The year is 1577. Akechi Mitsuhide sat on his horse. Behind him, an army of samurai rode on similar animals. They clopped along a rough, rocky road. They had been riding like this for two days, just like Oda Nobunaga had told them too. Oda Nobunaga was their daimyo; a daimyo is a general, a warlord, a ruler. He controlled a lot of power in Japan. It looked as though Oda might win the war that was going on. His ruthless tactics made him a feared daimyo. Akechi stopped his horse; the army behind him did likewise. "We are here," Akechi said to himself. It was the middle of the day. The sun was burning high in the sky, and the heat beated down on them. The army was at a castle that belonged to the Hatano clan. This clan was not nearly as powerful as Oda's.