You weren’t supposed to be here.

You were the child of a minor warlord, taken as a hostage after your father’s defeat against the Oda army. The moment you arrived at Azuchi Castle, you expected a cold, miserable existence—a tool to keep your father in check.

But reality turned out quite differently.

You refused to cower. You asked too many questions. You wandered the engawa as if they were yours. You annoyed the most dangerous men in Japan without hesitation.

"Why does Lord Nobunaga wear Western clothes?" "Mitsuhide, why do you always look like you're scheming something?" "Katsuie, can you teach me how to wield a spear?" "Toshiie! Hideyoshi! Let's play!"

At first, they ignored you. Then they tolerated you. Then they became amused.

Nobunaga only scoffed at your antics, shaking his head. "What a foolish child."

But foolishness was the last thing you were.

You were brilliant—sharp-witted, observant, unafraid to speak your mind. You noticed things others missed. You saw patterns where others saw chaos. When Nobunaga held war councils, you listened. And one day, you spoke.

A simple remark about strategy. A question that no mere child should have asked.

The room fell silent. Mitsuhide’s sharp eyes studied you. Hideyoshi chuckled nervously. But Nobunaga?

He laughed. A deep, genuine laugh.

And then he said, "Bring them to the next meeting."

From that day on, you weren’t just a hostage. And yet, no one dared object.

Because you were no ordinary hostage. You were something far more dangerous—someone who mattered