When the Ukita generals heard from their scouts that the enemy was the Amako clan, with Shikanosuke at its head, they were struck with dread. Just hearing the name of Shikanosuke sent them into the kind of terror a small bird might feel in front of a raging tiger.
And there was no doubt that they feared the reports of Shikanosuke's advance far more than they would have feared a direct attack from Hideyoshi himself.
From that standpoint, Shikanosuke was the best man to send against Kozuki Castle. He had, after all, with his singleminded loyalty and courage, wreaked havoc and inspired terror like an angry god. Even the bravest general of the Ukita clan, Makabe Harutsugu, abandoned Kozuki Castle without a fight, figuring he would simply lose too many soldiers if he stayed and opposed Shikanosuke.
By the time Shikanosuke's men entered the castle and reported to Hideyoshi that its capture had been executed without bloodshed, Makabe had already asked for reinforcements. Joining forces with an army led by his brother, to make a combined force of fifteen or sixteen hundred men, Makabe rode forward for a counterattack, stopping in a cloud of dust on a level plain a short distance from the castle.
Shikanosuke looked out from the watchtower. "It hasn't rained for over two weeks. Let's give them a fiery reception," he laughed.
Shikanosuke divided his soldiers into two groups. Late that night they made a sortie from the castle, one group of soldiers lighting fires upwind from the enemy and setting the dry grasses ablaze. Surrounded by the brushfires, the Ukita forces were completely routed.
Shikanosuke's second corps now went into action and moved in to annihilate them. No one knew how many of the enemy perished in this massacre, but the enemy commander, Makabe Harutsugu, and his brother were both slain.
"I guess they'll be discouraged now."
"No, they'll keep coming."
Shikanosuke's forces marched back to Kozuki, raising a victory song. However, a messenger from the main camp in Himeji arrived with an order from Hideyoshi to abandon the castle and retreat to Himeji. Not unnaturally, a cry of outrage rang out in all the ranks, from Amako Katsuhisa, the head of the clan, on down. Why should they abandon a castle they had fought so hard to take—and one in a strategically advantageous area?
"Nevertheless, if it's our commander-in-chief's order…" said Shikanosuke, obliged to console both Lord Katsuhisa and his troops, and to return to Himeji.
On his return, he immediately consulted with Hideyoshi. "If I may speak without reserve, every one of my officers and men were incredulous about your orders. I also share their feelings."
"To keep the matter secret, I didn't tell the messenger the reason for the retreat, but I’ll tell you now. Kozuki Castle has been a fine bait to draw out the Ukita. If we abandon it, the Ukita are sure to reprovision it with supplies, weapons, and gunpowder. They'll probably even strengthen the garrison. And that's when we'll move!" Hideyoshi laughed. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he leaned forward on his camp stool and pointed his war fan in the direction of Bizen. "No doubt, Ukita Naoie is anticipating that I will attack Kozuki Castle yet again. Only this time he will lead a large army himself, and we are going to outmaneuver him. Don't be angry, Shikanosuke."
The old year ended. The scouts' reports were exactly as expected: large amounts of supplies were already being transported by the Ukita to Kozuki Castle; the command of the castle had been given to Ukita Kagetoshi; and picked troops had been sent to man the castle walls.
Hideyoshi surrounded the castle and ordered Shikanosuke and his force of ten thousand men to hide in the vicinity of the Kumami River.
Meanwhile, Ukita Naoie, who had planned a pincer attack on Hideyoshi's troops, acting in concert with the castle garrison, led his army from Bizen in person.
The bait was set. When Naoie attacked Hideyoshi, Shikanosuke struck like a whirlwind, cutting his army to pieces. Naoie was barely able to escape with his life. Having dealt with the Ukita, Shikanosuke rejoined Hideyoshi for a full-scale attack on the castle.
Hideyoshi attacked the castle with fire. So many were burned to death in the castle that the place became known to later generations as "the Hell Valley of Kozuki."
"This time I won't tell you to abandon the castle," Hideyoshi told Amako Katsuhisa. "Guard it well."
Once Hideyoshi had finished mopping up Tajima and Harima, he made a triumphal return to Azuchi. He was there for less than a month before setting out again for the west in the Second Month.
During this respite, the western provinces hastily prepared themselves for war. Ukita Naoie sent an urgent message to the Mori:
The situation is grave. This is not a matter involving only the province of Harima. At present, Amako Katsuhisa and Yamanaka Shikanosuke occupy Kozuki Castie, with the support of Hideyoshi. This matter will have serious repercussions that the Mori clan cannot afford to overlook. What else can this be but a first step of the vengeful and vehement Amako—who were destroyed by the Mori clan—toward the restoration of their lost lands? You should not ignore this matter, but instead dispatch a large army quickly and annihilate them now. We, the Ukita, will take up the vanguard and repay you for your many past favors.
Mori Terumoto's most trusted generals were the sons of his grandfather, the great Mori Motonari. They were known as "the Two Uncles of the Mori." Both had inherited their fair measure of Motonari's talents. Kobayakawa Takakage was a man of broad wisdom; Kikkawa Motoharu was a man of self-possession, virtue, and talent.
While he was alive, Motonari had lectured his children in the following way: "Generally, there's no one more likely to bring disaster to the world than a man who aspires to grasp the nation's government but lacks the ability to govern. When such a man takes advantage of the times and actually tries to seize the Empire, destruction will surely follow. You should reflect on your own status and remain in the western provinces. It will be sufficient if you are resolved not to fall behind others."
Motonari's admonition was respected to that very day. Which is why the Mori lacked the ambition of the Oda, Uesugi, Takeda, or Tokugawa. So even though they sheltered the ex-shogun, Yoshiaki, communicated with the warrior-monks of the Honganji, and even made a secret alliance with Uesugi Kenshin, it was all for the protection of the western provinces. In the face of Nobunaga's advances, the fortresses of the provinces under their control were used only as a first line of defense for their own domain.
But now the west itself was under violent attack. One corner of that line of defense had already crumbled, demonstrating that even the western provinces were unable to remain outside the whirlwind of the times.
"The main army should be made up of the combined strength of Terumoto and Takakage, and they should attack Kozuki together. I will lead the soldiers of Inaba, Hoki, Izumo, and Iwami, uniting with the soldiers of Tamba and Tajima on the way and, with one stroke, advance on the capital, act in concert with the Honganji, and strike directly at Nobunaga's headquarters at Azuchi."
This bold strategy was advanced by Kikkawa Motoharu, but neither Mori Terumoto nor Kobayakawa Takakage would approve it, their argument being that the plan was too ambitious. Instead, it was decided that they should attack Kozuki Castle first.
In the Third Month, a Mori army of thirty-five thousand men marched north. Some time before, Hideyoshi had gone to Kakogawa Castle in Harima, but his army amounted to no more than seven thousand five hundred men. Even if he included his allies in Harima, his troops were no match for the Mori.
Hideyoshi maintained an outward calm, declaring that reinforcements would come if needed. His troops and allies, however, were shaken by the smallness of their numbers compared to the Mori. The first sign of disaffection came quickly: Bessho Nagaharu, the lord of Miki Castle and Nobunaga's main ally in eastern Harima, defected to the enemy. Bessho spread false rumors about Hideyoshi to excuse his betrayal, while at the same time he invited the Mori into his castle.
Around that time, Hideyoshi received unexpected news: Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo was dead. It was common knowledge that Kenshin was a heavy drinker, and it was supposed that he might have collapsed from apoplexy. But there were some who put forward the theory that he had been assassinated. That night, Hideyoshi stood on Mount Shosha, his gaze lost in the stars, reflecting on the extraordinary character and life Uesugi Kenshin.
Miki Castle had a number of branch castles at Ogo, Hataya, Noguchi, Shikata, and Kanki, and each had followed Miki's lead and unfurled the banner of rebellion. Their commanders derided Hideyoshi and his small army.
At this point, Kanbei suggested a new strategy to Hideyoshi.
"We may be obliged to crush these small castles one by one. But I think that taking Miki Castle by removing the surrounding small stones is the easiest strategy."
Hideyoshi first took Noguchi Castle, forced Kanki and Takasago to surrender, and burned the neighboring villages one by one. He had half-subjugated the Bessho clan when an urgent letter from Shikanosuke arrived from the beleaguered Kozuki Castle.
A large Mori army has surrounded the castle. Our situation is desperate. Please send reinforcements. Kobayakawa's soldiers number over twenty thousand; Kikkawa is leading about sixteen thousand men. In addition, the army of Ukita Naoie has joined them with about fifteen thousand men, so the entire force cannot be less than fifty thousand troops. In order to cut off communications between Kozuki and its allies, the enemy army is digging a long trench across the valley and putting up stockades and barriers. They also have about seven hundred warships sailing the seas of Harima and Settsu, and seem prepared to send reinforcements and supplies overland.
This report could not but put a halt to Hideyoshi's present course. This was, indeed, a grave problem. And an urgent one. But it was not a complete surprise, because the mobilization of the Mori had been considered in his plans beforehand.
Whenever Hideyoshi was troubled, his feelings were manifested in the shape of a large frown. Having predicted the present situation, he had already requested reinforcements from Nobunaga, but no word had yet come from the capital. He had no idea whether reinforcements had already been sent or whether none would be coming.
Kozuki Castle, now held desperately by Amako Katsuhisa and Shikanosuke, was at the juncture of three provinces: Bizen, Harima, and Mimasaka. Though it was only a small castle near a mountain village, it occupied a very important strategic position.
If one ever wanted to enter the Sanin area, Kozuki was the barrier one would first have to control. It was natural that the Mori would give this serious consideration, and Hideyoshi was impressed with the enemy's astute grasp of the situation. But he did not have enough strength to divide his army in two.
Nobunaga was not so small-minded as to be unable to delegate important tasks to the men under his command. But the general rule was that everything had to be in his own hands. His guiding principle was that if someone threatened his control, that person was not to be trusted at all. Hideyoshi had learned this lesson well. Even though he had been given the responsibility of commander-in-chief of the campaign, he never took major decisions on his own.
Thus he would send inquiries by dispatch and always ask for Nobunaga's advice, even though it may have looked as though he were asking instructions from Azuchi for every single trifling matter. He sent trusted retainers as envoys to make detailed reports on the situation, so that Nobunaga could have a clear understanding of what was going on.
Having made up his mind in his usual fashion, Nobunaga immediately ordered preparations for his departure. The other generals, however, admonished him in chorus. Nobumori, Takigawa, Hachiya, Mitsuhide—all were of the same opinion.
"Harima is a place of difficult peaks and pathways, a battlefield of mountains and hills. Shouldn't you first send reinforcements and then wait to see what the enemy does?"
Another general continued the argument, "And if His Lordship's campaign in the west drags on unexpectedly, the Honganji may cut us off from the rear and threaten our men from both land and sea."
Nobunaga was persuaded by their arguments and postponed his departure. But one must not overlook the emotions of the generals toward Hideyoshi each time a war council was called. Without actually saying so, they seemed to be asking why Hideyoshi had been made commander-in-chief, implying that the responsibility was too much for him. And as these insinuations circulated, there was one more at the bottom of them all: if Nobunaga went himself, it would still be Hideyoshi who took all the credit.
Leading reinforcements of about twenty thousand men, Nobumori, Takigawa, Niwa, and Mitsuhide left the capital and reached Harima at the beginning of the Fifth Month. Nobunaga later sent his son, Nobutada, to join them.
In the meantime, having increased his main army with the advance party of reinforcements led by Araki Murashige, Hideyoshi moved the entire force, now east of Kozuki Castle, to Mount Takakura. Reviewing the position of Kozuki Castle from this vantage point, he could see that it would be extremely difficult to establish contact with the men trapped inside.
Both the main stream and the tributaries of the Ichi River flowed around the mountain upon which the castle stood. Moreover, the castle was closed to both the northwest and southwest by the inaccessible crags of Mount Okami and Mount Taihei. There was simply no way open to approach it.