Volume 1 – Chapter 9 Part 1

New Year’s Visit

New Year, Tenbun 22 (1553).

At Nobukatsu’s command, I (Nobunaga) visited Suemori Castle to offer New Year’s greetings.

Besides myself, every member of the Oda Danjō-no-jo family had been summoned: Uncle Nobumitsu, who had been holed up at Moriyama Castle; Uncle Nobuzane, entrusted with Katsubata Castle near Tsushima; Uncle Nobutsugu of Fukada Castle, who had suffered a disastrous defeat the previous summer; and my older brother Nobuhiro, who had lost Anshō Castle and was currently under the care of his chief retainer.

Also present were great-uncle Hidetoshi, the younger brother of my grandfather, and uncle Nobutatsu, the only one who had not come was Nobukiyo of Inuyama.

It was galling, but when I bowed my head to Nobukatsu, he broke into a beaming smile.

Questions of which of us ranks higher or lower are trivial.

After all, the ones truly driving affairs in Owari are Uncle