 Though Hidenobu was only an infant, he was declared the heir.Hidenobu followed in serving under Ishida Mitsunari during the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.Before the battle, he had controlled Gifu Castle, an important element in Mitsunari's overall plans; however, he ended up losing the castle during the Battle of Gifu Castle against Ikeda Terumasa and Fukushima Masanori.