Sunomata One-Night Castle

Overview

Nobuna plans to build a castle at Sunomata near Nagara River which would allow her to conquer Mino. Despite Yoshiharu wishes to lead the task, Nobuna refuses and assign it to her other Generals as not to be seen playing favorites. However, Sunomata is near Inabayama castle and their attempts to build are repelled by Yoshitatsu's forces. Reluctantly giving the task to Yoshiharu, Nobuna and Katsuie leads most of the Oda army to Kisogawa to divert Yoshitatsu's attention while Yoshiharu, Hanbē, Mitsuhide, Goemon and Inuchiyo leads a small force to secretly a build a castle at Sunomata during the night. Meanwhile, Yoshitatsu's Generals Inaba and Ujiie are starting to question their lord's leadership after Hanbē's defection. Yoshitatsu sends Inaba and Ujiie to lure Nobuna's forces at an abandoned gold mine in a valley. Unknown to everyone, Yoshitatsu real plan is to kill everyone there by trapping them in the valley after setting it on fire. But much to Yoshitatsu rage, he learns a castle has been built at Sunomata the following morning and sends his army to destroy them. As Yoshiharu and the others hold off the Mino army until reinforcements arrive, Nobuna manages to escape the valley and convinces Inaba and Ujiie to defect to her side as their combined forces help the defenders of Sunomata and defeat the Mino army. Nagamasa tries to use the battle to launch a surprise attack on both sides only to encounter Nagahide's army who expected this. With Yoshitatsu captured and Mino now under her rule, Nobuna decides on Yoshitatsu fate. Much to Dōsan's anger, Nobuna spares Yoshitatsu's life. As he gets drunk in anger, Yoshiharu makes Dōsan understand Nobuna's reasoning and has him see the newly built town of Gifu and Gifu Castle, which Nobuna built in his honor. (Gifu means stepfather.)