The news struck like a thunderbolt, shattering the summer's stillness. As Tokugawa Ieyasu returned from Izumi to Kyoto and reached Kawachi Province, his vanguard, Honda Tadakatsu, galloped towards him, bringing not tidings of victory but the devastating news of the raging inferno at Honnō-ji Temple and the death of his lord.
Ieyasu stood stunned for a moment, then burning rage replaced his shock. "Traitor!" he roared, almost immediately turning his horse to charge towards Kyoto with his small troop of cavalry to fight a decisive battle against Akechi Mitsuhide and avenge Nobunaga and his son.
His old retainer, Sakai Tadatsugu, desperately held his horse's reins, his voice hoarse with urgency: "My lord! Entering Kyoto now is tantamount to walking into a trap! Please return to Mikawa quickly, gather your army, and then seek revenge!" Ieyasu's chest heaved violently, but ultimately, the icy grip of reason suppressed the flames of revenge. He cast a deep glance towards Kyoto, turned his horse, and embarked on a perilous secret escape route through Iga, the name of Mitsuhide etched into his heart.
Within Kyoto, the newly powerful Akechi Mitsuhide, who had just assassinated his lord, was desperately trying to consolidate his fragile power. He first turned to his in-laws—Hosokawa Tadaoki and his father—because Tadaoki had married Mitsuhide's daughter. However, Tadaoki, faced with his father-in-law's overtures, remembered Nobunaga's past kindness and painfully but firmly refused. Mitsuhide's claim of "righteousness" was tainted by betrayal from the very beginning.
Knowing he was surrounded by enemies, he frantically sent messengers in all directions, attempting to unite with the Mōri, Chōsokabe, Uesugi, and other daimyo who had been suppressed by Nobunaga to form an alliance against the remnants of the Oda clan. However, history's irony struck swiftly—the messenger he sent to the Mōri clan was intercepted halfway by Hashiba Hideyoshi, who was rapidly returning east. Hideyoshi not only saw through Mitsuhide's weakness but also used this intelligence to accelerate peace negotiations with the Mōri.
Before Mitsuhide could even catch his breath, the fatal crisis had arrived. He had planned to engage Oda Nobutaka in a decisive battle in Settsu, but to his astonishment, he discovered that Hashiba Hideyoshi's army had appeared as if by magic, blocking his path! Hideyoshi's forced march, later known as the "Great Return from China," achieved a miraculous speed, completely disrupting Mitsuhide's plans.
The battleground was chosen at Yamazaki, a crucial strategic point guarding the approaches to Kyoto. Located between Mount Otoko and Mount Tenno, it was a key location. Hashiba Hideyoshi seized the initiative, occupying Mount Tenno and gaining a strategic advantage. More importantly, the tide of public opinion had clearly turned; former Oda retainers such as Niwa Nagahide and Ikeda Tsuneoki led their troops to join Hideyoshi, rallying under the banner of "avenging their lord."
On June 13th, 1582 (Tenmon 10), the Battle of Yamazaki erupted. Although the Akechi army fought bravely, they were at a disadvantage in morale, terrain, and numbers, and their lines gradually collapsed. As the sun set, the "Water-Colored Bellflower" banner was scattered, and Mitsuhide, with fewer than a hundred remaining men, fled in disarray towards Omi. However, there was no place left for him in the world. While fleeing through a bamboo grove in Ogurisu, on the outskirts of Kyoto, he was attacked by local farmers and perished under their blades, ending his short-lived dream of becoming "ruler of the world" after only thirteen days.
Upon learning of Mitsuhide's death, Hashiba Hideyoshi immediately joined forces with Oda Nobutaka and Nobuo, quickly recapturing Azuchi and eliminating Mitsuhide's remaining forces. The fighting temporarily ceased, but the immense power vacuum left by the Oda family urgently needed to be filled.
At Kiyosu Castle, the Oda family's leading figures gathered, ostensibly to discuss Nobunaga's successor. Ultimately, Nobunaga's three-year-old grandson, Sanboshi, was installed as a puppet head of the family. Beneath the surface of the discussions about rewards and punishments lay a power struggle without bloodshed. The greatest contributor, Hashiba Hideyoshi, displayed remarkable political acumen. He did not rush to seize the wealthiest territories but instead, with humility and generosity, gained widespread favor among the lower- and middle-ranking samurai and the people of the Kyoto region. The Kiyosu Conference concluded amidst mutual calculations, and new alliances were forged, but everyone knew that the old order had already crumbled.
After the conference, Hashiba Hideyoshi went alone to the ruins of Honnō-ji Temple. The scorched earth and crumbling walls were still a stark sight. He stood there silently, not to mourn, but rather to bid a final farewell to his former master, who had once shone upon him like the sun yet also suppressed him. The world was about to enter a completely new era.