Yasushi Inoue - The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan

“Hmm, and when will be the best time?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Tomorrow night?”

“The day after tomorrow at night?”

“Well, if we are going to put this into action, it has to be tonight. If it is tonight, this plan will not have time to leak outside, since it is only you and I who are aware of it. Well, Princess Yuu might know it,” having said this, Shingen stood up, about to leave the room, but he came back again and said, “whom do you suggest to lead the attacking troops for Mount Saijo?”

“How about General Kosaka?”

“Fine and how many soldiers?”

“Twelve thousand. Under the leadership of General Kosaka, they will leave the castle at midnight. All the troops under Obu, Kosaka, Sanada, and Oyamada will join with Kosaka’s team. We will have enough time to prepare them.”

“The remainder of the army will be 8,000, then.”

“Yes, My Lord, you will lead them, and before the sun rises you will cross the Chikuma River and set up camp at the Kawanakajima. Yamagata, Anayama, Naito, General Nobushige and Shooyoken, all of their troops will accompany you in the main army. Luckily the moon will not be up until after midnight, which will be ideal for Kosaka’s early team. Besides, early in the morning, it will be very misty, and that will also be convenient for you to transfer your main team,” said Kansuke as he excused himself from Shingen’s presence.

In no time after that, every square in the castle was filled with samurai ready to leave. Nobody was allowed to utter a word; only the sound of clanging weapons and armor broke the uncanny silence.

It was before the moon rose when the large army of 12,000 soldiers led by Kosaka Masanobu left the castle. It climbed up the steep slope on Mount Saijo to attack Kenshin’s camp at the hour of the Hare.

Kosaka came to see Kansuke on his horse.

“Dear old master, I shall leave the castle now before you,”

Kosaka said in reverence. In the darkness, Kansuke heard only his voice.

“I shall pray for your brilliant achievements.”

“As do I, my dear Old Master.”

Soon, Kosaka’s horse was far away. It took a long time for the 12,000 soldiers to leave the castle. Once the first large group of the army had departed, it became quiet and felt like the entire place had been deserted. Kansuke was waiting for the time of departure of the main troop with his small group of retainers.

In two hours, nobody would be left inside.

Kansuke remained motionless for a long time. Eighteen years had passed since the twelfth year of Tenbun when the Takeda family had employed him. Scores of battles had filled these long years. There was nothing but war for Kansuke. Just like small and large stones rolling on the ground, wars had been rolling along all those years.

At the hour of the Tiger, the troops of Yamagata Masakage left the castle at the forefront of the main army. Following them, Anayama Izu-no-kami, Takeda Nobushige, and Naito Shuri and their troops left in that order.

Kansuke abandoned the castle following the main army of Shingen. When he looked back at the outer gate, the deserted fortress was standing like a black silhouette in the darkness. One side of the sky was slightly lighter than the other, but the land was still pitch dark. To everybody, the castle looked like a mass of blackness. However, to Kansuke it stood clearly outlined as if it were being seen in daylight. The silhouette of the main part of the castle, the subsidiary part of the building, and the five towers were clearly visible in front of him. This was because his own hands had made it.

They crossed the Chikuma River at Hirose. A thick mist was lying low over the flat fields. Shingen placed his war camp at Yahatahara. Several flags headed by Furin Kazan stood blowing steadily in the mist.

IT WAS SCHEDULED THAT, at the hour of the Hare, the 12,000 chosen warriors led by Kosaka Masanobu were going to attempt a reverse attack from the other side of the mountain on Kenshin’s camp on Mount Saijo.

Shingen, who had set his camp on Yahatahara, was constantly sending patrols and watching carefully in the direction of Mount Saijo. Although the thick mist still remained and it was impossible to see even three meters ahead, it should have still been possible to hear the raging waves of sound as their allied army clashed with the enemy on Mount Saijo.

Almost at the same time that they heard the sounds of battle, the army of Kenshin would no doubt crumble and flee toward this camp, crossing the Chikuma River. Then the main army of the Takeda, which was waiting here, would attack them all at once. Shingen and Kansuke felt that it would only be a question of time until they could take Kenshin’s head.

“Not yet?” Shingen asked several times whenever the patrols came back to report. Kansuke was sitting on a stool not even three yards away from Shingen.

Sometimes the patrolling samurai appeared almost crawling on the ground out of the mist.

“Nothing is observed yet in the direction of Mount Saijo. We could only make out a dim sign of a small fire of some kind in several spots.”

Kansuke conveyed these reports to Shingen one by one.

“Our vanguard must be delayed because of this thick mist. It is such an unusual mist,” said Kansuke.

“It really is an unusually thick mist, even for this area, but it could be an advantage for the allied troops, couldn’t it?” Shingen answered.

“Indeed, it must be the divine protection of the Suwa’s gracious deity.”

“But what is advantageous for us could also be advantageous to the enemy, could it not?”

“Yes, that is, if they are also preparing an attack,” suddenly Kansuke unconsciously lifted his hips from his stool as he said this.

“I shall immediately go to patrol myself,” said Kansuke as he swiftly went down to the lower plateau of rice fields.

The mist started to lift slowly. Occasionally the dim shadows of the trunks of pine trees appeared in the mist, and, just as quickly, they disappeared again. Kansuke stopped after every three steps or so. It was as if he were swimming in the thick mist, and most of time it was impossible to tell what was ahead of him. Kansuke rashly walked further into the thick white wall ahead of him.

Sometimes he tripped on tree stumps or roots and had to stumble before he could recover his footing. Kansuke was burdened with a significant uneasiness. It was no longer the thick mist, which was surrounding Kansuke, but an unidentified and painful apprehension. Now his allied troops were eagerly waiting for the moment to capture Kenshin’s head. However, could it be possible that Kenshin was also keeping a vigilant eye out for an opportunity to prey upon his opponent’s weakness in this mist and to capture his own victory? No, this could not be possible! — Then, what was the cause of this uneasiness? Where could this feeling of apprehension, which reverberated through him, be coming from?

Suddenly, Kansuke stopped and yelled out, “Who is it?”

It was because he heard the quick sound of horse hooves near him. It sounded as if somebody were riding his horse around and around on one spot.

“The wind!” yelled back his opponent.

“The mountain!” Kansuke responded.

“Stay away!” the horseman yelled and appeared out of the mist suddenly.

“I am Yamamoto Kansuke. Are you a patrol?”

“Yes, sir.” With Kansuke’s voice, the horse lifted its forefeet in the air.

“Sir, the rice field ahead of us is filled with hundreds of mounted horses.”

“Are they our troops?” asked Kansuke in great agitation.

“They have to be, I believe, but I am not convinced.”