was born the sixth son of Oda Nobuhide

Oda Nobuhide

was a warlord and magistrate of lower Owari Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. His father was Oda Nobusada and Nobuhide was the father of Oda Nobunaga.-Ruling the clan:...

, a feudal warlord in Owari Province

Owari Province

was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishū .-History:The province was created in 646....

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, during the Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

. He was the half-brother of Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga

was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...

 and the full brother of Oda Nobuhiro

Oda Nobuhiro

was the eldest son of Oda Nobuhide. After Nobuhiro's father took Anjo Castle in Mikawa Province in 1540, the castle was given to Nobuhiro. During 1549, Nobuhiro was trapped by the Imagawa clan, but was saved when the Oda clan handed over one of their hostages—Matsudaira Takechiyo, later known...

, with all three having the same father. He later became the adopted son of Oda Nobuyasu, his uncle.

Control of Moriyama Castle

On May 10, 1555, Nobunaga took control of Kiyosu Castle

Kiyosu Castle

is a castle that acted as a base of operations for Oda Nobunaga during the latter half of the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. It is located in the city of Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture, Japan....

 and began using it as his residence. He then gave Nagoya Castle, his former residence, to his brother Oda Nobumitsu, ruler of Moriyama Castle, who had provided him with support. In turn, Nobumitsu gave control of Moriyama Castle to Oda Nobutsugi.

The following month, on June 26, Nobutsugi killed Nobunaga's sixth younger brother, Oda Hidetaka

Oda Hidetaka

was a Sengoku period warrior in 16th century Japan. He was the eighth son of warlord Oda Nobuhide and his wife, Tsuchida Gozen. His mother also gave birth to three of his older brothers: Oda Nobunaga, Oda Nobuyuki and Oda Nobukane....

, who had had been riding his horse along the Shōnai River

Shonai River

The is a Class 1 river flowing through Gifu and Aichi prefectures in Japan. In Gifu Prefecture, it is also referred to as the Toki River ; around the city of Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, it is referred to as the Tamano River .-Geography:The river originates at Mount Yūdachi in Ena, Gifu Prefecture...

 near Moriyama Castle. Both Nobunaga and his feuding brother, Oda Nobuyuki

Oda Nobuyuki

was the son of Oda Nobuhide, and younger brother of Oda Nobunaga in the earlier years of the Sengoku period of the 16th century of Japan.Nobuyuki conspired against his brother Nobunaga with the Hayashi and Shibata families. Nobuyuki's Suemori Castle was reduced by Ikeda Nobuteru. Though Hayashi and...

, tried to take control of the castle, but Sakuma Nobumori

Sakuma Nobumori

was a retainer for the Oda clan. Nobumori's banishment by Oda Nobunaga to Mount Koyasan has widely been regarded as symbolic of Nobunaga's ruthlessness against even his longest-serving retainers, highlighting the leader's shortcomings as a military commander....

intervened to keep the peace. Nobutoki was allowed to move his forces in and take control of the castle.