Sengoku Basara/Okehazama Surprise Attack

Okehazama Surprise Attack (桶狭間奇襲戦) is the name given to the battle that takes place in the territory of Yoshimoto Imagawa and his army. While Yoshimoto doesn't seem intimidating based on appearance alone, serving as something of a joke character who occasionally loses his resolve (causing the soldiers around him to do the same), his giant folding fan packs a punch, and he can be surprisingly quick in his pursuit. The map itself is straightforward, with no special objectives or secrets aside from the usual hidden tamatebako.

Strategy
Defeat the first squad leader and his troops to build up your Basara. Shortly afterward, the path will split in two for the first time. A gate and an extra squad leader are located on the left path, while a two squad leaders guard the right path; for maximum rewards and experience, claim the gate and defeat over the leader that remains on the left path, then backtrack down the right path to defeat the leaders there. Also of interest on the right path is a horse, which can speed up the pace at which you complete this stage immensely. On the left path, there is a hidden tamatebako located next to a drum to the left of the map, beyond the gate. A hidden item can be found in a similar spot on the right side of the map.

Where the paths meet, a lone squad leader waits. Two more gates follow, the first on the left path of a subsequent fork, and the second right before the boss; squad leaders can be defeated to open both. These are the last squad leaders that will drop rewards; all that follow will drop only health and Basara, so you can either defeat them for experience or use them as backup items if the boss gives you trouble. Proceed past the final gate to meet the boss of this area.

Boss: Yoshimoto Imagawa
The path to Yoshimoto is guarded by pole-swingers and archers, making escape difficult if you don't defeat them on the way, and Yoshimoto himself is guarded by many foot soldiers as well as some archers. Defeat the archers first, to avoid having them break your combo, or simply turn the camera away from them (out of sight, out of range). You can always use these foot soldiers to build up your Basara, or backtrack if you've left squad leaders alive on the path leading up to the boss. However, make sure that Yoshimoto is a distance away from you, as turning the camera away from him can be dangerous.

Yoshimoto is capable of swinging his giant fan rapidly, and when charged up, even producing flame. His attack patterns can be difficult to grasp due to his status as a non-playable character, but simply avoid his combos and wait until he charges up to disrupt the process and combo him. Defeat him to clear the stage.