According to "Historia de Iapan" by Luis Frois and "Honjo Soemon Oboegaki" (literally, "memorandum of Soemon HONJO") that is reportedly written by a samurai under Mitsuhide who followed the army in the Incident, ashigaru (foot soldier) and low-level samurai in command of them believed at that time that they would attack Ieyasu TOKUGAWA who was staying in the Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto.
またルイス・フロイスの『日本史』（HistoriadeIapan）や、変に従軍した光秀配下の武士が江戸時代に書いたという『本城惣右衛門覚書』によれば、当時、重職以外の足軽や統率の下級武士は京都本能寺にいる徳川家康を討つものと信じていた、とされている。