With the death of Ieyasu’s father, the lands of the Matsudaira clan were essentially lost to their rivals. At this time, Ieyasu’s position held little prospect for greatness, but the young boy was determined to change his own fate. Years passed and the boy grew into a young man, one with keen vision and ambition. By 1560 he managed to at last free himself from the influence of the rival Imagawa clan that held him as a (respected) hostage.
Ieyasu recognized the potential of an alliance with the powerful general Oda Nobunaga . After the latter’s magnificent victory in the Battle of Okehazama against Imagawa Yoshimoto, young Ieyasu placed himself under Nobunaga’s rule and began shaping his illustrious future one step at a time.