swiftly caught it with his bare hand. Impressed by the bravery of his young opponent, Tsunehisa spared the boys, looking forward to battle against an adult Motonari. The following year in 1501 his mother died and in 1506 his father died due to alcohol poisoning. Shōjumaru stayed at Tajihi-Sarugake Castle but his vassal Inoue Motomori (井上元盛) began embezzling land and was turned out of the castle. Because he was now both impoverished and from a powerful family he was called the "Beggar Prince" (乞食若殿) by the common people. The young Shōjumaru was raised by a foster mother Sugi no Ōkata (杉大方), who was a great influence on him; they grew very close. She got him in the habit facing the sun and saying a Buddhist prayer every morning. In 1511, Shōjumaru officially became an adult and had his genpuku ceremony. He received the name Mōri Motonari (毛利元就). In 1516, his brother Okimoto died suddenly like their father due to alcohol poisoning. Okimoto's infant son, Kōmatsumaru (幸松丸) succeeded as head of the clan and Motonari became his regent. After the sudden deaths of his father and brother the Mōri clan was left weak and vulnerable. The most powerful lord of the region, Takeda Motoshige (武田元繁) of Sataukanayama Castle (佐東銀山城), took advantage of the situation and gathered an army of 5,000 and in October, 1517 advanced into the territory of the Mōri's Kikkawa clan allies surrounding Arita Castle (有田城). A few weeks later, Motoshige dispatched a raid into the Mōri clan's territory and set fire to houses in Tajihi (多治比). Motonari went in place of his nephew Kōmatsumaru to relieve Arita Castle from the advancing Takeda forces. This was Motonari's first battle that would decide the fate of the Mōri clan and would become known as the Battle of Arita-Nakaide. Battle of Arita-Nakaide With most of the Ōuchi clan forces preoccupied in Kyoto with Ōuchi Yoshioki, the Mōri were unable to call on them for assistance, and Motonari instead mobilized his clan and called on their supporters. Motonari was also aided by his younger brother, Aiō Mototsuna. In total the Mōri strength comprised around 850 men, reinforced by 300 from the Kikkawa clan, for a total of around 1,000. This force marched towards Arita Castle and on the way encountered the Takeda vanguard, commanded by Kumagai Motonao (熊谷元直), commanding about 500 men. The Mōri and their allies stood off and engaged the