Once more Gengyo set out, this time with 7,000 men under his command. From their reports, the Uesugi army numbered upwards of 30,000, but despite that, Gengyo had a strange confidence in his forces. He felt that, in some sense, they actually outnumbered the enemy.
Under Jikouji's supervision, a disciplined army had been forged. Takeshi and Morojo had overseen the production of a healthy amount of firearms too, and every man was armed with a revolving weapon with the ammunition to complement them. They had been trained in the sword as well, to a degree, though their training was not as extensive as it should have been.
The remaining 4,000 they had left with Matsudaira. The Grand General had continued to assure Gengyo that it was enough and though he had his doubts, he had no choice but to trust the man and complete his own campaign as quickly as he could, so that he might relieve whatever pressure Matsudaira would get under.
"The men are making good marching pace, Miura, we will make it on time, it seems," Jikouji said. Gengyo noticed that Yamagata were listening in on their conversation. They were both nervous with worry for the family that they had left behind in the Takeda lands. The old strategist Yamagata had hardly recovered from his injury and he was pale as he rode in the saddle, but he had insisted on coming. In comparison, the youthful warrior Yamamoto was full of energy and fidgeted in irritation, unhappy that there was nothing he could do but ride.
"They will be glad of their training – it is a vicious pace we are pushing," Gengyo said. The men were running at a slow jog, uniform in their ranks, hardly showing any complaint as the men of rank rode by the front on their horses. "Have the Uesugi passed the border yet?"
"Not yet. Another day, at most, and they will begin their burning of villages and draw Yoshinobu into combat, so that he can crush the opposition in one fell sweep. It unsettles me, the thought of having The Dragon residing over Shinano. We would never be safe. We have to crush him here and now," Jikouji said grimly.
"Another day? Good. We will continue this pace, at the risk of exhausting the men," Gengyo affirmed. News of his injury had not yet come to pass, but a question was passing through the troop, as they wondered about the straight sword that hung at their Daimyo's hip. A sword as thin as a finger, and as flexible too. "And you are right to have that idea unsettle you. That is why we must crush the man. I only worry about what we will do with Yoshinobu after we have slain his enemy. Make no mistake, I intend to seize those lands, for they are mine, I merely wish to avoid offending Shingen's son too heavily."
"Hah. To hell with that," Yamamoto said impatiently, clearing his throat and spitting off to the side. As Gengyo raised his eyebrow, it was left to Yamagata to speak up on behalf of his younger comrade.
"Yoshinobu may be Shingen's son, my lord, but he deserves none of the respect that comes with that title. He made himself an enemy of Shingen, towards the end. It is a wonder that he still holds onto his life," Yamagata explained.
"The treachery, is it?" Gengyo mused. "You're more familiar with those lands than I am, Yamagata. How would the people react if I were to cut down Yoshinobu?"
"They wouldn't," Yamagata assured him. "They will praise the hero who saved their fields from fire and their crops from being trampled. The samurai families – those that remain – will bend the knee to the strong. They already know you to be a strong man, with your victory over our lord Shingen. If you do the same with Kenshin, then you will have established yourself as a man truly worth following and none would begrudge you Yoshinobu's head."
"Coming from the mouth of a Takeda man, that is certainly reassuring," Gengyo said.
"I am a Miura man now, my Lord," Yamagata said strongly, throwing off the sickly appearance that had come with his injury, even for just a second. "We all are. All these thousands of Takeda men under you, wearing your black armour, they sing your praises over their cups. They are impressed with the training and with the martial knowledge that you have given them. They are eager to walk the fiery path of a conquer."
Gengyo looked at him, long and hard. The man held his gaze. When Gengyo looked to young Yamamoto as well, he saw the man nod respectfully, agreeing with what his older comrade had said. And then Gengyo looked out across at his army. They truly were Miura men. There was nothing to tell them apart. They were simply one river of black with rifles over their shoulders and swords at their h.i.p.s.
"I see," he said simply. There was nothing else that could be said. He caught Akiko smiling quietly, the look on her face saying far more than any words could. He had thought about leaving her behind, given her pregnancy, but then he realized that there was nowhere safe. By his side was the only place that he was sure he had a chance to protect her.
They had left Sasaki and Togashi and Kitajo behind, to assist with Matsudaira's defence, and their company was missed, but their entourage had grown. If anyone was content with the current arrangement, it was Morohira, who had been allowed Rokkaku back. He appreciated his friend's company now, more than ever, after knowing how boring a ride could be without him.
"Have you given any thought to our battle strategy against Kenshin?" Jikouji enquired, more out of curiosity than expectancy.
"Victory. Beyond that, I was hoping to see what our friend Yamagata is capable of, if his injury is not too bothersome," Gengyo said.
"It would be my honour," Yamagata said with a dip of his head.