Hyakkimaru's Birth
Book 1 of the Dororo Novel Series
Toriumi Jinzō
Part 5 - The Ōnin War Begins
Jukai and Sakuzō received news from the city that the war was getting fiercer and more intense. They hoped that Hyakkimaru hadn't gotten caught up in it somehow and died. Sakuzō was so distraught that he caught a fever and was stuck in bed for several days.
A small child that Jukai and Sakuzō had never seen before came running to the estate.
"Aniki is very badly hurt," the child said. Dororo now knew that Hyakkimaru's body was mostly artificial. He'd followed Hyakkimaru's precise directions to reach the estate, running almost the whole way from Kyōto to Mount Kurama. Jukai and Sakuzō prepared two horses and took them to Kyōto at all speed, following Dororo's directions to Hyakkimaru's hiding place.
Jukai caught sight of Hyakkimaru first. He looked very much like he had when Jukai had first found him, but he and Sakuzō were simply relieved that he was safe. They took him back to the estate to recover. Dororo followed them and stayed on the estate. He attached himself to Hyakkimaru's side and rarely left him.
When Hyakkimaru told Jukai what had happened to him at the Hall of Hell, Jukai remembered the story he'd heard from Yōda about how the earth remembered human history long after people forgot. The power in the earth could be channeled into psychokinetic energy.
"Mountaintops, shrines, and temples have always been considered holy ground, but sacred power exists everywhere, though not in equal amounts. The land remembers human history, along with all the birth and death that has occurred. Skilled users of psychokinesis can draw out power from the earth and use it for themselves."
Yōda had said that. Jukai had always believed that Yōda was telling the truth, at least on some level, but now he had proof. The demons had used the memory of the earth to restore the Hall of Hell to what it had been like eighteen years ago. It was likely that Jukai hadn't been attacked by demons during his visit to the burned-out Unryū Temple because his psychokinetic control was precise and mature and his potential was fully realized. Hyakkimaru's control over himself was still immature, and he was far from realizing his full potential.
Dororo had no psychokinetic abilities whatsoever, so he hadn't shared Hyakkimaru's vision of the Hall of Hell as it had been in the past. He had seen the demon woman, though, and the battle that had followed. Piecing together both Dororo and Hyakkimaru's accounts, Jukai made the assumption that the demon woman was a yōkai, not a Hall of Hell demon herself. She had the power to draw on the memory of the earth; that much seemed obvious. Thanks to the knowledge gained in Hyakkimaru's vision of the past, the samurai that Kazunen had seen at the Hall of Hell before it had burned now had a first name: Kagemitsu.
Jukai repaired Hyakkimaru's prosthetic limbs and got them into full working order again. He took the time to reinforce them so that they would be stronger against direct attacks. Hyakkimaru relayed the demon woman's threat to Jukai for interfering by making Hyakkimaru prosthetic limbs, but Jukai wasn't scared of her or the other demons. Sakuzō was terrified, though, so terrified that he opposed Jukai remaking Hyakkimaru's limbs.
Hyakkimaru looked at Sakuzō and laughed. "Sakuzō, we're on Mount Kurama, which is protected by the god of Iwakura Shrine and the Buddha triad at Kurama Temple. There's no need to worry about demons here."
"I wish I could just put on new limbs if mine fell off," Dororo said, more than a little jealous. "It would be so much easier to be a warrior that way."
"Fine, I'll cut your limbs off, then," Jukai said in a teasing tone. "Strip yourself down and I'll do it right away." He crossed the room to Dororo, who put his hands up over his head.
"No, no, no! I was joking!" Dororo turned bright red and glared at Jukai.
After his limbs were repaired and replaced, Hyakkimaru decided to make a visit to Kurama Temple and Iwakura Shrine to pray. Dororo followed him.
***
Hyakkimaru resumed the same training and ascetic practices that he'd performed before leaving Mount Kurama for Kyōto. He needed to discipline himself better so that he could control his emotions. He'd lost control of himself twice, and the demons had successfully beaten him twice. Supposedly—at least, according to its history—the Muramasa sword had the power to defeat demons, but the demon woman had brushed it aside as if it were no threat at all.
"This sword doesn't yet recognize you as its master," Jukai said after looking it over. "It responds to your will, but it tries to control you when it should be the other way around. That's why it failed to penetrate the demon's defenses. Your control of the sword is still imperfect—even more so when it's not even in your hand.
"Controlling a sword is not a matter of dominance, but of mastery. If you learn to use the sword to its maximum capabilities, you'll transform the weapon into something that is both powerful and alive to your will."
It was winter by the time Hyakkimaru recovered from his battle with the demon woman. Mount Kurama was blanketed in white snow. Hyakkimaru continued his sword practice and training in self-discipline until the start of the new year. The Muramasa sword seemed suited to the atmosphere of the mountain's silent forests. Over time, Hyakkimaru felt it responding more readily to psychokinesis. The hilt thrummed in his hand as if the sword had its own heartbeat. When the blade slashed the air, long white after-images were left behind.
Hyakkimaru also learned to manipulate the sword when it wasn't in his hand. He sent it away through the air and then summoned it back, over and over again.
Jukai tried to reverse-engineer the spelling of the name Kagemitsu. There were more than seven common ways to express kage in writing, but only two were in common use for samurai names: the one meaning 'shadow' and the one meaning 'view.' There were six different common ways to express mitsu; of these, three were in common use for samurai names. Six names were possible with the combination of these kanji.1 Jukai didn't think that Hyakkimaru had heard the name wrong, since his hearing was better than that of most people, but there was always a possibility that he'd mistaken it for a similar-sounding name. They also didn't have the samurai's clan name, which was the more important of the two if they actually wanted to find him.
Hyakkimaru decided to return to Kyōto at the beginning of March. Jukai and Sakuzō knew that they couldn't stop him from going back. Dororo wanted to remain at the mountain estate, but when it became clear that Hyakkimaru was leaving no matter what, he said, "I guess I'm going, too. Aniki needs backup."
Jukai admired Dororo's bravery, but he was still a small child, so he tried to convince Dororo to stay at the estate, where it was safe. Dororo couldn't be dissuaded from leaving with Hyakkimaru, so Jukai made some weapons for the boy that he could conceal on his person, including a blowgun. Both the weapon and darts could be hidden inside his sleeves. The darts were sharp enough to pierce through a solid wooden board from a fair distance away. Dororo practiced using the blowgun and darts in the woods, shooting them at the trees in front of him.
***
Sakuzō came back from a trip to visit his family in Kaede. He updated everyone regarding the war situation in Kyōto.
"It's hell in the capital," Sakuzō said. "The entire upper city is on fire or burned to a crisp. Dead people are rotting in the streets. The only things left alive there are the crows and wild dogs that pick at the bodies." He paused, then said, "And I've heard that the soldiers capture young men that they find wandering and force them into the army." This was happening in Kaede, as well. Most families had at least one son or a father conscripted. "The conscriptions are being carried out in the name of the commander of the Eastern Army, Hosokawa Katsumoto."
"What?" Jukai exclaimed in surprise. In his previous role as the shōgun's deputy in this region, Hosokawa Katsumoto had hunted Sakuzō. He would have killed Sakuzō if woodcutters in Shizuhara hadn't hidden him away. "Are there even that many wandering and unemployed men left to conscript?"
"I have no idea how many there are. Who knows what Katsumoto is thinking."
Ever since the Eastern Army had lost control of the Shōkoku Temple to the Ōuchi Clan, Hosokawa Katsumoto and his army had been stuck in Muromachi, which wasn't a favorable place for them to attack from. The Western Army was expanding its territory and tightening its grip on Kyōto. Hosokawa Katsumoto had to recruit more fighters into his army if he ever hoped to regain his previous advantage. His choice to conscript wanderers and the unemployed was a bit dubious; most of the unemployed who were of fighting age were bandits, brigands, or thieves. Having men like that fight alongside honorable samurai would almost certainly cause dissension in the ranks.
"I guess I should enlist, then," Hyakkimaru said.
Jukai and Sakuzō stared at Hyakkimaru in slack-jawed amazement. Dororo's eyes widened in disbelief. Did Hyakkimaru really want to join up with such a disreputable lot of his own free will?
"You can't," Dororo said. "You just can't. They'll kill you if you even look at 'em funny. They're even worse than those guys you killed who were attacking that lady."
Hyakkimaru gave Dororo a crafty sort of smile. "To take down the general, you must start with his horse," he said.
"What does that mean?" Dororo asked, frowning in puzzlement.
Jukai understood Hyakkimaru's intentions now. It was true that Hosokawa Katsumoto was currently recruiting any man who could hold a sword, but his core army was comprised of well-trained samurai of noble birth. Joining the army would allow Hyakkimaru to get close to them and ask questions. He had only one clue—the name Kagemitsu—but it was better than nothing.
The next morning, Hyakkimaru and Dororo left the estate and climbed down Mount Kurama. Sakuzō followed them, chiding Dororo and worrying over him like a mother hen, so Dororo was in a foul mood. Hyakkimaru didn't shield Dororo from any of Sakuzō's suffocating hovering, to say nothing of his scolding.
After a while, Hyakkimaru looked behind him and saw that Dororo was no longer there.
"Where did he get to?" Sakuzō asked. "You can't leave that one alone for one minute..."
Dororo sincerely admired Hyakkimaru; it was difficult to peel him away from Hyakkimaru's side for even a moment. He hadn't wandered far enough from Hyakkimaru to be completely out of his sight line since they'd first arrived at the estate. The last time Hyakkimaru had wandered off without Dororo, he'd been attacked by a demon. Dororo didn't think that was a simple coincidence, and even if it was, Hyakkimaru obviously needed protecting. It stood to reason that Dororo hadn’t gone very far.
When he reached Kyōto, Hyakkimaru rented a place to stay in the lower city. The Eastern Army had a strong presence there, but unlike the upper city, the buildings and infrastructure were mostly intact. He stayed overnight, and when he came out of his room the next morning, he listened to some peddlers talking in the common room. In times of peace, they'd sold things like salt, onions, fish, and mochi, but now they mostly sold scavenged armor and weapons. Several women peddlers from Ōhara were among them, lamenting the current state of the city. It wasn't nearly as lively as it used to be.
There was a large group of men gathered outside a temple to the east of the inn. Hyakkimaru guessed that they numbered around two hundred. Many were drinking and gambling. They were unusually fired up and shouting loudly. Hyakkimaru quietly joined them in front of the temple.
A gambler's eyes passed over Hyakkimaru. He rose to his feet with astonishing speed and pulled Hyakkimaru into a bone-crushing hug.
"What...what are you doing?" Hyakkimaru gasped.
"Did you forget me already?" the man asked, tilting his head slightly.
Hyakkimaru stared at him for a long moment. His eyes went wide. This was the third man who'd been assaulting the woman inside the noble estate—the man who'd run away. He was as skinny as a bean pole now, but he was definitely the same person.
"Who are you?" Hyakkimaru asked.
"Kamogawara Heisuke." He put out his hand as if he expected Hyakkimaru to shake it. His fellow gamblers stood up and surrounded Hyakkimaru in a loose circle.
Hyakkimaru gave Kamogawara a swift kick in the chest. Kamogawara went flying backwards and collapsed.
"You son of a bitch!"
Kamogawara's friends drew their swords and knives. A large man who looked like the leader of the group went red with rage and advanced on Hyakkimaru.
"Don't touch him," Kamogawara said as he got to his feet.
"Why?" the leader asked. "Isn't he just some worthless kid?"
"Uh, well..." Kamogawara remembered just how terrifying Hyakkimaru could be with a sword. He looked like he was about to cry.
Hyakkimaru made some subtle adjustments to his psychokinesis, then asked, "Why are you all gathered here?"
"We were told to wait here," Kamogawara said.
"To be conscripted; isn't that right?" Hyakkimaru asked.
"Uh...yes. Lord Honekawa asked us to join up."
"That's why I'm here, too," Hyakkimaru said.
"Oh, you too?" some of the other men asked, nodding at him and one another.
Their change in tone was proof that they were scared of him. Kamogawara's word must carry some weight with this group. The tension in the air dissipated. The men who'd stood up went back to gambling.
"How did you find me?" Kamogawara Heisuke asked.
Hyakkimaru took a seat next to him. "Is Lord Honekawa your leader?" he asked.
"The Board of Retainers has taken an interest in him. He was given a golden sword by the shōgun's deputy himself."
Hyakkimaru grinned broadly and asked, "Really?"
Kamogawara looked at him in confusion. It was hard to reconcile being kicked in the chest with Hyakkimaru's new attitude of friendliness. "You still haven't told me why you're here."
"Yes, well, about that..."
Kamogawara didn't really open up at first, but he'd only ever seen Hyakkimaru angry. He was much easier to get along with when he was calm. Hyakkimaru got him talking soon enough.
The driving force behind all the new conscripts in the Eastern Army was Kyōgoku Mochikyo, who'd received strict orders from Hosokawa Katsumoto. Mochikyo consulted with Taga Takatada, who pointed him to Honekawa Dōken,2 the leader of a large group of roving bandits. He knew how to recruit the wandering and the unemployed; he'd been doing it since long before the war started. Honekawa had something of a bad reputation. Travelers trembled when they heard his name.
For Hosokawa Katsumoto to hire such scum as Honekawa's men was a sure sign of the end of the world.
For their part, Honekawa's men didn't really understand why their leader had decided to throw his lot in with law-abiding citizens, but they would do what they were told as long as the money was good.
On March 15, 1468, a large group led by Honekawa Dōken holed up at Mount Inari near Kyōto, setting fires and causing disturbances with his archers, longswordsmen, and naginata wielders. His actions caused a second outbreak of heavy fighting between the Eastern and Western Armies.
Honekawa understood Hosokawa Katsumoto's plans and strategies well. By taking the high ground at Mount Inari, he was at an advantage against the Western Army. To attack his forces, the Western Army had to leave Kyōto via the road to Nara and attack while moving uphill. The official head of Mount Inari's shrine, Hagurade Wanokami, threw his support behind Honekawa and his men, which further hardened their position.
The armies of Yamana Sōzen and Hatakeyama Yoshinari were incensed when they could make no headway against Honekawa's forces.
Hyakkimaru first laid eyes on Honekawa Dōken on March 16, the day after his army's first major offensive. It was evening; Hyakkimaru caught glimpse of Honekawa's face as he led a raiding party away from Inari Shrine. He was as thin and ragged-looking as his name suggested,3 but very tall. He appeared to be around fifty years old. He had the fire of dominance and strong will in his eyes as he pushed his enemies back.
"Steal! Rape! Kill! Burn! More rewards await you if you survive!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice echoed on the mountain.
Honewaka's objective in this raid was to steal food and supplies from the enemy supply train. He pressed northward along the Nara Road toward the Western Army. The ashigaru mercenaries of the Western Army had erected a long fence across the road to help slow their enemies down and were lying in wait to spring an ambush. The road was the fastest way to Kyōto. Honekawa's men worked desperately to tear the fence down and suffered heavy casualties.
"Break it down! Charge!" Honekawa shouted.
The counter-raiders of the Western Army were all mounted on fast warhorses and armed with bows. Arrows fell like rain. The Eastern Army raiders serving under Honekawa Dōken couldn't approach the barrier fence without being shot down.
Only Hyakkimaru made it all the way to the line of the fence, a pine torch held high in his hand. He pulled his left arm prosthetic off with his right arm, causing the men surrounding him to gape in astonishment.
Hyakkimaru put the fence to the torch. There was a sound like an explosion and a whoosh of flames. One of the improvements that Jukai had made to Hyakkimaru's prosthetic limbs was the addition of a miniaturized hand cannon, made with parts brought by Namitarō. Hyakkimaru carried gunpowder, sulfur, and oil in his pack to make it easier to start fires. In a pinch, the gun could take wood ashes instead of gunpowder, so Hyakkimaru wouldn't be wanting for fuel as long as he stayed near the capital. When the gun went off, the sound was as loud as a thunderstrike.
This battle was the first time Hyakkimaru had used his new hand cannon. It was so loud that it frightened even him when it went off.
Honekawa shouted in encouragement. His men charged like an avalanche. The would-be ambushers were trapped between the fire and Honekawa's advancing horde and fled. Honekawa's men were wild and reckless; they kept setting fires even when they reached the enemy's supply lines and storehouses. Most of the supplies that Honekawa was sent out to retrieve went up in flames.
Western Army ashigaru engaged Honekawa's bandits in fierce combat. Because Honekawa had the approval and support of the shōgun's deputy, the common people who lived and worked near the storehouses largely supported the bandits. Most of them had been evacuated before the raid, but the few that stayed proved valiant and useful. Ashigaru corpses were piled into mounds on the road.
After the Western Army retreated, Honekawa's men salvaged what supplies could be saved from the fire and returned to Inari Shrine.
Honekawa's men lit torches and more fires and had a huge, drunken feast that lasted all night. They would conduct another raid on the Western Army the next day. Hyakkimaru slept in his own special tent away from the others, since he had no interest in the party. Kamogawara Heisuke shook his shoulder to wake him up in the middle of the night.
"The commander's summoned you," Heisuke said.
"Um...all right..." Hyakkimaru smiled a little and sat up.
When Hyakkimaru arrived at Honekawa Dōken's tent, he was consulting with his squad leaders about the strategy for the next night's raid. He dismissed them all when he saw Hyakkimaru and invited Hyakkimaru to sit across from him on a cushion. By the time Hyakkimaru sat down, they were the only two people in the tent.
Honekawa stared at Hyakkimaru with sharp and piercing eyes. "Well done today," he said.
Hyakkimaru bowed his head slightly. This was a golden opportunity to ask some questions. He needed Honekawa to trust him as an ally, so he showed him his prosthetic arm and how the hand cannon worked.
Honekawa's eyes fixed on him with interest. "I heard from Kamogawara that you have a strong sword arm, as well. I'm surprised I've never heard of you before...the story of a man with a gun for an arm would travel fast in these parts." He chuckled. "You're still so young...where are you from?"
Honekawa's penetrating stare was deeply unsettling. For the first time, Hyakkimaru worried about being noticed by such a ruthless and unscrupulous man. "I don't share my personal history with bandits," he said.
Honekawa frowned, but a moment later, he laughed hugely. "I like you. You don't take any shit. What was your name again...Hyakkimaru?"
"Yes."
"How would you like to serve at my side?"
Hyakkimaru considered his next words carefully. "I could," he said, "on one condition."
"What condition?"
"I'm looking for someone. I want your help to find him."
"Oh? Is he someone from the Eastern Army? Or the Western Army?"
"I don't know."
"But he's your enemy?"
"Good guess."
A cruel smile tugged at Honekawa's lips. "Do you want the Board of Retainers to investigate him for you?" The corners of his eyes crinkled as his smile grew wider. He had clearly hit the mark; even a little bit of information in his hands was dangerous. Hyakkimaru knew as much from Kamogawara, and from the reports that Mutō Yasuchika had sent to Jukai's estate on Mount Kurama before fire had consumed much of the upper city. Honekawa Dōken had been a trusted ally of the Board of Retainers in the capital for years. If he asked for an investigation to be done, it would be.
"The man I'm looking for lived in the mountains north of Mount Kurama, some eighteen years ago."
"1449...the start of the Hōtoku Era? What happened that year?"
"His wife had a child that autumn."
Honekawa's gaze conveyed perfect understanding. "Got it. I'll send a messenger tomorrow."
"Thank you," Hyakkimaru said, bowing his head.
Honekawa didn't ask any more questions of him.
"Stay here until tomorrow evening, when we have another raid," Honekawa commanded. "It stinks of sake and piss out there. No one can sleep surrounded by that," he said solicitously. He viewed Hyakkimaru as a powerful ally and wanted to keep him close.
Drizzling rain fell that afternoon. Honekawa's men mustered up and raided enemy warehouses. Hyakkimaru walked calmly through the battlefield, felling every man who attacked him in the light of torches and destructive fires.
"Aniki!" Dororo ran up to him suddenly, face illuminated by flickering flames. "I did it! I found you!"
"It's dangerous here," Hyakkimaru said. "Get to safety, now."
"I don't wanna. Can't I go to Inari Shrine, too? I'm sure you can get me into the army..."
"Don't be an idiot; you're a kid."
"But I'm worried about you." Dororo's tone held a hint of a whine.
"I'm worried about you," Hyakkimaru said. "Go back to the temple basement. I'll meet you there."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Suddenly, Hyakkimaru sprang at Dororo, pushing him out of the way of a spear-wielding ashigaru. He howled like a mad dog, crazy or drunk from combat adrenaline.
Dororo removed his blowgun and a dart from his sleeve and shot the ashigaru in the shoulder. The ashigaru stumbled backward with a grunt.
Dororo pulled his eyelid down with one finger and stuck out his tongue. "Serves you right, you bastard!"
Hyakkimaru smiled, but his tone was severe when he said, "You don't have time to laugh at him. Run!"
Dororo laughed lightly as he dashed off, away from the battle.
Honekawa's raid was so successful that his forces took control of most of the warehouses that served as the enemy's main supply line. The poor farmers and common people in the way of the armies were sick of the fighting and just wanted the war to be over. Many of Honekawa's recruits came from impoverished villages near the capital and shared the same sentiment.
Honekawa's conquered domain spread all the way to Dakeyama Fortress in Hanoi, which was held by Hatakeyama Yoshinari of the Western Army. Honekawa tended to strike fast and retreat quickly, so he was impossible to track and as elusive as a ghost. Hatakeyama Yoshinari became fed up with his raids and decided to send his entire army out to destroy Honekawa's camp at Inari Shrine. He took a few days to call on allies and prepare for the counter-offensive.
On March 21, the armies of Hatakeyama Yoshinari, Yamana Sōzen, Shiba Yoshikado, Ōuchi Masahiro, and Asakura Takakage marched out from Kyōto's upper city to Inari Shrine. The speed of their advance was so great that the road they used was nearly destroyed. The enormous combined army looked as black and thick as a swarm of locusts from above.
Using the full might of the Western Army was definitely excessive when all they had to do was destroy Honekawa Dōken's five hundred or so raiders. If Honekawa was worried about losing, he showed no sign of it. He remained calm and prepared himself and his men for the attack.
On the sixth day after hearing news of the impending attack, Honekawa Dōken summoned Hyakkimaru to a secret room inside the shrine.
"Leave the mountain before our enemies arrive," Honekawa said.
"Why?" Hyakkimaru asked.
"Because I'm a bandit leader, and you're a samurai. I'm not in charge of you." In investigating Hyakkimaru's past, he'd learned some things about his origins.
"I'm sorry that I can't help you more," Hyakkimaru said.
"Don't say that," Honekawa said. "We've had the Western Army on the run for all this time, and we have fewer than a thousand men. Sure, some of that is because of me, but I'd be lying if I said I did it alone. I've worked closely with the Board of Retainers, who are all samurai, for years. They trust me. Go to Lord Taga; he'll support you for my sake."
Honekawa got up and pulled out a clean uniform from a closet. It was well-made and looked expensive. "The shōgun's deputy gave me this, along with a golden sword. It is proof of my status. Please carry it for me."
"Yes, sir." Hyakkimaru bowed his head deeply. "I'll never forget what you've done for me."
"Hyakkimaru. Stay firm to your resolutions, and when the time comes, take your revenge."
"Thank you, sir."
"Now hurry," Honekawa said. "Kamogawara is waiting for you with two fast horses. He'll show you how to slip past the Western Army." Honekawa had planned all of this in advance. "My work here is done. All the bandits, indigent and unemployed will be wiped out in one fell swoop. At least the farmers'll be happy." He laughed, tilting back a little with the force of it.
Hyakkimaru and Kamogawara used fast horses to leave the army camp secretly from behind. They reached the bottom of the mountain safely. When it was time for them to part, Kamogawa called Hyakkimaru back and said in a voice full of emotion, "I'm going home. I was so poor that I couldn't stand it, so I threw away my humanity to become a bandit, all for the sake of a few coins. I've done a lot of bad things—maybe all the bad things—but when I saw your face for the first time, you reminded me of my son. I want to see him again."
"Safe travels," Hyakkimaru said.
"You, too," Kamogawara replied. He grinned, but he already seemed lonely. He turned his horse aside and quickly vanished from view.
Scant hours after that, the Western Army commenced its attack on Inari Shrine. A few hundred men, many of them raw recruits, stood no chance against the advancing horde. The main temple, Buddhist subsidiary temple, and the shrine's records all burned. That was the last battle for Honekawa Dōken and his bandits.
1 The kanji given for kage are 影、陰、景、
蔭、鹿毛、加解、and 下外. The kanji given for mitsu are
満、光、充、蜜、三、and 美津. Of these, the first and third of the
kage kanji are name kanji (影 and 景), and the first three mitsu kanji are
name kanji. The possible combinations to form the name Kagemitsu are
影満、影光、影充、景満、景光、and 景充. Of these, only 景光 is a
standard Japanese name.↩
2 Honekawa Dōken (date of birth unknown;
date of death: April 22, 1468) was the head of large group of roving
bandits who lived during the Muromachi period. He was originally the head
of a government police organization. During the Ōnin War in 1467, he
served as the chief commander of foot soldiers of Hosokawa Katsumoto's
army. Using Mt. Inari as an army base. In 1468, he was killed by Asakura
Toshikage. He is believed to have been attacked while he was disguised as
a woman to flee from his enemies.↩
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