Strategic Incitation

August 1581, Hideyoshi lays siege to Tottori Castle. Hashiba Hidenaga with Soeki secretly dressed in armor arrive to talk with Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi accepts to overthrow Nobunaga. Sasuke has two brothers-in-law: Nakagawa Kiyohide, brother of Osen (Sasuke's wife) and Takayama Ukon, who wedded Sasuke's sister. Ordered by Nobunaga, Takayama Ukon brings Ise steeds to Hideyoshi. Sasuke drinks with him while discussing the three tea jars Nitta, Hatsuhana, Narashiba. Later Hideyoshi displays eight masterpieces to Sasuke: he must pick the most modest one and give it to Mitsuhide. He chooses a teascoop made by Shutoku but replaces it with one he made. Hideyoshi delivers the teascoop while trying to sway Mitsuhide into rebelion. As a stratagem he wounds himself in order to cry in front of Mitsuhide.

因幡国・鳥取城を攻める羽柴勢に加わっていた左介は、秀吉が寡黙になったことを気にしている。その陣中に高山右近がやってきた。キリシタン大名である右近は左介と同じくかなりの数奇者だった。