[ReaperxKingx]

Originally Posted by Undertaker

Though technically Inuchiyo isn't Sagara's retainer.


As far as Hanbei & Hideyoshi relation in history,

Technically at this time Hideyoshi's doesn't does not have any retainers. (after all at this time he had no land nor was his salary high enough to support one) Hachisuka Masakatsu (Geomon) was a local leader that had a good relation with Hideyoshi and was introduced by him but he wasn't his official retainer until Hideyoshi was given his his castle.

Hanbei was the same, he technically is serves as Nobunaga's loan to Hideyoshi in history, though a a saying was the it was the condition for his surrender by Hanbei. There are two theories for it, first was that Nobunaga and Hanbei had poor relation due to either the way Satou clan fall or personality conflict. This theory is more popular in fiction than among historian. Historian mostly refute this theory mainly due to the fact that Mino take-over was fairly bloodless. Reguardless whether Dousan's will letter existed or not, most Satou retainers switch sides and in the end Nobunaga didn't execute any Satou member only exiled them.

The second (and the more prominent theory) was that Hanbei felt he won't be able perform to his best ability if serving directly under Nobunaga because Nobunaga isn't one who needed strategical advice. This was more supported due to various record shows that Hanbei respects Nobunaga's intellect, and the fact that Kuroda, an equally regarded tactician and strategist, stated that very same reason when he surrendered to Oda clan and became Hideyoshi's retainer.


That being said, most fiction especially in games and anime, they usually just put those two as Hideyoshi's direct retainer to begin with to save the explanation and minimize that need complicate the already complicated Sengoku hierarchy.

The more I read your posts, the more I learn about Japan's history. It is really interesting to read.