Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

After discussing the matter at length, Senken asked the question Nobu had been anticipating since his return from the bathroom, specifically, "What are your thoughts about being the representative we send to Asai? At your current rate of growth, the members of your entourage should be able to reach the pinnacle of Platinum by the deadline of our original agreement. If you consent to become the next Patriarch, we can even prepare some Mithril for those closest to you..."Though Nobu had made it pretty obvious he didn't want to govern, Senken knew it would prevent a lot of future problems if his son ascended to the position of Daimyo. Nobu had a very progressive mentality. Without the status and authority to back his aims, there would be no end to the number of obstacles preventing his success.Shrugging his shoulders, Nobu answered, "I have three children on the way. I don't mind being the representative but I think it would be pretty fucked up of me to pack up my bags and wander off so soon after their birth. As for the whole Patriarch thing...what about my younger brothers? You must have been preparing one of them to take charge, right?"Exhaling a sigh, Senken ran his fingers through his hair before staring listlessly up at the ceiling and answering, "Your brother, Nobuhiro, was a good kid but he...no, I allowed the words of my younger brother to pollute his way of thinking. As for Nobukatsu...he is too naive to ever rule over others. At best, he could be a puppet..."Hanging his head in shame, Senken fully expected Nobu to admonish him for his failure as a father. Instead, Nobu exhaled a notably exasperated sigh, remarking, "Of course..." before shaking his head and adding, "If your brother was able to influence his way of thinking, there's no reason others can't do the same. I don't really have an interest in becoming Patriarch so I don't mind supporting him as an advisor if he has a suitable frame of mind. The circumstances of a person's birth shouldn't decide whether or not they are qualified to rule. If he's spent the last seventeen years preparing to become the next Lord of Owari, he's a hell of a lot more qualified than I am..."Recalling how he used to have a very similar mindset, a wry smile developed across Senken's face as an awkward chuckle emanated from his throat. Fortunately, his father was also present, so, instead of having to sound like a hypocrite, he was able to remain silent as the middle-aged Oda explained, "The problem is that your brother lacks a Heavenly Treasure. So long as you are in possession of the stone tablet, people will always believe you're more suited for the position. Beyond that, there is the matter of the Yoshitsune Clan...I believe you're overlooking an important factor..."Furrowing his brows, Nobu's tone and body language become marginally more hostile as he asked, "What do you mean...?"Adopting an even more serious expression, Senichi explained, "The Yoshitsune Clan is bound by an exceptionally powerful contract that has been certified by the Goddess of the Harvest, Inari-Okami-sama. Every member of their line is fated to obey the Lord of the Oda Clan. This is one of the main reasons we do not allow for formal marriages between our two Clans..."Though he was briefly confused by Senichi's words, it didn't take long for Nobu to understand the greater meaning behind them. The former, noticing his realization, nodding his head in a solemn manner, stating, "That's right. Your children will also be influenced by this contract. If you refuse to become Patriarch, you are placing their fate in the hands of another. Your brother might be a good man at heart but envy and jealousy are powerful emotions..."Resisting his almost overwhelming urge to release a string of curses, Nobu opened and closed his fists a few times before asking, "Is there a way to annul the contract...?"As there were no traces of the contract whenever he viewed a person's status, Nobu assumed it was a part of the Curse that influenced even honorary members of the Yoshitsune Clan. If so, he should be able to remove it himself, but, just to be safe, he wanted to hear what his grandfather had to say.Somewhat surprisingly, Senichi nodded his head before crossing his arms and explaining, "There is. However, it comes at the cost of Inari-Okami-sama's blessing. Annulling the contract would imperil the people of Owari, so, for the last six thousand years, the Yoshitsune Clan has dutifully carried out their responsibilities for the greater good..."Glowering the moment he heard the phrase 'for the greater good', Nobu had to fight hard against the urge to tell his grandfather to shove the greater good up his ass. He had always detested such sayings, as, more often than not, the 'greater good' was used as a justification to perpetuate some of the most heinous acts in human history. It was an excuse used by the people in power to avoid personal responsibility and bypass having to spend time and resources on alternative solutions.Unfortunately, while there were countless parallels between Terra and Earth, the latter had a distinct lack of evidence to prove the existence and power of Gods. Terra was the opposite in this regard as the influence of Gods could be seen pretty much everywhere. Depending on your actions, there was a very real chance you could inadvertently insult one of them. Then, depending on how spiteful and petty they were, they could literally sacrifice a fragment of their power to curse you and your family for hundreds of generations...Realizing that it might not be so easy to annul Inari-Okami's Curse, a look of grim resolution slowly formed across Nobu's face. There was no way in hell he was going to let someone have compulsory authority over his children. Thus, after a long moment of silence, he clenched his hands to the point his knuckles had turned white before saying, "Fine...fate wants to place me in charge of the Clan? I'll do it. Just don't blame me if and when shit hits the fan..."Contrasting Nobu's expectations, Senken and Senichi adopted gratified and appreciative smiles as the former said, "No worries, kid. If that happens, we'll be right there with you. Becoming Patriarch doesn't mean you'll have to handle everything alone. Rather, our most important duty is delegating responsibilities to others. That means, once you take over as Patriarch, you'll have the singular right to pick and choose who you want as ministers and retainers. If you really want to support Nobuhiro, you just need to be a better big brother than I was..."Though he had thought this numerous times over the past two days, Nobu couldn't help thinking that Senken was both an amazing person and an incredible father. The man just took everything in stride, and, though it was very clear he had made numerous mistakes over the years, he didn't allow them to weigh him down. It was truly commendable.What Nobu didn't know was that Senken and Senichi had come to a similar conclusion in regards to him. Most people would resent being forced into a position they didn't want, yet, after a mere three exchanges, Nobu had already accepted the reality of his situation. More importantly, the look in his eyes showed resolution rather than resignation. This was something that generally took a long time to form, yet, as if it had been slumbering within him his entire life, Nobu was already exhibiting the resolve necessary to be a leader.........While Nobu was inadvertently strengthening his position in the hearts and minds of Senken and Senichi, a young man with inordinately long black hair and slightly feminine features was making his way through the silent halls of Inuyama's Inner Sanctum.Seeing the young man walking through the halls, every servant immediately lowered their heads as a gesture of respect. In spite of this, the youth regarded them as little more than air as he bypassed each and every one of them without so much as a curt nod or a polite greeting. It was only after he reached his destination that the youth's previously expressionless face, adorned with ruby-like eyes and sharp eyebrowed, morphed into a polite smile."Forgive me for the intrusion, Kaa-chan, but there is a matter I would like to discuss..."Without waiting for a response, the youth slid open the door before turning statuesque when he noticed the room's other occupants. The smile on his face immediately faded away, and, in its place, a look of disdain marred his fair features as he stated, "You shouldn't be here...""Hiro-chan! What did I tell you about being rude to Nohime-chan...!?"Furrowing his brows, the young man, Nobuhiro, glared at Nohime as if she was responsible for his mother chastising him. Then, much like the servants he passed along the way, he decided to ignore her as he turned towards his mother and offered an apologetic bow, stating, "Forgive me, Kaa-chan. It appears my training has left me somewhat fatigued..."Though she adopted a slight pout in response to her son's behavior, the woman, Nana, eventually raised herself to her feet before approaching him and asking, "What's wrong?" in a motherly tone.As it was unusual for his mother to meet him at the entrance, Nobuhiro's brows raised as he looked over her to stare at Yui. He didn't recognize who she was, but, feeling his mother was attempting to conceal yet another secret, his eyes sharpened as he muttered, "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Kaa-chan's guest..."Increasing Nobuhiro's suspicions, Yui stared directly at him for a brief moment before offering a curt nod. This implied an unordinary status, as, even if they were Warriors affiliated with the Oda Clan, everyone was obligated to lower their heads to him...Smiling wryly in response to her son's words, Nana attempted to guide him out of the room so they could speak elsewhere. Nobuhiro didn't resist this, but, before departing the room, he made sure to commit Yui's features to memory. He had made a point to memorize the names and faces of every single person with access to Inuyama's Inner Sanctum. If his mother was trying to keep the woman's identity a secret, he would do everything in his power to uncover her origins.........Following the departure of Nana and Nobuhiro, Yui promptly found herself as the focal point of Nohime's icy glare. Now that they were alone, ignoring the fact that Nobuhime was resting at the side, the onyx-eyed woman didn't hesitate to say, "I can't do anything about my husband choosing you. However, regardless of the circumstances, my position as the official wife remains unchanged. Once you have given birth, you will renounce any claims your children have to an inheritance. Do I make myself clear...?"Surprising Nohime quite a bit, Yui's expression hardened as she stared directly at the woman and said, "You're making a grave mistake. These are not things we, as women, can decide. Lady Suzuki and I have both explained Nobunaga-sama's peculiarities to you. If you continue thinking like this, it is only a matter of time before Nobunaga-sama annuls your marriage. He cares little for politics and outright disdains many of Nian's cultures and traditions. If you believe your status as a Princess affords you some inalienable right, you're going to be severely disappointed when Nobunaga-sama shatters your expectations..."Though she understood the importance of the alliance between Owari and Mino, Yui knew Nobu better than anyone else in Nian. She knew he would tolerate being married to Nohime if it meant keeping the peace, but, the moment anyone attempt to force him to behave a certain way, he was bound to lash out. This was one of his more peculiar yet praiseworthy qualities. He was remarkably easy to convince if you played off his sensibilities, but, the moment you attempted to force him, he would do everything in his power to oppose you. He had a remarkable sense of responsibility, but, unlike others with similar dispositions, he was unwilling to capitulate to threats. If you tried to force him, you might succeed in dictating his actions, but, given enough time, it was inevitable that Nobu would get his revenge...Glowering in response to Yui's words, Nohime clenched her hands into fists. Before she could say anything in retaliation, however, Nobuhime began to make a series of disgruntled baby sounds that demanded attention. Unfortunately, despite her bridal training, Nohime had no experience dealing with children. As a result, she could only observe as Yui sprang to her feet and skillfully resolved the situation.........(A/N: Nobu is beginning to learn that fate is not so easily eluded...)

Though he had agreed to become the future Patriarch, that didn't mean Nobu was ready to assume the position any time soon. His primary focus at the moment was becoming stronger and learning more about the world he currently lived in. Thus, while they did briefly discuss his ascension to the position of Patriarch, most of the conversation revolved around settling the dispute in Asai.As there was bound to be some backlash regarding Nobu's return, performing well in Asai would make things a lot easier for him moving forward. When it came down to it, the people didn't really care who was in charge, only that they were capable of getting things done. So long as Nobu could prove himself, the support of the people would naturally follow.With this in mind, it was decided that Nobu would spend the next six to nine months focusing on increasing the strength of himself and his allies. It would only take a handful of people at the Fifth Realm to put pressure on the entirety of Asai. If they had a Mithril Lord on their side, the matter was all but settled.Due to Nobu's decision to cultivate the Breath Progression Technique, the Mithril that had been reserved for him could be given to someone else. The most obvious choice for this was Yui, but, as she would be giving birth a few months before the deployment, Senichi surprised both Nobu and Senken by suggesting they give it to Nohime.Recognizing the name, Nobu was unsurprised to learn that Nohime was the name of the woman he assumed to be his fiancee. Unfortunately, this was a misunderstanding on his part, as, for the sake of maintaining a cooperative relationship with the Mino Province, Nohime had been married to him posthumously.When Nobu first learned this, his desire to beat the shit out of his predecessors reached an all-time high. What made the situation even worse was the knowledge that Nohime had been living at the Oda Clan since she was eight. In other words, she had been forced to leave her home and conduct bridal training in spite of the fact that he had already been reported dead. After that, she was kept in the Inner Sanctum before being compelled to perform a wedding and mourning ceremony at the mind-numbingly young age of twelve.In essence, Nohime had already been Nobu's wife for six, going on seven years. He had the option of divorcing her, but, knowing what she had been forced to endure as a result of his decision, Nobu didn't have the heart to make such a decision arbitrarily. It didn't help that, Saitō Dōsan, the Lord of the Mino Province, had ceded more than thirty percent of his land as part of Nohime's dowry. Land that the people of Owari had spent the better part of a decade developing.........Though he wanted to act like it wasn't his problem, Nobu was the most aware of how his decision had influenced his life and the lives of the people around him. Had he accepted his reincarnation without incident, he could have prevented this situation, or, at the very least, got to know Nohime while they were still young. Instead, his selfishness ended up derailing the lives of countless people all because he wanted to keep his dick and avoid a bit of awkwardness. Now, each and every day of his reincarnation reinforced the idea he had fucked up beyond compare...If he were being perfectly honest with himself, Nobu couldn't deny that a part of him just wanted to tell everyone to go fuck themselves. He didn't want to deal with any of this shit, and, were it not for the fact he felt a sense of obligation towards the people whose lives had been ruined as a result of his decision, he would have run away or yeeted himself.Knowing how frustrating the next couple of years were going to be, especially once things began to pick up, Nobu found himself seriously considering just ending things. He, truthfully speaking, didn't even know how to take responsibility for his own life, much less the lives of others. Bombshells such as his reincarnated mother being his younger sister didn't help. In fact, it was like a kick in the dick to his motivation as the thing that had been fueling him up until that exact moment was his desire to return home. Now, not only did he have unnecessary knowledge regarding his mother's kinks, he would need to protect her as eight other reincarnators turned the world into a fucking playground...When he looked at everything subjectively, Nobu couldn't help feeling dismayed. He didn't want to sound like a bitch, but this wasn't what he had signed up for when he reincarnated. It was one thing to face difficulties in a new world. He could even tolerate inordinate amounts of pain and loneliness so long as he kept it to himself. Trying to be a decent person and a good leader? These were things he had never even wanted to be. Now, he had to play the part fate had decided for him, and, every time he thought he was beginning to get things under control, he was blindsided and kicked in the metaphorical dick by yet another revelation related to a single fucking decision he had made in the past.........While waiting to meet his wife of seven years for the very first time, innumerable negative thoughts plagued Nobu's mind. He found himself regretting his decision to become Patriarch, and, though it made him feel like a piece of shit, he was even regretting knocking up Inami and Yui. The latter was clearly not ready to be a mother, and, as far as he knew, Inami was the agent of Inari. Things might be going well between them, but, depending on how things played out in the future, shit could hit the fan in an instant..."What the fuck am I doing...?"As that question parted his lips, an incomparably dismal thought crossed Nobu's mind. He began to feel as though the reality of reincarnation had stripped his life of meaning. The notion that he could just kill himself and start over in another world was a surprisingly heavy burden. He imagined this was the reason he couldn't openly discuss it, as, the moment the poor and downtrodden of society became aware of how their perspective influenced their afterlife, they would simply off themselves rather than deal with the shitty hand they had been dealt.The more he thought about his current predicament, the more Nobu felt as though his life was being deliberately manipulated by the Gods, or, even worse, some asshole sitting at a computer. Everything that happened to him seemed to be geared towards forcing him to accept his current predicament. The reincarnation of his mother, in particular, was especially sinister as his only real options at this point were to swallow his indignation or convince a three-month-old to perform a suicide pact with him..."..."Resisting the urge to get up and punch a hole in the wall, Nobu willfully ignored the fact he was supposed to be waiting for his wife and laid down. He had developed the inconvenient habit of thinking about the consequences of his actions these past couple of months so he could easily imagine what would happen if he jumped off a cliff with his reincarnated mother in his arms. His newer mother would most likely lose her mind, and, depending on how Hitomi handled things, it wasn't difficult to imagine Yui and the rest following his example."I really fucking hate this world..."Though it wasn't the first time he had uttered such words, Nobu felt as though he meant them more and more with each repetition. Unfortunately, no amount of complaining would have any effect on his present situation, so, after staring listlessly at the ceiling for several mind-numbing minutes, he eventually sat up and began fiddling around with the stone tablet. He didn't want to admit it but he really didn't have any other choice but to do his best, so, understanding the stone tablet was the key to 'fixing' everything, Nobu's eyes focused on the gently glowing screen as he thumbed through every single tab like a lab analyst trying to find the cure for a pandemic.Unfortunately, just as Nobu felt as though he was starting to get his groove back, a soft tapping could be heard outside before the door slid open to reveal an emotionless-looking woman with long black hair and dark eyes. This caused Nobu's brows to crease into a frown, not because of the woman, but because someone else was missing."Where's Yui...?"Squinting her eyes, Nohime closed the sliding bamboo door behind her before offering a polite bow and saying, "It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance...Danna..."Inhaling a deep breath, Nobu did his best to restrain his rapidly growing anger. He was starting to get really annoyed by the fact other people were having Yui run off and do whatever the fuck they wanted. It might sound possessive of him but she was supposed to obey his commands. The fact he hadn't even seen her in nearly twenty-four hours seriously starting to irk him.Fortunately, thanks to the Breath Progression Technique, Nobu was able to calm down much faster than he otherwise would have been able to. Excess oxygen could give rise to feelings of euphoria, and, more importantly, it helped to focus the mind. In other words, Nobu could get high whenever he wanted, but, instead of experiencing a mental haze, his concentration and reaction time would increase to superhuman levels.After forcibly calming himself, Nobu surprised Nohime by rising to his feet and approaching her directly. His height allowed him to tower over her, and, due to his lack of control, the difference in their cultivation bases caused Nobu to exude a natural pressure as he adopted a serious expression and said, "I'm not going to pussyfoot around the issue. I don't give a damn about this marriage. I'll do my best to make things work but I'm going to need you to tell me about your intentions, hopes, dreams, and pretty much everything else you can think of related to the future. You've had the last ten years to think, start talking..."Though he had wanted to start things off by apologizing, Nohime's casual dismissal of his previous question had left a bad taste in his mouth. Her apathetic countenance also made her appear cold and calculating. There was a good chance she had become this was as a result of his decision, but, even if that was the case, there wasn't really anything he could do about that. If she turned out to be a cold and ruthless bitch, he wasn't going to have anything to do with her.As if her knees weren't shaking as a result of the pressure exuding from Nobu's body, Nohime managed to stare into his eyes without so much as a trace of fear in her own. Such sentiments had faded from her mind years ago, so, now that she was finally face-to-face with the man she had built her entire life around, she felt more excited than anything else. It didn't really show on her face, but, after spending years surrounded by people who would readily exploit her, concealing her emotions had become second nature.Offering the slightest of smiles, a plan began to form within Nohime's mind as she answered, "Very well. If that is what Danna desires, it is only natural that I comply..." Then, without even suggesting they take a seat, she proceeded to answer each of his questions without breaking eye contact even a single time.........(A/N: I feel like Nobu would try and beat the shit out of me if we ever met...)

After returning to the castle aboveground, Nobu briefly excused himself to use the bathroom before meeting up with his father and grandfather in one of the more traditional rooms. Both fell silent when he entered, but, before he could ask what they were talking about, Senken beat him to the punch, asking, "What do you know about the situation in Asai?"Though Hitomi had already informed him about Nobu's reaction to the death of Tako, seeing his son apologize in the Dragon's Chamber caused Senken to have doubts. He was originally planning to let Nobu take charge of the situation. If the latter wanted to settle down and focus on building a family, however, he had no intention of opposing him. It was a little unorthodox but he could easily lead the Oda Clan for another decade if his son wasn't ready to step up.Not expecting his father to suddenly mention Asai, Nobu found himself at a momentary loss for words. His beatdown and capture two days prior had helped to put things in perspective. He was still weak, and, the moment he found himself surrounded by enemies, he was basically fucked.With that thought in mind, Nobu closed his eyes and took a long and deep breath before opening them to say, "My information specialist, Kumiko, has gone through all the documents related to the recent turmoil in Asai. I've also gone through a number of documents personally so I have a pretty good idea what's been going on..."Nodding his head in approval, Senken pulled out a large scroll, seemingly out of thin air, before unfurling it on the ground and asking, "And? What do you think we should do about it? Like, if you were the person in charge of dealing with the rebellion, how would you resolve things?"Furrowing his brows, Nobu hesitated to answer. In response, Senken just waved his hand in a casual gesture of dismissal, saying, "Relax, kid. I'm not going to go back on our previous agreement. You're free to continue staying in Yumegakure for as long as you like. We're just interested in hearing how you might tackle the situation."Seeing that the scroll was actually an extremely detailed map of Asai and the surrounding region, a glimmer of interest appeared in Nobu's eyes. It even included a breakdown of the balance of power between the various factions that had rooted themselves within the city. This included color-coded properties, and, more importantly, an outline of each faction's military forces.Before discussing things further, Nobu pulled out his stone tablet to take a photo of the map. This was something he had been trying to get his hands on for quite a while, but, thanks to the contract that restricted their actions, neither Hitomi nor Suzune was allowed to give him a detailed map as it was considered a state secret strictly regulated by the Imperial Family. Anyone found in possession of a detailed map would immediately be tried as a spy, so, with the exception of Daimyos, Generals, and a few affluent merchant associations, everyone else was completely ignorant in regards to the shape, structure, and territorial breakdown of the Archipelago.With several other reincarnators running around, Nobu knew it was only a matter of time before he would need to wage war against them. The Goddess had made it pretty clear that the others were unaware of each other's existence, and, based on how his father and grandfather had been acting, Nobu felt it was safe to assume they couldn't openly discuss their true identities or past lives. Thus, with the expectation that he would be pitted against eight other reincarnators, each in possession of a balance-breaking cheat, Nobu decided to start planning ahead.Fortunately, just as he took a snapshot of the map, yet another notification appeared on Nobu's stone tablet. When he saw what it was, a massive grin developed across his face as a tattered and ancient-looking map had appeared as an App on his Home Screen. It didn't immediately reveal his surroundings, but, in exchange for a substantial amount of Aura, he could basically send out pulses of energy that mapped everything in a 100m radius.Seeing the weird look on his son's face, Senken's serious expression morphed into a wry smile as he asked, "You still with us, kid...?"Blinking back to awareness in response to his father's words, Nobu adopted a wry expression of his own as he explained, "Sorry. My Heavenly Treasure just unlocked a mapping function. It consumes a lot of Aura, but I can use it to create an overhead map of everything in my surroundings. Better yet, it apparently lets me save any maps I've scanned directly. I'm not sure if it updates in real-time, but I now have a map of Owari-Asai stored in my stone tablet."Hearing Nobu's explanation, both Senken and Senichi were shocked. Everything they learned about Nobu's Heavenly Treasure made it appear increasingly broken. At the same time, however, they felt it was remarkably suited for someone with the destiny of uniting the Archipelago.Recovering quicker than his son, Senichi asked, "Can you transfer the details to a piece of paper? If you can actively map your surroundings, that is an unbelievably useful ability in a tactical setting. It could also make managing the territory a lot easier."Since he couldn't find anything that would allow him to superimpose the map onto an object, Nobu eventually shook his head before answering, "No, but I can probably draw it out if I have a piece of grid paper. The map on my stone tablet also uses grids so I shouldn't have any problems creating a copy. I'm not the best artist but I'm pretty good when it comes to linework."Nodding his head in understanding, Senichi decided to shelve the topic of creating updated maps until later. That wasn't the reason they had gathered like this, so, with various duties awaiting him, he decided to get back on track, saying, "Well, we can discuss that later. For now, why don't you try answering your father's question? Your Heavenly Treasure is clearly oriented towards rul...managing others. Let's hear what you have to say."Though he furrowed his brows in response to his grandfather's clearly intentional slip, Nobu was eager to end this conversation so he could rendezvous with Yui. Thus, after taking a moment to organize his thoughts, he answered, "If you had asked me this question a few weeks ago, I would have insisted on assigning a specialized task force to assassinate the current Governor. After that, I would place an embargo on trade with Granus before expelling their ships from port..."Rather than admonishing Nobu for his lack of foresight, Senichi just nodded his head in approval while Senken adopted a strangely proud look on his face. This caused Nobu to feel uncomfortable as the advice he had received from both Hitomi and Suzune left him doubting this was the correct course of action.Noticing Nobu's discomfort, an amused chuckle emanated from Senken's throat before he teasingly inquired, "You're surprisingly sensitive, ain'tcha?"Glaring at the ashen-haired man, Nobu briefly considered telling him to shove a bamboo shoot up his ass. Fortunately, Senken beat him to the punch, adding, "Truth be told, I don't dislike that way of thinking. When I was your age, I got into a lot of trouble because I disliked how political everything was. Hell, if we're being completely honest, I was closer to twice your age before I finally got my shit together..."Scratching the back of his head, Senken's smile became somewhat awkward as he recalled all the trouble he and his friends had gotten into. If his father and the members of his entourage hadn't been there to bail him out, he probably would have lost his life on more than a few occasions...Taking advantage of his son's silence, Senichi decided to add, "Demonstrations of power are vitally important to the stable management of a territory. If this incident didn't involve another country, it might have worked. Unfortunately, we-"Before Senichi could finish speaking, Nobu gave the man an incredulous look, stating, "I said that was the plan I would have come up with weeks ago. The Matriarch of the Yoshitsune Clan and their Information Elder have already explained to me why such a course of action isn't acceptable in this instance. Since then, I have been thinking of other plans to try and resolve everything in a way that ensured the greatest number of benefits for the province..."While he wasn't particularly fond of being interrupted, Senichi just supplied a curt and patient nod before gesturing for Nobu to continue. He knew exactly what kind of woman Hitomi was, and, while he felt the Yoshitsune Clan had too much sway over his grandson, there wasn't much he could really do about it. Nobu had already cooked rice with the Guardian of the Yosthisune Clan, so, depending on what the fates had in store, the Oda and Yoshitsune Clans would be one and the same...With his father and grandfather patiently awaiting his explanation, Nobu took another deep breath before going on to assert, "Trade with Granus has become integral to our economy. In spite of this, I still believe the best course of action moving forward is to place an embargo on trade. So long as we are openly trading with them, the Imperial Family will be unwilling to support our deposition of the current Governor..."Since the Imperial Family had prohibited trade with foreign countries, the Oda Clan was, technically speaking, in gross violation of the law. The only reason the Imperial Family hadn't cracked down on them was because the Oda Clan was among their most powerful allies and one of the only families that still supported the Ashikaga Shogunate. They were also the largest consumer of luxury goods imported from the Heavenly Kingdom and Granus, so, when it came down to it, they would be the most affected if trade suddenly ceased. It was an amazing example of the 'rules for thee, not for me' mentality..."While we await the decision of the Imperial Family, we'll send a representative to conduct a public audit. In actuality, they will just be a figurehead while a team of experts investigates the Governor's family and negotiates terms and pledges support to the other influential factions in the region. This includes the merchants of Granus, who, in exchange for being able to stay in port, will need to pay a leasing fee..."Though he actually wanted to investigate Granus and try to seize some of their tech, Nobu wasn't too optimistic about their chances of success. Thus, taking advantage of the fact it took literal years to complete a round trip between their two countries, he wanted to put pressure on those currently in port using the inbound ships as leverage. After all, while those currently present might have more than enough supplies to set sail, those just arriving would have no choice but to resupply."Our end goal will be to renegotiate terms and redistribute power in Asai so that a repeat incident is less likely to occur. If the merchants of Granus refuse, we will take inbound vessels hostage and force them to exchange their goods in exchange for the supplies necessary to return. We may end up making an enemy in the long term but we should be able to benefit for the next seven years or so. In the end, this is the consequence their actions have mandated. If we give ground in the pursuit of profits, they will become even more brazen in the future. Instead, we should focus on increasing our revenue through internal production and distribution. Relying on imports from another country will place us in a precarious position if we ever find ourselves at odds with our neighbors..."As the merchants of Granus were disgustingly opportunistic, it wasn't even remotely difficult to imagine them increasing their prices the moment Owari entered into conflict with the surrounding Provinces. They would basically be able to name their prices, so, in an effort to teach them a lesson and temporarily remove them from the picture, Nobu was more than willing to step on a few toes.Hearing Nobu's surprisingly rational assessment of the situation, smiles developed across the faces of Senken and Senichi. Nobu had even pointed out a few things they had overlooked, so, while they still had a number of misgivings about the future, the notion that Nobu would be the one to unify the Archipelago was now firmly cemented in their minds...And thus they laughed.......(A/N: Our boy is as clever as he is petty xD...)

Chapter 126: Resolution Over Resignation