When he was still a young heir, he had often shown daring performances which astonished his father Nobuhide, for example, he put the town on fire near the Kiyosu-jo Castle which was controlled by his master 'the Oda Yamato no Kami family' with which the Oda clan superficially had kept the position as a vassal and subconsciously strained relations, with a few mounted warriors.
まだ世子であった頃、表面的に家臣としての立場を守り潜在的な緊張関係を保ってきた主筋の「織田大和守家」の支配する清洲城下に数騎で火を放つなど、父・信秀も寝耳に水の行動をとり、豪胆さを早くから見せた。