In the age of the samurai, loyalty was not just about obedience —
it was about moral courage.
Hirate Masahide, the mentor of Oda Nobunaga,
gave his life not out of despair, but as a message.
He saw his lord’s reckless behavior and feared for the future of the clan and the people.
To awaken Nobunaga, he chose to end his own life.
Masahide valued his lord’s awakening more than his own survival.
He placed the future above the present,
and the well-being of many above the life of one.
In his final act, he proved that true loyalty
is not in blind obedience —
but in the courage to speak truth, even at the cost of life.
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