Natori Masatake's grandfather, Natori Masatoshi, fought as a Takeda samurai and when he retired he joined the clan he studied from, the Sanada clan. Masatoshi's son, Natori Masatomi, carried on the Natori family for him and joined the Tokugawa clan, a house which was directly related to the shogun. The Natori family broke off into two divisions, Tokyo Natori and the other are the Natori in Kishu.