Tsutsui Junkei

Where are the paintings? This article is in need of more images and/or better quality pictures from official media in order to achieve a higher status. You can help the Assassin's Creed Wiki by uploading better images on this page.

Tsutsui Junkei (筒井 順慶, 1549 – 1584) was a Japanese daimyō of the Tsutsui clan who lived in the Yamato Province during the late Sengoku period.

Biography

Alliance with Nobunaga

In 1565, Tsutsui Junkei was expelled from his castle by Matsunaga Hisahide and his forces. Within a year, however, he joined forces with Oda Nobunaga and retook back his castle from Hisahide. For the following years, he fought as a fiercesome ally for the Oda clan and in 1575, he later aided Nobunaga during the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War against the Ikkō-ikki. Within two years, Junkei, with the help of the land's warrior monks, led by Hara Joken, sieged and successfully defeated Hisahide, ending his reign over Yamato.

In 1578, Nobunaga named Junkei as Yamato's daimyō, much to Joken's ire. He later abandoned his castle and built Kōriyama Castle as his new fortress. He later provided aid to Nobunaga against the Iga ikki during Nobunaga's invasion of Iga.

Conflict with the Akiyama clan

In 1582, Junkei was at odds with the Akiyama clan and its matriarch Akiyama clan. Willing to negotiate for peace, they allowed the head abbot Joken Hokkyō to be the mediator. However, when he sent envoys for peace to Ayako, they went missing, which led Junkei accusing Ayako of being responsible. Fortunately, the Kakushiba ikki members Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke came to investigate the mysterious, dark acts happening across Yamato.

After visiting Tōdai-ji, Naoe and Yasuke fought against rogue Akiyama agents, who stole a holy script needed for the peace talks. The abbot soon headed to Junkei and informed him of the incident. While Junkei readied to declare war, Naoe and Yasuke fortunately retrieved the script, gave it to Junkei, and inferred that another party might be culpable. Thus, Junkei halted his command and still readied for the peace talks.

From their investigation, Naoe and Yasuke rescued Junkei's envoy at the Iron Ore Storage near Utano, recovered and delivered the peace talks' invitation to Ayako at Kasugataisha Shrine, and discovered and killed a double agent working for a secret group, the Kurai Eikyou, at Junkei's castle.

At Kofukuji Temple, Junkei attended the peace talks with Ayako while Joken Hokkyō continued to monitor the conversation. Within the tense talks, Hokkyō paused the discussion, leading both leaders to think that war was inevitable. Before they could continue, they witnessed a soldier fall to his death with a teppō in his hand. While both leaders accused each other, Yasuke halted their bickering and stated one of the three was behind the darkness befalling the land. However, influenced by Kojiro, Yasuke threw a tantō at the abbot, who caught it with ease and revealed his true nature as a member of the Shinbakufu.

When both leaders turned against the abbot, Hokkyō ordered his monks and soldiers to kill them all and to bring the head of Yasuke to him. Although, Yasuke and the daimyōs' soldiers fought together and defeated the abbot's warriors. Later, Naoe and Yasuke chased and confronted Joken Hokkyō, ultimately killing him in the process. With Hokkyō's death, a chance of peace between their clans was possible without the Shinbakufu's interference.

Later life and death

Junkei was later contacted by Akechi Mitsuhide to join his cause, yet being wary, he later joined Toyotomi Hideyoshi after Mitsuhide's fall at the Battle of Yamazaki. In 1584, he later joined the Battle of Komaki with Hideyoshi and defeated Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces. Yet, after the battle, he fell sick and ultimately succumbed to his illness.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Shadows