8. Golden Free City: Sakai
Sakihisa demands 120,000 kan from Nobuna or the imperial court will not recognize Yoshimoto as the new Shogun so Nobuna and Yoshiharu heads off to the neutral merchant city of Sakai. While the Oda army defends Kyoto from Danjyou and Yoshitatsu's forces, Nobuna meets with Soukyuu Imai, the leader of the Egoushuu, the merchants who control Sakai. Imai agrees to help her but the rest of the Egoushuu particularly Soukyuu Tsuda, won't since they don't like him for having a monopoly on the city's takoyaki stands. After having a meeting with Tsuda and the Egoushuu, Tsuda will help pay Nobuna's debt to Sakihisa for a part of the takoyaki market. To make things more interesting, a cooking contest will be held between Yoshiharu and Jubei where they will both cook takoyaki for Tsuda to buy, which no matter who wins, Nobuna still gets her money. Also, Imai and Tsuda are also betting on both cooks respectively which if Jubei wins, Tsuda gets an important position within the Egoushuu. While Nobuna, Yoshiharu and Imai knows that Tsuda is using the bet to gain more power within the Egoushuu, Jubei is determine to win to make her mother and Nobuna proud, who she considers the latter as her equal. Meanwhile, Hanbē successfully helps the Oda army drive their enemies out from Kyoto. Back at Sakai, the cooking contest between Yoshiharu and Jubei begins. The judges are impressed with Yoshiharu who uses mayonnaise on his takoyaki but finds Jubei's horrible as she cooked it too quickly. When the Egoushuu announces the winner, everyone is shocked when they declare Jubei due to Tsuda bribing them. Jubei proudly accepts the results, believing she has won the money for Nobuna. However, Nobuna is disgusted of her attitude, refusing to see her face and leaves Jubei along with Yoshiharu, Goemon and Inuchiyo who feels the same way. While a distraught Jubei tries to understand why Nobuna was mad at her, the Miyoshi Three celebrate, knowing they have sow distrust between Mitsuhide and Nobuna. To ensure Yoshimoto doesn't become Shogun, they send a sharpshooter, Zenjuurou Sugitani, to kill Nobuna.
