The rumor that Toshiie was in the shudo (homosexual) relationship with Nobunaga in those days has been handed down in the documents of the Kaga domain "Ashoko On-yobanashi" (Night Stories of Lord Chief Councilor [Toshiie MAEDA]) as 'the story of the crane soup (the anecdote of the time when Toshiie was envied by everybody because Nobunaga announced that Toshiie had been his lover in their youth in the banquet for the military exploits)'.
この頃、信長とは衆道（同性愛）の関係にあったことが加賀藩の資料『亜相公御夜話』に、「鶴の汁の話（信長に若い頃は愛人であったことを武功の宴会で披露され皆に羨ましがられた時の逸話）」として残されている。