Yasushi Inoue - The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan

Harunobu, however, was very different from his father Nobutora. He was determined to put Suwa completely under his rule. He had been searching for a reason to legitimately attack Yorishige for the last several years. Just lately, he happened to learn from the lord of Takato Castle, Takato Yoritsugu, that Yorishige was plotting against the Takeda. Using this as an excuse, Harunobu decided to aggressively attack the Suwa Clan.

Although he had established his army camp at Mount Misa, Harunobu, for some reason, had a heavy heart. When he had chased his father to Suruga because of the differences in their ideologies, he had felt the same way. He felt that this battle was going to leave a bad taste in his mouth. Although his sister Nene had passed away, for Harunobu Yorishige was still his brother-in-law. And using an as yet unproven excuse, he was trying to get rid of a family member.

The battle camp was surrounded by many plum trees. White blossoms were blooming here and there in the clean air of the high plain. The whiteness and purity of the flowers had a strange effect on Harunobu’s twenty-four-year-old heart. It made him feel uncomfortable, and he was not inspired to fight at all.

That night when they set up camp on Mount Misa, a messenger from Takato, leader of a middle-sized family clan allied to the Takeda, arrived and reported that his army would break into Uehara Castle 25through Tsuetsuki Sunset Point in two or three days. Uehara Castle was the present residence of the Lord of Suwa. Takato asked Harunobu to send his major army from the east side of the mountain into an attack position.

After Takato’s messenger had left, Harunobu summoned his generals and created a new strategy. Harunobu made his brother Samanosuke Nobushige the commander-in-chief and Harunobu himself decided to stay at the Mount Misa camp as a backup, in case he was required.

“It is only a small castle alongside a lake, it won’t be worthwhile to send 20,000 warriors,” said Harunobu.

It was unlike Harunobu, who loved to fight, to back down like that.

“But I think you ought to at least go to Miyakawa village or near Yasukuni Temple,” Itagaki Nobukata insisted, and the other generals agreed with him.

Kansuke, from one of the lower seats, presented a totally different opinion. He lifted his head and said, “As far as I am concerned, since the Takeda and the Suwa are related, although it might sound strange at this stage of the war, I don’t think this battle is a good idea. I feel that you have already demonstrated that you are a threat to the Suwa by taking the field. I believe it is better to negotiate for peace rather than shedding blood.”

His opinion totally disrupted the atmosphere in the room and provoked a sudden, heart-stopping silence. With a battle imminent, someone had rejected the entire war. Even Itagaki, who normally favored Kansuke’s ideas, turned pale.

“Damn you, Kansuke! Watch your mouth!” It was Harunobu’s brother Nobushige who finally spoke to break the silence. The young general’s anger demonstrated to Kansuke that he would never be forgiven for his statement.

“Leave him be,” said Harunobu calmly, finding himself truly relieved by Kansuke’s statement. Just like Kansuke had said, he was not really enthusiastic about this battle either. He felt as if he had been saved by Kansuke’s words, since Kansuke had said what he would never have dared to say.

“Do you have any ideas on what else we can do?” Harunobu asked Kansuke.

“Yes, I do. You could send me to the Suwa as a messenger. I would explain the situation to them carefully and ask them to swear their allegiance to you. With an army hanging over their heads, they’ll never refuse.”

There was no way that all the generals would agree with Kansuke’s idea, but Harunobu said arbitrarily, “It is not that difficult a task to take Suwa Castle by storm. Even if we do not do it now, we can take it any time we wish. Although I came all the way here, I am not that enthusiastic about proceeding with an attack against Suwa’s army. Sending Kansuke as a messenger and letting him meet with Yorishige is a good idea. If he could negotiate peacefully so that both sides can agree, wouldn’t it be preferable to attacking the Suwa?”

Since it was Harunobu who had suggested it, nobody dared to disagree with him. Everybody there knew that once Harunobu made up his mind, he always did as he wished. So, it was decided that Kansuke would be his messenger.

“Kansuke, when do you leave?” asked Harunobu.

Kansuke bowed low on his knees and said, “I shall leave immediately.”

Kansuke liked this young lord who had hired him two years ago.

Harunobu was the only human being Kansuke was fond of. He hated everybody else on earth. He was willing to sacrifice his life for his lord. He did not know why he was so attracted to this man, perhaps because Harunobu treated him differently from others.

There were times that Harunobu called Kansuke “crippled” to his face. But it did not make him angry at all. There was never any disgust in Harunobu’s voice when he spoke to Kansuke.

Kansuke, who was brought up as an outcast because of his deformities, learned for the first time that there was one person who accepted him as a normal human being.

Kansuke had felt Harunobu’s passive resistance against this coming battle. He had a peculiar feeling that Harunobu was not acting normally and was reluctant and uneasy about the war.

Sitting in his lower seat watching Harunobu, Kansuke was worried, and his heart pounded in his throat. When he lifted up his face, his eyes met Harunobu’s, and somehow the words had just jumped out of his mouth as if he was possessed by something.

It was not an appropriate suggestion at a time like this. It was a suggestion that might have jeopardized his life, but he was not quite sure if he had uttered his own idea or if Harunobu had entered his mind and allowed Kansuke to say his own words. The only thing he knew was that he had to say it.

And when Harunobu agreed with him, he was more satisfied with himself rather than proud, simply because of the idea that only he could read Harunobu’s inner thoughts.

Kansuke looked up in admiration at the young military commander, who had a wide forehead and piercing dark eyes, and said, “It is not the way of a lord to hasten an army in vain. I, Yamamoto Kansuke, will leave right now as a messenger and do my best to secure Suwa in our hands without losing a single warrior.”

His words sounded insolent and offensive to everyone in the room except Harunobu, who smiled with pleasure.

Kansuke asked Harunobu to send a messenger to Takato, Harunobu’s ally in the war, saying that the Takeda had decided not to attack the Suwa and that he had left the camp of Mount Misa that night with his three horsemen.

The next morning Kansuke’s party descended into the Suwa Valley, carefully avoiding the areas where the enemy’s armies were located.

They arrived at dusk near Uehara Castle where the lord of Suwa lived.

When they approached Suwa’s first fortification, they galloped side by side on their horses as fast as they could until they reached the front gate.

“We have brought an urgent message, we must see the Lord Suwa immediately,” yelled Kansuke in all directions as he circled his horse in front the castle. His three fellow horsemen yelled out the same message. They were instantly pulled down from their horses and surrounded by scores of samurai. They were held in custody for more than an hour before they were finally taken to Yorishige.

Torches were burning brightly in the room as they were pulled unceremoniously into Yorishige’s presence. Yorishige was slightly older than Harunobu. He didn’t appear to have any outstanding qualities other than the fact that he could pass as a woman because of his beauty.