It appears that Naomasa's ability in politics was well known among the vassals of other clans, because after the Battle of Sekigahara he was asked by Yoshihiro SHIMAZU, who was a member of the Western Camp, to serve as mediator with Ieyasu for peace talks (even though Masanobu HONDA, whose specialty was politics, was among the vassals of the Tokugawa clan).
関ヶ原の戦いの後、直政は西軍の一員であった島津義弘から家康との和平交渉の仲立ちを依頼された（徳川氏の家臣の中に政治を専門とする本多正信がいるにもかかわらず）ことからその政治的手腕は、他家の者達に知れ渡っていたと思われる。