When Toyotomi Nobuhide summoned the ninja to come forward, everyone in the table conspicuously shut up their chatter, causing the originally lively atmosphere to immediately become deserted.

No one was blind, and naturally they all saw the wonderful change in the expression on Toyotomi Nobuhide's face at this moment.

"Toyotomi-sama." Master Sengen, who was sitting at the second seat, frowned and asked Toyotomi Nobuhide, "What happened?"

Toyotomi Nobuhide did not immediately respond to Sengenshou's questions.

He lowered his eyes, looking thoughtful.

It wasn't until half a while later that he gently put down the wine glass in his hand, then turned his head and whispered something to the Iga ninja who was still waiting beside him.

After Toyotomi Nobuhide's lips left the ear of the male ninja, the male ninja nodded vigorously and said "yes" loudly, and then left along the way he came at a galloping speed.

Cave...

"You guys go on and eat."

Toyotomi Nobuhide grabbed the purple-handled sword placed beside him and a bottle of wine on the table in front of him, and stood up.

"I'm going to take care of some things and I'll be back later."

After leaving these words, Toyotomi Nobuhide did not leave anyone time to react. He took the bottle of wine he had just taken from his desk and left the banquet site and the cave like a gust of wind.

After leaving the secret cave built by the Toyotomi clan, Toyotomi Nobuhide walked straight towards a dense forest in the northeast without stopping.

There are many reasons why Toyotomi Nobuhide chose Mount Koya to establish the Toyotomi clan's largest secret base in Japan.

One of the main reasons is that there are too many inaccessible "undeveloped areas" among the continuous mountains of Koyasan.

Setting up a secret stronghold in Mount Koya is a piece of cake.

After years of secret construction, many parts of Mount Koya have been transformed into the Toyotomi clan's stronghold.

For example: the cave where Toyotomi Nobuhide and his friends held a banquet just now.

Another example: the dense forest that Toyotomi Nobuhide is currently entering.

Toyotomi Nobuhide walked until the very depths of the dense forest, until he reached a certain big stone, and finally stopped. He simply patted the dust on the big stone with his hand, and then

Sit on it, close your eyes, and rest your mind.

Suddenly, the sound of "crunching" trampling on dead branches and fallen leaves came from the dim path beside Toyotomi Nobuhide.

"...Yoshihisa. Just now, when I heard from the ninja who came to report, 'Yoshihisa-sama has returned and failed to kill Ogata Ittosai, and the entire army suffered heavy casualties,' I really couldn't believe my ears."

Toyotomi Nobuhide slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at the path where the sound of trampling on dead branches and fallen leaves was constantly heard.

I saw two figures walking quickly towards Toyotomi Nobhide in this dim path, one after the other.

The leader is the ninja who just reported the message to Toyotomi Nobuhide.

The person walking behind was none other than Toyotomi Nobuhide's confidant, Yoshihisa, who was given the full authority to command the front line of the "Osaka Haru Formation and Susu Operation" by Toyotomi Nobuhide.

At this moment, Jijiu looked pale, with a look of haggard and fatigue that could not be hidden no matter how hard he tried.

The current Yoshihisa is more like an ordinary old man than "a close confidant of Toyotomi Nobuhide", one of the "Three Demons", and "the current commander-in-chief of Iga no Sato".

Toyotomi Nobuhide winked at the ninja who came to report to him just now, and now brought Yoshihisa, who had just returned, to see him.

The male ninja, who understood the meaning of Toyotomi Nobuhide's eyes, quickly and conspicuously left the sight of Toyotomi Nobuhide and Yoshihisa.

After the male ninja left, Yoshihisa ran to Toyotomi Nobuhide in three steps and two steps with a sad face, and knelt on the ground.

"Toyotomi-sama... I'm very sorry..."

Just when Yoshihisa had time to say "Sorry", he was interrupted by Toyotomi Nobuhide raising his hand.

"Wait a minute."

"Before we get down to business"

Toyotomi Nobuhide thrust the jug of wine he had just received from the banquet into Yoshihisa's arms.

"You must be tired after rushing back from Osaka non-stop."

Having said this, Toyotomi Nobuhide glanced at Yoshihisa's slightly peeling, bloodless lips.

"Let's drink something first to calm down our breathing."

Yoshihisa looked at the wine bottle in his arms, and then looked at Toyotomi Nobuhide in front of him.

The shame, nervousness, and tiredness hanging on Jijiu's cheeks have disappeared a lot.

"Thank you, sir..."

After thanking him, Jijiu picked up the jug in his hand and Niu drank the wine in the jug.

In the blink of an eye, Jijiu, who had not had a good rest since last night, was already extremely thirsty and drank the bottle of wine.

After Yoshihisa put down the sake bottle in his hand, Toyotomi Nobuhide said in a command-like tone:

"I didn't ask you to come here just to hear you say 'sorry' to me."

"What happened to the war in Osaka? Please tell me in detail."

"Yes." After drinking a bottle of wine, Jijiu's face became rosier and his voice became more energetic.

…

…

Too many things happened in Osaka last night.

But fortunately, although Jijiu is old, his head and lips are very organized.

Yoshihisa summarized everything he knew to Toyotomi Nobuhide in as simple a sentence as possible.

From the surprise attack by Genichi and others on the Honjin Ryūsui Temple to the time when he went to meet Zuoemon, he only encountered the remnants of the soldiers who had been defeated by Ogata Ittosai.

When Yoshihisa was narrating, Toyotomi Nobuhide listened quietly with a peaceful expression.

Whether it was when he heard that the sold-out woman died in battle, that the left and right guards were missing, or that the troops encircling Ogata were defeated and defeated by Ogata, Toyotomi Nobuhide did not even move his eyebrows.

He was only in one place, and his expression moved slightly when he heard Yuan Yi leading people and suddenly appeared at Longshui Temple.

"...Morale has been depleted. I think there is no chance of victory if we continue to fight. So I decided to gather all the remaining soldiers, evacuate Osaka, and return to Mount Koya to join you."

"Detailed statistics have not yet been conducted."

"But according to my estimate...the total number of casualties and missing persons of various units including Iga ninjas...is conservatively estimated to be no less than 300 people..."

After completing all the reports, Yoshihisa buried his head low and waited for Toyotomi Nobuhide's reaction.

After a moment of silence, Toyotomi Nobuhide slowly said the first words he said after listening to Yoshihisa's report:

"...The Musketeers who participated in last night's battle totaled 1,000 people, 120 Iga ninjas, 300 were killed or wounded, and 300 were missing... almost a quarter of them were lost..."

"Where are the surviving troops now?"

"Most of the troops are now returning to Mount Koya along various secret trails."

"Only a small number of troops are still staying on the outskirts of Osaka for various reasons."

"Because I was anxious to come back to report the battle situation to you, I changed two fast horses in a row and rushed back before all the troops."

"...I understand the specific situation." Toyotomi Nobuhide slowly sat up and stood up, "To put it simply, last night's 'Osaka Spring Formation and Battle for Prosecution... only achieved half of its intended goal."

"It only succeeded in destroying Osaka's administrative capacity, but failed to kill Ogata Ittosai..."

"That Ogata Ittousai... I really like him so much that it's unexpected..."

A strange smile slowly appeared on Toyotomi Nobuhide's cheek, without any warmth in it.

"'I was dying and in a coma, but suddenly I woke up and became extremely brave. It was like Hachiman Daimyojin descended to earth and possessed me. Even if I was holding a large living person, I could easily fly across a distance of seven or eight rooms and use a musket.

Launch a concentrated fire attack on him, and he can easily dodge the projectiles or deflect them with a knife... Is this really what the soldiers who survived the siege of Ogata Ittosai said?"

[Note: Hachiman Daimyojin: Japan’s God of War]

[Note·room: 1 room in the Edo period = 1.818 meters]

"Yes..." Jijiu nodded with difficulty, "I asked many soldiers who participated in the final siege of Shura and survived, and they basically said this..."

"..." Toyotomi Nobuhide fell silent, resting his left elbow on his thigh, supporting his head with his left palm, raising his left index finger and tapping his left temple rhythmically.

"...Jijiu."

"exist."

"What do you think... Ogata Ittousai's situation is like?"

"...I think..." Jijiu hesitated, "It's very much like digesting the 'power of immortality'..."

"It's not 'similar'." Toyotomi Nobuhide narrowed his eyes, "It's exactly the same."

"It's completely the same as when we absorbed the 'power of immortality'."

"First, I was so weak that I could hardly concentrate. After I gritted my teeth and fought through it, I was completely transformed and reached a state that ordinary people cannot reach."

"Holding a large living person and flying across a distance of seven or eight rooms without a run-up... This is completely beyond the reach of ordinary people. Probably only 'immortals' like us can do this.

matter."

"But...!" Yoshihisa's tone dropped, "This is impossible... Where did Ogata Ittousai get the 'power of immortality'? Eight hundred bhikkhunis are here with us."
To be continued...