直家 宇喜多
Naoie Ukita was born in 1529 in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. His father Yoshiie served under Muramune and Munekage Uragami, but was disliked by the latter who had assassinated by Kan-ami Shimamura. At that time Naoie was still a boy and escaped his father's fate due to the protection given him by his family.
Naoie Ukita entered the service .of Lulunekage Uzider thealias of Saburoemon and avenged his father by slaying Kanami (1546). Aftew years later he rose in revolt against Munekage and drove him to Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture) after capturing the Okayama Castle (1561).
Naoie Ukita gradually assumed power and began dominating Mimasaka and Bitchu (Okayama Prefecture). Later he came to grips with Hideyoshi Toyotomi's army at Harima Province but was defeated and had to fall back to Okayama Castle (1577). Back at the castle and smarting at the defeat he engineered to have Terumoto Mori, the greatest lord of the Chugoku District, and Hideyoshi fight each other for Kozuke Castle. When the two armies faced each other he ordered his brother Tadaie and a retainer named Hideyasu Togawa to side with Mori, while he himself stayed behind feigning sickness. After Kozuki Castle fell Mori became suspicious of his intentions, so Naoie changed over to Nobunaga Oda's side (1578). The following year Mori attacked him and defeated both him and his brother Tadaie.
