The heir of the minor daimyō lord that governed Mikawa, Ieyasu was sent as a hostage to the Imagawa family, but during the journey to Suruga, he was captured by Nobunaga. After his capture, Ieyasu began to admire Nobunaga's strong-willed nature and started to refer to him as "Brother." Ieyasu eventually became a sworn friend to the Oda family, fighting alongside them in battle.