Author's Games: Samurai

Meet The Enemy: Hideyoshi Hashiba

Name: Hideyoshi Hashiba (hid-ee-oh-she hah-she-buh). 

Age: 22

Gender: Male 

Appearance: Because his mother was a foreigner, Hideyoshi has light caramel-colored, straight hair that reaches mid-back. He has the slanted eyes of his father, but they are a rich shade of gold. His features are sharp and angular, and he is tall and lanky, yet with muscles from years of training. His upper biceps are particularly strong, evidence from the weapon he uses. 

Weapon of choice: Yari (which is like a spear)

Personality: Hideyoshi is considered quite unusual among his samurai comrades. He loves to smile, and to laugh. Bringing joy and laughter to other people is what he loves the most. Despite this, he is loyal to Nobunaga and to his family. Loyalty, honesty and family are the most important virtues in his life. He kills for Nobunaga, even if most times he would rather avoid it. His lifelong dream is a unified Japan, where he can have a family and live in peace, hoping everyone he loves and cares for can be happy. 

Background: Hideyoshi's father was a poor man, often doing servant work for nearby samurai families. His mother was a foreigner, so he and his family were shunned for it. When he was nine years old, his younger sister was surrounded by rogue ronin  and beaten to death. His father died of grief and shame in being unable to protect his family. After that, Hideyoshi's only true goal was to bring a smile to his mother's face once again. Two years later, he somehow managed to become a servant in Nobunaga's household. One day, when he was supposed to be tending to Nobunaga's younger brother,  rogue ronin attacked. Hideyoshi had observed the samurai that he served on a daily basis and saved Nobunaga's younger brother. Nobunaga saw potential in Hideyoshi and convinced his father to train him. Hideyoshi served the Oda household faithfully, quickly rising in the ranks at a rate that surprised everyone. During a few of his battles, he encountered his childhood best friend, Magoichi Saika, who was now a mercenary for the Saika renegades. The two reunited and became closer, until Magoichi's unit was hired by Nobunaga after he took over as diaymo of the Oda clan. One year ago, it was requested that he marry Sen Yukimura for an alliance with their clan to the east. He went through with it to help his clan, despite that he truly wants to settle down and have a family with Magoichi's sister, Chizuru Saika. 

Important side characters with them: Magoichi Saika and his sister Chizuru were both childhood friends of Hideyoshi and are currently like his only family. Nobunaga is his diaymo, whom he serves loyally. Sen Yukimura is his wife. 

What influences their decisions in battle: Hideyoshi seeks advice from those he trusts and he follows orders. He often thinks things through, coming up with all possible outcomes and trying to do the ones that bring less bloodshed and saves the most lives. 

Belief: He believes in a unified Japan where his friends and family can be happy, and live in peace. The cherry blossoms is something that reminds him that all things will pass, so whenever he kills in battle or he's bothered by the blood and death, he reminds himself that it will soon end. 

Fun fact: Hideyoshi was actually a servant who took care of Nobunaga's sandals, and soon rose through the ranks and became one of Nobunaga's most trusted generals. After Nobunaga's death, Hideoyoshi actually took over and united Japan for a short period of time. This was pretty much the only history I included in his background - the rest I made up. :) 

Also, I forgot to mention Mitsuhide's, but he was actually a wanderer who served the Shogun, until he trained under Nobunaga. I can't mention the other piece of history that I included with him, because it's going to be a later plot-line and spoiler o.o but you'll know it when it happens, trust me and it's history.