Kyoto's prosperity was short-lived. The bitter fruit of defeat gnawed at the retreating Miyoshi clan of Shikoku. Like lurking venomous snakes, they waited for the perfect opportunity. When Oda Nobunaga's main force returned to Gifu to recuperate, leaving the capital's defenses somewhat weakened, the Miyoshi clan's forces brazenly attacked Kyoto once again!
The signal reached Gifu, and Nobunaga, fuming with rage, remained unfazed. He personally led his elite troops, marching back at astonishing speed to reinforce the city. The hastily initiated Miyoshi army was vulnerable to the Oda clan's wrath and was once again utterly routed, their dream of dominating the capital shattered.
However, successive rebellions sounded the alarm. Nobunaga resolved to thoroughly strengthen Kyoto's defenses. He ordered a massive construction effort, including the construction of a new city fortification, personally overseeing the progress, even renovating the dilapidated Imperial Palace. Amidst this bustling construction, a figure began to stand out: Kinoshita Hideyoshi. This general, born from humble origins, managed the project with remarkable coordination and management skills. Nobunaga, recognizing his talent, entrusted this future ruler of the world with the crucial task of guarding the Nijo New Camp. With these arrangements in place, Nobunaga returned to Gifu with peace of mind.
With his foundation secure, Nobunaga's expansionist efforts accelerated once again. At the suggestion of his key advisors, Nobunaga set his sights on the weakened province of Tajima. Within ten days, the Yamana clan's forces collapsed, and the lord, Yamana Suketoyo, surrendered. The greatest prize of this battle was the renowned Ikuno Silver Mine. This endlessly abundant silver treasury became the Oda clan's most secure source of funds in their quest for world domination.
After his victory on the eastern front, Nobunaga immediately marched south, determined to completely eliminate the last remaining threat to Ise Province: the stubbornly resisting Kitada clan. Leveraging the fortified walls of Ōkouchi Castle, the Kitada clan put up a desperate but tenacious resistance. Although Nobunaga had completely encircled the castle, the defenders' incredible resolve inflicted a rare heavy price on the Oda army, who remained unable to capture it after a siege of sixty days.
Unable to capture the castle for long, Nobunaga revealed his pragmatic side. He decisively changed his strategy and sent envoys into the city to negotiate peace. Ultimately, the two sides reached a settlement through a political marriage: Nobunaga adopted his second son into the Kitada clan, renamed Kitada Nobuo, to inherit the family business and guard Ōkōchi Castle. Without a single drop of blood, Ise Province was finally completely unified. Nobunaga subsequently abolished checkpoints within the territory, encouraged trade, and established Ise as a stable rear base.
The Oda clan's prestige had by then spread far and wide. The Ōtomo clan of Kyushu and the Ukita clan of Bizen both sent envoys to express their respect and friendship. However, the Echizen Asakura clan, relying on its ancient reputation, remained arrogant and disrespectful to Nobunaga, led by its head, Asakura Yoshikage. Nobunaga immediately seized upon his "disobedience of the shogun's orders" and rallied his generals to fight him.
Matsudaira Ieyasu was the first to respond, leading his army from Totomi to join the attack. Nobunaga personally led his army from Kyoto, attacking Echizen and dispatching Kinoshita Hideyoshi to attack Tetsukugeyama Castle. The battle initially went smoothly. However, just as Nobunaga's forces were heading for Ichijodani Castle, the stronghold of the Asakura clan, and victory was in sight, devastating news arrived from the front lines: one of his most trusted allies had colluded with his old enemy and raised the banner of rebellion behind his back!
This sudden and fatal betrayal forced Nobunaga to immediately abandon his near-victory and abruptly halt the entire Echizen campaign. A greater storm was quietly brewing.