Assassin's Creed: Tumult of the Sengoku Period
Chapter 29 of my Assassin's Creed story, enjoy.
Reviews
will zona: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, well, get ready, we're soon approaching the most important battle in Japanese history, as will be revealed at the end of this chapter.
Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed or the characters used in this story except OCs.
Chapter 29: Preparations
Almost as soon as he had made his decision Ieyasu sent out a call to arms, rallying troops and Daimyo who were loyal to him to meet him at his base in the castle of Mino Akasaka. However Mitsunari was doing the same, he too had rallied troops and issued a call to arms, his men were to meet him at Ogaki Castle; a Castle that was within viewing distance of Mino Akasaka and vice versa. Toranaga noted that, with the exception of Kanbei, who was feigning allegiance to the Tokugawa, all the Templars had joined Mitsunari's army. Due to the majority of people rallying to support Ieyasu being from the eastern side of Japan and the majority of Mitsunari's supporters coming from the western side, the armies became known as the Eastern Army and the Western Army respectively. However, due to Mitsunari's unpopularity several people who were expected to join the Western Army actually joined Ieyasu's Eastern Army instead. Most prominently was the son of the respected Hosokawa Fujitaka, Tadaoki, his wife Gracia had been killed in a failed attempt to use her as a hostage to force Tadaoki's submission. In a rage he had joined Ieyasu along with his father.
Finally, each army was fully assembled, Ieyasu called Toranaga to his side.
"Tell me Toranaga, how does it look?" He asked, Toranaga replied confidently, "We have gathered fifty-thousand men. Now Mitsunari does have eighty-one thousand eight hundred and ninety men, but we have better people leading our army."
Ieyasu nodded, "I see, we have a better quality of people, numbers do not necessarily mean victory, we just need to plan."
Ieyasu-sama." Toranaga said as he held out a scroll, "Here is the list of all those in the Eastern Army. I've marked down those important with notes."
Ieyasu took it and read the scroll; it read as follows.
Tokugawa Ieyasu: Main Commander
Maeda Toshinaga
Date Masamune: Strong ally, loyalty questionable but of no personal threat
Kato Kiyomasa: Toyotomi sympathizer, joined out of hatred of Mitsunari
Kuroda Kanbei: Templar.
Fukushima Masanori: Toyotomi sympathizer, joined out of hatred of Mitsunari
Hosokawa Tadaoki: Toyotomi sympathizer, joined out of hatred of Mitsunari
Asano Yukinaga
Ikeda Terumasa
Kuroda Nagamasa: Kanbei's son, strangely loyal to the Eastern Army more than Kanbei
Kato Yoshiaki
Tanaka Yoshimasa
Todo Takatora: Come to serve you again, has changed lords seven times now.
Mogami Yoshiaki
Yamauchi Katsutoyo
Hachisuka Yoshishige
Honda Tadakatsu: Strong loyalty, has volunteered for any position on the battlefield.
Terasawa Hirotaka
Ikoma Kazumasa
Ii Naomasa: Leader of the Ii Red Devils. A good candidate for the vanguard.
Matsudaira Tadayoshi
Oda Nagamasu
Tsutsui Sadatsugu
Kanamori Nagachika
Tomita Nobutaka
Furuta Shigekatsu
Wakebe Mitsuyoshi
Horio Tadauji
Nakamura Kazutada
Arima Toyouji
Kyogoku Takatomo
Ieyasu nodded.
"I see, what of Hidetada and of Sanada Nobuyuki?"
Sanada Nobuyuki was the eldest son of Masayuki. In an effort to forge an alliance between the Tokugawa and Sanada he had been married to Tadakatsu's daughter, Komatsu-hime, or Ina as she was known to her childhood friends.
"Nobuyuki has refused to join his father and brother. He says his loyalty is now with you. He and Ina are staying at Numata Castle, they were attacked by Masayuki and Yukimura when their loyalties were learned, but they fended them off and are now safe."
"Good, and Hidetada?" Toranaga sighed, "He has left Edo with his troops, he is on his way here but…It is likely he will pass Ueda Castle, a very tempting target."
"You're right, send a message at once, tell him not to engage the Sanada." Ieyasu declared to a messenger.
The messenger nodded and left the room.
Finally, after a long pause Ieyasu sighed.
"Well, we've seen how things stand on our side of the field, what of the enemy?" He asked, "Have you been able to determine who is with them?"
"Yes, here is the list." Toranaga answered, handing Ieyasu another scroll to read.
The scroll was again, filled with Toranaga's comments against the important members of the Army.
Mouri Terumoto: Templar, Grand Commander, unlikely to be in battle himself
Ishida Mitsunari: Templar, Battlefield commander, de facto head of the army itself
Uesugi Kagekatsu
Maeda Toshimasa
Ukita Hideie
Shimazu Yoshihiro: A deadly opponent, should be treated with caution
Kobayakawa Hideaki: I have important information to disclose about him once this list is read.
Konishi Yukinaga: Templar
Mashita Nagamori
Ogawa Suketada: Being forced to collaborate with Mitsunari, may defect to us if given the chance.
Otani Yoshitsugu: Templar; fallen desperately ill, dying.
Wakisaka Yasuharu: Being forced to collaborate with Mitsunari, may defect to us if given the chance.
Ankokuji Ekei: Templar
Satake Yoshinobu
Oda Hidenobu
Chosokabe Morichika
Kutsuki Mototsuna: Being forced to collaborate with Mitsunari, may defect to us if given the chance.
Akaza Naoyasu: Being forced to collaborate with Mitsunari, may defect to us if given the chance.
Kikkawa Hiroie: Being forced to collaborate with Mitsunari, may defect to us if given the chance.
Natsuka Masaie
Mouri Hidemoto: Being influenced by Ankokuji and Kikkawa, may abandon the battle if one of them is killed.
Toda Katsushige
Sanada Masayuki: Templar
Sanada Yukimura
Shima Sakon: Templar
Gamo Bitchu
Otani Yoshikatsu
Shimazu Toyohisa
Ieyasu nodded and put the scroll aside.
"So, what is this news from Kobayakawa?" He asked, obviously still bitter about the treachery that led to the death of Mototada. Toranaga bowed and handed a third scroll to Ieyasu, "He sent this letter Ieyasu-sama."
Ieyasu read it and smirked.
"I see, we are certain this is genuine?" He asked, Toranaga nodded, "Yes, it is written in his own hand and…We saw him in the enemy camp, he's very twitchy right now, also his debt has been repaid, he doesn't own Mitsunari anything anymore."
Ieyasu nodded.
"Good, tomorrow we call a war council and then, we go to battle."
Toranaga bowed and retired for the night, ready for whatever tomorrow may bring.
The following day Ieyasu called all those who had sworn loyalty to him and they began their war council.
"Here is what we know so far. The enemy is not grouped in one unit." Ieyasu explained, "The Sanada are remaining in Ueda, we are going to leave them there for now. The Uesugi are advancing rapidly however."
"My lord." Masamune suddenly called out, "Please, allow me to deal with the Uesugi, I will intercept them at Hasedo and drive them back."
"Good, that would be best Masamune." Ieyasu replied before continuing, "I want to try and claim Kyushu, so that the enemy have no where to run and hide when they are beaten."
Kanbei smirked, "I will take care of that, I have my own officers at the ready, I only ask that Kato Kiyomasa accompany me." Kiyomasa bowed and Ieyasu agreed.
So, having received their instructions the two armies left to carry out their duties, Masamune heading to Hasedo to stop the Uesugi and Kanbei heading south to take ships from Owari to Kyushu.
"Now," Ieyasu declared, "We will determine our strategy for dealing with the main army."
He turned to Toranaga.
"Toranaga, what news?" Toranaga bowed, "We know the location, they intend to try and finish this in one large battle…They are going to the crossroads, here."
Toranaga indicated on the map and Ieyasu nodded gravely.
"So…Sekigahara."
Toranaga nodded, it was clear from Ieyasu's expression that he was willing to meet them there. Sekigahara was an open plain after all and Ieyasu was unbeatably in open warfare.
'So that is where my lord's fate will be decided.' Toranaga thought to himself, 'Sekigahara.'
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.
