"Shogen has seen through the enemy's ruse," Katsuie said. "This is the best plan we could have made for confounding Hideyoshi."
It was the first time Shogen had been so highly praised by Katsuie. For some days he had been despondent and deflated, but now his expression suddenly changed.
"Take a look at this," he said, spreading out a map. The fortresses at Dangi, Shinmei, Mount Iwasaki, and Mount Oiwa stood on the eastern shore of Lake Yogo. There were also a number of fortresses from the southern area of Shizugatake to Mount Tagami, the chain of camps stretching along the road to the northern provinces, and several other military positions. All were clearly shown, and the topography of the area—with its lakes, mountains, fields, and valleys—was delineated in detail.
The impossible had become possible. Clearly it was a great disadvantage for Hideyoshi, Katsuie gloated, that a secret map like this had been spread out in his enemy's headquarters before the battle.
It could be said that Katsuie derived great joy from that fact alone. Examining the map closely, he praised Shogen once again.
"This is a wonderful gift, Shogen."
Standing at one side, Genba was also scrutinizing the map, but looking up, he suddenly said with conviction, "Uncle, this plan of Shogen's—to penetrate deep behind the enemy lines and take the two fortresses of Iwasaki and Oiwa—I'd like you to send me as the vanguard! I am confident that a surprise attack with the necessary resolution and speed could be handled by no one other than myself."
“Well, now, wait a moment…"
Katsuie shut his eyes in quiet deliberation, as though apprehensive of the younger man’s ardor. Genba's self-confidence and zeal quickly resisted that hesitation.
“What other plans are you entertaining for this opportunity? Surely there's no room in your thoughts for something else?"
“What? I don't think so."
“Heaven's opportunities don't wait, you know. While we stand here like this, our chance may be slipping away moment by moment."
“Don't be so hasty, Genba."
“No. The more you deliberate, the more time slips away. Are you unable to make a decision when a victory of such magnitude is right before your eyes? Ah, it makes me think demon Shibata is getting old."
“You're talking foolishness. It's just that you're still young. You've got the courage for battle, but you're still inexperienced when it comes to strategy."
“Why do you say that?" Genba's face began to flush, but Katsuie would not be agitated. He was a veteran of innumerable battles, and was not about to lose his composure.
“Think for a moment, Genba. There is nothing more dangerous than going deep behind enemy lines. Is it worth the risk? Aren't we at a point where we must think this through over and over so there will be no regrets?"
Genba laughed out loud. But behind the hint that his uncle's anxiety was of no value, Genba’s youthful iron will was also laughing at age's discrimination and vacillation.
Katsuie, however, did not reproach his nephew's open derisive laughter. He seemed to show affection for the young man's lack of inhibition. He actually seemed to love Genba's high spirits.
Genba had been accustomed to his uncle's favor for some time. He could quickly read through the man's emotions and come to terms with them easily. Now he insisted further. "It's true that I'm young, but I fully understand the danger of penetrating the enemy lines. In this situation I would be relying solely on strategy, and not be impatient for merit. I'll dare to do it just because there's danger involved."
Katsuie was still unable to give his approval freely. As before, he was lost in deliberation. Genba gave up badgering his uncle, and suddenly turned to Shogen.
“Let me see the map."
Without moving from the camp stool Genba unrolled the map, stroked his cheek with one hand, and remained silent.
Nearly an hour passed.
Katsuie had been concerned at the time his nephew had spoken with such zeal, but when he observed Genba silently contemplating the map, he suddenly felt sure of the younger man's reliability.
“All right." Finally putting an end to his own deliberations, he turned and spoke to his nephew. "Don't make any mistakes, Genba. I'm giving you the order to go deep behind the enemy lines tonight."
Genba looked up, and at the same time stood straight up from the camp stool. He was almost insanely happy and bowed with great civility. But while Katsuie admired this nephew who was so happy at being put in command of the vanguard, he knew it was a position that might easily mean a man's death if he made a mistake.
"I'm telling you again—once you've accomplished your goal of destroying Iwasaki and Oiwa, retreat with the speed of the wind."
"Yes, Uncle."
"This hardly needs to be said, but a safe retreat is extremely important in war—especially in a fight involving the penetration of enemy territory. If you fail to withdraw safely, it's like forgetting the last basketful of earth when digging a well a hundred fathoms deep. Go with the speed of the wind, and come back in the same way."
"I've understood your warning well."
His hope having now been realized, Genba was perfectly docile. Katsuie immediately assembled his generals. By evening the orders had gone out to each of the camps, and the preparations for every corps seemed to be complete.
It was the night of the nineteenth day of the Fourth Month. The eighteen-thousand-man army left the camp in secret exactly at the second half of the Hour of the Rat. The attacking force was divided into two corps of four thousand men each. They moved down the mountain toward Shiotsudani, crossed over Tarumi Pass, and pressed eastward along the western bank of Lake Yogo.
In a diversionary maneuver, the twelve thousand men of Katsuie's main army took a different route. Advancing along the road to the northern provinces, they gradually turned southeast. Their action was intended to assist the success of the surprise attack corps led by Sakuma Genba, and at the same time it would police any movements from the enemy fortresses.
Among the main forces of the diversionary army, Shibata Katsumasa's single corps of three thousand men went southeast of the slope at Iiura, hid their banners and armor, and stealthily observed the enemy movements in the direction of Shizugatake.
Maeda Inuchiyo had been charged with guarding a line that stretched from Shiotsu to Mount Dangi and Mount Shinmei.
Shibata Katsuie departed from the main camp at Mount Nakao with an army of seven thousand men, and he advanced as far as Kitsunezaka on the road to the northern provinces. It was in order to draw in and incapacitate Hidemasa's five thousand men stationed on Mount Higashino that Katsuie's army now proudly displayed its banners and marched on.
The night sky slowly began to brighten with the approach of dawn. It was the twentieth day of the Fourth Month of the lunar calendar—very close to the summer solstice— and the nights were short.
It was just about at that time that the generals of the vanguard began to gather on the white shore of Lake Yogo. Following the vanguard of four thousand men, a second corps came quickly up behind them. That was the force that would penetrate deep behind the enemy lines, and Sakuma Genba was in its midst.
The mist was thick.
Suddenly a rainbow-colored light appeared in the middle of the lake. That in itself might have made the men think that it would shortly be dawn. But they could hardly see the tails on the horses in front of them, and the path through the grassy plain was still dark.
As the mist swirled by the banners, armor, and spears, the men all appeared as though they were walking through water.
They were oppressed by thoughts that tightened their chests. The cold mist gathered on their eyebrows and on the hairs of their nostrils.
A splashing noise and laughter and animated voices could be heard from the lake shore. Scouts from the attacking troops quickly got down on all fours and crept forward to investigate who might be out in the middle of the mist. It turned out to be two samurai and maybe ten grooms from the fortress at Mount Iwasaki; they had just walked into the shallows of the lake and were washing horses.
The scouts waited for troops from the vanguard to move up and signaled to them silently with waves of the hand. Then, when they were sure the enemy was trapped, they suddenly yelled, "Take them alive!"
Caught unawares, the warriors and grooms splashed through the water in surprise and ran along the shore.
"The enemy! It's the enemy!"
Five or six men escaped, but the rest were captured.
"Well, well, the season's first game."