He grew up serving Nagashige NIWA, the family head in the district, but his master sided with the West Army during the Battle of Sekigahara, and being deprived of his samurai status and having his family territories forfeited, Shichirozaemon became ronin.
成長して、当地の当主である丹羽長重に仕えるが、関ヶ原の合戦で長重が西軍につき改易、七郎左衛門も浪人となる。