At first he was in an inferior position to the Eastern Forces led by Katsumoto, who had taken control of the Shogun at Muromachi manor, but in August he joined forces with Masahiro OUCHI, who had come to Kyoto from Suo, and the situation became more balanced.
当初室町亭の将軍らを確保した勝元率いる東軍に対して劣勢であったが、8月には周防から上洛した大内政弘と合流し、一進一退の状況になる。