As seen in the case of the order to kill Tsukiyama-dono, who was Ieyasu's legitimate wife, and Nobuyasu MATSUDAIRA, who was Ieyasu's first son, Oda and Tokugawa were not in a relationship of equality like 'allied countries' as often been idealized later, and, for Oda, Tokugawa was a mere throwaway player and, in order to pacify the eastern countries, it should be completely weakened or overthrown as soon as possible.
正妻の築山殿、嫡男の松平信康の誅殺命令にあるように、織田と徳川は後世に美化されたような「同盟」という対等の関係でなく、徳川は織田にとって、使い捨ての駒に過ぎず、東方平定のためには、早々に完全に弱体化させるか滅ぼされるべき存在に過ぎなかった。