? So two-faced?
Okay, maybe Ieyasu can wait for his turn with death.
No, I can't kill Hideaki.
But I am most definitely going to beat some blood out of this pathetic pig.
While trying to take out the stove guards, Mitsunari found himself almost licking his lips, a little envious of Hideaki. Here he is, the coward amongst cowards, stuffing his face like there's no tomorrow and here was Mitsunari busting his butt taking over base after base running on tea and hatred. The young swordsman even found himself staring at the pot of food from time to time, wanting just one bite to hold off the stomach growls being drowned out by the sound of battle. But the second he killed the second stove king and Hideaki jumped up ready to finally fight, all bets of hunger was off.
"How could you?! You just ruined my dinner!"
Dinner?
That entire pot was dinner?
For your entire army I hope.
You gluttonous swine! I'll give you something to eat.
Slash after slash, hit after hit, remark after remark, Mitsunari never let up on the double-crossing oaf. So of course the moment he defeated Hideaki and the member of the National Gourmet Society fell to his knees apologizing, all he wanted to do was take his sword and drive it through him, watching the life drain from his face. Instead he took to swinging his sheathed weapon over and over again on the pot-shield, yelling and teaching Hideaki Kobayakawa where exactly his place was in this war. Every inch of Mitsunari stung with pain, but all of that was nothing compared to the feeling of just hearing Ieyasu's name and seeing what should his own loyal comrades leaving and working against him.
Mitsunari took one last look at the pot, little to no steam rising from mixture of various foods while Hideaki cried and pleaded about staying on Mitsunari's side. He barely heard a word he was saying, exhaustion slowly taking over. He lifted his foot to take a step towards the pot, wanting to pick up something to eat, but instead he turned around and left.
"Young lord," Yoshisugu chimed, "is there something the matter? Are you alright?"
Mitsunari side-glanced at the sick elder, knowing full well what it was he was hinting at.
"We have bigger things to deal with. Stupid Hideaki wasting my time."
He picked up his pace, ready to leave this despicable place and actually handle something worth-while. He no longer felt hunger or its pain. The only thing left was bile in the back of his throat from disgust at Hideaki's actions and the fact that Ieyasu was still alive.
"I'll be fine when Lord Hideyoshi's murderer and his allies are all dead by my blade."
