evented by the
intervention of the shogun. Thenceforth, the Hatakeyama became
divided into two families, Masanaga's branch being the more powerful,
but Yoshinari obtaining favour at Muromachi and being nominated
kwanryo. Owing, however, to some petty causes, the shogun's good-will
was subsequently estranged, and Yoshinari had to flee from Kyoto,
pursued by Masanaga, who now held a commission from Muromachi to kill
him. A seven-years' fight (1460-1467) ensued in Kawachi and Yamato.
Yoshinari displayed greatly superior skill as a strategist, and
finally Yamana Sozen, who had always entertained a good opinion of
him even while opposing his succession at the outset, openly espoused
Yoshinari's cause. The immediate result was that Masanaga, who had
been named kwanryo in 1464, had to give way to SOzen's nominee, Shiba
Yoshikado, and found himself in deadly peril.

It is necessary here to recall the murder of the shogun Yoshinori, in
1441. That crime had resulted in the fall of the Akamatsu family, the
direct agent of its overthrow being the united forces of Hosokawa,
Takeda, and Yamana. There were no bonds of genuine friendship between
the Hosokawa chief, Katsumoto, and Yamana Sozen. Their union was
primarily due to Katsumoto's ambition. He desired to break the power
of Hatakeyama Tokuhon, and with that ultimate object he courted the
alliance of Sozen, giving his own daughter to the latter in marriage
and himself adopting Sozen's son, Koretoyo. Thus, the two chiefs were
subsequently found acting together against Tokuhon's attempt to
substitute his son, albeit illegitimate, for his nephew, as heir to
the Hatakeyama estates. Neither Katsumoto nor Sozen cared anything
about the succession itself. Their object was simply to crush the
Hatakeyama; and Sozen, who never relied on argument where force was
applicable, lost no time in attacking Tokuhon and driving him from
his burning mansion, as has been already stated. From the legal
consequences of that violence, Sozen was saved by Katsumoto's
intercession at Muromachi, and the alliance (1454) between the
Hosokawa and the Yamana seemed stronger than ever. But Sozen did not
greatly trust his crafty ally, with whose gifts of political strategy
he was well acquainted. He suspected Katsumoto of a design to restore
the fortunes of the once powerful Akamatsu family, and he began to
muster forces for the great struggle which he anticipated. Therefore
it was that, in 1467, as shown above, h