It is recorded that when Yoshishige OTOMO visited the Osaka-jo Castle, Hidenaga TOYOTOMI said to him, "I will take care of all the official business, and Soeki (Rikyu) will handle all personal matters," which suggested how deeply Rikyu was involved in the politics in the TOYOTOMI administration, therefore it is clear that there were some groups against Rikyu wanting him to lose his position.
利休が秀吉の政事に大きく関わったことは、大友義鎮が大坂城を訪れた際、豊臣秀長から「公儀のことは私に、内々のことは宗易に」と耳打ちされたことなどからも伺え、そのように利休が深く政務に関わることに反発し利休の失脚を望む勢力は確かに存在したと言われる。