Early the next morning, before dawn had even broken, Nagano Castle erupted into a frenzy of activity.
Oda Nobunaga's lower-level household retainers were shouting, urging the Lang Faction to check their armor, long spears, short knives, bows, arrows, and other military preparations. Meanwhile, the ashigaru—the foot soldiers—set up pots to cook rice, fed the horses and donkeys, and filled bamboo tubes with water. As a novice himself, Harano imitated what everyone else was doing: donning his gear and at the same time directing his subordinates to cook rice, making sure they loaded the stretchers, medicine, and bandages prepared the night before onto the carts—after all, this was probably the only meal they'd get today. The rice would be packed into rice balls, and the Lang Faction and ashigaru would carry them for the whole day's rations.
