Changes

Following the defeat of both [[Asai Nagamasa]] and [[Asakura Yoshikage]] in [[1573]], Shibata was given the latter's province of [[Echizen Province|Echizen]] and took up residence at [[Kita-no-sho castle]]. Katsuie was also eventually given Asai's widow, O-ichi-Nobunaga's sister, and Nagamasa's three daughters. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Nobunaga's sister was given back to Katsuie, for the two had once been married. Sometime around [[1563]], for political expediency, Nobunaga had required Shibata to divorce the woman and then sent her off to Asai Nagamasa.  

Following the defeat of both [[Asai Nagamasa]] and [[Asakura Yoshikage]] in [[1573]], Shibata was given the latter's province of [[Echizen Province|Echizen]] and took up residence at [[Kita-no-sho castle]]. Katsuie was also eventually given Asai's widow, O-ichi-Nobunaga's sister, and Nagamasa's three daughters. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Nobunaga's sister was given back to Katsuie, for the two had once been married. Sometime around [[1563]], for political expediency, Nobunaga had required Shibata to divorce the woman and then sent her off to Asai Nagamasa.  

Shibata's first years in his new province would be occupied quelling local Honganji adherents, although it appears that he took some time off to assist Nobunaga at [[Battle of Nagashino|Nagashino]] in [[1575]]. After [[1576]], and with the help of [[Maeda Toshiie]] and [[Sassa Narimasa]], Katsuie pushed further north and into [[Kaga province]], a campaign short in glory but long in difficulty. Theoretically part of Shibata's fief since 1573, Kaga was in fact under the sway of the Ikko-Ikki, and required strenuous effort to be brought to bear, particularly since after [[1577]] the Uesugi of [[Echigo Province|Echigo]] were openly hostile to the Oda. Shibata was present for the [[Battle of Tedorigawa]] that year, in which [[Uesugi Kenshin]] defeated [[Oda Nobunaga]] and pushed Uesugi influence well into Kaga. Fortune shined on the Oda however, for in [[1578]] Kenshin died, plunging the Uesugi house into virtual civil war. When [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] finally emerged the new daimyo, Shibata had spearheaded an Oda advance all the way into [[Etchu Province|Etchu]]. In [[1581]] Meada Toshiie was sent to rule [[Noto Province|Noto]] and Sassa received Etchu. It is of some note and rather interesting that Shibata was never transferred from Echizen after 1573, the only major Oda retainer not to be shuffled around from province to province. It may well be that Nobunaga considered him the best man to guard the dangerous northern front against the Uesugi. Despite later events, there is no reason to believe that Shibata was overly ambitious, and a solid, loyal man was just what Echizen required.  

Shibata's first years in his new province would be occupied quelling local Honganji adherents, although it appears that he took some time off to assist Nobunaga at [[Battle of Nagashino|Nagashino]] in [[1575]]. After [[1576]], and with the help of [[Maeda Toshiie]] and [[Sasa Narimasa]], Katsuie pushed further north and into [[Kaga province]], a campaign short in glory but long in difficulty. Theoretically part of Shibata's fief since 1573, Kaga was in fact under the sway of the Ikko-Ikki, and required strenuous effort to be brought to bear, particularly since after [[1577]] the Uesugi of [[Echigo Province|Echigo]] were openly hostile to the Oda. Shibata was present for the [[Battle of Tedorigawa]] that year, in which [[Uesugi Kenshin]] defeated [[Oda Nobunaga]] and pushed Uesugi influence well into Kaga. Fortune shined on the Oda however, for in [[1578]] Kenshin died, plunging the Uesugi house into virtual civil war. When [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] finally emerged the new daimyo, Shibata had spearheaded an Oda advance all the way into [[Etchu Province|Etchu]]. In [[1581]] Meada Toshiie was sent to rule [[Noto Province|Noto]] and Sasa received Etchu. It is of some note and rather interesting that Shibata was never transferred from Echizen after 1573, the only major Oda retainer not to be shuffled around from province to province. It may well be that Nobunaga considered him the best man to guard the dangerous northern front against the Uesugi. Despite later events, there is no reason to believe that Shibata was overly ambitious, and a solid, loyal man was just what Echizen required.  

In [[1582]], Nobunaga was dead, betrayed by Akechi Mitsuhide in Kyoto. Shibata was too distant and too engaged with the Uesugi to do anything immediately, and could only watch as Hashiba [Toyotomi] Hideyoshi defeated Akechi at Yamazaki (just two days before Nobunaga's death, Shibata had captured [[Uzu Castle]] in Etchu). This military achievement gave Hideyoshi a considerable amount of clout when the old Oda retainers met at Kiyosu to discuss the succession issue. As Nobunaga's eldest son Nobutada had been killed in Akechi's rebellion, the matter was by no means cut and dried. Shibata supported Nobunaga's third son, [[Kambe Nobutaka]], while Hideyoshi championed Samboshi, the late Nobutada's young son. Hideyoshi won the day and it was decided that Nobutaka would act as guardian until Samboshi came of age. Shibata, skeptical of Hideyoshi's intentions and chagrined at having to treat a lowborn junior as an equal, did not, at least, walk away from Kiyosu a complete loser, picking up Hideyoshi's lands in northern Omi.  

In [[1582]], Nobunaga was dead, betrayed by Akechi Mitsuhide in Kyoto. Shibata was too distant and too engaged with the Uesugi to do anything immediately, and could only watch as Hashiba [Toyotomi] Hideyoshi defeated Akechi at Yamazaki (just two days before Nobunaga's death, Shibata had captured [[Uzu Castle]] in Etchu). This military achievement gave Hideyoshi a considerable amount of clout when the old Oda retainers met at Kiyosu to discuss the succession issue. As Nobunaga's eldest son Nobutada had been killed in Akechi's rebellion, the matter was by no means cut and dried. Shibata supported Nobunaga's third son, [[Kambe Nobutaka]], while Hideyoshi championed Samboshi, the late Nobutada's young son. Hideyoshi won the day and it was decided that Nobutaka would act as guardian until Samboshi came of age. Shibata, skeptical of Hideyoshi's intentions and chagrined at having to treat a lowborn junior as an equal, did not, at least, walk away from Kiyosu a complete loser, picking up Hideyoshi's lands in northern Omi.