Naitō Nobunari

As the years passed on with his brother's succession to headship and the birth of the Tokugawa, Nobunari primarily acted as the former's page, but ascended to a greater means of ranking after supporting in the 1565 assault against Mikawa monk rioters.

After distinguishing himself in battle during a certain assault upon Kuroma castle at a later time In 1572, during the Takeda clan campaign in Mikawa, Nobunari participated in the forces of Tokugawa.

Ieyasu sent him, Honda Tadakatsu,[1] and Ōkubo Tadasuke,[2] to lead the vanguard, where they meet Takeda forces led by Yamagata Masakage and Baba Nobuharu at the battle of Hitokotosaka.

[3] It is said that in this battle Tadakatsu gained recognition from the enemy forces for his antler helmet and his Tonbo-giri spear for his exploit in staving off the charges of Baba Nobuharu units.

[1] In 1573, Nobunari went on to respectively support the Tokugawa within the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573, and Nagashino of 1575, where he showed at least moderate ability on both battlefields.