Mitsuhide, Mitsuharu and Mitsutada rode as hard as they could towards Akechi Castle. The trip became uneasy as they got closer and closer to their stronghold with no sign of Yasuhide, Hiroko and Chieko. After a few hours of riding through the rain, they approached Akechi Castle. At the gates, they dismounted and Mitsuhide quickly went up to one of the guards. "Has anyone else arrived at the castle recently?"

"No, Lord Akechi. Should we be expecting someone?" The guard asked as he bowed to Mitsuhide.

Mitsuhide sighed. "Stay on the lookout for a small party of three. Two women and a child on horses." The guard bowed to him again and Mitsuhide then spoke solemnly to Haru and Tada. "They never made it. I'm going to go organize some search parties."

As Haru was wringing out his long hair, he frowned at Mitsuhide. "We don't have the time or the men for search parties! You heard Toshizo, Yoshitatsu will be headed here next once he defeats Dosan!"

Mitsuhide narrowed his eyes at Haru. "Just because you're jealous of our marriage, doesn't mean you need to want her to die."

"How dare you!?" Haru snapped at Mitsuhide. "I care about all of them just as much as you do! But we can't risk the lives of everyone at this castle for those three!"

As much as it hurt Mitsuhide, he realized that Haru was right. "You're right, Mitsuharu. We should prepare the defenses of the castle." Mitsuhide sighed and walked into the castle.

Haru and Tada looked at each other in surprise, it wasn't usual for Mitsuhide to give in like that. Before the two of them entered the castle, however, a guard shouted and pointed off into the distance. "There's a party approaching the castle!"

Haru and Tada looked and spotted a group of roughly fifty men on horses riding towards the castle. "Who's flag are they flying!?" Haru shouted.

One of the guards looked through a spyglass at the group. "I believe it's the flag of the Tsumaki!"

"Oh no," Haru groaned. "I finally get Mitsuhide to think reasonably and now that fool and his father have to show up..."

"Lord Mitsuharu, shall we alert Lord Mitsuhide of their arrival?" A guard asked.

Haru shook his head. "No, he doesn't need to be bothered with something like this. I'll handle it."

The Tsumaki rode up to the gates, with the clan's leader, the old and wise Tsumaki Hirotada leading them. Next to him was his young, raucous son: Tsumaki Sadanori. He rode out ahead of his father to Haru and Tada, and began spewing out demands. "Where is my sister?! We've come to take her home!"

Haru crossed his arms and responded sternly. "She's Mitsuhide's wife. He does not have to give her up, even to you."

Before his son could reply, Hirotada stepped in. "It is unfortunate that we must take her, but during these turbulent times in Mino, I wish to have my family all together. We simply wish for an audience with Mitsuhide."

"With all due respect, Lord Hirotada, Mitsuhide is extremely busy due to Yoshitatsu's sudden betrayal. We plan to resist Yoshitatsu, and there's no doubt that we have the Tsumaki's support, yes?"

Hirotada and Sadanori shot each other glances before Hirotada continued. "Well... The Tsumaki have decided to not take part in this conflict. Yoshitatsu has already promised us the safety of the Tsumaki as long as we do not fight against him."

Haru shook his head in disappointment. "You people sicken me! Turning your backs on Dosan after all he's done for Mino."

"Ah, you just don't understand, young one. If you wish for you and your family to survive in this world we live in today, sometimes honor and loyalty must come second."

Haru got quiet and didn't respond, he couldn't respond. Mitsuhide stepped between his two cousins and bowed to Hirotada. "Lord Hirotada, I have...," He stopped and sighed. "unpleasant news."

"What is it, Lord Mitsuhide?" Hirotada slowly climbed off of his horse, and bowed in return.

"Hiroko... Is missing." Mitsuhide said hesitantly.

"What!?" Sadanori jumped off of his horse and stomped up to Mitsuhide, snatching him by his collar. "Where is my sister!?"

Mitsuhide let out a shaky sigh, his eyes were red and it was obvious that he had been crying. "I don't know, Sadanori. I am truly sorry." Sadanori quickly realized that Mitsuhide was just as distraught as he was, and let him go.

They all went inside and sat in the council room of the castle. Mitsuhide explained what had happened in the previous hours. Hirotada stroked his small, white beard after hearing Mitsuhide's story. "It's truly a shame that father and son must go to war. Times just seem to be getting worse and worse..." Everyone let out murmur of agreement. "Well, we understand your situation now, please allow us to search for Hiroko, you must build up your defenses, Lord Mitsuhide."

Mitsuhide nodded to him. "Thank you, and if you find my mother and brother with Hiroko, please take them to Tsumaki Castle as well."

"Of course. I must beg your pardon, but we will begin searching now. The best of luck to you, Lord Mitsuhide." Hirotada and Sadanori both stood, bowed to everyone and began to leave.

However, before the two of them could exit, a guard rushed into the room. "Lord Mitsuhide! Saito Yoshitatsu's army has just arrived! He has sent Saito Toshizo to seek an audience with you!"

"Send him in. Quickly! Lord Hirotada, your input would be most appreciated." The guard left the room, and Hirotada and Sadanori both took their seats again. Toshizo then entered the room with Akechi guards following behind him, their weapons pointed at his back. With a wave of his hand, Mitsuhide dismissed the guards before speaking to Toshizo. "Well...?"

"It isn't pretty, Mitsuhide..." Toshizo stepped forward and handed him a scroll.

Mitsuhide opened the scroll and read it to himself before orating aloud for everyone to hear. "Lord Mitsuhide, I expect a total surrender of the castle, and that you and all of the members of the Akechi Clan present yourselves to me personally. Failure to comply will lead to the destruction of Akechi Castle, the deaths of all its inhabitants, as well as the deaths of my cousin Toshizo, your dear wife, mother, and brother... Signed, Saito Yoshitatsu, Lord of Mino." Mitsuhide dropped the scroll after he finished reading, and buried his face in his hands.

"Toshizo, do they really have them?" Haru asked and Toshizo nodded in response.

"Then you have to give yourselves up! You can't let Hiroko die!" Tsumaki Sadanori cried out. "Tell him, father!"

Hirotada hesitated before he spoke. "No, my son. This is Lord Mitsuhide's castle, his family, and his men. Thus, his decision." Sadanori grumbled but accepted his father's words.

Mitsuhide pulled away from his hands and looked to Haru, who shook his head as he was still trying to think of the right decision also. Mitsuhide then looked to Toshizo, he was sweating profusely and very fidgety. "Toshizo, are you going to be okay?"

"Of course, M-Mitsuhide." Toshizo's speech was very uneasy and shaky; Mitsuhide had never seen Toshizo so anxious before. Mitsuhide figured that something was wrong, for Toshizo usually stood tall, even in the face of death.

Mitsuhide stood and walked up to Toshizo. "Toshizo, I am your best friend. We grew up together, you can tell me anything."

With a sigh of great relief, Toshizo finally erupted. "Mitsuhide... Yoshitatsu plans to execute you all after you surrender, even your family that he has captured. He will then wipe out any who oppose him." This revelation caused everyone in the room to gasp in disbelief.

Mitsuhide hugged Toshizo; Mitsuhide knew it couldn't have been easy for Toshizo to reveal his lord's true intentions. "Thank you, Toshizo. You are a true friend. I suppose we have no choice but to resist."

"Mitsuhide, hold on. I have a bad feeling about this." Haru stood up as he spoke. "Don't you think it's a little odd that Yoshitatsu sent Toshizo to deliver this message? Someone who he knows is very close to you?"

Mitsuhide stopped hugging Toshizo. "I hope you're not questioning my trust in Toshizo?"

Toshizo nodded and pleaded to Haru. "Please, I'm not apart of any kind of secret plot!"

Haru stepped closer towards the two of them. "Perhaps you are, and you don't realize it, Toshizo. Let me ask you this, how did you know that Yoshitatsu really plans to execute us all?"

"Well... The strategist Takenaka Hanbei told me after Yoshitatsu told him."

"Why would Hanbei tell you such information?" Toshizo began thinking, but Haru continued before he could respond. "Because they knew you were going to tell us."

"Haru, that doesn't make sense. why wouldn't they want us to surrender?" Mitsuhide questioned.

"I-I don't know..." Haru turned with embarrassment and looked away from everyone else.

"I think I may have an answer." The quiet Tada spoke now. "Toshizo, how many soldiers did Yoshitatsu bring to siege our castle?"

"I guess... Around two thousand troops."

"I believe that's enough to scare us into thinking he's serious, but he'd have a tough time taking our castle of one thousand strong. Wouldn't you all agree?"

"So... Yoshitatsu must be trying to scare us to keep us inside of the castle, instead of going out to attack him." Haru exclaimed.

"You two think I should lead an attack on Yoshitatsu then?" Mitsuhide asked as he sat down again. "Lord Hirotada, what is your input?"

Lord Hirotada looked towards the ceiling and began to spoke. "I think what these two say has merit, and their advice should be heeded... It's just saddening that we will be unable to save my dear Hiroko." He wiped a few tears from his cheek, while his son next to him was sobbing loudly.

"Well, if it gives you any solace, Hiroko was being treated very well by Yoshitatsu, and she was still alive when he sent me here." Toshizo explained to the two Tsumakis.

"If only there was a way we could save Hiroko!" Sadanori howled as he wept.

"Hmm..." Mitsuhide stood again. "Haru, Tada, I'm putting you in charge of the attack. Ready our troops and report back to me once you are prepared to strike. Right now." They both bowed to their cousin and left the room, and now only Mitsuhide, Toshizo, and the Tsumaki remained. "Now then, I want to rescue Hiroko. By sneaking in."

"Mitsuhide, please. She is being kept with Lord Yoshitatsu in his camp, trying to save her would be suicide." Toshizo advised.

"Toshizo, I have a plan. I'm no ninja, but if I were to sneak in while Yoshitatsu was busy fighting against my army, I believe I could successfully get them out."

Toshizo looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose there's a chance it could work. Since Lord Yoshitatsu's forces are scarce, I'm sure he would use all of his forces to defend against your attack."

"Lord Mitsuhide, Hiroko means the world to us, but you have a castle, a family and an army that you need to look after. Would these things be able to survive if you were lost?" Hirotada gave Mitsuhide a disquieting look.

Mitsuhide smiled at him in return. "Of course. If I were to fall over and die right now, there's no doubt in my mind that Mitsuharu would be able to run the Akechi in my stead. Perhaps even better than I am doing right now."

Unknown to Mitsuhide, Haru was standing right outside of the door as Mitsuhide praised him. Instead of feeling flattered or proud, Haru became distressed. Although Mitsuhide seemed to think he was ready to lead the Akechi, he did not regard himself so highly. Haru felt too under qualified and too inexperienced to take on Mitsuhide's burden. Haru shook his head, he knew that there was no time for thinking those kinds of thoughts. He opened the sliding doors and delivered his information to Mitsuhide.. "Our army is ready to strike on your orders, Yoshitatsu's army hasn't made any movements either, it seems they aren't in any rush to surround the castle."

"Good, thank you. Also, Haru, I'm placing you in charge of our army." Mitsuhide smiled at him.

"Mitsuhide! I'm sorry, but you're much more qualified to lead the army!" Haru protested.

"That was an order, Haru. Besides, I have something else I must take care of."

"What could be more important than defending the castle!?" Haru hadn't heard of Mitsuhide's rescue plan.

"If I told you, I'm sure you would object, but I have to do this. Just trust me, Haru."

Haru sighed and bowed to his brother, then Tsumaki Sadanori stood up quickly. "Mitsuhide! I'm going with you! Hiroko is my sister!"

Mitsuhide looked at Sadanori and then at his father. "Lord Hirotada...?"

Hirotada patted his son on the back. "It's your choice, Lord Mitsuhide. My son is a well-trained warrior, he would certainly be of help if you ran into any trouble."

Mitsuhide crossed his arms as he looked to Sadanori. "Alright, but you've got to listen to everything I tell you."

A large grin came across Sadanori's face. "Thank you, Mitsuhide. You won't regret this!"

"Toshizo, how far do you think Yoshitatsu's camp is from here?" Mitsuhide questioned Toshizo, who was still standing awkwardly in the center of the room.

Toshizo rubbed his neck. "Mitsuhide... You aren't going to hurt Yoshitatsu, are you?"

Mitsuhide blinked and looked at Toshizo oddly, that certainly wasn't the response he expected. "My single goal is to rescue my family."

Toshizo sighed and hesitantly spoke. "About five minutes away on horse."

"Good." Mitsuhide responded. "Haru, I want you to strike in ten minutes."

"I don't like the sound of this, Mitsuhide..." Haru uttered.

"I told you to trust me, Haru. Ten minutes, that's an order." Mitsuhide smiled as Haru let out a frustrated sigh, bowed to Mitsuhide and then left the room. "I'm sorry I have to do this, Toshizo, but I'm sure you understand. Guards, take Toshizo to the dungeon, but treat him with the utmost respect." Without any struggle, the guards disarmed Toshizo, and escorted him out of the room.

Tsumaki Hirotada now stood and spoke. "I will go help Lord Mitsuharu lead the army. Good luck, my sons." He smiled and left the room also.

Sadanori crossed his arms and looked at Mitsuhide. "Although my father may see you as a son, you'll never be a brother to me if we don't save Hiroko."

"We'll save her. I know we will. But we need to hurry." Mitsuhide assured him.