Yoshi-noh-Minowara
23-01-2005, 00:28
Nakamura sat uneasy in his saddle. Lord Toranaga had ordered him to form the army into battle formations for the coming day. The dew still hung to the leaves of the new day and a small wisp of fog lay gentle above the ground. He sat on a hill overlooking a large plain. About forty ri (1 ri = 10 meters) away was the Hojo camp, and in front was their army, 40,000 strong. Nakamura was commanding Toranaga’s army of 38,000. But they had one advantage against the stinking Hojo. The Teppô Ashigaru (arquebusiers (http://samourais.free.fr/Nagashino_1.jpg)) with around 2,000 guns between them, were stationed in Toranaga’s center, with a bamboo spike fence in front of them. On either side was the rest of the army. And behind them all were the 7,000 archers. All was ready except for the Hojo to take the bait and charge to center.
Lord Noburo, Lord Toranaga’s son rode up beside Nakamura. “How are this morning Old Iron-Fist?” He asked kindly. He was smiling and seemed jovial of the coming battle, which all the samurai were.
“I want this over so I can go back to Yodoka and pillow with my favorite consorts but Hojo decided to spoil my fun Noburo-san, this is personal.” Noburo laughed at the joke and clapped the old general on the back.
“Well good my friend, because my brother Lord Nagai is leading the formation of cavalry archers and he is sure to turn that line into a hornets nest.” Both of them watched below. Suddenly a formation of some 300 cavalry rode out of the Toranaga lines and charged the enemy. Then just as suddenly stopping just out of arrow range. They could hear the taunting from here. “Your mother lives in a cess pit!” “Your father and whole family are eta!” The taunting continued until finally so angry with rage nearly the entire center of the Hojo line charged. Nagai’s men fired five quick volleys then fell back, chased by the hoard of spear armed Hojo Ashigaru. Nakamura could see Lord Hojo himself riding behind his center, trying to stop it, even beheading a few. But Nagai’s men continued to taunt then retreat firing arrows. When they had finally brought them past halfway across from the field Nagai’s men taunted a final time then road back around the bamboo fence and waited. The 2,000 Teppô Ashigaru in three rows, standing ready behind the fence.
Lord Hojo rallied his men then stopped them, but because falling back would be a dishonor he ordered a frontal assault. The center charged (http://samourais.free.fr/Mikata_01.jpg) forward, eager to regain their honor, as well as heads. They came strait at the bamboo fence.
Each minute 700 guns (http://www.page-five.de/TENSHU/ta0.jpg) would fire, then a minute later 700 more would fire, then followed by another, each time after firing to step back and reload. Added to this was hail after hail of arrows. The Hojo attack fell apart, several thousand dieing within moments. They fell back then reformed, charging over the dead bodies of their comrades, heedless of caring. His men seeming to have gone mad charged again and again, even Lord Hojo himself felt it and could not resist charging that center.
By night fall 20,000 lie dead on the field. When they had attacked a final time Lord Toranaga had appeared and ordered a general attack. The attack folded up the wings like paper, and soon most of the Hojo army was in retreat, many more committed seppuku saving their honor. Lord Hojo himself was captured but was allowed to commit seppuku as well. Then heads had rolled. Lord Toranaga ordered the obliteration of the Hojo line. All of his sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, and grandfathers were killed. Their heads set on spikes for the commoners to jeer at.
Nakamura sat by his fire drinking from a flask of sake, brooding on the success of the battle. Around him many samurai were cheering and drinking, yelling and bragging about how many heads they had taken. Lord Toranaga himself had in front of the whole army after the battle gave the Teppô Ashigaru regiment each one extra koku and several hundred barrels of sake. The honor was immense, but they had earned it.
Suddenly Lord Toranaga himself appeared at his side. “Brooding again are we Old Iron-Fist?” Toranaga used Nakamura’s pet name that he himself had given him. Toranaga was a tall man, 5’ 9”, with a serious face and a strong chin. He had strong muscular arms and legs but had a large belly, but Nakamura had seen Toranaga fight, and he was very fast and skilled.
“No Toranaga-sama, I’m just quietly thinking of our victory. Of what it does for you.”
“Yes indeed. It does many things for me. It makes me the supreme Daimyo in the realm and within the year I will be going to bow before the Son of Heaven, Emperor Go-Nijo, and petition to be allowed an Imperial Mandate to allow me to become Shogun.” Toranaga sat down next to him and motioned for a drink. Nakamura handed it to him and watched his lord take a long drink.
“Yes Sire, it does do that…but now there is peace…and I wonder if we will ever have another good war.” Nakamura had wondered this many times, of when war would no longer be needed when his lord had taken the realm.
“I intend to have a war after this, but it will not be for some years yet. And it will be against Korea and China.” Toranaga mentioned the old nemesis of all the Japanese realm, the Chinese Empire. The hatred between the two Empires was several hundred years old now.
“Yes old friend, I will have another war, but first, I must make my new realm secure and powerful.” Toranaga stood up and handed the flask of sake back to Nakamura and strode back into the sea of tents and celebrating samurai.
Lord Noburo, Lord Toranaga’s son rode up beside Nakamura. “How are this morning Old Iron-Fist?” He asked kindly. He was smiling and seemed jovial of the coming battle, which all the samurai were.
“I want this over so I can go back to Yodoka and pillow with my favorite consorts but Hojo decided to spoil my fun Noburo-san, this is personal.” Noburo laughed at the joke and clapped the old general on the back.
“Well good my friend, because my brother Lord Nagai is leading the formation of cavalry archers and he is sure to turn that line into a hornets nest.” Both of them watched below. Suddenly a formation of some 300 cavalry rode out of the Toranaga lines and charged the enemy. Then just as suddenly stopping just out of arrow range. They could hear the taunting from here. “Your mother lives in a cess pit!” “Your father and whole family are eta!” The taunting continued until finally so angry with rage nearly the entire center of the Hojo line charged. Nagai’s men fired five quick volleys then fell back, chased by the hoard of spear armed Hojo Ashigaru. Nakamura could see Lord Hojo himself riding behind his center, trying to stop it, even beheading a few. But Nagai’s men continued to taunt then retreat firing arrows. When they had finally brought them past halfway across from the field Nagai’s men taunted a final time then road back around the bamboo fence and waited. The 2,000 Teppô Ashigaru in three rows, standing ready behind the fence.
Lord Hojo rallied his men then stopped them, but because falling back would be a dishonor he ordered a frontal assault. The center charged (http://samourais.free.fr/Mikata_01.jpg) forward, eager to regain their honor, as well as heads. They came strait at the bamboo fence.
Each minute 700 guns (http://www.page-five.de/TENSHU/ta0.jpg) would fire, then a minute later 700 more would fire, then followed by another, each time after firing to step back and reload. Added to this was hail after hail of arrows. The Hojo attack fell apart, several thousand dieing within moments. They fell back then reformed, charging over the dead bodies of their comrades, heedless of caring. His men seeming to have gone mad charged again and again, even Lord Hojo himself felt it and could not resist charging that center.
By night fall 20,000 lie dead on the field. When they had attacked a final time Lord Toranaga had appeared and ordered a general attack. The attack folded up the wings like paper, and soon most of the Hojo army was in retreat, many more committed seppuku saving their honor. Lord Hojo himself was captured but was allowed to commit seppuku as well. Then heads had rolled. Lord Toranaga ordered the obliteration of the Hojo line. All of his sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, and grandfathers were killed. Their heads set on spikes for the commoners to jeer at.
Nakamura sat by his fire drinking from a flask of sake, brooding on the success of the battle. Around him many samurai were cheering and drinking, yelling and bragging about how many heads they had taken. Lord Toranaga himself had in front of the whole army after the battle gave the Teppô Ashigaru regiment each one extra koku and several hundred barrels of sake. The honor was immense, but they had earned it.
Suddenly Lord Toranaga himself appeared at his side. “Brooding again are we Old Iron-Fist?” Toranaga used Nakamura’s pet name that he himself had given him. Toranaga was a tall man, 5’ 9”, with a serious face and a strong chin. He had strong muscular arms and legs but had a large belly, but Nakamura had seen Toranaga fight, and he was very fast and skilled.
“No Toranaga-sama, I’m just quietly thinking of our victory. Of what it does for you.”
“Yes indeed. It does many things for me. It makes me the supreme Daimyo in the realm and within the year I will be going to bow before the Son of Heaven, Emperor Go-Nijo, and petition to be allowed an Imperial Mandate to allow me to become Shogun.” Toranaga sat down next to him and motioned for a drink. Nakamura handed it to him and watched his lord take a long drink.
“Yes Sire, it does do that…but now there is peace…and I wonder if we will ever have another good war.” Nakamura had wondered this many times, of when war would no longer be needed when his lord had taken the realm.
“I intend to have a war after this, but it will not be for some years yet. And it will be against Korea and China.” Toranaga mentioned the old nemesis of all the Japanese realm, the Chinese Empire. The hatred between the two Empires was several hundred years old now.
“Yes old friend, I will have another war, but first, I must make my new realm secure and powerful.” Toranaga stood up and handed the flask of sake back to Nakamura and strode back into the sea of tents and celebrating samurai.