The monk known as Kuji stood on small hillock outside of Sakai and marveled at the sight before him. Before him hundreds of workers worked tirelessly on a structure of massive proportions. It dominated its surroundings, even here, in a region full of great cities. Between him and the massive structure thousands of men, monks like Kuji, stood in row upon row wielding sword and spear and engaged in martial exercises. A vast army. Kuji smiled. The warriors of Buddha. The army of the True Pure Land sect. They had come from across Japan, though mostly from the Kinai and northern Chubu regions. They had come to devote themselves to the most righteous cause in all Japan. Daimyos fought daimyos in an effort to increase their power and wealth. The warriors of the True Pure Land sect fought to protect those who sought a new life, a life devoted to Buddha and the commune, to the Ikko-Ikki. The world would change. The peasants would no longer be oppresed, no longer be forced to pay rents to brutal landlords to pay for lands the peasant did all the work on. No longer would peasants be loyal to daimyo who sought only their own glory. Now peasants would give money only to their church, and that willingly as a sign of their gratitude. Now peasants would be loyal only to their commune, and through it to Buddha. And the True Pure Land sect, under the leadership of the Honganji Monshu, would guide and protect them. The scene before Kuji was a testament to this goal. The Ishiyama temple fortress would stand forever as a testament to the immovable faith of the Ikko-Ikki. And the thousands of warrior monks would be remembered for all time for the strength of their devotion.

In fact Kuji saw an army of 10,000 men. 5,000 spearmen, 3,000 archers, 1,000 foot samurai, and 1,000 mounted warriors. For a total of 13,000 ku.