Though he declined the request, claiming there he didn't have much to say, Ieyasu and his retainers persisted, so he eventually relented, offerring the response, 'The honor rightfully belongs to my three brothers, starting with Yoshihiro, and our retainers, such as Tadamoto NIIRO, who put up a unified front in fighting the battles, without internal dissent, I never led the troops in battle, but just looked after the castle in Kagoshima.'
話す事はないと断ったが、家康や家康の家臣が強く要請するので渋々、「義弘をはじめとする3人の弟たちや、新納忠元らの家臣団が相反することなく一致団結して戦ってくれたので、私が先頭に立ち戦に出たことはなく、ただ鹿児島の城にて留守番をしていただけのことです」と答えた。