On December 27, a rumor spread that Kiyomori was planning to attack Yorimori, who was at Rokuhara, and talk that the battle had already begun was rife (see the entry for the same day in the "Gyokuyo").
20日には清盛が六波羅にいる頼盛を討つという噂が広がり、すでに合戦が始まったという情報も飛び交っている（『玉葉』同日条）。