Nobunaga's Sandbearer, Kinoshita Tokichiro and Matsudaira Motuyasu

In 1561, Nobunaga began to campaign into Saito held Mino province and won a string of battles. He sent off his former sandal bear, this bloke I mentioned before, Kinoshita Tokichiro, to bribe other warlords into supporting the Oda over the Saitos. And then in 1561, another opportunity to strengthen the Oda's position emerged. This one was for Issei province which stood between Kyoto and the powerful Azai clan. Now Nobunaga didn't want to become embroiled in a long conflict over Omi province so instead he found a diplomatic way to gain a foothold into that province by arranging a marriage once again with his sister