Shigehira (小早川繁平) was young and blind from an eye illness. In 1550, with the backing of Motonari, Takakage also became head of the Takehara branch, merging the two branches of the clan. With this action the armed retainers of both branches became Motonari's to command. In 1549 Motonari went down to Yamaguchi with his sons Motoharu and Takakage. Ōuchi Yoshitaka's vassals Sagara Taketō and Sue Takafusa were engaged in a dispute over the future of the Ōuchi clan. After his defeat at the Siege of Toda Castle, Ōuchi Yoshitaka had grown tired of fighting battles and had retreated to work with literature and the arts. Motonari was sick during his stay in Yamaguchi and it took him three months to return to Yoshida-Kōriyama Castle. His caretaker while he was sick was Inoue Mitsutoshi (井上光俊). Inoue Motokane (井上元兼) was the son of Inoue Mitsukane (井上光兼) and the de facto head of a notable Aki family that nominally served the Mōri clan. He held Tenjinyama (天神山), which was just to the south of Motonari's Yoshida-Kōriyama Castle. As Motokane grew more powerful militarily and economically, he began to test the leadership of Motonari, who he became openly critical of. In 1550 Motonari forced Motokane and many members of his household to commit suicide on the grounds of treasonous behavior, an act that secured the Mōri as Aki's most powerful family. The Inoue family were afterwards allowed to continue on as Mōri retainers. Motonari's previous caretaker in Yamaguchi, Inoue Mitsutoshi, escaped the purge. At this point Motonari now had Iwami Province with the Kikkawa clan, Bingo Province, Seto Inland Sea with the Kobayakawa clan and with the two forces nearly dominated the whole of Aki Province. Conflict with Ouchi Tainei-ji incident In 1551, Sue Takafusa revolted against his lord Ōuchi Yoshitaka in the Tainei-ji incident, forcing him to commit seppuku. Takafusa changed his name to Harukata on this occasion and installed the next lord of the clan, Ōuchi Yoshinaga, but effectively led the Ōuchi clan and its armies, intent on military expansion. In 1554, Mōri Motonari became the leader of the Mōri clan. As a vassal of the Ōuchi clan, he wanted to avenge the betrayed Yoshitaka, and so he rebelled against Sue, whose territorial ambitions were depleting clan resources. The Sue gathered a large army of as many as 30,000 men. Motonari, while stronger than ever, could scarcely muster half that. Nonetheless, he