After Nobunaga was assassinated by his vassal in the Incident at Honno-ji in 1582, during a stay at Tomo in Bingo, Yoshiaki tried to go up to Kyoto again with Terumoto MORI's help and besought Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI and Katsuie SHIBATA as well.
まだ備後鞆滞在中であった天正10年（1582年）に信長が本能寺の変で家臣に討たれると、毛利輝元の後ろ盾を得て再び上洛を目論む一方、豊臣秀吉や柴田勝家にも同じような働きかけを盛んに行った。