Shincho-Ko ki: Okehazama Part III

"He continued, 'If the enemy attacks, retreat. If the enemy retreats, give chase. The goal is to bring down and destroy them in the chase. Do not capture anybody, leave them alone. If we win this battle, those participating will bring honor to your house and reputation assured in generations to come. Work hard!'

While Nobunaga was speaking, the following returned carrying the heads of enemy soldiers. Maeda Toshiie, Mori Nagahide, Mori Juro, Kinoshita Yoshitoshi, Nakagawa Kinemon, Sakuma Yataro, Moro Kosuke, Ajiki Yataro, and Uozumi Hayato. Then Nobunaga took his troops to the hills. All of a sudden, a violent downpour of rain occurred. It was so violent that catapulted ice stones struck the enemy as Nobunaga held the rear. The rain was so powerful that a camphor tree growing near the pines on the Kutsukake Pass facing east fell. It was so deadly that Nobunaga wondered if the Great Deity of Atsuta started its own war.

Then the sky cleared and Nobunaga with a spear in hand shouted in a loud voice 'Charge! Charge!' The enemy, seeing the assault coming forward like black smoke quickly fled. Bows, spears, guns, banners, and battle markers were thrown into confusion as the enemy retreated. Even Yoshimoto's lacquered palanquin was abandoned. Then Nobunaga yelled, 'There is Yoshimoto's camp. Attack!' It was approximately two in the afternoon when Nobunaga attacked east. At the beginning, there were three hundred riders who made a circle around Yoshimoto as they fled back, but they fought off the Oda two, three, four times their number which gradually decreased. In the end there were only fifty riders left...."

Nobunaga no tame!