The Ambition of Oda Nobuna

Nobuna and the Monkey

Yoshiharu Sagara finds himself in the Sengoku era and his life saved by the sacrifice of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. When he saves a teenage girl from enemy soldiers, he is surprised to discover that the girl is a female Nobunaga Oda named Nobuna Oda, the Daimyo of Owari. Furthermore, he also discovers some of the historical warlords of this era are female as well. As a reward of saving her life, Nobuna makes Yoshiharu her retainer but she, including her other servants Katsuie Shibata, Nagahide Niwa and Inuchiyo Maeda, are skeptical of his claims that he is from the future. Nevertheless, he vows to take over Hideyoshi's role in helping Nobuna. Meanwhile, the Daimyo of Mino, Dōsan Saitō, calls for a meeting with Nobuna over an alliance. Dōsan's servant Mitsuhide Akechi attempts an ambush on the Oda delegation but her plans are thwarted by Yoshiharu who convinces Nobuna to have her troops prepare their rifles. During the meeting, Nobuna reveals to Dōsan of her dreams for Japan and Yoshiharu reveals to him how will history view him in the future if he accept the alliance. Impressed by Yoshiharu's speech, he agrees to ally with the Oda clan by making Nobuna his heir.

Oda Family Power Struggles

Yoshiharu gets into trouble after he hits Nobukatsu Oda, Nobuna's younger brother after the latter insulted his sister. Nobukatsu demands his head as punishment but Nobuna can save Yoshiharu's life if she makes him a general but he must first prove his worth by assigning him to gather 8,000 koku of rice in a week. Using his marketing strategy of buying low and selling high, Yoshiharu manages to gather enough gold to buy the rice four times more than he was tasked in a week thanks to his ninja servant Goemon Hachisuka and Inuchiyo's help. However, Nobukatsu launches a rebellion after being convinced by his advisers that his sister is not fit to rule the clan. But Nobukatsu's rebellion is quickly and peacefully stopped after Nobuna's forces surround Nobukatsu's castle where Yoshiharu and the soldiers shout rally cries that scares Nobukatsu into submission. Nobuna attempts to kill Nobukatsu to set an example to others but Yoshiharu forces her to stop as he knows she still loves her brother and doing so will make her ruthless just like Nobunaga. Convinced, she forgives her brother who in gratitude, swears to never to rebel again and changes his name to Nobusumi Tsuda. Nobuna thanks Yoshiharu for what he did and makes him swear his loyalty to her.

The Mino Disturbance

Dōsan's son Yoshitatsu launches a coup d'état against his father for allying with Nobuna. Despite Nobuna's wish to send reinforcements, everyone knows they cannot do it for it will allow the Daimyo of Suruga, Yoshimoto Imagawa, the opportunity to invade Owari. Meanwhile, the Daimyo of Oumi, Nagamasa Asai meets with Nobuna to propose an alliance between their clans which will allow her armies to help Dōsan while his armies protect her borders against the Imagawa clan in exchange she marries him. However, Yoshiharu and the others loathes Nagamasa as he threatens to ally with the Imagawas if Nobuna refuses and he does not care about her feelings and is only interested with the benefits he gains as her husband. Yoshiharu, Katsuie, Nagahide and Inuchiyo convinces Nobuna to decline his offer. Not soon after that, Mitsuhide arrives with Dōsan's daughter Kichō, who Dōsan's entrusts her well being and his dreams to Nobuna as he prepares for a last stand near a river. Katsuie is forced to knockout Nobuna to prevent her from doing anything rash. Not wishing to see Nobuna sad over Dōsan's death, Yoshiharu, Goemon and a small group rescues Dōsan and his men as they escape to Owari from Yoshitatsu's forces through the river. Despite Yoshitatsu attempts to kill them, they are force to retreat when the Oda army saves Yoshiharu's group. As Nobuna berates Yoshiharu for his foolishness, everyone is soon informed that Yoshimoto and her army have invaded into Owari.

Winds of Change! Okehazama!

Nobuna fires Yoshiharu, blaming his actions that gave the Imagawas the chance to invade Owari. Yoshiharu becomes depress but Dōsan reveals to him the reason Nobuna fired him was because the people she cared had die and doesn't want the same fate happening to him. Encouraged by Dōsan to continue helping Nobuna, Yoshiharu heads out with his men, Goemon, Inuchiyo, Nobusumi and his female bodyguards to find Okehazama, where Yoshimoto's camp is located and where Nobunaga defeated the Imagawas in his timeline. After finding the camp, Nobusumi and his bodyguards distract Yoshimoto's men so that Yoshiharu can give the camp's location to his sister. However, Yoshiharu's entourage are confronted by ninjas lead by Hanzō Hattori. Despite the others holding them off, Hanzō captures Yoshiharu but the latter manages to convinces Hanzō to let him go as if Yoshimoto's is defeated, his master, Motoyasu Matsudaira, will no longer be a vassal of the Imagawa clan. Finally receiving Yoshiharu's intel, Nobuna and her army leads a surprise attack on Yoshimoto's camp. Due to rain and her men drunk due to Nobusumi, Yoshimoto's men are caught off guard and easily defeated by the Oda army. Katsuie is about to kill Yoshimoto but Yoshiharu stops her by groping her breasts as Yoshimoto is a cute girl. After Yoshiharu charms her, Yoshimoto agrees to surrender, ending the war. Nobuna thanks Yoshiharu for his help but also punishes him on what he did with Katsuie and Yoshimoto.

Strategy of the Genius Tactician

After forming an alliance with Motoyasu, the Oda army begin their attack to reclaim Mino from Yoshitatsu. However, their attempts are repeatedly thwarted by Hanbē Takenaka, an Onmyōji and Mino's secret tactician. Dōsan's tells Yoshiharu, Mitsuhide, Goemon and Inuchiyo where they can find Hanbē and convince Hanbē to join the Oda army. Upon reaching Hanbē's home, they soon discover Nagamasa is there as well to convince Hanbē to join his side, hoping to use this to make Nobuna marry him. Yoshiharu and Nagamasa are greeted by a man claiming to be Hanbē who has them take a test that will convince him who's side he will join. However, the test is a ruse as the man claiming to be Hanbē is Hanbē's Shikigami familiar and the real Hanbē is a shy, young girl who hates violence. Meanwhile, Hanbē's uncle is arrested by Yoshitatsu as he is suspicious on Hanbē refusal to come and swear loyalty in front of him and using battle strategies with the least amount of bloodshed and orders Hanbē to come to Inabayama castle or her uncle will be killed. Having a plan to save her uncle, Yoshiharu and Nagamasa accompany Hanbē to meet Yoshitatsu while Mitsuhide, Goemon and Inuchiyo rescue her uncle. Despite her pleas she will never betray him, Yoshitatsu refuses to believe Hanbē as he sees her strategies of sparing her enemies lives as treason. As Yoshiharu calls out Yoshitatsu for treating Hanbē horribly, his allies manage to rescue Hanbē's uncle and attempt to escape. However, Yoshitatsu has taken Hanbē hostage which the frighten girl summons her familiars which defeat Yoshitatsu and his men. After finally escaping, Hanbē swears her loyalty to Yoshiharu after being touched by his kindness and his loyalty to achieve Nobuna's dream.

Sunomata One-Night Castle

Nobuna plans to build a castle at Sunomata near Nagara River which would allow her to conquer Mino. Despite Yoshiharu wishes to lead the task, Nobuna refuses and assign it to her other Generals as not to be seen playing favorites. However, Sunomata is near Inabayama castle and their attempts to build are repelled by Yoshitatsu's forces. Reluctantly giving the task to Yoshiharu, Nobuna and Katsuie leads most of the Oda army to Kisogawa to divert Yoshitatsu's attention while Yoshiharu, Hanbē, Mitsuhide, Goemon and Inuchiyo leads a small force to secretly a build a castle at Sunomata during the night. Meanwhile, Yoshitatsu's Generals Inaba and Ujiie are starting to question their lord's leadership after Hanbē's defection. Yoshitatsu sends Inaba and Ujiie to lure Nobuna's forces at an abandoned gold mine in a valley. Unknown to everyone, Yoshitatsu real plan is to kill everyone there by trapping them in the valley after setting it on fire. But much to Yoshitatsu rage, he learns a castle has been built at Sunomata the following morning and sends his army to destroy them. As Yoshiharu and the others hold off the Mino army until reinforcements arrive, Nobuna manages to escape the valley and convinces Inaba and Ujiie to defect to her side as their combined forces help the defenders of Sunomata and defeat the Mino army. Nagamasa tries to use the battle to launch a surprise attack on both sides only to encounter Nagahide's army who expected this. With Yoshitatsu captured and Mino now under her rule, Nobuna decides on Yoshitatsu fate. Much to Dōsan's anger, Nobuna spares Yoshitatsu's life. As he gets drunk in anger, Yoshiharu makes Dōsan understand Nobuna's reasoning and has him see the newly built town of Gifu and Gifu Castle, which Nobuna built in his honor. (Gifu means stepfather.)

Nobuna Advances on Kyoto

Kyoto, the capital city of the Ashikaga shoguns, is attacked by a group of conspirators called The Miyoshi Three; Sakihisa Konoe, Soukyuu Tsuda and Gousei Shoukakuin. Yoshiharu is stumped when he learns, unlike his timeline's history, Shogun Yoshiteru Ashikaga survived the attack at Kyoto and has fled Japan with Yoshiaki, his youngest sibling who is a girl in this timeline. Without an Ashikaga clan member, Nobuna cannot legitimately claim Kyoto but Mitsuhide suggests they make Yoshimoto the new Shogun as she is a relative of the Ashikagas. Nagamasa returns to Owari, begging Nobuna to marry him since he cannot return home until he does. After promising an alliance with no strings attached, Nobuna gives away her sister "Oichi" to be Nagamasa's bride except "Oichi" is Nobusumi who is forced to dress up as a girl. As the Oda army and their allies marches west to Kyoto, defeating rival clans who opposed them, Yoshiharu, Hanbē, Goemon and Inuchiyo scout ahead to Kyoto to find Himiko, the Empress of Japan. With Kyoto in a state of lawlessness, Yoshiharu and Inuchiyo saves a young girl being kidnapped by bandits, who unknown to them is actually Himiko. Meanwhile, the Miyoshi Three are trying to find Himiko and stopping the Oda threat by sending Hisahide "Danjyou" Matsunaga to find Himiko and Yoshikage Asakura, the Daimyo of Echizen to deal with the Oda army with their new ally. As Himiko, Yoshiharu and Inuchiyo sees the death and suffering of the people in the city, they help Portuguese missionary Louis Frois and her bodyguard Bontenmaru from bandits. Learning from Louis who wishes to have permission to travel the country to help the suffering, Himiko, who has psychic powers and knows that Yoshiharu is from the future, asks him if the country will get better which he assures her it will and Nobuna will be the one to save it. Yoshiharu and Inuchiyo are stunned by a magic spell by Danjyou but Himiko saves their lives after promising Danjyou she will return to the royal palace. After reuniting with Hanbē and Goemon, Yoshiharu sends Himiko back to her home but not before he realizes who she is. Nobuna's army finally arrives to Kyoto, restoring order to the city.

Golden Free City: Sakai

Sakihisa demands 120,000 kan from Nobuna or the imperial court will not recognize Yoshimoto as the new Shogun so Nobuna and Yoshiharu heads off to the neutral merchant city of Sakai. While the Oda army defends Kyoto from Danjyou and Yoshitatsu's forces, Nobuna meets with Soukyuu Imai, the leader of the Egoushuu, the merchants who control Sakai. Imai agrees to help her but the rest of the Egoushuu particularly Soukyuu Tsuda, won't since they don't like him for having a monopoly on the city's takoyaki stands. After having a meeting with Tsuda and the Egoushuu, Tsuda will help pay Nobuna's debt to Sakihisa for a part of the takoyaki market. To make things more interesting, a cooking contest will be held between Yoshiharu and Jubei where they will both cook takoyaki for Tsuda to buy, which no matter who wins, Nobuna still gets her money. Also, Imai and Tsuda are also betting on both cooks respectively which if Jubei wins, Tsuda gets an important position within the Egoushuu. While Nobuna, Yoshiharu and Imai knows that Tsuda is using the bet to gain more power within the Egoushuu, Jubei is determine to win to make her mother and Nobuna proud, who she considers the latter as her equal. Meanwhile, Hanbē successfully helps the Oda army drive their enemies out from Kyoto. Back at Sakai, the cooking contest between Yoshiharu and Jubei begins. The judges are impressed with Yoshiharu who uses mayonnaise on his takoyaki but finds Jubei's horrible as she cooked it too quickly. When the Egoushuu announces the winner, everyone is shocked when they declare Jubei due to Tsuda bribing them. Jubei proudly accepts the results, believing she has won the money for Nobuna. However, Nobuna is disgusted of her attitude, refusing to see her face and leaves Jubei along with Yoshiharu, Goemon and Inuchiyo who feels the same way. While a distraught Jubei tries to understand why Nobuna was mad at her, the Miyoshi Three celebrate, knowing they have sow distrust between Mitsuhide and Nobuna. To ensure Yoshimoto doesn't become Shogun, they send a sharpshooter, Zenjuurou Sugitani, to kill Nobuna.

The Battle at Kiyomizu Temple

As the Oda faction prepares Yoshimoto as the new Shogun, Yoshiharu ask the others to forgive Jubei, fearing the worsening relationship between her and Nobuna will lead to the Honnō-ji incident. Meanwhile, Jubei apologies to Imai over the contest but doesn't understand why Nobuna is angry at her. Imai explains that Nobuna treats her retainers like her family because she has a poor relationship with her mother and seeing Jubei's horrible attitude on the others reminded her of that. Later, the Oda faction learns the Takeda and Uesugi clans have made peace and probably planning to attack Owari and Mino from the east. Not expecting this, Yoshiharu asks Nobuna not to send all of their forces to deal with the Takeda/Uesugi alliance when Yoshimoto is about to become Shogun but she refuses to listen as she's worried about her mother and Dōsan's safety. Nagahide and Katsuie lead the Oda army back to the east, unaware it's a ruse by the Miyoshi Three to allow them to kill Yoshimoto and Nobuna. Nobuna decides to follow Yoshiharu's advice and tasks Jubei and her army to protect Yoshimoto in Kyoto. But Nobuna soon learns from Hanbē, Goemon and Inuchiyo that Yoshiharu has been kidnapped by Zenjuurou, who is using Yoshiharu as bait to kill Nobuna by sniping her. When Nagahide and Katsuie learns from Hanzō they have been tricked, Danjyou's forces have attack Kyoto and Danjyou confronts Jubei who is protecting Yoshimoto. As Danjyou uses Jubei's insecurities to put her under a spell, it is broken by Nobuna and the others, who escape Zenjuurou shot thanks to Yoshiharu. Unfazed, Danjyou has her men surround Nobuna and her allies but help arrives when Bontemaru, Louis and the Christian Daimyos come to save them. Shocked that even the persecuted Christians are willing to help Nobuna, Danjyou surrenders. With Yoshimoto as Shogun, Himiko has Nobuna at her court, telling her that she will be a great leader after reading Yoshiharu's mind and his loyalty to her.

Nobuna in Grave Danger

While many clans have accepted Yoshimoto as the new Shogun, there are still some who refuses to acknowledge her, particular those allied with the Miyoshi Three. Despite having Danjyou as their ally, they don't have enough proof to arrest the ringleaders of the Miyoshi Three. Because the Asai and Asakura clans are allies, Nobuna decides to attack Wakasa rather than Echizen to scare the Asakuras rather than risk provoking the Asais. Meanwhile in Ōmi, Nobusumi discovers that Nagamasa is a woman, having forced to hide her gender because her father Hisamasa refuses to accept a woman as a Daimyo. Nobusumi comforts Nagamasa that she can act like a woman when she's with him since he's her husband. As the Oda army and their allies crosses Ōmi to attack Wakasa, Yoshiharu stays in Kyoto to care a sick Hanbē. When Yoshiharu mentions how in his timeline, the Asai clan betrayed the Oda's after they attack Echizen, Hanbē realize Nobuna's true goal is to launch a surprise attack on Echizen after conquering Wakasa. And if the Asai/Asakura clans launched an attack now, Nobuna's forces will be trapped. As Yoshiharu goes to warn Nobuna with Zenki, Hisamasa has Nagamasa imprisoned to take over the clan and join Yoshikage against Nobuna. Nobusumi escapes to warn Yoshiharu of the Asai's treachery who uses his warning as proof to his sister Nobuna that the Asai's have betrayed them. Realizing it was her fault that lead them to be surrounded, Nobuna wants to surrender but her retainers refuses as she will be killed and her dreams for Japan would be for naught. For the whole Oda army to escape safely through Kanegasaki valley, someone has to be sacrificed to lead the rearguard to hold off the Asai/Asakura forces which Yoshiharu volunteers against Nobuna's wishes. With Yoshiharu, Hanzō, Goemon's men and 500 soldiers holding off their enemies, Nobuna is convinced to escape after Nagahide assures her that Yoshiharu will come back alive. But as she rides to retreat, Nobuna is shot.

The Retreat at Kanegasaki

As the Asai/Asakura armies continue to chase after the remnants of Yoshiharu's forces, he mourns for the men who died for his sake but is convinced by Hanzō and Zenki to continue living. As he is cornered by Yoshitatsu near a cliff, Yoshiharu begs him to spare his men in exchange for his life which the former agrees. As Yoshitatsu is about to shoot him with his cannon, Jubei, Inuchiyo and Motoyasu arrive to save him only for Hanzō to blow up Yoshiharu with a bomb to save him the humiliation of being killed by the enemy. Angered by Yoshiharu's death, Jubei attacks but is blow off the cliff by Yoshitatsu's cannon. Meanwhile, Nobuna survived her assassination thanks to Yoshiharu's phone which stopped the bullet but remains unconscious while she dreams worrying about Yoshiharu. In order for Nobuna to live and wake up, she must accept Yoshiharu's death which Danjyou gives her a potion. In her dreams, Nobuna is marrying Yoshiharu with her friends and family attending only for it to end on his funeral which wakes her up. Upon learning about Yoshiharu's and Jubei's death and her armies are facing the Asai army outside Kyoto, she is convinced by Danjyou to live to avenge Yoshiharu and Jubei which Nobuna vows the Miyoshi Three and their allies will die much to Nagahide's shock. As a ruthless Nobuna and her armies forces the scared Asai army to retreat, she has Tennōji burned down to forced out the leaders of the Miyoshi Three which shocks Imai and Louis. With the Miyoshi Three and Asakura army hold up in Hiei temple, Nobuna plans to burn the area down but Nagahide and Katsuie are against it as Hiei is a religious area and burning it will turn the people against them. Tsuda is sent by Sakihisa with a message for Nobuna which he insults her over Yoshiharu's death and tells her go home or she and her retainers will die. Angered by Sakihisa's message, Nobuna orders her forces to attack which a reluctant Nagahide and Katsuie comply.

Conquest

As the Oda forces attack Hiei, Nobuna charges in to kill Sakihisa. As Imai, Louis and Inuchiyo explains everything to Hanbē since she was sick, she realizes Yoshiharu is still alive thanks to Hanzō and Zenki faking his death. While Dōsan and Motoyasu men searches for Yoshiharu, Jubei, who survived her fall, finds the injured Yoshiharu and mend his wounds. Much to Gousei's horror, Sakihisa has ordered explosions detonated around Hiei to not only trap Nobuna in the fire but to blame the incident on Nobuna to make the people turn against her. After being knocked out by one of the explosions, Nobuna remembers her promise to Yoshiharu to never become a ruthless leader and vows to not let her desire for revenge control her. With the mountain on fire and Sakihisa having betrayed them, Tsuda and Gousei reveals everything to Hanbē while the Asakura army abandons Sakihisa. Nagahide, Danjyou and Katsuie holds off Yoshitatsu to allow Nobuna to face off against Sakihisa. As they fight, Sakihisa angrily tells Nobuna that he won't allow a lowly Daimyo like her to rule Japan as only those of noble blood like him are the destined ones to rule. But Nobuna counters that it is that system that has made the people of Japan suffer and she will end it. Nobuna defeats Sakihisa who is killed by a falling debris. Believing she is trapped, Nobuna accepts her end until Yoshiharu comes to the rescue. Thinking this is a dream, Nobuna almost allows Yoshiharu to kiss her until the others arrive which she angrily kicks him. Thanks to Hanbē's water magic, the fire at Hiei is extinguished. As Nobuna and her forces return to Kyoto, they are given a heroes welcome. Despite this victory, there are still many rival warlords before Nobuna can unite Japan which Yoshiharu vows to stay and help her. The episode ends with the arrival of Shingen Takeda, Daimyo of Kai and her army.